Disclaimer - It's not mine. It never was. The only characters I own are the ones not originally present in the Harry Potter universe. I'm not making any money, so don't sue.

A/N - Hey, everyone. I'm back with the next installment of this crazy story. Hope you enjoy. This chapter is nice and long to make up for the time it has been since my last update. ;)

Special thanks to the following people:

Sarah - I liked the mini me part too! Don't worry, I'm going to go back and fix the whole situation where it is as awkward as I can possibly make it. I had a nasty little run in with my own paternal half after not seeing him for sixteen years. Only difference is, I wasn't awkward….I was pissed!!! And I try not to take up too much of the story with notes to reviewers, but I do like to let you guys know I appreciate your comments. Thanks again! ;)

wolvesaremylife1 - Petunia knows more than she's letting on, at least in this story. It'll all come out in the end. Just be patient with me please. And Ginny's name is not Virginia. Most of that was just fans speculation. Take a look at JKR's official site, and you'll find out a lot of little interesting tidbits about our favorite family, the Weasley's. Thanks for the review by the way.

Lothliana - Ailric is not really like that. He's just protective of him mother. His true personality starts to come out in this chapter. He's actually very nice, at least in my mind. Thanks for the review, by the way. I enjoy knowing what you think.

ElspethBates - Yay! A new reviewer! I'm glad you like the story. I aim to please! ;)

AnGeL-GiRl-XxX - Yeah, Moody is a character, isn't he? Here's another long chapter for you to enjoy….hopefully. Thanks again! J

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Wolf's Bane II: Return to Hogwarts

Chapter 6

And the Battle Commences

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The trip back to Haven's Hollow was nothing but a blur for Harry. After leaving the Dursley' home, Remus and Tonks had lead the group to a darkened alleyway near the playground. They ducked out of sight, and into the cramped space. It was then that Harry finally found his voice and ability to question what they were doing in the Muggle world, and why they were in such a hurry to get him out of Privet Drive.

"Professor Lupin, what's going on?" he asked. "Why such the rush?"

"We've received word that Death Eaters are about to target you for an attack." he answered, scanning their surroundings as if looking for the black cloaked killers to jump out right them. "We are taking you to the new headquarters as a safety precaution. You are not the only student that has been targeted, unfortunately, and by the time we get to Haven's Hollow, Ron and Hermione should be there as well."

"They alright?" Harry asked immediately, his heart dropping to hear that his two best friends were possibly in trouble because of him. "Ron's family hasn't been attacked have they? What about Hermione?"

"Ms. Granger's parent's office building was burned to the ground earlier this morning, Mr. Potter." Dr. Lee said. "The Dark Mark was found emblazoned on the only wall that was left partially standing."

"Are they okay?" he asked again. "Is she hurt?"

"Thankfully, no one was there at the time." Remus answered. Harry heaved a sigh of relief and thanked the heavens that his two friends had escaped unscathed. He'd already lost his godfather, he didn't think he would remain sane if Hermione or Ron were hurt as well.

"We ready?" Tonks asked, peering down the street both ways, and checking for any passing Muggles.

"Yes." Mr. Tartavu answered, following behind her. "The sooner we get out of here, the better." Moody only grunted and waved his wand, causing Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage, with the owl still in it, to vanish from sight.

"Come here, Potter." the Auror growled. Harry walked forward and stood in front of the grizzled man. Moody simply cracked him over the head with his wand and mutter something. Harry felt the familiar feel of the Disillusionment charm settle into place. "Let's go." Remus placed his hand on Harry's shoulder and gave a half grin when Dr. Lee did the same.

"We're Apparating to right outside the protective barrier's reach." he explained. "But since you don't know how, Dr. Lee and I are going to help a bit."

"Fine."

"When we get there, you may be a little disoriented." the woman at his side said. "But it will pass." He just nodded and waited.

"Tonks and I will stay here and keep watch over the Muggles." Moody said. "Those Death Eaters may still come looking for the boy."

"We'll make sure to inform Albus." Remus said. Harry was about to tell Moody to just let the Dursley's fend for themselves when he was suddenly standing in the middle of what looked like a moor or marsh.

He felt dizzy, and couldn't focus his eyes on what appeared to be a slightly large, run down building in the not too far distance. Taking his glasses off, he rubbed his eyes and put them back on, then turned to Remus.

The house looked more dilapidated then the Burrow!

"This is Haven's Hollow?" he asked skeptically, wondering how in the world the building managed to stay standing on its own.

"It doesn't look so bad once you get closer." Remus said. "It's protection to keep Muggles away."

"Well, let's get you inside then, Mr. Potter." Dr. Lee said briskly. "I dare say the sooner you get out of sight, the better. At least for the time being. Remus, if you would?" Lupin nodded, but said nothing. Harry followed behind the woman as she walked forward. Every now and then, Harry could hear her mutter something and flick her wand in the general direction of the house. His face must had belied his curiosity because the man who had been introduced as Gabe Tartavu said,

"She's disengaging the protective barriers so we can get through without any trouble."

