-1Left it right to the end of the month, haven't I? Oh well!

The chapter you've all been waiting for - they've returned! And the 'haunting' of Hogwarts goes off in style.

Sorting Hat's song is mine, and I have modified some brief lyrics from Phantom of the Opera, which was written by the magnificent Andrew Lloyd Webber.

You may want to listen to the Overture from Phantom of the Opera to get a good idea of what everyone sees when Kat and the others enter. Hopefully you can see what I saw!

Enjoy!

Chapter 5: Returning Faces

As they entered the Great Hall, Ginny and Harry swabbed something on the doorframe. No one noticed, as it seemed like a casual touch.

At the table, the girl sat next to him.

"You did it?" Ginny asked.

"Of course. I know there's going to be something that happens." Harry grinned at her. "It'll activate the first time the doors are opened after the Sorting. I only hope it happens after the feast, or we're all going to get hungry."

Ginny rolled her eyes. "Typical male, always thinking with his stomach."

Harry ignored her. "I wonder what houses the others are going to be in."

"Selene and Orion are Gryffindors if I ever met them." Ginny grinned. "The others – I don't know."

"The twins seem more Ravenclaw – they're incredibly smart." Hermione observed.

"But brave. And – is Remus looking at us funny, or is it just me?" Harry changed the subject, frowning as he gazed at his father's friend.

It was true, Remus was regarding all of them with a confused look, as though they were pieces to a puzzle he was struggling to understand.

"Charming." Ginny commented.

A few moments later, the first-years, plus the new students, arrived, the Sorting Hat seemed to sit innocently on the stool before the waiting school.

What warning would it give this year?

"One thousand years or more ago,

Magic lay in disarray.

Not all who could were taught,

And fear in hearts too easily lay.

Yet there were those who sought

To end these dangerous times.

Four great friends of whom I speak

Their gifts within my rhymes.

Gryffindor, he led them all

With love and courage true.

Ravenclaw, she helped along,

With discovering what to do.

Hufflepuff, she kept hope alive

And toiled towards their goal.

Slytherin, he planned it all,

With cunning rich within his soul.

And for five years they worked hard

And with them Hogwarts grew.

Until one day they'd finished,

And they searched for students true.

But who were students true?

Who should learn their magic?

Alas, their opinions were split,

And began the crack so tragic.

For Gryffindor chose the bravest,

Those selfless, chivalrous and true.

Ravenclaw chose the brightest,

Keen minds looking for life too.

Slytherin chose the ambitious,

The cunning who strove towards their goal.

Hufflepuff loved all, but liked

Those who were loyal to the soul.

But Slytherin's tastes got more refined,

"Impure blood," he claimed, "was rotten!

We lost so many to the Muggles,

Or have my friends forgotten?"

"Nay," called Gryffindor,

"But, my friend, we must

Not ignore their power,

And through this earn their trust."

Slytherin refused to budge,

And so the split grew wide.

Cleaved through Hogwarts' heart,

This ever-growing divide.

But those shall come to join them,

And prophecies come and go.

Hufflepuff cried in turmoil,

"Oh save that child his woe!

For hard and cruel his life will be

Until his sixteenth year.

Then miracles will begin,

And so many will shed a tear!"

Ask me not the child's name,

Nor the child's woe.

But know this, Hogwarts School,

It is a boy you know.

And yet another works with him

Fate's Alternate and yet,

A destiny of his own he has,

No longer can he forget.

And a daughter of pure and magic line

With her brother shall come late.

Wolves and fire, they bring,

The mother shall traverse the gate.

Sixth and seventh make their mark,

As fourth and fifth have left.

Helen's child shall complete the fold,

And help end Hogwarts' cleft.

No longer can I sing to you,

The young ones must be parted.

Remember no harm can come,

If you stay open-hearted."

Everyone stared.

And several sharp intakes of breath were heard from the Gryffindor table and the students waiting to be Sorted.

Harry made a split decision. The trigger would have to be after the Sorting. This – this was too strange on top of it.

McGonagall began the list. It was not until she introduced the new students that he paid attention.

He focussed on Orion, who would be the first if his suspicions were correct.

"Black, Orion!"

Hermione, Ron and Neville stared in wonder, as did the other newcomers other than his sister. Ginny and Harry exchanged significant looks as people began whispering.

