Author's Note: Enjoy! I want to let you know that the rest of the story is all plotted out :D It's just bursting at my fingertips, so the chapters will be longer and more frequent from now on :)

Thank you for all of the favorites and follows!

Review shout-out: dracomalfoyssgf, haleygur7, ColdOnePaul, and polkadotharrys, thank you! :D

I do not own any of the Harry Potter characters or anything else resembling what J.K Rowling introduced us all to. Just the plot and OC are mine.


Chapter 41

The completed soulmate bond between Avalynn and Remus not only allowed for her to transform into a wolf or for Remus to be able to stay aware during the full moon and communicate with his friends, but it also sped up their recovery. While they didn't have absolute proof of this, the couple had experienced less painful transitions back to their human forms and were able to leave the Hospital Wing before lunch the following day.

Initially, Ava had tried to play off the ache and exhaustion while accompanying Remus to visit Madame Pomfrey, but the healer was too observant. Fortunately, the young witch had barely any fight in her as Remus and Madame Pomfrey coaxed her into a bed. Professor McGonagall arrived soon there after and was able to glean what had occurred during the night from the students before they both fell fast asleep.

McGonagall pulled the privacy curtain closed around her niece and Remus, brushing aside the fact that they shouldn't be sharing a bed, and stepped closer to the school's matron. "Can I assume that you've already run a diagnostic spell over them both?"

Madame Pomfrey nodded. "Of course, that was the first thing I did. Why?"

"I just want to be sure that Ava's healthy, and Mr. Lupin too, but she's had a lot of developments with her magic and not all of them good. And we most certainly weren't expecting this." She gestured in the direction of the sleeping students. "I think it would be wise to take another look at her magical core, just to be safe." The professor's brows were furrowed as her eyes flicked towards the curtain surrounding the girl who had earned a spot in her heart.

The healer reached out to clasp McGonagall's hand. "Given the state of their bodies, with no claw or teeth marks, just a few bumps and bruises, I'd say that they were more than fine last night. This morning was the healthiest I've ever seen Mr. Lupin and the first time he's been able to walk in here on his own. And according to Mr. Lupin's experience with the transformation over the years, it shouldn't be as painful for Avalynn in the future."

The professor squeezed her friend's hand. "Thank you for the reassurance, Poppy. That poor girl has a lot resting on her shoulders, and I just want to do my best to make life easier for her. Godric knows it's only going to get worse."

At Madame Pomfrey's questioning gaze, she continued, "Albus decided to induct her into the Order over break, at the meeting before Christmas. I fear that she'll take to the role like a fish to water, and withdraw into herself once again."

The healer tsked. "We won't allow her to, Minerva. We'll just have to remind her of the friends and family that she can rely on."


"Again, girl," Phineas snapped at Ava.

She tossed back her head with a groan.

"You asked for my help, Miss McGonagall. If you truly do not wish for my assistance, I'll take my leave."

Her head snapped up to look at the old wizard who had halted his pacing in front of the painted cottage. "Wait!" She sighed and straightened her posture. "Let's keep going. I'm not giving up yet."

Ava retraced her steps, backing a few feet away from the portrait above the fireplace in her quarters. After giving some thought over the past few days as to who could possibly help her study the customs of Pureblood families that wasn't currently studying for exams, she had politely asked the former Headmaster for his guidance. Only a mere mention of the invitation to Malfoy Manor had been enough to pique his interest.

"This is why Purebloods instill manners and societal expectations within their children from the time they can walk," Phineas grumbled.

"As well as insipid prejudices," she mumbled under her breath.

"What was that?" the wizard called out as she pivoted on her heel to face him.

"Nothing. Should I start?"

Phineas nodded.

Ava tried her best to keep her posture perfect and face neutral as she once again stepped towards the portrait, practicing the protocol of greeting a Pureblood host and hostess. Phineas was being rude and uppity on purpose, attempting to get a rise out of her, and it was working.

"That was better, but your face slipped momentarily." He looked at her while stroking his black beard. "If only there was a way for you to compartmentalize your emotions and remain cool and collected."

Occlumency, she realized. Duh. Narrowing her eyes, she asked, "And what's that supposed to mean?"

"I was merely thinking aloud how convenient it would be if you studied a branch of magic that would allow your mind to be organized and shielded." He paused before raising his brows. "Oh, wait. You do."

Before she could open her mouth, he continued. "You know that I have a portrait in the Headmaster's office, witch. I was there when Dumbledore struggled to break though your Occlumency shield. Though, you're lucky that he wasn't a true enemy because he could've shredded through your mind like a piece of parchment if he chose to."