"Oh." Harry answered. He looked back to where Lupin was working, apparently re-engaging the barriers behind them as they went along. "I see."

A few moments later, they were standing at the front gate surrounding the run down building. Even though Remus had said it would look better when they got closer, Harry thought the close proximity made the house look even worse. The windows were broken, the porch was falling apart, and the roof was missing huge pieces from it. Never the less, Dr. Lee pushed the gate open after unlocking it with a key from her pocket, allowing them to enter.

As soon as Harry stepped forward through the swinging gate door, he could see the house for what it really was: a large, two story building with a porch, and big windows in the front. The yard surrounding it was neat and green, and it actually looked like something a person could live in.

"Welcome, Harry, to Haven's Hollow." Remus said. "this is Dr. Lee's home, and you'll be staying here the rest of the summer until you begin the term."

"Thanks." Harry said, looking over at Dr. Lee.

"My pleasure, Mr. Potter." she said, ushering them inside. "Now, let's get you inside before your companions worry themselves to death, shall we? I do believe I hear Ms. Granger and Mr. Weasley's voices."

Harry grinned and walked into the house through the large front doors. His first instinct was to tiptoe and make as little noise as possible, like they'd had to do at Grimmauld place. But the combined footsteps of the two youngest Weasley's along with Hermione thundering down the stairs, made him realize that if there was anything to wake up, they'd have already done so.

"Harry!" Hermione all but cried, running towards him. "You're okay! Oh, thank Merlin!" The bushy haired witch hugged him tightly, while Ron and Ginny looked on, amusement on their faces. "Oh, I was so worried. When we found mum and dad's office in flames, and the Mark on the wall…..Oh, I was worried sick!You alright? They didn't hurt you, did they?Your aunt and uncle……"

"Hermione," Ron said, gently pulling her away from his best friend. "give the bloke a chance to breath, will you?"

"I'm fine." Harry said, touched by the concern on Hermione's face, and the obvious relief in Ron and Ginny's eyes. "Thank you."

"Well, now that we're all settled, and we see that you are all in one piece," Dr. Lee said, a small smile on her face. "How about I show you where you'll be staying? I'm sure you four have lots to talk about."

"Where's my trunk?" Harry asked, looking around. "And Hedwig's cage?"

"Harry, dear!" Mrs. Weasley said, coming from the kitchen, her arms outstretched in welcome. The plump lady hugged him tightly and stepped back, looking him over critically. "You're alright. I'm so glad."

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley." Harry said.

"You look peaky, child." she said, studying him closely. "You and Hermione both. Now, you all need feeding up. Go put your things away, and I'll whip up some food for all of you. How does that sound?"

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley." Harry and Hermione said.

"Alright then, off you go." the woman said, shooing them away. "Go on, now."

"I believe this belongs to you, Mr. Potter." said another woman with curly auburn hair who had come up beside Molly Weasley. She levitated the trunk around and set it in front of him. "You can't unpack if you don't have anything to unpack."

"Who are you?" Harry asked politely.

"This is Ms. Sabine Meadows." Remus said, nodding at the lady being introduced. "She's the newest member of the Order, along with Dr. Lee, Mr. Tartavu and another gentleman named Ailric Robbins."

"Someone talking about me?" came a male voice from the stairs. Harry looked up at the banister railing and saw a young man with blond hair and a big grin on his face, leaning against the railing. "You're not talking about me again, eh, Dr. Lee?"

"Obviously not, since you didn't hear her yelling at the top of her lungs." Gabe Tartavu said, just loud enough for everyone to hear. Harry looked at his friends, more than puzzled about the man's comment, but said nothing.

"As I was saying." Remus continued, "Dr. Lee will show you to the rooms you'll be staying in and explain the rules." The werewolf turned to Dr. Lee and nodded. "We'll be waiting for you inside the kitchen." The dark headed lady only nodded, then turned to Harry and his friends while Remus walked into the kitchen.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," Dr. Lee said, using her wand to levitate not only Harry's trunk, but Hermione's as well. "Will you follow me, please? And watch your step." The four teens followed her up the stairs without another mishap. "Now, since we have a number of Order members staying here for now, I'm afraid you four will be bunking together in separate rooms." Dr. Lee said as they came to the top of the stairs. There are no rules you need to concern yourself with. Now, there are three levels to this house. The attic is nothing but a spider infested dust ball at the moment, but you are welcome to dig around up there and see what you can turn up."

"You mean you don't know what's up there?" Ron asked.

"For the majority, yes." Dr. Lee answered. "But I inherited this house from some family friends a number of years ago, and have not had the opportunity to clean it out yet. Now, this floor is the bedrooms. You'll be sleeping in these two rooms." She pointed to two door that were side by side. "There are bathrooms attached to each, so you needn't worry about sharing."

"That's a relief." Ginny muttered, glancing at her brother.

