A/N: Thanks to all who have reviewed. I appreciate all forms of feedback. As to a good question raised by a reviewer, "revising" does, in this story, take on the British definition, which refers to studying for an exam. I am but a American girl from Texas, so my terms may occilate between the venaculars. I apologise for this minor inconsistancy. My quotes come from the wonderful database site They've got some keepers...

I will be gone this weekend, so you get a double shot today! Lucky you...I will post again on Sunday afternoon. Enjoy!

Chapter 8- Fang, Phlegm and a Little Dessert

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.- Edmund Burke

Friday dawned gorgeously sunny. Samantha left work at her usual time, apparating back to her flat at around 5. She ran around hurriedly, getting herself ready for the wedding. Her silky green dress robes were trimmed in silver. Severus had teased her when he had first seen them, commenting on how her entire wardrobe consisted of black and Slytherin green. Samantha had responded with an appropriate and well-timed kettle-pot remark. After that, he didn't say anything more about her clothing.

The garden behind the Burrow was exquisitely decorated for the ceremony. She arrived at 6:30 and walked slowly into the garden, saying hello to Molly as the red-headed woman straightened Bill's robes and once again offered to cut his hair. She looked up at the white fairies that had been conjured and hung like a canopy over the entire garden, giving off a soft glow in the fading twilight. The fence leading into the garden was covered in white chrysanthemums, dotted every now and then with pink roses. Samantha marveled at how something that had been so rushed could be so elegant and beautiful, as if it had taken weeks to decorate.

She spotted an empty seat next to Doge and Kingsley. Kingsley said hello as she sat down, and then turned to talk quietly to Doge. She smiled down the row at Harry, who returned it and gave a small wave. Samantha saw the brown-headed girl next to him ask Harry something. He looked to be explaining who she was, because the girl looked at Samantha with a curious look. Samantha smiled at her and waved. The girl waved back a little unsure, and Harry began to talk to her again.

The ceremony was short and simple. The wizard who had performed Albus's funeral proceeded over the vow exchange. All four of the Weasley brothers stood next to Bill, looking much older than Samantha knew them to be. Ginny Weasley stood next to an almost translucent girl with a beautiful face and long platinum blond hair on the other side of Fleur. The ceremony ended with a round of applause as the fairies above their heads rained down golden sparkles.

The food tables were covered in everything imaginable. There was a healthy array of French delicacies as well as staples of any Weasley feast. The crowd mingled freely as most people made their way to congratulate Bill and Fleur. Samantha spotted the kids sitting at one of the small round tables. Harry was lounging in his chair, sipping a bottle of butterbeer, while the Weasley boy and the brown-haired girl sat very close together. Samantha wove her way through the crowd and walked up to Harry.

"Hello again, Mr. Potter," she said. "I don't suppose I could talk you into introducing your friends, could I?"

"Hi, Sam," said Harry. He motioned at the Weasley boy. "These are my two best friends, Ron Weasley and his girlfriend Hermione Granger."

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet both of you," said Samantha as she shook their hands. "I have heard so many stories about you from others in the Order, that I was very curious indeed to see the infamous Golden Trio for myself."

"Harry said that you were Professor Lupin's cousin," said Hermione. The girl still seemed to be sizing Samantha up.

"Yes, although that information is not widely known," said Samantha. "We went to school together but he was a Gryffindor, like yourselves, while I was in Slytherin. We didn't really hang out a lot, as you can imagine."

"Yeah, I guess not," said Ron, taking another drink of his butterbeer. "I've never heard of anyone in those two houses being close friends."

"Never say 'never,' Mr. Weasley," said Samantha with a smirk. "I was actually very good friends with Harry's mother, Lily."

"You knew my mum?" asked Harry. His eyes - her eyes - looked at her full of questions.

"Yes, Mr. Potter, I did," sighed Samantha. She looked down at the ground as memories washed over her. "She was a wonderfully intelligent woman and a good friend." She looked back up at him, giving him a smile. "Got me through Slughorn's N.E.W.T. Potions class. Wouldn't have gotten my Exceeds Expectations without all of her help."