Ava should've realized that there were witnesses to her last encounter with Dumbledore, but she was too wrapped up in her fury at him in the heat of the moment to even notice. She looked to the portrait with a frown. "That's not comforting, Phineas."

"It wasn't meant to be, dear girl. You'll need to tap into your more Slytherin-like attributes if you intend to continue down this precarious path."

Confusion flickered through her mind before she realized that he must be referring to her participation in the Order and collecting Voldemort's Horcruxes. She stormed up to the portrait, pointing a threatening finger at him. "You can't tell anyone, Phineas. I don't care what your beliefs are, you keep this information to yourself." Ava rested her hands on her hips. "Are you obligated to tell Dumbledore everything we talk about?"

The wizard waved his hand dismissively. "I'm loyal to Hogwarts, young lady, not that eccentric fool."

"What about your other portrait? The one in Grimmauld Place? Does the location of your portraits affect who you're bound to?"

Standing so close to Phineas, she could see his small eyes widen at the mention of Sirius's former home before realization dawned in his eyes. The wizard must've recalled the reason she was able to offer help to the Order in the first place.

"I tend to stay away from there if at all possible," he muttered. "With Walburga's incessant screeching and Orion lacking the spine to stand up to her, the atmosphere is more nauseating than welcoming."

A surprised laugh escaped from Ava. "How is the illustrious Black family?"

Phineas took a seat on the bench in front of the cottage. "They are the epitome of a British Pureblood family. Despite the failings of the parents, I'm rather fond of young Regulus, and it's a shame about Sirius."

Her jaw clenched. "And what exactly is the shameful part?"

"That the boy had so much potential and both he and his mother were too brash and prideful to hear the other out."

Ava scoffed. "It's difficult to simply 'hear one out' when the person is exceedingly racist and prejudiced."

Phineas humphed and shifted in his seat. After a few moments of silence, he said, "Speaking of which, I'd like to offer my assistance."

She looked up at the portrait in confusion. "With what?"

He tsked. "Young lady, you are more clever than that." He stood from the bench and walked as close as he could to the front of the painting. "I'd like help you and the Order of the Phoenix with dismantling this Voldemort fellow and his followers."

Her eyebrows disappeared into her hairline. "Wha—what? But they're the old-school Purebloods." With her brain and mouth still struggling to function properly, he continued speaking.

"Yes, well, Muggles might be useless creatures, but Half-bloods and even Mudbloods still have magical blood."

Ava's mouth dropped open. "That's…rather progressive of you."

He chuckled dryly. "Even though I may have been a mere portrait, I still lived through the dark times of Grindelwald, Miss McGonagall. There is nothing more senseless than massacring our own kind because of differing political beliefs." He began to pace across the front lawn of the cottage with his hands clasped behind his back. "I have also been around long enough to witness plenty of Half-blood and, though I loathe to admit it, Mudblood students that have walked through the halls of Hogwarts with varying degrees of magical talent, but all at least had a modicum of skill."

She rolled her eyes. "You could call them Muggleborns, you know." Though she had been quite desensitized to the derogatory term, she knew it upset a lot of others, including her closest friends. Ava's face must've shown her emotions rising to the surface as an argument formed on her lips.

Phineas sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose with closed eyes. "Don't look at me like that, girl."

Amused, she quirked a brow, but crossed her arms.

The wizard peeked his eyes open and let out an exaggerated huff. "I shall endeavor to watch my choice of words."

She nodded. "That's all I ask for."

He returned her nod, then made a shooing gesture, signaling for her to resume the position of approaching the Lord and Lady Malfoy that Phineas was currently acting as.

Ava scuttled back from the portrait a few feet then closed her eyes and focused, shaping the mountainous landscape of her mind. She carefully harnessed the anger and frustration of her situation and the worry that accompanied those emotions when she considered the fate of the Wizarding World and secured them in a blue-green pond. She willed large boulders and enormous pines to surround the pond, caging in the distracting feelings, and opened her eyes to face Phineas once again.

The pair continued to move through various situations that Ava might find herself in while at the Malfoys' Ball, and eventually she called it quits for the night. Aunt Minerva was supposed to be returning from an after-dinner faculty meeting soon and she has an important proposal for the professor, but she also needed time to study.

With a sigh, the young witch plopped into a comfy chair in front of the fireplace, closed her eyes, and let her head drop back onto the cushion. Interrupting the blessed silence, a throat cleared.