"The first floor is the rest of the house. Dining room, living room, kitchen. There is also an office off to the side and a library. Both are filled with parchment, quills, ink and books you may find useful to you for your summer homework. Feel free to use them if you need to."

"Wow." Hermione said, obviously amazed at the prospect of having so much material on hand in the house. Dr. Lee smiled and waved them over to a large curtained off wall on the rear of the house. She pulled the cord and they watched as the curtain retracted, showing a large wall made of windows.

"Now, here is the only warning you really need." Dr. Lee said, her voice deadly calm and serious. "The protective barriers around the house extend around the entire property. However, the strongest charms are centered around the fenced in area closest to the house. Now, the spells that Albus and the rest of us have in place allows you to go outside whenever you please. However, the only stipulation falls here. Don't go out the fenced-in areas. Once you are out, the Order's protection and concealment charms nullify, and you are left in the open and vulnerable to attacks."

"Is the area very large?" Harry asked.
"The fence runs a good ways back." Dr. Lee said. "So you'll be fine."

"What about those buildings?" he asked, pointing to the smaller buildings down below them.

"The ones on the right are greenhouses." Dr. Lee said. "The one in the middle is for owls to roost, and a place to keep pets if you didn't want them in the house. I would be careful if you go in there, though."

"Why?" Ginny asked.

"Because, there's no telling what my children have drug home." she said, rolling her eyes.

"You have kids?" Hermione asked. "Are we going to meet them?" Harry noticed that the question seemed to have caught her off guard, and she tensed up quickly.

"Yes, I do." she answered. "Unfortunately they could not come with me."

"Where are they?" Ron asked.

"They'll be attending Salem's School for Witches and Wizards this term." Dr. Lee said firmly. Harry could tell she was uncomfortable with the conversation, and wondered why. But he figured it was none of his business and searched for a way to steer the conversation elsewhere.

"What's the third building?" he asked.

"A small storage shed." she said, shrugging. "I am not too sure what is in it, thought. Probably old Quidditch equipment and other stuff. The previous owners of Haven's Hollow were big Quidditch fans. So, I'm not really sure. You can take a look around if you want, though."

"Can we play Quidditch while we're here?" Ron asked, a grin on his face.

"I don't see why not." Dr. Lee said. "The barriers will keep you out of danger as long as you don't try to fly beyond them. Just bring me the Quidditch set you are going to use, and I'll but the charms on it so they will stay in the confines of the barriers."

"This place isn't too bad." Ron murmured. "We get to play Quidditch."

"Well, I'll leave you four to get settled in then." Dr. Lee said, smiling slightly at them as she took her leave from the floor, walking back down the stairs.

As soon as Harry was sure the woman was out of hearing range, he looked to Hermione and frowned.

"What happened earlier?" he asked. "Where's your mum and dad?" Hermione flinched slightly and shivered, and Ron put a comforting hand on her shoulder, almost as if he was scared she was going to fall to pieces by just thinking about it.

"Mum and dad are fine." the bushy haired witch said quietly. "The only thing that was hurt was the building."

"Where are they now?" Harry asked as they walked absently into the room where the girls would be staying. Hermione automatically started unpacking her belongings and setting them up around one side of the room. Harry figured it was more to distract herself than anything else.

"Dumbledore sent Professor McGonagall to explain the bare details to my parents." she said. "I'm not sure what she told mum and dad, but she assured me that they would be fine."

"We think Dumbledore may have put some sort of protection barriers up around them, or at least Hermione's house." Ginny said.

"Or Moody could be watching over them." Ron pointed out. "From what I hear, he's been shadowing your both of your families since term ended, along with Dung and Ms. Figg."

"Well, that makes me feel a little better at any rate." Hermione said. They were silent for a few moments, and just watched while the girl unpacked their books and clothing, placing them on the desks and in the dresser drawers. "So, what do you think of the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?" Hermione asked.

"Seems okay to me." Harry shrugged, plopping down on the nearest bed. "At least right now. Maybe she'll last longer than one year."

"As long as she doesn't have You-Know-Who sticking out the back of her head." Ron griped.

"Or if she's another Death Eater in disguise." Harry added.

"Or some ridiculous Ministry official bent on taking over Hogwarts." Hermione added testily.

"And don't forget a pompous, overbearing, air headed git who is so far stuck up his own arse that he can't see the light of day." Ginny called out from the confines of the closet. Harry gave Ron a questioning look, wondering what had possessed Ginny to be so nasty about Lockhart.

"She's still peeved that he was going to run away and not try to get her out of the Chamber." Ron whispered urgently to Harry.

"Professor Lupin is the only decent Defense teacher we've had." Hermione pointed out. "I hope she teaches like him."

The four teens finished up in the girl's room and made their way downstairs. Molly Weasley had managed to whip up enough food to feed the whole of Hogwarts while they were upstairs, and she quickly set to getting everyone fed. Harry judged by the amount of food present that there would be an Order meeting soon. When they had gotten situated at the table and began eating, the Weasley matriarch set down the rules for the evening.

