Brace yourselves - many of you have been waiting a LONG time for this chapter!

So It Begins

Hermione Slytherin was exhausted. The Hogwarts Express had arrived this morning with a new batch of refugees, including a good many who were injured. There was a boy - a younger brother of Lavender Brown who Hermione had never even known her former dormmate had - who had nearly died on the table. It was thanks to the skill of Jackie McGonagall that Rowan Brown would live to start Hogwarts next fall. At the moment, Hermione wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and pass out, but it wasn't even dinner time yet and there was still more to do. Minerva was busy helping to furnish the first six levels of Gryffindor Tower, which were usually left open for student overflow, but for the foreseeable future it would house the newly formed Confederation of Magical Cooperation. The group would be the governing body of the refugee camp, and would include members of the Order as well as the Sacred Twenty-Eight. It was a union with the purpose of holding together the wizarding and muggle worlds as war raged around them. Teams of Obliviators had thus far been able to keep the muggle population unaware of the conflict around them, but Hermione feared it wouldn't last.

"Hermione!"

With a heavy sigh and a hunch her already full plate was about to get more full, the Head of the Order turned to face her dear friend Galahad. "Yes?"

"She's here," he said succinctly. "Magnus."

For three weeks, they'd been trying to get ahold of this Helen Magnus woman. The Head of the Sanctuary Network had proven elusive thus far, and they needed her. Griphook was fit to be tied at the delay of a Werewolf representative, but there was little he could do about it as he was hard pressed to find one either. Born Lycans were few and far between to start with, and the ones that did exist seldom remained in the wizarding world, favoring to be far removed from the prejudices that existed here. "Where?" she asked, knowing that for however tired she was at the present, she had a job to do and needed to meet with this woman promptly.

"She said she'd meet you at the top of the Astronomy Tower," Galahad replied.

Hermione frowned. "Interesting choice of location. Though I wonder how she even got in the castle without my knowing."

"Anywhere else in the world, I might have laughed and said that was just how Helen is - getting into places she shouldn't be able to get - but this is Hogwarts, and she's a muggle," he agreed. "Perhaps she has some other contact in the Wizarding World I was unaware of, who might have gotten her in the gate without our knowing."

"I suppose I'll have to go find out."

"Do you wish for me to come with you?" the knight asked gently. "More than a few people know you're seeking Helen Magnus - it might not be her at all. Perhaps a witch or wizard under Polyjuice…"

Hermione laughed. "My friend, I think you've been spending too much time with a certain highly suspicious Potions Master."

Galahad arched an eyebrow. "Indeed. I'll leave you to it then. Send word if you need backup."

With a curt nod, Hermione was off in the same direction she'd come, down two flights of stairs and then along several corridors until she reached the Astronomy Courtyard, and the entrance to the tower itself. From there, it was a winding stair upward twenty five levels before she reached the observation level of Hogwarts' highest tower. Despite being deeply entrenched in the wizarding world, Hermione's muggle roots had adhered to a sense of physical fitness through the years, and despite being already tired before the arduous climb, she was not in the least winded when she stepped out into the summer air.

There were two women waiting for her, though as neither were holding wands she resisted the urge to pull out her own. "Perenelle," she greeted the older of the two tersely, both surprised and not surprised at all to see the elderly woman there. "Am I to surmise that it was you who got Dr. Magnus into the castle without my knowing? Dare I ask why?"

"I needed her to arrange for this meeting, as we were long past due for a reunion." Perenelle replied easily.

"I'd have been glad to meet with you at any time," Hermione frowned, not understanding the need for such a clandestine arrangement. "For what reason would you believe otherwise?"

"I am not who you believe me to be," the older witch replied in Parseltongue, shocking Hermione. "And while I needed to tell you, it required utmost secrecy."

"You speak Parseltongue," Hermione replied in perfectly good English. "Who are you?"