"Did she say Black?"

"As in Sirius Black?"

"Since when has he had a kid – surely that one's too old!"

"Didn't his wife and daughter disappear…"

"He was declared innocent."

Barely a second after touching his head, the Sorting Hat yelled out: "GRYFFINDOR!"

Harry grinned. The boy was certainly Sirius' son. It would also help those who doubted the purity of his family's ideals.

McGonagall ignored them. "Jackson, Andrew."

The boy was sat on the stool for a minute before the Hat declared, "RAVENCLAW!"

He sighed and shrugged in Orion's direction. Orion just grinned at him, cheering.

McGonagall sighed at the over-exuberant Black. "And I thought one was bad."

"One what?" Selene asked, stepping up to her.

"One child of a Marauder."

"Oh. Well, now you have at least three." She grinned. "Be glad Mr Jackson wasn't an official one."

McGonagall sighed again.

"Black, Selene!"

There was a collective sigh from the boys as the blonde beauty stepped forward, putting on her most innocent face.

Orion snorted. "Wait until they realise she's got the Black temper."

"Black temper?"

"There was something Dad actually did inherit from his mother. Lenie has the lungs to go with it." Orion explained.

Harry recalled the portrait. "Yeouch."

"Yup."

"GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat decreed after a few moments on Selene's head.

She smiled and headed down towards the Gryffindor table. She was cool and graceful, her robes spilling out nicely over her Muggle blouse and jeans.

"Jackson, Halimeda!"

This took much less time as the only female Jackson child was sent into Gryffindor.

The twins followed.

"White, Conall!"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

"White, Tala!"

"GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat roared again. Then it turned to McGonagall. "Are you sure that's their real name? They don't strike me as Whites."

McGonagall frowned. "That is what it says."

"Hmm, well, bring on the last, before the Hunter and Siren strike."

Everyone frowned, but assumed it was just a saying. Harry shot Ginny a wicked look, unnoticed by all except the Headmaster.

"Jackson, Robert!"

"Definitely GRYFFINDOR!" The Hat shouted, and Rob sat down beside Katie Bell, who blushed on noticing the sinful look her Seeker teammates (Harry and Ginny) shot her.

"She always did like them tall, dark and handsome." Harry murmured out of the corner of his mouth as Katie introduced herself.

"Not you then?" Ginny teased.

"Oh, I was a little short until last year." Harry grinned back.

Dumbledore now stood.

"Welcome, everyone, to a new year at Hogwarts. I hope you make our new students feel welcome. We will get into the details after the delicious feast our staff has so kindly prepared. Enjoy all!" He clapped and the feast appeared.

As it did so, a burst of music flashed through the Hall, and the candles flickered. Ghostly apparitions danced in and out of a wall, too flimsy to be real ghosts. Several of the students stood involuntarily, staring in fear.

Ginny pretended to be afflicted, as she gasped. "They're here! The phantoms of Hogwarts!"

Before McGonagall could reprimand the girl, those standing (a good mix of boys and girls, selected by touching their goblets first) began to sing.

"Beneath the Hogwarts School,

We know they're there.

Classrooms and dormitories,

They're everywhere!

And in this labyrinth,

Where time is blind,

The Phantoms of the Hogwarts School

Are there…

Inside our minds!"

They sat down suddenly, like puppets whose strings had just been cut.

Everyone stared, looking fearful, while several Muggle-borns looked confused.

"Wasn't that…" Hermione began.

"Something like Phantom?" Harry responded. "Sounded like it. Actually, that was where that burst on the train was from."

"We've got a musicals curse?" Selene asked, a little loudly, as everyone grinned and began to eat.

"If not a curse, then someone's up to something." Hermione shot her best friends a challenging look.

"Who, us?" Harry and Ginny asked in unison innocence.

"Now I know you had something to do with it." Hermione declared.

"Yeah, right." Harry snorted. "Hermione, we're pulling your leg. I mean, how could we have got anything into the food or pumpkin juice or whatever it was that triggered the singing?"

Hermione opened her mouth to reply, then closed it. She didn't know.

Harry and Ginny had procured the help of their friend Dobby to place the charm on the goblets, triggered by Dumbledore's calling of the feast, and the students' touch.

"Well, whoever or whatever it was, it was cool." Selene grinned.

