Remus sat down in shock. There was another. One other person who could defeat Voldemort. Unless Voldemort already knew, but then he had never told anyone, if he even knew himself. Lupin reread the letter for the fifth time.
Dear Sirius,
You may have forgotten me, and if you have then I'm afraid how much of a shock this will cause you. My name is Kaleigh, and back at Hogwarts I was Lily Potter's best friend and your one time steady girlfriend. I was Lily's maid of honor at her wedding, and ordained Harry's godmother. However, there will be one thing you couldn't know about that happened during our seventh year. I'm afraid that I have greatly erred by not telling you, but I was pregnant, and on June 12, I gave birth to a baby girl. I named her Riley…Riley Andromeda Black (I remember how you adored the cousin of yours.) I used your last name, hoping you wouldn't mind. I'm telling all of this to you now because I've become very ill, and am afraid that I will not last much longer. You're daughter's birth should no longer be kept a secret, and I feel the need to tell you now as she will come looking for you. Please at least welcome her in. I don't expect you to take up fatherly duties.
I've missed you so much, and I still love you. Please tell Lily, James, and Molly that I miss them and love them to pieces.
Love,
Kaleigh
Remus remembered Kaleigh very well, and he knew Sirius did as well.
Flashback
Sirius was sitting in the Gryffindor common room, entangled in a pretty blonde girl: Kaleigh Peters.
"Sirius, I'm going upstairs. I'm rather tired tonight." She gave him a very passionate kiss, and let him pull her down to lay on him. At first she struggled, saying how she really should go to bed, but her fatigue gave way. Soon her breath deepened and she fell asleep on Sirius' lap.
"You really are in love aren't you Padfoot." Remus sighed, looking at the sleeping figure.
"Couldn't stop if I wanted to. She's so perfect you know? She's very smart and always laughing, Kay's just amazing." Sirius got a dreamy, glazed over look as he lost himself in memories of her.
"What are you going to do when we graduate?"
"Have her live with me of course. Granted, she hasn't exactly agreed to that yet, but I've found a nice flat just off of St. Mungo's. It'll be perfect, seeing as she wants to be a healer and all."
End Flashback
They really were the perfect couple, next to James and Lily of course. Unfortunately, soon after their graduation Kaleigh was sent away on Order business. She hadn't been seen again, and their only way of knowing if she was alive came from her heartfelt letters to Sirius. Then, after two months, the letters suddenly stopped. Dumbledore explained that he had owled and told her that her position would be compromised if anymore correspondence went on. Soon, she slowly faded out of the Order, and after the defeat, her name disappeared out of their vocabulary. Now this letter had been found, opening a huge can of worms. It needed to be brought up at the meeting. Maybe Dumbledore knew something about it. No, not Dumbledore. Albus had died, leaving him and the rest of the Order subdued and without leadership. There had been nowhere to turn, and so they did the only thing that they knew: the Order regrouped. Now Remus and Mad Eye ran things. Grimmauld place had been refurbished (even Mrs.Blacks' portrait had been dealt with.) There was still a riff between them and the Ministry, but there was little that could be done. Scrimgeur was just as much a fool as Fudge, except for the fact that he tended to be quicker on the uptake. He still, however, would not acknowledge the fact that the Death Eaters, not Voldemort, needed to be fettered. Take down the people and leave the Lord to fend for himself.
"Remus, what are you doing in here?" a bubblegum pink haired woman snuggled up against him.
"Hello Tonks. You didn't ever hear Sirius mention anyone named Riley did you?"
"My cousin dating. He had a lot of time in here for that you know. I'm sure the mad woman in the hall helped a lot."
"You may want to read this." Remus handed his vivid girlfriend the letter.
Her eyes widened and her mouth rounded into an 'O'. Tonks dropped the letter and watched it flutter to the ground.
"A child. A girl that is searching for him, that calls him father. Are you joking me?"
"No. He and Kaleigh were very close. They were planning to live together after Hogwarts, but she was sent away."