"We're having an Order meeting this evening." she said briskly, placing another helping of shepard's pie on Harry's plate, despite the fact that he'd already eaten two. "So you four need to find something to keep yourselves occupied and out of the way."

Harry glanced over at his friends, seeing the looks of curiosity. If there was going to be a meeting, then it was highly probably that Snape had new news for Dumbledore. He wanted to know what was going on, but highly doubted that any of the adults would be willing to share the information. Sirius and Remus had been the only ones who had actually wanted him to know what was going on. Maybe he could talk to Remus later and try to find out what they were talking about.

"Have the Order members been able to find out anything else about what Voldemort is up to?" Harry asked. Molly seemed to slow down for a moment before continuing in her work.

"Nothing out of the ordinary." she said flatly. "And that's all I'm going to say." Harry reigned in his aggravation with being denied information, but held his tongue, not wanting to anger Mrs. Weasley. He all to clearly remembered the huge row between the short, plump woman and his god-father Sirius Black the year before at Grimmauld Place. It had not been a pretty sight, and he had no intentions of causing a repeat of the performance.

At least not right now.

When they had finished lunch, Harry and his friends decided to look around the grounds and see what they could find.

The back yard of the house was huge, and the fenced in are that Dr. Lee had deemed 'safe' was roughly the size of two Quidditch pitches put together. The little grouping of building that stood behind the main house was the first place they headed.

"So where exactly are we, anyhow?" Harry asked as they walked towards the largest greenhouse.

"Don't know, mate." Ron said. "My guess is somewhere in Scotland." They opened the door to the glass building and stepped in. All around them, a multitude of plants, both magical and Muggle, stood. Harry quickly recognized and Abyssinian shrivelfig bush, a small Devil's Snare, and a Fanged Geranium among the bunches. It struck him as odd that Remus had told him no one had been living in Haven's Hollow for some time, especially when it looked like the plants in the greenhouse had been well taken care of.

"Someone needs to bring Neville in here." Ginny said, looking around in quiet appreciation. "He'd love this place. I don't even think Professor Sprout has some of these plants."

"She probably wouldn't." came a slightly amused female voice. Harry and the others spun around quickly, finding the woman who had been introduced as Sabine Meadows standing next to a table, a pair of pruning shears in her hands. "Many of these species are native only to other lands."

"Ms. Meadows," Hermione said. "we didn't disturb you, did we?" The auburn haired woman only smiled sweetly and shook her head.

"It's quite all right, Ms. Granger." she said. "I was just looking over some things to make sure they were in order. No harm done."

"Did you grow all this?" Ginny asked, fingering a crimson colored petal on a rose bush. "They're beautiful."

"Some of these are mine, yes." she said. "But not all of them. Dr. Lee allowed me to make use of the greenhouses during my time here."

"You live here, too?" Harry asked.

"Yes. So I'm afraid you'll be seeing me quite often." she said, placing the shears on a table next to a pile of pots. "So, what can I do for you four? Or are you just exploring a little?"

"Just looking." Harry said quickly. "Dr. Lee said we could look around if we wanted to."

"By all means, please do so." Ms. Meadows said. "I daresay we have not had much company here for a while."

"What is this?" Hermione asked suddenly, holding up a small green plant. "I've never seen it before. In fact, I've never seen any of these before." The bushy haired witch nodded to a large table top where a dozen or so pots stood. Ms. Meadows smiled and moved to the plants.

"This one is belladonna." she said, pointing to a group of three large pots. "It's used as a sedative in most cases, but is essential to a number of useful potions. This one," she said, pointing to a pot with odd shaped white flowers on it, "is called aconite. Also known as monkshood or wolfsbane."

"That's the basis of the Wolfsbane Potion, isn't it?" Hermione asked, looking at the plant carefully.

"Yes, very good." Ms. Meadows said. "It can also be crushed down and put into an oil base to run into achy joints. Helps with some forms of arthritis."

"And this one?" Ginny asked, looking at a group of dark colored plants of different varieties.

"That is a highly poisonous plant called hellebore." Ms. Meadows said, sighing. "There's not really much it is useful for, but Dr. Lee thinks it could play a large role in one of her experimental potions she's been working on for quite some time."

"What is it a potion for?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not too sure, to be honest." the woman said. "It's called the Draught of Lazarus, and it's still in its beginning stages. That is all I know, other than she has been working on it for ages."

"You seem to know her well." Ron pointed out. "Dr. Lee, I mean."

"I've known her my entire life." the auburn haired woman said. Harry was about to ask her something else when a loud commotion startled them all.

The angry hoots of owls and the calls of other creatures fill the air around them. Harry noticed Ms. Meadows face go stern as she gathered up her robes and quickly left the greenhouse in a rush, mumbling under her breath. Harry and the others followed her, anxious to find out the cause of the commotion.

It did not take long to figure out that the racket was coming from the second building in the yard, the one Dr. Lee had said housed the animals that her children kept.