Harry raised a brow. "Yes it was. Now, care to tell me if my assumption that Sirius Black was married to Kathryn Orenda is correct? She doesn't strike me as the kind to marry the Death Eater Regulus."

Orion and Selene grinned at each other. "Yes, Kathryn Orenda – or rather Kathryn Black is our mum."

"And my godmother." Harry mused. "Well, you learn something new everyday. There's more than one child of the Marauders."

Orion nodded. "So, what's your Marauder name?"

"Name? Don't have one." Harry shrugged. "Unless you consider 'Boy Who Lived' or 'Chosen One' nicknames."

"Nah, way to obvious." Meda grinned. "How're you supposed to pull pranks if everyone knows who the culprit is?"

Harry shrugged. "I'm sure everyone figured out who the Marauders were after a while."

They nodded.

"So, how do you know of the Marauders?" Hermione asked.

"Mum and Dad told us. Mum was one of Enchanted – sort of the Gryffindor girls' equivalent. Only Neville's parents weren't in either group." Meda explained. "They always said Dad should've been a Gryffindor, and he should've been a Marauder."

Harry nodded, remembering what he had seen of Damion Jackson. "He'd've made a better one than Wormtail. Wormtail, who allows his friends' name for him to be used by the man who killed them."

"Yes, well, we've all agreed that Wormtail isn't the freshest ingredient in the store cupboard, so can we talk about something different?" Hermione asked. "What's wizarding America like? And does your dad really work for the Department of Mysteries?"

Robert grinned from down the table. "Wizarding America's got a lot more meshing between the Muggles and magical, but a lot less history. And Dad does work for the Department of Mysteries. It's an international corporation, with branches that semi-answer to the countries they're in. How you managed to break in here is disgraceful."

Harry nodded. "The Death Eaters disabled a bunch of the protections. And a lot of it was luck. The whole situation was strange…" His voice trailed off, and he looked at Selene and Orion. "I am sorry that my actions, in part, led to your father's death."

Selene shook her head. "Only Voldemort's actions. You weren't to know the vision was false."

Harry's head snapped up. "I never said anything about a vision."

Silence.

"Mum…" Orion began, then swallowed. "Mum knew everything that happened, sort of. When Voldemort put her in a coma, she dreamt a different, Muggle life in the future. There–" He gulped. "There she saw something of our future. In the form of highly popular Muggle books. The – the 'Harry Potter' series."

Harry stared at them. "W-what?"

"They focussed on you, Harry." Selene explained. "Your thoughts, feelings… She doesn't remember them all, obviously, but she remembered enough. And she didn't want to. She wanted to change everything. But the very power that Voldemort sought to stop – her visions – he couldn't. Only… In trying to stop her from gaining her power, he determined his own downfall. Because Mum knew what was going to happen. And she was determined to change everything as soon as she could."

"But that means…" Harry grabbed the girl's hand, feeling dizzy. "She knew? She knew all this time?"

"She was forced to protect a future she hated." Selene snarled. "For the 'greater good'."

"I'm starting to get sick of the 'greater good'." Harry growled.

"I think we all are."

Silence fell as everyone ate their meal.

"So, Harry, you and Ginny planning on giving us a rendition of Phantom of the Opera to make everyone feel really cursed?" Hermione asked archly.

Everyone burst into laughter.

XXXXX

It was the end of the meal, and Dumbledore stood to address the waiting students.

"Welcome everyone back to Hogwarts. As always, there are several announcements to be made, now that you are fed and watered. Firstly, first-years, newcomers, and older students who need reminding, no student may venture into the Forbidden Forest without express permission from myself or a teacher. It is more dangerous than ever before.

"Secondly, as you all may or may not know, Lord Voldemort has returned. For those first-years who do not, Voldemort is a particularly evil and dangerous wizard bent on foolish ideals of blood-purity."

"Which is ironic, considering he's a half-blood." Harry muttered loud enough for everyone around him to hear, thus sending the whisper spreading across the hall.

"Nevertheless, he is extremely dangerous, as are his followers, the Death Eaters. You can recognise them by white skull masks, black cloaks and a dark tattoo of a skull and a snake on their left forearm – the mark known as the Dark Mark."

Whispers again abounded, and Harry caught several first-years looking over at him to get a closer look.