"Yes?" she asked Phineas without opening her eyes.

When the silence continued, she peered up at the portrait to find the wizard shifting uncomfortably on his feet, picking lint from the sleeve of his robes. His eyes darted between Ava and nearly everywhere else in the room.

She perked up in her seat. "Phineas?"

He cleared his throat. "This may be a delicate subject, but I'd like to inquire as to whether or not you have someone with whom you can speak to about the trials you'll be facing."

Her head tilted as she repeated, "'Someone I can speak to'?"

The wizard's cheeks reddened. "Yes, that is, someone who is willing to lend an ear if you have need. Someone who knows the truth about your situation."

Ava's heart melted. "Phineas, are you asking if I have a friend to talk to? About my feelings?"

He nodded, still blushing.

"Are you offering?" she asked, unable to hide her grin.

The red tinting his cheeks darkened as he nodded again.

She smiled, but forced her laugh down. "Thank you for thinking of me, but I'm okay." She allowed her eyes to drift closed as she rested back on the chair once more.

Phineas cleared his throat. "Miss McGonagall."

She rolled her eyes but gave him her attention. "Yes, Headmaster Black?"

"I may have been present last week when you returned to your quarters, and you appeared to be distressed…emotionally."

Ava racked her mind for when he could be talking about and it slowly came to her. She had said goodnight to Remus outside the door and allowed herself to break down, thinking she had been alone. "Phineas," she ground out in a warning tone as frustrated tears pricked at her eyes.

He raised his hands in supplication and spoke quickly. "I sincerely apologize for the intrusion, but I was hesitant to leave without knowing if you were truly unharmed."

She stared at the wizard as the unbidden tears dripped down her face. He sounded genuine. He didn't mean to spy on her or stumble upon her emotional fit. No, Ava scolded herself. It wasn't a fit. I was grieving.

His features softened. "I'm sorry, dear girl. I didn't mean to upset you."

"It's okay," she said in a wobbly voice as she wiped her eyes.

"I know that many people, especially those of my House, look down on those that experience deep emotions and 'follow their hearts' so to speak, seeing it as a weakness. I used to think the same, but I've had plenty of time to consider how I lived my life. It's possible that I would have been more fulfilled if I had been happy, rather than content, or if I had loved, instead of tolerated, those closest to me."

His eyes had glazed over, but now he shook his head and refocused on Ava. "Feelings and emotions don't make you weak, child. What would be a detriment is if you allow yourself to wallow and drown in them and in doing so, prevent yourself from obtaining your goals. However, there is a difference between coping with your emotions and using them to better yourself, or suppressing them in an attempt to never let them resurface." He let that sink in. "From what I've witnessed so far, Avalynn, I wouldn't be surprised if you knew of that difference within yourself already. Nevertheless, if you find yourself in need of…companionship, I am more than willing and able."

Ava sniffled. "Thank you, Phineas."

He politely inclined his head. "Unless you would like for me to stay, I'll bid you goodnight, Miss McGonagall."

She gave him a weak smile. "No, I'm okay, you can go. Thanks again. I'll remember what you said."

The wizard hesitated at the edge of the painting. "Are you certain you're alright?"

A laugh burst from her mouth as she motioned for him to leave. "I'm positive! Bugger off old man."

Instead of berating her language as she thought he would, he smiled and said, "Goodnight," before disappearing from the portrait.


"Confringo!" Without waiting to see if the flames destroyed the dummy, Ava's eyes flicked to her next target. "Bombarda!"

She ignored the pounding in her skull as she continued to fire spells at the moving target dummies the Room of Requirement had created for her. Severus and Regulus had just left her to review one last time before their final day of exams tomorrow, but she had only been able to practice Occlumency with them so she was sticking around to work on honing her dueling skills with Remus, James, and Sirius. With the Malfoy Ball only a couple weeks away, her Slytherin friends had been ruthless in their attempts to invade her mind.

The Gryffindor boys would be joining her soon enough and hopefully the mild pain potion Severus had left behind would kick in by then. She may have grumbled about his hesitance at her consuming any type of pain potion, but she was truly grateful for his foresight because she wouldn't have considered how the potion might have affected her after her prior abuse. Another reason she was feeling extremely grateful for her best friend was that she had been able to convince him to teach her Sectumsempra and Vulnera Sanentur.

His dark eyes had been fixed on her for quite some time before he nodded his acquiescence, and she swore up and down that she would only use the deadly spell in an absolute emergency.