Harry grinned at her. The others looked at him and then seemed to accept Samantha immediately. Very interesting, thought Samantha.

"Well, I must confess," said Samantha in a lower voice, looking around for Arthur or Molly, "that my intentions for meeting you were not entirely altruistic. I was wondering if the three of you would fancy a walk?"

The Trio got up to follow Samantha to the pitch. She walked a little behind them, making sure their absence was not being noted.

They reached the grove, where Ron and Hermione lit their wands. They looked at Samantha warily, who was giving each of them a searching look as she lit her own wand.

"What I'm about to tell you is to be kept in the strictest confidence, do you all understand?" asked Samantha. All three nodded. "I'm serious. This will get me in a lot of hot water with the Order and could prevent you from being inducted, if you so choose to be, if someone finds out."

"Why haven't we been inducted?" asked Harry, a hard glint in his eyes. "It's not as if we haven't had experience."

"Indeed, Mr. Potter," said Samantha, raising a hand to stop the others from asking the same thing. "Believe me, I am a firm believer that all of you should have been inducted before the little incident at the Department of Mysteries, but I and your other champions were sternly told by Albus that we were not to mention anything to you."

"Who else thought we should be in the Order?" asked Ron in an angry tone. Samantha's eyes glanced at Harry briefly. She sighed in resignation.

"Myself, Sirius, Remus, and -" she held her breath," - and Severus."

"Snape!" cried Ron and Hermione. Harry was strangely silent, holding Samantha's gaze. He frowned in thought.

"Yes," said Samantha, watching Harry out of the corner of her eye. "Although I caution you that Remus is no longer of that opinion at all, so you have lost all your vocal supporters. I am not about to make myself any more of an outcast in the Order than I already am due to my associations with old school friends to voice my opinion on the matter. I am, however, going to put my money where my mouth is," said Samantha sternly, glaring at Ron's furious expression. Hermione hit him on the arm and looked eagerly back at Samantha.

"Does this have anything to do with what Remus talked to you about after dinner that night I left?" asked Harry. "You told me you would tell me something later."

"Indeed, Mr. Potter, and this is later," said Samantha. She looked back towards the reception party one last time and then looked back at the kids.

"I ask that you try and hold your questions until I'm finished explaining," she said. The three of them nodded and Samantha took a deep breath. "The Order received intelligence that the wedding was going to be attacked on Saturday by a group of Death Eaters. I assume all of you thought it strange that the date was changed suddenly and the three of you would be shipped off to the 12 for the day?"

They all nodded, Harry and Hermione trading a look. Samantha continued. "Well, everyone thought that you would do something rash and actually be helpful to us, Merlin forbid, so they decided to send you to the 12 with Molly. I'm not at liberty to tell you what the Order is planning due to a promise I made Remus, but I didn't promise not to give you all a way to help us out."

The three kids looked at one another with huge grins. Their excitement was contagious, and Samantha's face broke out into a small smile.

"Now, you must listen to me carefully," said Samantha. "This will be dangerous and you could get seriously injured if you do not do exactly as I tell you. I managed to convince Molly to switch me places and let me escort the three of you to the 12." Ron's face paled a bit at this news.

"You will be flooing over at 9 tomorrow morning. I will meet you there. The Death Eaters will be in the village at 12:30, which means they will probably not be here and through the wards until at least 1. Their leader is going to have to break through the protective wards around the property." Samantha glanced at Harry, who gave her a little nod.

"We will have to come in by portkey, since Moody reinforced the Anti-Apparition wards, most likely with a nasty jinx imbedded for any idiot who tests them. We will arrive in one of the bedrooms on the front side of the house. The two of you -" she pointed to Harry and Ron, "-will need your brooms. Miss Granger, I mean no offense, but your flying skills are not highly spoken of. You will be stationed at a window where you can see what's going on. You all will be disillusioned as well as your brooms and watch the attack from the air. No Invisibility cloaks. They're too much hassle in situations like this."