"Gabriel!" Ms. Meadows shouted, pushing open the door and looking in. "What is the meaning of this?" She stepped into the little building and began walking back into it. Hermione was the first to follow, and the Hogwarts students stopped in their tracks when they got into the seemingly small shed. The building, which appeared to be no more than a small shed from the outside, looked like some sort of tropical paradise on the inside.

There were lush plants all around them along the floor, and a small dirt path that led further back. There were vines crawling along the walls and windows, and the ceiling was a rich, forest canopy with moss handing from the branches. Harry looked closer and saw a steady line of ants marching along one of the lower branches as they walked. But what was perhaps the most amazing part of the inside, was the clear pool of water at the end of the pathway.

The pool was easily big enough to swim in, and could more accurately be considered a small lake. It was sparkling in the daylight that was coming through a large hole in the roof. Harry's attention, however, strayed when he heard another round of hoots and howls filling the air, this time accompanied by what was undoubtedly the growl of a dog.

"What's going on?" he asked when Ms. Meadows stopped walking and started looking around. "What's all the noise about?"

"I have no idea, Mr. Potter." she said huffily. "Gabe!"

"Back here!" came an angry male voice. Ms. Meadows followed the call, and lead them behind some thick underbrush to where Gabe Tartavu was standing, a frown on his face.

"What is going on?" she asked, her hands on her hips.
"Brax be at it again." the man said, a slight accent in his voice. "He's pulling the tail feathers of the birds. Sent them up in a frenzy. Assyria got him, though. Pecked his eyes a good one."

"Where's he at now?" she asked, scanning the tree tops above the Hogwarts students.

"He took to the treetops where Sari was." he said. The man finally seemed to notice Harry and his friends standing behind Ms. Meadows. "Mr. Potter, how you doing? Who's your friends?"

"Oh, sorry, Gabe." Ms. Meadows said. "This is Hermione Granger, and Ron and Ginny Weasley."

"How do'a do?" he said, tilting his head in greeting to the teenagers. "Gabe Tartavu's the name."

"What's this place?" Ron asked, eyeing a spider web up in the corner of a wall.

"Shelter for the animals." the long haired man said. "Ah, here's me babies!" A flurry of wings came soaring through the opening in the roof, and quickly settled down on perches in the trees. Above them, Harry counted three different owls, a raven, a falcon, and what appeared to be a silvery-blue phoenix.

"Where's the rest?" Ms. Meadows asked.

"Kojack's runnin' round outside." the man said. "Hold on an' I'll get 'im." The man gave a sharp whistle and a large German Shepard came bounding into the room "There ya are, boy."

"Exactly how many animals are in here?" Hermione asked, eyeing the birds above her as they preened their wings.

"Enough, I assure you." Ms. Meadows said. She knelt down by the dog and scratched his ears. "Find Bandit, Kojack. Find Bandit." The dog's ears perked up, and he quickly started sniffing around the bushes, trying to find something.

"Sari's up in the tree." Mr. Tartavu said. "Lass probably already has Brax by now. I didn't tell the little bugger that she was up there. And you know she don' like 'im."

"I'll get them." she said. "It's time to feed them. Sari, come here, girl. And bring that blasted Brax with you, please."

"This guy is worse than Hagrid." Ron whispered to Harry. "What else is in here?"

Harry heard a defiant hiss fill his ears, and quickly shook his head. Beside him, he felt Ginny stiffen and tense up.

"I don't think I want to know." Harry said, swallowing a lump in his throat. A few moments later, they could see a large gray and white raccoon being lowered down from the tree tops, and it looked none too happy to have the coils of a snake holding it in one place.

"That's a snake!" Hermione said, stepping back away from the tree. Ginny trembled violently, taking another step back when the head of a large python come out of the canopy. The snake's head turned to peer at the newcomers while the other end coiled more tightly around the growling raccoon.

'Ridiculous creature. Mistress is most displeased.' Harry shook his head, trying to block the sound of the snake's condescending voice from his thoughts. He watched as Ms. Meadows walked over to the snake, reaching up with one hand to stroke the massive head, while grabbing the raccoon by the scruff of the neck.

"Thank you, dear." she said sweetly, pulling the raccoon out of the coils. "Caught him again, did you?"

'You are welcome, mistress.'

"Well, I think this is all of them."Mr. Tartavu said, taking a small black and brown ferret from Kojack's jaws. He placed the rat-like animal on a nearby branch and fed it something from his pocket.

Harry was about to question the sanity of these people when he notice something big and hairy on the branch nearest Ron's shoulder. He waited a moment, trying to figure out what it was. It did not take long to figure out that it was a large spider. It began its descent down the branch, and towards Ron's shoulder, and Harry almost panicked for his best friend.

"Uh, Ron?" Harry said carefully. "You might want to move."

"Huh? Why?" Ron asked, looking at him, confused.