"Thirdly, I would like to welcome several Aurors and Mr Remus Lupin back to Hogwarts as part of the reinstated Hogwarts' Guard. They will be watching out for unwelcome activity. For those who do not know, Mr Lupin is a werewolf, but he is also proof positive that the rumours about them are completely false. He is harmless during the full moon thanks to a treatment. He is also an expert on dark creatures, curses and objects, as he was the Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher three years ago. Along with him, I'd like to welcome Auror Shacklebolt, Auror Tonks, Auror Dawlish and Auror Laden."

Remus was sat at the table. They looked to see the tall, dark-skinned Kingsley grin at them, and Tonks, in a sedate, non-descript form, winked. Dawlish was as stern and imposing as ever – Harry still didn't like him – and Laden was a stern, stocky woman in her late forties or early fifties, who, nevertheless, looked in her peak, yet somehow approachable.

"Lastly, I would like to explain about the status of Defence Against the Dark Arts this year."

Everyone snapped to attention.

"The subject will be taught –"

But he was interrupted by the slamming open of the Great Hall doors. The floating candles all went out suddenly, and the crashing chords and tune of the overture from The Phantom of the Opera began to play.

The visitors found themselves unable to do anything except move to the music as they entered. They walked slowly in, in time with the music, looking almost menacing in their coloured cloaks that completely obscured their faces.

They seemed to enter in couples. Four of them. The woman of the first couple, cowled in a crimson cloak, flung her hands out. Several balls of fire launched from each hand to hit the first candles in the rows, then the flame bounced along in time with the music. Her partner, garbed in deep brown, took her hand and moved her to the side.

The second couple came forward. The emerald-cloaked woman let out a laugh and clapped her hands in glee as the air in the hall began to move. Again, her blue-garbed partner took her hand, but as he passed, every goblet's contents either boiled or turned to ice.

The next couple merely regarded the room. Their cloaks were both black, remarkably like Aurors' cloaks, complete with specific embroidery denoting abilities. The man took the woman's hand and guided her to where the others stood.

Remus suddenly leaned forward as the last pair came to view. They wore cloaks in the lime-green of St Mungo's Healers, and seemed less like partners compared to the others. Unnoticed but by those closest, the Whites' heads had shot up, their noses sniffing the air.

Harry stared at the group and, seemingly of his own volition, stood.

The music ended.

The new group were stood in front of the Head Table, facing the students, as Harry made his way towards them. Everyone, even the teachers, stared in wonder.

The group seemed almost fearful as the young man walked towards them. Most of the female population stared in lust, observing that the 'Boy Who Lived' fitted the name 'Chosen One' much better – because he was by means a boy any longer. His tall and leanly muscled form moved with the grace of a panther stalking its prey.

So no one was expecting the sudden move to rip off one of a woman's crimson cloak.

Large brown eyes peered into piercing green, strangely unobscured by his glasses. Long dark blonde hair on a five foot ten frame contrasted with short, messy black hair on Harry Potter's new six-foot frame. And thirty-nine-year-old woman looking twenty-five stared at sixteen-year-old man, who looked beyond his years.

Harry's voice was oddly unexpressionless. "Welcome back to Hogwarts, Mrs Black."

Silence.

Then the woman grinned. "Well, we always did know how to make an entrance." She looked at her godson. "Your work?"

"I believe it is the work of the Hogwarts phantoms." Harry replied neutrally.

"Phantoms, hmm? Well, gotta give credit. It works." She turned from Harry to the Head Table. "What, no hello?"

Snape had his wand out already. "You're dead."

She raised one blonde eyebrow, and began poking herself. "Nope, definitely feel alive. Why, don't want to believe I'm really here, Snivellus?"

"Kathryn?" Remus' broken voice asked.

"Yep, Remmie. Erm… you might want to sit down. All of you. We have a few surprises. And a story."

Harry stared at her. "You're going to tell the entire school a story?"

"Of course." Kathryn grinned at him. "You stay there. But sit down. Actually, kids? Whites, Neville, erm… anyone who's an Orenda kid, come here. But sit down."

"Oh, get on with it, Kathryn." The man stood next to her chortled.

And several heads turned to him, as Harry tackled him and yanked off the hood, his wand pointing at his head.

"Okay then, you're dead. No doubt about it. What did you give me at Christmas that I didn't open until after you were dead?"