The visage of the old, old woman began dissipating as charmed and transfigured disguises melted away in slow motion as the answer was given, again in Parseltongue. "Evidently being made into a living horcrux is a way to immortality. Too bad our wayward progeny didn't try that before destroying so many lives…Mother."

Hermione's heart thundered as a much younger face she'd never imagined she'd see again appeared before her, only slightly older than the last time they'd seen one another. "Lucy?" she croaked, swaying on her feet, eventually outright falling to the ground.

"See what you've done, Mother?" Helen Magnus snapped, looking irritated as she rushed over to Hermione's position and made quick work of inventorying for injury.

"Mother?" Hermione asked, dazed. "You're her… she's your…you're my...?"

"Granddaughter," Helen confirmed, offering a cheeky grin. "And I have a little girl of my own."

"Oh sweet Merlin…" the Head of the Order groaned. "So that's why you were dodging mine and Galahad's calls. You were waiting for… oh gods…"

Lucy Slytherin, no longer under the disguise of Perenelle Flamel, stepped forward and knelt on the ground beside her mother and her daughter. "I've waited a long, long time for this day," she whispered. "I hope that my return will not be… unwelcome."

"Oh, Lucy, never, ever think that!" Hermione exclaimed, pulling her daughter into her arms for a fierce hug. "I loved you then, I love you now, and no amount of history could change that! You're my daughter… my baby girl."

"I told you not to worry," Helen addressed her own mother kindly. "A mother's love is infinite."

"Even when the child inherits her father's stubborn streak," Hermione commented teasingly.

"That stubborn streak has kept me alive," Lucy commented. "Just because I do not age does not mean I cannot be killed. I've had more than a few brushes with death over the centuries."

"Alive!" Hermione said, smacking her forehead. "Helena! My god Lucy, does your sister know you're alive?"

"Would this be the sister I'm named for?" Helen inquired. "Died young?"

"No, she doesn't know," Lucy replied. "And yes, Helen, your namesake."

"How could she know if you're alive, if she's dead?"

"She's a ghost," Hermione explained. "She's here at Hogwarts."

"Bet it was a nasty shock when she told you who she is to you," Lucy said, smirking. "I never did agree with Rowena's reasoning for not telling you. We had many an argument about it, though in the end I suppose the point was moot, you being gone and all by then."

"Rowena might have left a note," the Head of the Order mused. "To explain. Speaking of explaining, I think that before anything else, there are a few people I believe we need to inform of this… development. They can assist in creating a cover story as to who you are. You intend to join the Order, I trust."

"Yes, Mother," Lucy said, looking like a child for the first time. Even though Lucy was much older than Hermione would likely ever be, the mother and daughter dynamic had stood the test of time. While Lucy was a grown woman, and very much her own person, she would still snap to in the wake of her mother making decisions.

"I bet I can guess who you want to tell, Grandmother," Helen said thoughtfully. "In the last few weeks as I was waiting for Mother to work up the nerve to speak to you, I've become rather familiar with those you work with."

Hermione crinkled her nose at the honorific Helen had bestowed upon her. It wasn't as if she was discounting that was their relation, but Helen seemed to be about her age and it seemed odd to be addressed as such by a peer.

"She's actually older than you, which probably makes it more awkward," Lucy commented, as if reading Hermione's mind. "You'll be what, one hundred and forty six this year?"

It was Helen's turn to crinkle her nose. "Alright, I think we'd better find something else I can call you. That does seem a bit… odd."

"How about we just stick with Hermione," the youngest of the three women suggested. "Especially given that you're muggle and there are more than a few people after me. I'm certain, from what Galahad has told me, you're more than able to take care of yourself, but I'd rather not paint a target on my only grandchild's back."

"One of two, if you count my daughter Ashley," Helen countered, looking amused. "Or three if you count my ward Henry."

"How'd you end up with Henry?" Hermione wanted to know, having experienced the acquisition of wards in her own right, and thereby curious what this boy's story was and how he came under the care of Helen.