Wanting to test out another recently learned spell, Ava threw an Entrail-Expelling Curse at a dummy that had just swiveled into sight. Her eyebrows raised as the sickly yellow light made contact with the stuffed target. Immediately, the dummy's midsection had burst open and its fluffy innards spilled onto the floor.

"Cool," she whispered, feeling pleased at her capability of performing the curse as well as its efficiency. She flinched and looked behind her towards the door, hoping that the boys hadn't stumbled in to find her in awe of such a dark spell. That's an argument I do not feel up for tonight, she thought as she rubbed her temples, willing the headache to go away.

A few nights ago, Ava had summoned her courage and spoke to Aunt Minerva about looking in the Restricted Section for research on useful spells. The professor had resisted at first, but once she had come clean about Dumbledore attempting to enter her mind, and once that particularly awkward conversation had been finished, the older witch was on the fence. What had finally sealed the deal was Ava questioning aloud that if that was how the leader of the light treated her, how did her aunt think the Death Eaters and Voldemort would behave in battle or elsewhere.

The only stipulations had been that she couldn't remove any of the texts from the Restricted Section or sneak any of her friends in. Severus had already been in once to investigate the off-limits books with her, but that was because Professor Slughorn had given his "most promising student" permission. After trying the Entrail-Expelling Curse, she was excited to try another spell called Magicus Extremos that allowed partners to share magical power, which in theory, would increase the power behind the spell. The book hadn't been too descriptive on the details, but she still wanted to try it out.

Hearing the door open behind her, Ava turned to see Remus, James, and Sirius waltzing in. As the Room put the targets back to rights, she joined the boys at the edge of the dueling mat and wrapped Remus up in a hug.

He pecked a kiss against her cheek and sent a burst of love through their bond, causing a wide grin to break out on her face.

"What're you so smiley about?" Sirius teased.

She ignored his real meaning and gestured for them to join her on the mat. "I've got a new spell I want to try out, but it requires two people."

"Why do you need two people?" James asked.

"We could use all four of us if we wanted to, but I figured it'd be better to start with just two people since I don't have all the details."

"Wait, what? You want to attempt a brand new spell, but you don't know what it does?" Remus asked with a frown.

She shrugged. "I've got the gist. It's called Magicus Extremos and it allows the caster and a partner to share magic." She smiled and waggled her eyebrows. "Cool, right?"

The three wizards looked at each other with various amounts of concern etched on their faces.

She sighed and threw her head back, flinging her arms in the air. "C'mon, guys. You're no fun! Let's just try it." She crossed her arms with a pout.

"Look, Ava, I'm just as fun as the next bloke," Sirius said, "but magic isn't something you play around with. Especially magic that links you to another person."

Her frustration lifted minutely as she glanced at Remus. She knew all about magic connecting you to someone. Shaking her head, she said, "But it's not the same."

Before she could continue, Remus spoke up. "Let's see the spell. Do you have the book on you?"

Her cheeks heated as she bit her lip. She hadn't told them about her newly acquired access to the Restricted Section, worried about how they'd react. "I—uh, don't have it with me."

"We can just check it out in the library tomorrow, if you want," James said.

Ava shifted on her feet, hands wringing together. "You won't be able to see it unless you get permission," she mumbled.

All three boys cursed colorfully.

"I don't even know why I'm surprised," Remus said with a shake of his head.

Her very soul withered a bit when she recognized the mild disappointment filtering through their bond.

Sirius looked as though he was trying not to laugh at her downtrodden expression as he said, "Even the world renown Marauders don't try out new spells without all the information."

"But—," she started with a frown.

Protests from the boys made it clear.

"Fine!" she shouted. "Let's just duel then." She spun on her heel and stomped to the opposite end of the dueling mat. The weathered text might not have explained every little detail of Magicus Extremos, but it had enough of the theory included that she knew it wouldn't hurt anyone unless you stayed connected for too long. Magical cores could only interact on a limited basis, otherwise they'd become unstable. The spell isn't designed to keep you connected permanently, for crying out loud, she thought as she swerved back around to face her opponent.

"Ready, Jamesie poo?" she called out mockingly, allowing her annoyance to bleed through her tone.

"Ava," Remus warned from the sidelines.

He could probably feel her frustration bleeding through their bond. She waved him off. "I'm sure he can handle it. Can't you, James?" she asked, turning a sharp smile on her friend.

He gulped, eyeing her wand, but nodded. "Ready whenever you are."