"You didn't open the mirror until June? Damn, that's a long time to wait for a Christmas present, Harry."

Harry punched his godfather, hauled him up, and hugged him fiercely. Everyone in the hall stared at the surprisingly young and handsome visage of Sirius Black.

"You're dead!" Snape growled.

"Snivellus, don't try it. That phrase is going to become old really soon." Sirius informed him cheerfully. He looked at Harry. "You've grown."

Harry shrugged. "You look good for a corpse."

"Okay, I deserved that."

"Sit down!" Kathryn yelled.

Sirius sat down meekly, while Harry stared at him. Sirius yanked him down.

"You don't argue with her." Sirius informed him in a mock-whisper. "Especially when she's trying to tell a story or pregnant."

"I'm not pregnant, Sirius." Kathryn stamped a foot.

Sirius looked at her. "Oh, do you want to remedy that problem?"

Kathryn went red and McGonagall groaned, lost her stoic demeanour, and began to bang her head on the table.

"That's Black alright." She moaned. "I thought I got rid of you."

Sirius grinned. "But we all love you so much, Minnie."

"I had enough of that while you were in school, don't think I won't put you in detention again, Black."

"Can I choose why?"

Harry groaned as his godmother turned pink again. "I don't want to know."

Sirius shot him a look. "Hey, it wasn't our fault. Lily and James would use their Head powers to kick everyone out of the decent spots so they could snog. Anywhere else had Frank and Alice –" Neville went red, "Alura and Damion –" the Jacksons turned pink, "or Remus and Radella in. Not to mention all the other teenage couples." Remus was glowing. "So we had to put up with deserted corridors, that people always seemed to manage to walk along at the worst time."

"I do not think our story was about the hormones of the 1980s." Kathryn informed her husband.

Sirius shrugged. "But their kids are here – it's much more fun."

Kathryn rolled her eyes. "Anyway, once upon a time there was a girl who was attacked by a bad wizard. She was the first of this wizard's true victims. Her name was Kathryn Orenda and she ended up in a coma for five years. In this coma, she lived a life in the future as a Muggle, reading books she believed to be fiction about a magical world and a boy named Harry Potter. When she woke up, she was in the time of Harry Potter's parents.

"Little did she – or they – know, but they held ancient magic in their veins. And it awoke when all four of them met. The Elemental Guardians had been reborn. They had to save as many as they could, and they had to protect the future so that the evil wizard could be destroyed forever.

"But when Fire and Earth fell in love, a curse was activated. They would marry, love, have children, but then they would be torn apart by death, lies and despair. Earth's mother activated the curse – the Curse of Kali."

Hermione drew in breath abruptly.

"It is a curse placed on souls and blood. And one Hallowe'en, history repeated itself for our souls and for others. For Water and Air were also reincarnated, and they were to face evil once more, be betrayed by a friend once more, and only their child would survive the night. The same night, the curse activated, and Fire was forced to leave those she loved to preserve a future she hated.

"But the Elemental Guardians are special. Until all lie dead, none can truly die. And Fire went in search of the Temple that would let her snatch her loved ones from the netherworld and grant them their lives back.

"So when Earth was killed, and she found the final component, Fire snatched the bodies of Water and Air and entered the room that held the weakest point between the various worlds. She snatched her husband's body back, and called forth their souls. She cleared her husband's name.

"Air had had a power that had been growing at the time of her death. In limbo, she had learnt it and honed it. So more loved ones could be saved.

"They entered St Mungo's."

Stifled breaths. Neville, Poppy and Remus stared, hope in their eyes.

"They took those who survived with broken minds. They restructured their minds and freed them from their imprisonment. And then all waited. They had to learn to function again.

"And now they have. And now they can be reunited."

The hoods were pulled down.

With a howl, Remus vaulted over the Head Table to fling himself at a smiling Radella, capturing her in his arms. The school matron shocked everyone by flowing into the man beside Radella's arms – Janyd Orenda, while his nieces and nephew stared. Neville cried with his parents, Orion and Selene buried themselves in their father's arms.

But Harry…

He stared at his parents, barely believing it was real. They let him approach them slowly, knowing that it was harder on him than anyone.

He reached out a tremulous hand to touch them… and found solid flesh.

"You – you're here. You're real?" He gasped in wonder.

"Oh, Harry!" Lily cried.