"He's a born Lycan, or Hyper Accelerated Protean. I found him abandoned when he was only five years old. Given the nature of my work, I felt compelled to take him in until other arrangements could be made, however, my then two year old daughter got attached and I couldn't bear to part the two of them."

Hermione smiled broadly. "That's the best news I've heard all day. I'll have to introduce you to Remus, among others. That of course, brings us back to where we started - let's begin collecting people. Do you still want to make your guesses, Helen?"

"Well, Remus Lupin was on the list. Minerva McGonagall, obviously. Severus Snape, probably the Weasleys," Helen listed. "Leland Dourif, and Galahad for certain."

"Add to that list Filius Flitwick and Narcissa Malfoy, and you'd be correct," Hermione praised. With a flick of her wand and a soft small on her face, she ordered her Patronus to seek the listed people and have them report at once to the smaller of the two meeting rooms for Order Headquarters, which were located in the lower levels of the Head Tower. "Lucy, once we've finished with this meeting, I believe it would be prudent for us to go speak to your sister alone. I believe she deserves a private reunion."

"I agree," Lucy replied with a nod. "Helen, are you going to want to bring Ashley and Henry here? If yes, I believe that will need to be a topic of discussion at this meeting as well."

"I'd like to, yes," the other woman said. "I hate to be parted from them for long, but I'd like to stay and help."

"As desperately as I need you to save me from Griphook's wrath," Hermione commented, "I'll make any accommodations for your children to come here to stay, for however long you wish. But what of the Sanctuary Network? I do understand you have other responsibilities…"

"I can make arrangements for someone to run things while I'm elsewise occupied," Helen assured her.

"James?" Lucy asked, as the trio began walking toward the Head Tower.

"He'd be a good option," Helen agreed. "Though he'll have a fit that I'm not letting him join the party here. James always did have a thirst to be where the action was, though in a much different way than John did."

"Yes," Lucy said sourly. "Much different. I still say you should have let me kill him."

Hermione looked aghast. "Young lady!"

Lucy scoffed. "Hardly young, Mother. And you'd have wanted to kill Johnny boy too if you'd met the ponce!"

"A story for another day, I'm sure," Hermione said firmly. "For now, we're nearly there and at least a few of them will already be in the room."

A couple of minutes later, the three women entered the first floor of the Head Tower. A winding staircase rose from inside the ground level's access point, leading them upward. Once inside, they were greeted with the sight of four suits of armor, each holding a shield with the four respective Hogwarts Houses. To the left, there was a door leading to a Potions Lab, though they turned to the right and into the heart of the circular tower itself. Hermione led, her daughter and granddaughter flanking her just behind, into a magnificent chamber with towering bookshelves all the way to the ceiling, though at standing level there was a desk built into the lower shelves, lining all the way around. In the center of the room was a large, round table with twenty-five seats, above which hung a grand, candlelit chandelier.

Impressively, everyone except for Minerva and Galahad had beaten them there, though Molly and Arthur had only just reached the spiral stair when Hermione, Lucy, and Helen entered Order Headquarters, and had gone up ahead of them as to not congest the narrow passage up. Eleven of the seats filled silently, everyone waiting for Hermione to call this meeting to order, and knowing she would not do so until all requested were accounted for. After a minute, Minerva joined the group, and Lucy stood, looking anxious.

The Headmistress gave her lover a look that spoke of curiosity, if not a bit of suspicion. Given that Minerva had seen memories featuring a teenaged Lucy, she'd likely recognize one of the two newcomers as soon as a frame of reference was given. Galahad, however, was the only one of them who had met both Lucy and Helen, and of course he was the last to arrive. In his defense, if Hermione was remembering correctly, he had been helping to stock the med tents down by the gates when he'd brought word of Helen's arrival, and had likely returned there directly after. The poor chap was getting his exercise today, that was for certain.