"You need to bring this up at the meeting tonight. Another member would surely know about this."
Slowly, at predetermined times, the members came. First came the Weasleys with Hermione, and then Minerva, Kingsley, Moody, Harry, and Mudungus. Many empty seats filled the table, a reminder of lost heroes.
"Thank you all for coming. Right now, I have an important topic. It involves a long lost friend. Some of you may remember her as Kaleigh Peters." Remus heard numerous gasps.
"Oh my God Kaleigh! Remus did she contact you? Is she all right? Does she know about Sirius?" Molly had been close to Kaleigh as well, and was spurting random things.
"I have no clue. She wrote to Sirius this past January to inform him of…something. She was not well, and it was her dying request that he know."
Molly's eyes began to water as she thought of the tiny girl she once knew dying alone.
"What was in the letter Remus?" Arthur put a comforting arm around his wife.
"A very well kept secret. Kaleigh apparently wasn't the only person who left with her. She was carrying a baby girl. Riley was born and would now be about 17 or 18. She does not know the Sirius died, or that..." Lupin's voice broke, and he broke down crying. It had all been so much to take, and even with his beloved Tonks there, it was not enough to ease the hurt. He had lost the last of his best friends and his mentor in the space of a year, not to mention Emmeline and Amelia, and Severus. Remus had tolerated and trusted Snape, and in the end he had killed the most brilliantly mad mind in the world.
"Here, read it." Remus handed Harry the letter through his sniffles.
The room fell silent as Harry concluded the letter. A look of pain had flitted through his eyes when he read bit about his parents.
"Remus, she didn't even know her best friends were gone. She doesn't know that she and her daughter are without a family in the world." Molly choked. Her tears were flowing freely now.
"No, she didn't. And now we have a very pressing issue on our hands. Riley Andromeda Black is out there somewhere, and you can bet Bellatrix will be looking. She may already know about her. A Black is a very powerful asset to any side, especially when both sides of the parentage were prestigious Purebloods." Remus had regained his composure and focused his pain into energy.
"I will review the records. Every birth of a witch or wizard is recorded in that giant book." Kingsley offered.
"Do we know if she even is a witch?" Hermione said suddenly. The whole room turned to face her.
"It's possible. Look at Neville: powerful parents and he can barely perform a simple Transfiguration spell."
"Hermione, would you take the liberty of looking her up online then? Make sure you look for Peters as well. And the both of you…check the missing persons and death lists." Arthur assigned their spots calmly, although the last part came out strangled.
"Any other business?" growled Moody.
Everyone shook their heads. Ever since the Dumbledore incident, Voldemort seemed to be lying low.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione gathered around by the fireplace after the meeting.
"Sirius never mentioned anything at all to you?" asked Hermione.
"Never. Whenever we corresponded, it was about my scar." replied Harry.
"What about Dumbledore?" Ron piped up.
"Now you've really gone mad. Dumbledore died Ron. We couldn't ask him if we wanted to." Hermione snapped. She had been very edgy since Dumbledore died and Harry had gone on his quest for the person with the initials.
"You're wrong Hermione." Ron laughed. Hermione had never had such a stupid look on her face.
"Wrong? How can I be wrong? There is no way to bring back the dead Ronald."
"Portraits."
"Portraits? What do you mean?" she rambled off, "Of course! Dumbledore must have his old portrait at Hogwarts! Hang on." Hermione bustled over to McGonagall.
Ron and Harry were left alone in the room.
"So how's Ginny doing?" asked Harry, failing to keep his pining out of his voice.
"She's just as bad as you mate. Crying her eyes out, always looking out the window. Mum worries about her like crazy." Ron replied off handedly.
"Why didn't she come tonight?"
"Well she's too young isn't she? Besides, mum seems to think that you and her need to remain at a distance for a while."
Harry stared, mouth agape. "But why?"
Ron shrugged. "Probably because Voldemort. Don't see what her problem is though. Ginny would be a hell of a lot happier if she could see you."