James had not been ready. Neither had Sirius, or Remus. So much so that Ava took to the sidelines as more of an instructor than a peer. Currently, James and Sirius were battling it out, but in her opinion, playing it safe. Their movements weren't nearly quick enough for it to make a difference if someone had truly wanted to hurt them. She groaned and threaded her fingers through her hair, looking to the floor.

A hand gently squeezed her shoulder. "They're getting better. We all have over the past several weeks," Remus said.

She looked up and let her hands rest on her hips. "It's not enough." Hearing taunts yelled across the mat, she turned back to see the progress of the duel.

The boys were pretty evenly matched, but she could spot little places here and there where they could improve, so she decided to shout out instructions from the sideline. After another minute of no clear winner though, her irritation mounted.

Waiting for the precise moment when James lowered his shield to fire on Sirius, Ava hissed out, "Incarcerous," binding James in ropes.

Remus looked at Ava in disbelief before releasing James.

She could feel the worry and confusion coming through his end of the bond since he couldn't understand why she seemed so on edge. None of them do, not really, she thought morosely.

Sirius stormed up to her. "I nearly had him! You shouldn't have interfered!"

She scoffed. "You didn't 'nearly have him'! You both were just pussy-footing around each other, not going in for the kill."

"We're not trying to hurt each other here, Ava," Remus said in a hard voice.

"You know what I mean," she snapped, waving her hand dismissively. "Besides, you can't always expect the fight to be even-sided. You think every opponent you face will be up front about the fact that they're about to attack you?"

"If Peter were here, we'd have an odd number," James mumbled. "We could do three on two and practice small skirmishes."

Ava had to admit that it was a good idea, but she didn't think they were ready. "I'm not sure if you guys are advanced enough yet for small group attacks."

Sirius practically sneered as he said, "Maybe we would be if Peter had been coming to these practices all along."

She scoffed. "Not likely." She didn't know if it was how irksome her friends were being, but the pounding in her head was returning. She supposed that it could be her tolerance level being too high for pain potions because she had actually drank the whole vial even though Severus told her to only take half, and the potion shouldn't be wearing off for another couple of hours.

Ever the peacekeeper, Remus calmly said, "Why don't we just invite Peter next time?"

James and Sirius made noises of agreement, causing her to frown. "Do I get any say in this?" she asked through a clenched jaw.

All three of the wizards started speaking at once, only to raise their voices to be heard over each other.

"Enough!" she yelled. Taking a deep breath, she said, "Look, I've a got a raging headache and a lot of other shit to worry about right now, so can we please just table this topic for now and keep practicing?"

Her stomach squirmed when the boys shared a look with each other without saying a word. After just a few moments, they turned their gazes back to her.

James spoke first. "I don't think you're being fair to Peter. I don't know why you don't like him, but I don't care. You should at least give him a chance, and until you invite him, I won't be practicing with you any more."

Her mouth hung open as her eyes darted between James's back and the other two as he turned to leave.

"I'm with Prongs on this, Ava," Sirius said in a tired voice before retreating to the door with James.

Her brow furrowed as she glanced to Remus, worry settling in her gut at the expression on his face.

With a frown, he stepped forward and pecked a kiss to her forehead. "You're my mate, but Peter's part of my pack too. Moony and I both need you to accept him."

She began to protest, but Remus put a finger on her lips to silence her.

"Just think about it, okay? We've only got two days before we leave for break, and maybe you'll need to warm up to Peter over the next couple of weeks, but think about it? For us?" He searched her eyes, as if looking for the reason she was so reluctant to be around Peter.

She nodded, feeling her eyes begin to sting. She pulled away from Remus and faced the back of the Room, not wanting him to see her cry. "I'm going to stay and practice for a bit," she whispered, knowing his sensitive ears would pick it up. She took a deep breath and focused her mind, clearing away her tumultuous feelings and resurrecting thick pines to surround them.

Feeling the heat of Remus's body leave her, she knew he was headed towards the door. She took another breath. Focus, she told herself. Just calm down. It's fine. You guys just had an argument and you'll be fine. This is just one more thing to work through.

The door to the Room clicked shut. The landscape in her mind flickered and the tears in her eyes poured over. Ava knew it was ridiculous, but she couldn't help but feel a little betrayed by Remus. She understood that he was sticking up for his friend and acting in solidarity with James and Sirius, but a part of her wished that Remus would've sided with her. He's my mate. He's supposed to have my back.