Another two minutes passed in silence, those already there saying nothing but exchanging curious glances, as if trying to evaluate if any of their tablemates were already in the loop or not. It was decidedly unusual for new Order members to be brought in without at least a few existing members knowing ahead of time, and they all knew beyond any doubt that if these two women were not joining the Order today, they would not have been allowed in this room.

Finally, the sound of footsteps were heard echoing up the spiral stairs, and Galahad was soon visible, walking toward them with purpose. At least, he had been walking with purpose until he spotted Lucy, looking right at him with steady eyes and the threat of a smile on her face. He stopped dead in his tracks. "My god," he whispered. "Lucy?"

Lucy broke out into a wide grin and raced forward and launched into the arms of the immortal knight who had been a strong presence in her childhood. Hermione tore her eyes away from the scene to spare a glance at Minerva, whose eyes had gone wide with understanding. "Your Lucy?" the Scottish witch mouthed.

Hermione nodded, tears threatening to fall as as the reality of the reunion began sinking in, and Minerva stood quickly and pulled her lover into her arms. "What is it with you Slytherin women getting all handsy with Galahad?" she muttered quietly, voice teasing.

Hermione let out a small laugh, and then after quickly wiping her eyes, she cleared her throat. "If you two are quite finished," she addressed Galahad and Lucy, "perhaps we could fill everyone else in?"

The remaining seven nodded in agreement, most of them with an annoyed look on their faces. It seemed to be a common personality trait of Hermione's most trusted that they disliked being left out of the loop. Filius and Arthur seemed to be the only ones content to just wait and see.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Hermione said, directing attention to her granddaughter. "This is Helen Magnus, Head of the Sanctuary Network. She is also custodian to a born Lycan, and with Griphook's approval, will take the Werewolf seat on the Sacred Twenty-Eight."

Many of the group knew that the hunt had been out for Helen, and so simply nodded politely to the newcomer. Remus, Hermione noted, looked highly interested in a woman who'd willingly raise a werewolf, which didn't surprise her at all. After a pause, she continued, pointing toward Lucy.

"This woman," she continued, "some of you may have previously met under the guise of Perenelle Flamel. This is my daughter… Lucy Slytherin."

The room erupted with chatter at once.

~~ooOoo~~

Harry Potter sighed contentedly as his boyfriend, Ron Weasley, greeted him with a kiss. They'd been together over a year now, and while they still practiced discretion, their relationship was not a secret. The guys in the dorm had taken things in stride. Neville had been the least surprised of their group of friends, saying that it was kind of inevitable that they'd grow closer as they mourned the loss of Hermione together.

If they only knew.

"What are you thinking about?" Ron asked as they sat down together under the Whomping Willow.

"Hermione," Harry answered. "What the guys know and don't know. How we figured it all out."

Ron chuckled. "Our Hermione at the World Cup having a wand we were pretty sure was identical to your godmother's?"

"Remembering that Sirius had no idea who she was when they met, even though they'd supposedly been married for years?" Harry countered. "And the Marauder's Map telling us that Amelia's name was actually Hermione?"

"You being bloody insane and following 'Mione and Minerva into the Forbidden Forest and overhearing them talking about the truth of her origins," the redhead groaned in exasperation at Harry's antics. "And hearing them say she was married to Salazar Slytherin."

Harry laughed. "You were personally affronted by that notion, if I remember correctly."

"Yeah, well," Ron said, blushing. "Slytherin! And that was before I got to know Dudley, and Snape. And before Malfoy stopped being a total tosser."

"In fairness, I flipped out over finding out that my supposed godmother had alternative motives for gaining custody of me," Harry appeased his boyfriend. "Remember, that conversation she had with Rita Skeeter?"

"Ugh!" Ron groaned. "You were a mopey mess for weeks! Speaking of rodents, you haven't seen Scabbers, have you? He's been missing all week."

"Then we were both a mess that January, when we heard Mum and Mother talking to Rosmerta about how Mum had gone back in time," Harry said softly. "The world turned upside down when everything clicked into place. And no, haven't seen Scabbers. Might have worried that Crookshanks got to him, but he's with Madam Malkin, and she's not set to move to the castle till later this week."