"There is a very large spider behind you, Ron." Harry said calmly, not wanting to scare the red head. "Move." Ron's face instantly lost all its color and he stood shock still.

"Where?" he whispered. "Harry?"

"There he is." Gabe said happily, walking over to scoop up the hand sized spider and placing it on his shoulder. "Been wonderin' where the little guy got off to. Thanks, Ron."

"Not a problem." Ron squeaked after getting a good look at the tarantula on the man's shoulder.

"How many more surprises do you have in here?" Ginny asked, her eyes still on the large snake hanging from the tree branch. She hunched backwards, unconsciously stepping back to Harry's side and trying to hid herself from view.

Mr. Tartavu and Ms. Meadows looked over at them, various amounts of confusion on their faces.

"Not a friend of snakes, Ms. Weasley?" Ms. Meadows asked, concerned. "Sari won't hurt you."

'Of course I won't.' the snake hissed. 'Unless you are that annoying creature Brax!' Harry couldn't help but chuckle, looking at the glowering raccoon still in the auburn haired woman's hand. 'Then I'll worry about the consequence later. I still don't see why mistress won't let me eat him and be done with it already.'

Beside him, Ginny shivered again, and Harry put his arm around her shoulders comfortingly.

"She won't hurt you, Ginny." he said. "The only one she wants to get right now is him." Harry pointed at the captured raccoon and grinned, causing the animal to hiss in defiance. Ms. Meadows looked surprised for a moment, but Hermione quickly informed her of Harry's unique ability.

"He's a Parselmouth." she said, as if it answered all the questions. The two adults nodded in understanding.

"Well, tell the little lass to calm herself." Mr. Tartavu said, looking at Ginny. "Send'er back up the tree, Sabine."

"Go on, Sari." Ms. Meadows said gently. "I'll take care of this one, and bring you some fat mice for dinner this evening."

'You can turn him into a hat for all I care.' the snake hissed, looking right at the raccoon in the woman's hand. 'Although I mean the young human girl no harm.'

''We had a nasty little run in with a basilisk a few years ago, and she's been terrified of snakes ever since.'' Harry told the snake carefully. ''Give her time to get used to you, please.''

'I am no basilisk.' the snake answered primly, coiling on herself and settling back into the tree, out of sight. 'Besides, mistress would be angry if I harmed the younger humans.'

''Thank you.''Harry said, turning back to the people surrounding him.

"Bloody hell! He is a Parselmouth!" Mr. Tartavu said.

"Well, Hermione wasn't lying about it, you know." Ron said scathingly, glaring at the man.

"I didn't mean to insinuate that the lass was." Mr. Tartavu said to Ron. "I've just never seen a human and snake talk to each other before."

"It is something to behold." Ms. Meadows said, nodding her head gravely. "You have quite a gift, Mr. Potter."

"Some wouldn't agree, I'm afraid." Harry answered sullenly.

"Don't worry about those close minded fools, dear." she said. "One day, their ignorance will be their downfall. Are you okay, Ms. Weasley?"

"Fine." Ginny said, her voice trembling slightly. "No problem."

"Well, since we are all here, I might as well make introductions, aye?" Mr. Tartavu said, gesturing to the assembled creatures. "Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, these are the family pets of Dr. Lee and her children. Those three lovely ladies are Assyria, Malon and Noah." He pointed to the three owls in the trees, who hooted in greeting. "The raven is Seraph, and the falcon is Dune. Bandit is our resident ferret, and this handsome gentleman is Freaky, the tarantula. And o'course, you already met Kojack."

"What about the phoenix?" Harry asked. "Who does it belong to?"

"Ariayan is Dr. Lee's." he said, calling the bird to his forearm after depositing the ferret and tarantula onto a nearby branch. "Dr. Lee has had her for quite a while, but we aren't sure where she came from, honestly. Just showed up at Dr. Lee's office one day, or so she says."

The bird was beautiful, and Harry began drawing comparisons between it and Dumbledore's phoenix Fawkes. Where as Fawkes was scarlet and gold, Ariayan was dark blue and silver. She was also somewhat smaller than Fawkes. Harry reached out to stroked the phoenix's feathers, only to jump back when the bird let out a screech and lifted itself skyward.

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, watching the bird circle above the grounds through the skylight.

"We've got company." Ms. Meadows said, peering through some vines and out the window, the mischievous raccoon still in her hands.

"Someone's getting a letter, too." Gabe commented, watching as a great horned owl flew through the skylight and dropped a letter at Hermione's feet. The girl picked it up, and upon recognizing the handwriting flushed pink before sliding it into her pocket.

"Gabriel, the rest are arriving; we need to get inside." Ms. Meadows said firmly.

"Aye, that we do." he answered, unburdening his pockets with owl treats and tossing them to the birds. "Let's go, then."

"You can stay in here if you want." Ms. Meadows said, turning to the four teenagers. "But I think there is a set of Quidditch balls in the shed, along with some spare brooms if you fancy a game."