"Now, here's where I'm sure you are going to be upset with me," said Samantha. "You are only to engage the Death Eaters if an Order member is seriously in trouble. You are NOT under any circumstances to go around shooting off spells at everything that moves. This is very important." She looked fiercely into each of their sullen faces. "If you cannot abide by this command, you may stay at the 12 until everything's cleaned up and fix the rest of us a nice snack to eat upon our return. Do you understand me?"

They all looked at one another as if communicating silently. Harry looked back at Samantha, a fiercely determined look on his face.

"We'll do it," he said. The others nodded in agreement.

"Excellent," said Samantha. "Now, I will also be disillusioned until the battle gets going. Then I will be out to engage the leader of the attack, who was my source for the information. Do not shoot anything at the leader, even if it seems like I am in trouble. We go back a long way, and we know how to make a duel look convincing. Am I clear?"

Ron and Hermione looked at Samantha in bewilderment. Samantha glared back at them.

"If this is not acceptable to you, you will most assuredly stay at the 12. I'm sure Kretcher would like the company," growled Samantha. "Please, this is important for the rest of the Order. Do not take him down."

"Alright, alright," said Ron. He sighed in disappointment. "We won't take the git down."

"And you will also refrain from unnecessary name calling," said Samantha as she lifted her wand to Ron's neck. His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates as Samantha narrowed her eyes at the boy. "I do not bad-mouth your close friends, Mr. Weasley. Do not do it to mine or you will regret it. Ask Remus to tell you about my hexes and jinxes if you think I'm bluffing. I'm sure he still has scars he can show you."

Ron swallowed visibly and shook his head. Samantha looked at her watch quickly.

"We'd better get back," she said. "Your absence will have been noticed by now. Thank you for your help, my little blackbirds. I know you will do well." She turned and walked back to the party, leaving the three kids to return at their own pace. She slipped back in among the crowd and started up a conversation with Arthur on the Minister's security policy for Hogsmeade.

The reception ended at about 10:30. Bill and Fleur left on their honeymoon to Egypt, and Fleur's family portkeyed back to France. The Weasleys who weren't in the Order stayed until 11, and then portkeyed back to their respective lodgings. The rest of the party made their way down the road about half a mile past the wards and disapparated in groups. Finally, the only people left were Samantha, Remus, Molly, Arthur and the blackbirds. Remus walked up to Samantha with the kids in tow.

"Hey Sami, I just wanted you to meet the kids before tomorrow," said Remus. He introduced Ron and Hermione, each one doing a very convincing job of meeting her politely as if for the first time.

"Very nice to meet both of you," said Samantha with a grin. "I'm sure we'll get to talk more tomorrow at Headquarters while you wait for the wards to be checked."

"I can't wait," said Harry with a knowing look. Remus ruffled Harry's hair, while Ron gave Samantha a wink.

"Neither can I, Mr. Potter," said Samantha. She turned to walk down the road and disapparated.

Samantha ran to her room for parchment. She wrote a quick message to Severus and fired off her falcon.

Gabriel-


The blackbirds are ready for takeoff. I will look for you and engage you at the attack. Try not to hurt me too badly. The birds know not to shoot at the Death Eater dueling with me.

Je t'aime, Severus, et bon courage,
Haydyn

The day of the attack dawned overcast and dull. The clouds above Grimmauld Square were dark and foreboding, threatening rain for later in the day. Samantha arrived at the 12 at 8:40 clad in her typical weekend attire - a black tank top and her loose-fitting black trousers topped with a hooded black jacket. She made her way to the kitchen, eyeing the muttering house-elf as he locked himself in his closet of a room. Samantha started making breakfast, putting eggs and bacon on the stove to cook while she toasted some bread. She was setting a bowl of fruit on the table when the fireplace flared green. Harry stumbled out of the grate, followed by Ron and Hermione. Molly stepped through a few seconds later and smiled at Samantha.

"Thank you so much, Samantha," said Molly. "I really appreciate you taking one of your days off to do this for us." She gave each of the kids a hug, giving Ron a kiss on the cheek as well. "Now, you all behave yourselves and don't cause any trouble for Miss Ives. If I hear of any mischief, you'll be degnoming the garden and anything else I can find for you to do."