"Maybe he'll still turn up," the other teen said, frowning. "But yeah, I kinda feel like we should offer a belated apology to Dean, Seamus, and Neville for our behavior that week. We were jerks."

"I think we're making up for it by not snogging in front of them," Harry teased, grinning. "Speaking of…"

A warm feeling settled over the dark haired teen as he pressed his lips to Ron's. His boyfriend fell back on the grass with a grunt, pulling Harry half on top of him, as to not break the kiss. His hands began sliding under Ron's shirt, and Ron's hand reached around and settled firmly in Harry's back pocket. They didn't usually get quite this physical - they agreed they weren't ready for sex - but Merlin, this felt good!

Harry's mind was toiling over what felt good versus a desire to pull away before they took things too far, when a decision was made for them in the form of a rush of ice cold water being dumped on them. They sprang apart, both rearing to engage their assailant, but stopped dead in their tracks when they saw who it was.

"Er, hi Severus!" Harry said cheerfully, despite his guilt for even needing his surrogate father to step in and exercise good judgment on their behalf. "Nice day, right?"

The Potions Professor raised an eyebrow. "Do I need to have Arthur give you boys the talk?"

"No, sir!" Ron yelped, going red at the thought of his own father sitting them down for… that.

"Did you need something?" Harry asked tersely, hoping to move conversation anywhere but where they were.

"I've just come from a meeting with Hermione, Minerva, and some others. Your parents as well, Ronald," Severus reported. "I've been sent to...fetch… you two. You're to head home. By home, I mean Harry to the tower, and Ron, your parents have taken up lodging on the ground floor of the Herbology Tower. With you and your siblings all having space in the dorms or elsewhere in the castle, they've offered to play parents to the orphans this atrocity of a war is bound to create. The first two floors of the Herbology Tower will serve as an Orphanage Wing from here on out."

"I was wondering where they were going to stay," Ron commented. "Thanks, sir. I'll head there now."

The redhead pressed a chaste kiss to Harry's lips with a crooked smile on his face. "See ya later," he said, before he bounded off up the hill toward the east gate, leading into the castle.

"I'll walk you to the Head Tower," Severus offered, looking uncertain.

Harry knew that Severus was making an effort to be more available to him - to be more of a father - and it meant more than the teen could express. While he loved Hermione and Minerva, his Mum and Mother, and he loved his brother and sister, he still felt it was important for him to have a father figure in his life. How else was he going to learn what it meant to be a grown wizard if he was surrounded by a bunch of witches? In another life, it would have been James Potter who would have talked to him about career options, and dating, and sticking up for himself without being a dick about it. But James was dead, and Harry needed a father. "Thanks," he said quietly to the man as they slowly followed the path Ron had just taken at a dead run.

"For what?" Severus asked, puzzled. "I am merely going in the same direction you are, and so since it's not out of my way I might as well see you don't get… detoured, en route to the Head Tower."

"For being here for me," Harry said, voice still low. "I don't say it enough, but it means a lot."

Harry half expected Severus to shrug off the comment, but instead the older man stopped, and put a hand on Harry's shoulder, forcing the boy to turn and look at him. "For whatever reason the fates deemed, you have selected me of all people to fill the role that James Potter left open," he said solemnly. "I cannot fathom what you see in me as any sort of mentor, but I do take your trust in me seriously, and I will do whatever I can to ensure your safety. Physically, as well as mentally and emotionally. No thanks are required, Harry, because there never should be between a son and his father. It is not an affection that needs to be earned. It is given freely."

Tears threatened to escape green eyes as Harry leaned forward into Severus' waiting arms, holding on for dear life to the most precious gift of all. "I love you too… dad," he muttered.

PLEASE REVIEW! With luck I'll get another chapter out before Christmas, but no promises. I agreed to have it started by Christmas. It's started. Can't wait to hear what you guys think so far!