"Thanks." Ron said, finally regaining his color somewhat. "We'll find them." The two adults nodded and left out quickly.

"I wonder if she realized she's still got that raccoon in her hands?" Ginny asked.

"With the way she's yelling at the poor thing, I'd say she does." Hermione said as they came out of the animal house. Ms. Meadows had brought the little animal up level with her face and was shaking her finger at it, apparently telling it off.

"Who's here that's so important?" Harry asked.

"Order members, mate." Ron said, nodding towards the entrance gate where two people were walking through.

"There's Shacklebolt and Emmaline Vance." Ginny said. "Got to be an Order meeting."

"Think we ought to see what's going on?" Ron asked. "I've still go a couple of George and Fred's Extendable Ears."

"It's worth a try." Harry said. Although he suspected that Mrs. Weasley or her husband had put an Impertuable charm on the door, rendering the Weasley's invention useless. "Let's go before we miss anything."

--------------------

The meeting of the Order of the Phoenix was a slightly hurried affair. After Sable and her children were introduced, Snape came forward to give his report. Since the members of the Order were only told that Sabine, Ailric, and Gabe were Dr. Lee's children, no one questioned anything, which worked fine for Sable. The less people that knew, the better.

She turned her attention back to the skinny, greasy aired man standing apposite her across the table. She took a good look at him and squelched down her instincts to run for cover. She hadn't seen or heard from Snape since the night of the attack. He had said nothing to her after she had been introduced, but the glares he'd been sending her way had spoken loud enough on their own.

Snape was suspicious. She had no doubt that Dumbledore had shared her information with theother Order members during the time she had been considered for the placement amongst the flock.And normally that would not have been a problem. But considering that there were certain bits and pieces missing from the profiles she had on record, she had no doubt that Snape was suspicious of her. Even in America, the sight of an unmarried witch with three half grownchildren was looked down upon somewhat by the older generations. Thankfully, he seemed to have passed over her three children in his perusal. But then again, they did not look anything like they normally would, should the spells and charms not be in place. She just steeled herself for the fight to come, knowing it would be one hell of a doozy.

Snapehad still retained the sour attitude and haughty air that had surrounded him while at Hogwarts as a student. His dark hair was lank and greased back on his head. Thankfully, he had not paid her much attention as of yet. She glanced over to her left where Gabe was sitting. Her son's expression gave away nothing, but his body language was enough to put her on edge. She glanced at Remus, who was sitting across the table and to Snape's right. The werewolf seemed just as concerned as her about this meeting. They had decided to break the news to Snape after the meeting, and she was worried sick.

"…somewhere in Stratford. Although I am not precisely sure as to where, yet." Snape said, breaking Sable's intense concentration on what was to come and forcing her back into reality.

"There are many of our students living in that area." McGonagall said. "Is he targeting the students on purpose, Severus?"

"Not as far as I can tell." Snape replied. "He seems to be trying to work his way north. I have heard rumors of a plan to overtake Azkaban and use it as a centralized location to launch attacks."

"He's going after Malfoy." Bill Weasley said, grimacing. "Is there anyway to stop him?"

"We can reinforce security there." Kingsley Shacklebolt said. "The Dementors have fled to Voldemort's side, though. I doubt we'd be able to drive them back if they decide to attack, given the wizard power on the island. A half dozen witches and wizards is not enough to hold off an entire army of Dementors."

"Dr. Lee?" Dumbledore said, addressing her directly. "You still hold your chair in the International Confederation of Wizards, do you not?"

"Yes, I do." she said, nodding, wondering where this was going.

"Can you get the security in Azkaban reinforced?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"How many do you believe we need?" she asked, turning to the headmaster.

"As many as we can get." McGonagall said, shaking her head.

"I'll get to work on it immediately." she said. "And do what I can."

"Very good." Dumbledore said. "I do believe this concludes our meeting, ladies and gentlemen." He stood up and looked around the table. "Molly has prepared a delicious meal for those who wish to eat. To everyone else, I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors. Severus, could I see you for a moment before you leave, if you please?"

As the people in the room began shifting and rising from their seats, Sable glanced over at Remus and frowned. Things were about to get ugly.

"You okay, mum?" Ailric asked a couple minutes later as they walked out the kitchen and towards the living room. "You ready to go through with this?"

"I'm fine." she said. "It has to be done sooner or later, after all."

"I can't believe that grumpy bastard is my father." Gabe said skeptically, shaking his head. Sabine muttered something to herself, but refrained from commenting out loud. Sable looked a the doorway leading into the living room, seeing Dumbledore standing there wit Remus and Snape.

"We'll be right outside if you need us, mum." Gabe said, loud enough for the men to hear.

"Thanks, hon." Sable said, patting him on the shoulder. She squared her shoulders and walked to the men, bound damned and determined to knock that condescending look off Snape's face. "Sorry to keep you waiting, gentlemen. Shall we?" she walked into the room, allowing them to follow before discretely soundproofing the room with a charm. They took a seat and Sable refused to meet Snape's calculating gaze when he swept it over her.