Harry knew that voice – had heard it screaming at Voldemort to spare him.

"We're real." James assured him.

And that voice – telling his mother to take him and go.

And Harry flung himself into his parents' arms hiding the tears that flowed from his eyes.

Snape sneered from the Head Table, furious at the sight of the Marauders back. He was going to have to be careful.

Draco Malfoy, on the other hand, had no such compunctions. "Oh, look at that, Potty crying over his Mudblood mother and traitor father."

Lily and James were shocked that in a second, Harry had whipped around and flung a curse at Malfoy. Malfoy strained against the bonds of liquid fire that pinned him to the wall.

"If you remember, Malfoy, it was comments like that that resulted in your nose being broken and my supposedly lifetime ban from Quidditch." Harry snarled. "Umbridge had no authority to hand me a lifetime ban. We will wipe the pitch with you this year. But I will not let you, or anyone, insult my family in my hearing again. You can chat on about your father all you want, but do you know what?

"Your father has no authority here. He is a Death Eater. I have seen him bow down to Voldemort's scrawny half-blood arse, and seen him scream under the Cruciatus Curse. Unlike your dear Aunt Bellatrix, he doesn't get high from it, but then he's not quite as insane as Bellatrix Lestrange. Your father is nothing, Malfoy. He has never worked in his life, and depends on bribes to get him out of anywhere.

"Guess what? I have a father now. But I don't depend on him, my mother, my 'criminal' godfather, my unknown godmother or my friend the 'werewolf' to do anything to you. I can do it myself.

"If you were worth my time."

With that, he released Malfoy and turned his back.

A curse was thrown at it, and Harry responded in kind.

A pure white ferret appeared.

"I learned from Alastor Moody this summer. Apparently, you still need a lesson in fighting honourably."

But Harry ignored the ferret, and turned slowly towards his parents.

James was grinning, Sirius was grinning, Kathryn was grinning, and Lily was trying to look disapproving, but failing at the grateful and proud look in her eyes.

"Mr Potter?" Dumbledore called out.

"Yes, Headmaster?" Harry turned politely, with a half-bow.

"If you could please untransfigure Mr Malfoy, we do have a feast to continue with." Dumbledore explained, his eyes twinkling.

"Certainly, Headmaster." And with a careless flick of his wand, Malfoy was human again.

"Fifty points from Gryffindor!" Snape yelled.

McGonagall's eyes narrowed. "Fifty points to Gryffindor for an exceptional piece of transfiguration and a non-harmful response to a cowardly attack."

"Potter insulted him unfairly!"

"Potter told the truth and responded to Malfoy's original attack on his parents. I should think this is a joyous day. The return of two of St Mungo's best healers and six of Alastor Moody's personal Auror recruits."

It was at this point Kingsley Shacklebolt stepped forward. "Excuse me, sir, ma'am, but we should verify their identities first." He turned to the newcomers. "Not that we doubt you, but with Voldemort around…"

"We'd have Moody string you up if you didn't check." James grinned. "Fire away, young Shacklebolt. Hi, Andrea."

"It's Laden to you, Potter." The stern woman gave a smile, taking out a small vial. "S'pose it ought to be Black first, then we can give him his pardon officially as well."

Sirius nodded, and a chair was brought forward.

Hermione looked at Ron and Ginny. "This is insane!"

"Yeah, but interesting. Nothing around here – or Harry – is ever normal, is it?" Ron grinned.

Three drops of Veritiserum, and Sirius' eyes were glassy. He'd been stunned and unstunned to ensure effectiveness – in a normal state, it couldn't affect someone as strong-minded as him. Despite Snape's comments, even in fourth-year, Harry would have been able to withstand its effects on the most important things.

"What is your name?"

"Sirius Calhoun Black."

"Your occupation?"

"Auror."

"Who was the Potters' Secret Keeper?"

"Peter Pettigrew."

"What is the name of your wife?"

"Kathryn Farrah Black, née Orenda."

Now Kingsley asked a question. "Who did the Quibbler claim you really were?"

"Stubby Boardman, and there's no way I'd be some other woman's house when I have such a wonderful wife."

"Nice save." Kathryn grinned. "But I'd just left."

"What happened in August 1986?" Laden asked.

"Kathryn, Radella and I were kidnapped and held by Voldemort for more than three days. We were tortured for information and for Kat's visions."