That thought cheered Harry up a bit, and changed the subject. "What about you and Hermione?"
"Great isn't she? I met her parents yesterday. Right nice people they are. Offered me all sorts of good food and didn't pound me into the floor with questions. Mum did that with Fleur when she first arrived. Even Ginny felt bad for her."
Harry smiled when he thought of the fiery red head. She had felt such loathing for the half vela that Ginny christened Fleur 'phlegm'.
Suddenly, a breathless Hermione ran into the room. "Harry, Ron, we've got answers."
Harry and Ron raced into the meeting room, tripping over their robes and falling into a heap. Remus, Tonks, and the Twins all tripped over them, tumbling into one giant, wriggling heap.
"Very smooth." Hermione smirked. She helped Ron up, who seemed to be complaining about whacking his head on Harry's knee.
"He has a very hard knee Hermione. I think I bruised my brain."
"That explains a lot." Hermione teased Ron.
"Well if you kiss it that would make it better."
Laughing, Hermione kissed the top of Ron's head. Ron took the opportunity to tickle her, and soon they were acting like regular teenagers, rolling around tickling each other and being stupid. Harry smiled, but felt a hard pang of loneliness. He and Ginny could be like them, should be like them. That thought only stiffened Harry's resolve to hunt down Voldemort.
Mrs. Weasley gave the happy couple a firm stare. She did remember what it was like to be young and in love, but now wasn't the time.
Professor McGonagall had apparated back, and in her hands she clutched a snoozing portrait. The man's face was very familiar: half-moon spectacles, and pointed nose, and the unmistakable beard that swirled down his face. Minerva McGonagall had sought out Dumbledore's portrait.
"Professor Dumbledore, we need you." The tone in her voice was desperate. Dumbledore stirred and blinked his eyes tiredly.
"Hello Minerva. Nice to see you and the rest of the Order." He spoke. Instantly, the room seemed to relax at the voice of their old friend. Albus' gaze fell on the trio and the twins.
"Ah, I see your mother has allowed you to join. Your children will rise to the occasion admirably Molly, there is no need to worry." The portrait had noticed that Mrs. Weasley's face had added a few stress wrinkles.
"Did Sirius ever tell you about Riley?" Ron blurted. Mrs.Weasley shot him a look, which plainly told him to be polite and let the others say hello.
"Yes."
"What about her?" Lupin's voice had become strained again.
"You have no reason to worry about Riley. She's very independent."
"When did you meet her? Or more really find out about her?" asked Tonks.
"It is a long story, beginning at the very end of your Seventh year, Remus. Ms.Peters came to me and said that she was being followed. Indeed, Bellatrix had taken quite an interest in her. When I asked her, she was very hesitant. She told me that she had gotten pregnant around Halloween. Kaleigh then explained she'd gotten very sick at a Holiday Party the Blacks were hosting. Bellatrix had walked in on her, and given that she was dating Sirius, probably connected the dots. I then sent her to the States, knowing she would be quite safe there. About ten years later, she came to me with Riley. She had found out about Sirius' imprisonment in Azkaban and was quite heartbroken. Riley, even then, was very much like her father. She explored all over my office, and later I found that she had put twinkle toes powder in my shoes. I must say that you were quite impressed with my ability to dance Minerva."Dumbledore joined in with the laughter around the room. McGonagall just blushed a red to rival Mrs. Weasley's hair.
"What did she look like?" asked Tonks.
"Well it depends. She seems to have inherited your gene for metamorphing. On that day her mother made her look like she would normally though. I must say she was the exact replica of her father. Not much for ego though. Very humble and polite, save for a prank or two."
Unease settled. Metamorphagi were rare, and Voldemort would definitely want that particular one.
"Albus, what should we do?" Minerva once again put her faith into the man she had grown to love.
"Find the girl. I sense that the loss of Kaleigh will have sent her on a perilous path. You must find her before Voldemort does."