"Severus, I wanted to discuss Harry's Occulemency lessons." Dumbledore said. "My concern is still present, more so now that before. And I would like to know that he is safe from anymore of Voldemort's mind tricks. Considering the relationship between you and the boy, I think it is prudent to hand the lessons over to Dr. Lee." Snape only grunted and glared at her, and Sable wished she'd have a glass of water around her because her throat had gone dry.

"The boy is incapable of grasping the concepts need to learn Occulemency, let alone master it enough to keep Voldemort out of his pathetic mind." the man sneered. Sable's head shot up and she looked over at Remus, who was frowning and clenching his fists at his side with Snape's attitude. Apparently, this was Snape's normal attitude where Harry and his friends were concerned, and she didn't think it was based solely on the inter-house rivalry between Slytherin and Gryffindor.

"How far did you get with him, Professor Snape?" she asked, pining the Potion's master with a cold glare. "Did he learn the basics of defense?"

"He learned enough to keep himself alive, obviously." Snape said skeptically.

"Well, I'll be taking over his lessons from this point forward." Sable said. "As long as he is willing to learn."

"That boy is as thick headed and egotistical as his father, Dr. Lee." Snape said icily. "If he doesn't want to learn it, he won't. And Potter does not want to learn it."

"I take it you knew Harry's parents, then?" Dr. Lee asked, her voice tightly controlled. "Were either of them versed in Occulemency?"

"His mother was." Snape said. "She was quite good. However, it seemed he took after his father more than his mother, unfortunately. Lily Potter's mastery of charms helped her profusely during her training from what I'd heard. Unfortunately, the only thing Potter is well versed in is the ability to make trouble."

"I am beginning to think it was not the student's fault, as far as Harry not learning anything is concerned." Sable said firmly.

"Potter's inability to grasp basic concepts of mind defense is not my fault." Snape stated, practically growling at her. "The boy is a nuisance, just like his father."

"Can we leave James out of this?" Remus asked, his own anger almost at its breaking point. "We've already established the fact that Harry is like James. Let it go already, Severus. Your animosity towards James should not be carried out on Harry. It's not the boy's fault!"

"It probably would have been better if he hadn't pulled your ungrateful arse from underneath that tree in sixth year." Sable said angrily, glaring at Snape and standing from the chair she was sitting in. "Maybe changing you into a werewolf would have improved you rotten disposition. Because Merlin knows it's no better than it was the last time I saw you!"

Snape's body stiffened immediately, and Sable instantly regretted letting her anger overcome her common sense. His dark eyes were boring so hard into her back that she could almost feel the heat.

"Severus…." Dumbledore began. But the man rose from his spot on the couch and stalked over to where she was standing. He grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around.

"Who are you, woman?" he snarled, anger flashing from his eyes.

"Someone who is supposed to be dead, at least as far as you know." she said haughtily, not even trying to break his painful grasp on her shoulders.

"Who are you!" Snape howled, shaking her roughly.

"That's enough, Snape." Remus said firmly, trying to get between them. "Let her go."

"It's okay, Remus." she said, looking at the angered werewolf. "Let him go. Let him think about it." Remus took a step back and Dumbledore walked towards them, but neither Snape or Sable noticed.

"Answer me, woman." Snape said imperiously.

"Think, Snape." she said, reaching up to grab his forearm in her hand. She felt the electric-like pulse shoot through her body that happened when one marked Death Eater came into contact with another. Snape's eyes widened in shock, and Sable could swear she saw fear in his eyes. But she still didn't let go of him. "Bellatrix Black was not the only woman that maniac ever marked."

"Who…..There is no possible way....."

"Sixteen years ago, you saw me cowering on the floor of Zabini's mansion." she said darkly, her grip tightening as he tried to pull away from her. "You watched as your Lord and master murdered my parents in front of my eyes. Don't tell you've forgotten already, Severus." She let his forearm go and walked back over to the chair she had abandoned in her anger, sitting on the arm of it, her arms folded across her chest.

"There's no way." Snape spat. "That girl is dead! Albus, what is the meaning of this?"

"She speaks the truth, Snape." Remus said firmly. "I didn't want to believe it myself, either, but…."

"You expect me to believe that this woman is Sable Robbins?" he spat. "Impossible. She's dead."

"Nothing is impossible, Severus, only improbable." Dumbledore said sadly.

"I don't believe it." he said, shaking his head, although he seemed much paler than he had been only moments before. And he kept taking small steps backwards from where she was sitting. The man was truly rattled by the change of things.

"Don't believe me, do you?" she asked, pulling off her robe and unbuttoning the bottom three buttons of her shirt, then lifting it up to reveal her navel, and the dark pair of snakes that had been tattooed across her waist so long ago. "Then where the bloody hell do you think I got this from?"

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A/N - I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter. I don't have much to say now, so………

Later,

A.A.

Oh, and please remember to review. I want to know what you think about the story. ;)