"That's enough." Remus stated. "It's him alright."

Next was Kathryn.

"Your name?"

"Kathryn Farrah Black, née Orenda."

"Occupation?"

"Ex-Auror, full time mother, researcher."

"Where have you been since Hallowe'en 1988?"

"I have been travelling through various countries, searching for ancient temples."

"And why did you leave?"

"I knew I had to preserve this future, however bad it was, if I did not, I could make it worse."

"Your child's name?"

"Children."

"What?"

"I have two."

"Their names?"

"Selene Rhiannon Black and Orion Coel Black."

"When was the boy born?"

"Twenty-first of June, 1989. He was conceived a month or so before Voldemort's first downfall."

"That's enough."

And so it went on. All of them were questioned, and all of them answered.

It was as they were questioning Radella last that something interesting came up.

"What do you remember of your insanity?"

"Pain. At first I fought through the pain and something helped me survive. Then… it was gone. Like I'd expelled what helped me."

"Do you have any idea what this could have been?"

Radella's eyes glowed amber suddenly. "Cubs."

Remus' head shot up and his eyes also changed. Both sniffed the air.

The Whites stood up and ran towards them.

"Are you?" Tala asked.

"Is it possible?" Conall wanted to know.

Remus looked at them, and let out something between a howl, growl and whine, then grasped them to him. Radella broke through the Veritiserum to launch herself at the group.

Ron stood up, and pointed his wand at Malfoy, who looked ready to comment.

"Try it, Malfoy." Ron begged, his eyes alight. "I dare you."

Wisely, the boy stayed silent.

Dumbledore smiled. "Today has been a day of wonder, for so many families have been rejoined. However, I never finished my announcements."

"Professor Dumbledore, Kathryn and I would like to take the Defence position, if you please." Sirius explained.

"And Lily and I the Auror Studies position." James added. "We'll swap around on occasion so nothing gets too boring."

"With the Marauders as teachers? Not likely." Ron snorted from the Gryffindor table.

James, Remus and Sirius bowed. "We thank you for your excellent taste, young Weasley."

"You ought to." Kathryn informed James. "That's your Harry's best friend."

"Even better." James grinned.

"Until we can get back to work and have everything sorted, we'd like to stay at Hogwarts if possible." Frank explained, gesturing to himself, his wife, Jack and Radella.

"Of course, you can have all the time you need." Dumbledore nodded. "Now then, since we now have teachers for Auror Studies, those of you in Sixth-year who wish to take it, may. And now, I suggest you all get to bed, and get plenty of rest for your lessons tomorrow."

As everyone left, it was young Emma Dobbs, Kathryn and Jack's niece, who made a comment.

"Hey, did you know Auntie Adalia's getting married?"

XXXXX

A/N:

Not a cliffhanger ending, but fun all the same.

Hope you enjoyed, please review, and smile.

I've also posted up a one-shot, Rejection, that you might enjoy.

I'm a great Star Wars fan, and I've recently embarked on several fics, two of which are big Alternative Universes. I'm considering posting up Dark Queen and White Knight on a sporadic basis until I have the first major section finished. The summary is:

The Force decides to change things, and uses the Queen to do it. In a new timeline, the Queen is the apprentice, the Apprentice becomes a prisoner, and the Master still rules. But the Rebellion has spies it doesn't even know about, and the children of the Chosen One are spared…

That's probably going into the second story - the first is mainly to about the point that Luke and Leia are born. The second is about the Rebellion and the 'Darths'. The third story would be a Luke/Leia time story. Subject to change, obviously, but I've written a prologue through Chapter 4. Tell me what you think, or would you like a one-shot for the universe (or Star Wars) first?

Not dependent on my marvellous reviewers, but I'd like to know what you think. Big AUs are fun.

Oh, and to those of you who are religious, Happy Shrove Tuesday and good luck with Lent (I normally give up chocolate, but I have too much in my room this year)! To those of you who aren't, Happy Pancake Day! And to those of you who are Welsh or have Welsh roots, like myself, Happy St. David's Day for tomorrow, the 1st March!

Sorry about the long note, but I love you all, and want your opinion!

Lol, Tanydwr

P.S. Do not love flamers. They can go and dance round fires in woods for all I care, and get caught for indecent exposure. Or suffer from exposure. One or the other!