"Alright, Mum, we got it," said Ron. He suffered another kiss on the cheek and Molly stepped back through the floo.

Samantha turned back to the stove, putting the last of the bacon on a platter. She carried it over to the table, levitating a jug of pumpkin juice behind her. She chuckled at Ron's salivating.

"Well, go ahead and sit down, my blackbirds," said Samantha. "It's early yet, and I'm sure Molly wanted you out of the house quickly. I'm not as good a cook, but I reckon it's edible."

"It looks great, Miss Ives," said Hermione as she sat down and poured Ron a glass of juice.

"Please, call me Samantha or Sam," said Samantha. "I don't expect you to stand on ceremony with me. We are fellow troublemakers for the Order. I figure we can be casual with one another." She sat across from Hermione and grabbed a few slices of bacon as Ron reached for the eggs. Hermione smiled at her and took a piece of toast.

Samantha saw that Harry wasn't eating much, pushing his eggs around his plate with his fork. She looked down and noticed that, other than the two slices of bacon, she hadn't eaten anything either. She gave his shoulder a squeeze as she rose to get herself another cup of tea.

After breakfast, they all went into the drawing room. Harry sat in a chair, his head tilted back, eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, as the other two took a seat on the couch. Hermione pulled out a book from her bag and began to read, her free hand resting on Ron's head which was lying in her lap. Samantha walked over to where the great tapestry of the Black Family hung on the wall. She followed the lines down towards the bottom.

Regina Black née Travers… Samantha's fingers felt the hole below Mrs. Black's name and trailed over the golden embroidered name next to the black mark. Regulus Arcturus Black (b.1962, d.1979). Samantha closed her eyes. Was this the answer to the riddle? Was R.A.B. Regulus, the writer of the bold letter to the Dark Lord, the thief and possible destroyer of something as vile and dark as a Horcrux?

The four of them slowly passed the few hours before they were to leave. Samantha looked around the room and found an old paperweight in one of the desk drawers. She set it on the table to be used as a portkey. At noon, all three kids rose and left the room. Harry stopped by the door and looked back at Samantha.

"Er - we'll be right back, Sam," he said.

Samantha raised an eyebrow at him as he turned to follow his friends upstairs. She waited for a few minutes until she heard footsteps coming down the stairs. The door to the drawing room opened and in walked three black-clad teenagers. Hermione had covered her bushy hair with a black scarf. Samantha looked at the three of them and burst out laughing. The kids looked at each other with worried faces.

"No, no, don't worry," said Samantha betweens gasps of breath. "I love it! What made you think of it?"

"It was Hermione's idea," said Ron sullenly, a bit miffed at being laughed at. He pulled the front of his thin black turtleneck away from his thin frame with two fingers.

"I heard you refer to us as blackbirds," said Hermione, frowning at Ron for putting her on the spot. "I thought the black clothes would be a nice touch."

"Indeed they are, Miss Granger," said Samantha with a huge grin. "'Blackbird Pies' was the code name for this little operation between my source and I, hence calling you my 'blackbirds'."

"See, Ron, I told you she wouldn't mind," said Hermione as she sat back down on the couch. Ron lay down next to her, his head resting in her lap once again. She stroked his red hair with her hand. The sight made Samantha a little jealous, wishing for a pair of strong arms to wrap themselves around her and tell her everything would be fine. They waited in a tense silence until the clock on the mantle struck a quarter to one.

"Let's go, blackbirds. Where are your brooms?" asked Samantha as she pulled her wand out.

"We left them in Fred and George's room," said Harry. "You can see everything in front of the house from there. We figured that'd be the best spot for Hermione to stay."

"Excellent," said Samantha as she cast Portus on the black orb sitting on the table. It emitted a blue light for a few seconds before the light faded into the paperweight. "Then that's we're will come out. I'll put the charms on you when we arrive. Try and stay on your feet when we land. We don't want anyone alerted to our presence. A finger on this ugly thing, if you please." Three fingers touched the rock in her hand and Samantha looked into the young determined faces of warriors.

"Three…two…one…"

They disappeared from the 12 in a flash of light.