The problem was that Ava knew she was being unfair to Peter. She needed to give him a chance just like she was doing with Severus, Regulus, and Barty. Hell, she was even willing to throw Rabastan and Malfoy a bone. There was just something about Peter that rubbed her the wrong way. Maybe it was because he turned on his best friends in the original time line. Or maybe it was that she knew what to expect of the Slytherins around her, but Peter seemed so innocent that she worried she wouldn't see his betrayal coming. But either way, she couldn't go on acting the way she was.

The forest in her mind flickered again, and she recalled what Phineas had said to her earlier that week. I can't bury my emotions. She let the picturesque mountains fade out of existence in her mind, sending all the emotional turmoil that had been held at bay crashing through her.

She let out a frustrated scream as she drew her wand. "I hate this!" She whipped towards the nearest target dummy. "Bombarda!"

The human shaped target flew back and hit the wall, fluff exploding on contact.

"Incendio!" she yelled at the next dummy, tears streaming down her face. "Why is it all on me?!"

"Glacius!" Ice covered the following target and then she cast Bombarda Maxima, shattering it into a million pieces.

Through her sobs, she continued to pelt the targets with every explosive or destructive spell that came to mind, and her anger grew as the dummies would magically fix themselves and line up once again to be blasted away. "Sectumsempra!" she screamed, throat dry from yelling.

A few minutes later, the targets finally stayed on the ground and she collapsed to the floor, crying out the rest of her frustration, anxiety, and the bitter feeling of hopelessness. After she was able to catch her breath, she took out the small piece of parchment she had been keeping on her person since the beginning of the week. It was about the size of a sticky note, with Severus and Regulus having possession of a matching one. "Please come to the Room," she sent, adding Severus's name to the charm to ensure that he would receive it.

Professor Flitwick had worked with her to create the charm, which allowed for messages to appear on the other person's note instantaneously when the spell was cast with the name of the recipient. Ava had convinced the professor that the spell was for them to discuss study group meet-up times and they needed something faster than owling. While partially true, it wasn't the complete truth, but the wizard's curiosity and enthusiasm may have blinded him a bit in helping her complete the personal project.

Soon enough, Severus came through the door and approached where she sat on the dueling mat. After peering around the room, he raised a brow. "Feel better?"

Ava scanned the area and took in the destruction she had created. She chuckled. "Yeah, I do, actually."

The target dummies reformed and the Room began to right itself.

Her lips parted in surprise and she looked to Severus before gazing around the entire room, as if looking for a camera. "Thank you," she shouted with a laugh. At Severus's questioning face, she explained, "The Room, or Hogwarts, I guess, somehow knew I needed to take out more than just a handful of targets. But then it stopped putting the dummies back together after a while." She looked around in amazement. "The magic must've felt when my emotions were calming down."

She launched into an explanation of what happened with the boys after he had left with Regulus, but found herself not getting all worked up again. It seemed that venting her emotions through spellwork was rather handy at clearing her mind. She knew Remus, James, and Sirius were right. She had to give Peter a chance and if there was any hope of him not turning against them, it would only work if she tried.

Severus seemed hesitant as he asked, "Why are you so put off by Pettigrew?"

Her face must've shown her sadness and worry.

"What's he supposed to do?" he demanded.

She swallowed. "Before I tell you anything, you have to promise me that you won't do anything to him. We need to keep the time line as close to the original as possible so that it doesn't change too much. Otherwise, what I know is useless."

"I promise."

"In the original time line, the Potters use a Secret Keeper as a part of their protection from Voldemort once he finds out about the prophecy."

He nodded. "You were worried when Black had mentioned that Lily and Potter could use a Secret Keeper."

"Yeah, well, they used Sirius at first, but then thought that maybe it was too obvious because everyone knows how close he is to James, so they switched." She didn't need to connect the dots for him to figure out the rest.

"But Pettigrew isn't a Death Eater. He hasn't been to any of the meetings and no one has ever mentioned him." Severus began to pace.

"I don't know when he's supposed to become one, but I think it's kept a secret between Peter and Voldemort. Otherwise, you would've known about it."

He stopped and frowned. "What do you mean?"

She shrugged. "Well, in the original time line, everyone, even you, being a Death Eater and all, thought that it was Sirius who turned on Lily and James."

Severus whirled on the targets and flung deadly spells, one after another, until the dummies were in pieces on the ground. But of course, the Room hadn't allowed him just one round with the targets. However, Ava noticed that it hadn't lasted as long as her magical temper tantrum had.

Her friend stood with his arms hanging at his sides, panting.

"Feel better?" she asked with a wide grin.

His head snapped to hers and he stared for a moment before tossing his head back and letting out a deep laugh.