Disclaimer: Hmm, not here, not there, not under my bed, not out the window, not in my pocket (oh hey, two bucks and a quarter!) not on the bottom of my shoe, or in my closet (yohh, Mr. boogeyman!) not in the car, down the street, not in the box of cereal (DROOLS pretty mooood riing), not in the back yard, the attic, the tree, the mailbox, behind the dresser (although I found my charm bracelet, my locket and a few pens…intriguing), not in the toy box, not under the couch cushion (hey, more munny!), not in the Kingdom Hearts Video game case (lol, munny comes from there !dorkme!) , I'm not sitting on it, it's not swimming in the Jacuzzi, or my neighbor's pool, nope, not in the wasp nest (owowowowow), or stuck in the VCR (although I did find the controller…? Awkward)….hmm, I guess my claim to Harry Potter's beauty isn't here…JKR Got to it first…barnacles!

A/N: Darn…School starts in about…8 days and open house is in…a few…and I've already got all my stuff sitting on the dining room table, all my binders for every subject organized, my elective folders have paper (something I never thought of doing before! XD), I have a crapload of writing utensils in an ACTUAL PENCIL HOLDING THING instead of just thrown into my purse, a dictionary, a Spanish-English dictionary, book covers, A RULER and a GLUE STICK (I always jacked one from the teacher...hehe)and a bunch of other stuff…I have a hectic schedule because on A days I have my two hardest subjects so on certain days I will have TONS of homework (and now I'll have Spanish homework every day…yikes!)…but at least for once I have not procrastinated…yet…which means that I'm procrastinating on procrastinating…which means you're always procrastinating…Woah, revelation! I have to use that against my mom sometime! Anyhooo…

Just a little fact, I zipped through writing this chapter so fast I don't know what happened. The words just flew out of my fingers (and through the keyboard and to the computer and through the yeah you know how it goes). I know it's probably gonna come back and bite me but I'm posting this early, okay? Hope you have a good read! Review!

My minimum word count goal from now on is 10,000 words, without the Author notes (XP hehe) and the maximum (which should be on a very good week) would be from 13,000 to 15,000, okay? Sound good?

Okay, I know, Sorry about the name change thing, but it just wasn't working for me…so, changaroo from Vanvadu to Foolme to TheFoolishFairy and finally to Dorkme…it's simple, to the point (sort of), and I just plain like it! I promise not to change it again.


Secret Promise

Chapter 5: Assassin, Assassin

oOoOoOo

Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn

C. S. Lewis

oOoOoOo

Claire looked around her. She saw a group of people, a woman who looked like a veela, an elderly woman, a redheaded man, a plump, pleasant faced middle-aged woman, and three more. Harry, Ron, and Ginny, she thought excitedly, but kept her tongue for the moment to take in her surrounding. She couldn't smell or hear anything, couldn't feel a thing. She looked down, but saw nothing of herself, only clear, air, the floor and the wall behind her. She looked around. She couldn't hear what they were all saying, couldn't tell what they were talking about because she kept losing track of their lip movements. She could tell they were planning something.

She tried to speak, but she couldn't. The people didn't notice her, just continued with their conversation, as if she wasn't even there…which she wasn't, she guessed. All she got out was a moaning mumble when she tried to speak again, to tell them that she was there. Nothing. She lifted her foot, intending to step forward, to rush to him. There was an almost tumbling sensation and she was momentarily blinded.

The next moment she was standing amongst a shop that she recognized as Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Two redheaded twins, the Weasley twins she thought, were exchanging things with another redheaded man, who could just as well be another Weasley, the same as the man in the previous 'vision'. She opened her mouth to cry out. There was no one else here, so it must be the room that had been marked off for special customers only, she remembered. Nothing came out of her mouth but a soft moan. She watched as the men hugged, confirming they were brothers, and the unfamiliar man stepped towards the fireplace, threw a pinch of floo in and, from his lip movements, cried 'Arabella Figgs, Phoenix Code Green, Phoenix Code Keeper of Subject Griffin, Embark!' She cried out, trying to ask what this was. Nothing came but a mewling muttering of meaningless jibber jabber. Frustrated she stomped her foot, only to feel the same tumbling feeling and the blinding darkness.

Another group of people. She froze, avoided looking at the coat covered body, knowing what lie there and not wanting to accept it. She turned, stopped. It was the same face-shaped-like-a-heart woman as before, in the vision before she collapsed. There was a couple, holding each other consolingly. She recognized Professor Lupin, sitting on the floor, speaking to…Hermione! She cried out, very firmly, trying to yell at them. They didn't hear. Hermione nodded, and Remus Lupin stood up, held out his hand, pulled the bookworm up and then the heart-shaped face lady grabbed his arm, spoke to him urgently, shivering. Professor Lupin nodded, brushed his lips over her forehead and stepped away. Careful not to move her feet, for she didn't want to go anywhere else just yet, she looked around, for anything she could bend down to grab and throw at them or, in a perfect world, a piece of parchment and a self-inking quill she could write a note with. There was nothing. Frustrated, she felt angry tears prick at the back of her eyes. This was important! She had to tell them! She had to tell them about the shadow!

A sharp pain jabbed at her back and she folded over, gasping. Something was tearing at her shirt, pulling her way, and the sensation was sickening. Slimy, inky vileness tugged her backwards, pulled her, yanked her, and dragged her backwards. She struggled violently, kicked, scratched, socked, kneed, everything. It pulled her back, she fought. She saw a flash in her mind's eye, the shadow hidden amongst shadows amongst trees, holding a wand, the flash of green, the heart woman, Professor Lupin's loved one, she realized, falling to the ground, Lupin's howl of grief, then another flash of green, a flash of red, a piercing scream, startling her, for it was the first sound in a long, chilling silence since these strange transportations had begun. Then there was another flash, the vision of a feline, leading a pack of people, dodging trees, slipping in and out, leading them away from a shadow…but it was too confusing and she blinked it away. She was jerked back, and saw through the window that there was a cluster of trees. They were heading outside, she saw, and the shock of it slammed into her. She opened her mouth and with all her might, pushed and managed to scream something. "Stop! Stop, stop, stop! Don't go there…please…don't! He'll catch you! Stop! Pleease…"

They didn't hear her! They didn't hear her! Tears of rage, hurt, frustration, fear pooled down her face and she slammed at the inky arms that ripped at her, tugged her backwards. "NO!"

She felt the same stumbling sensation and gasped, opened her eyes after the blindness.

What she saw amazed her, and she breathed a single word, hope fluttered in every inch of her voice.


"Why do I feel like going out there is worse than staying in here?" Tonks asked the others. She shivered, trying very hard to ignore the body of her former friend and superior. He had been a wonderful man; he had a wife and two young kids, a boy and a girl. She didn't know how she could ever face them, knowing that they were going to leave the body of their daddy here. They would come back for it, when they got in touch with someone, and if it hadn't been disturbed, but it made her feel so guilty.

"Because, I have a feeling that man is hunting us." Remus was looking into the rooms. He found two Order members…dead. The Order members' wands were missing, as well as the captives'. Remus didn't look happy. After all, Tonks thought, he was a hunter himself, in some small way, and a part of him didn't take too kindly in that fact that he had just become the hunted. She didn't care for it either.

"I know some wandless magic," He began again, after a short discussion about their lack of wands, "But only so much. And it takes a lot of energy out of me."

"I thought there was no such thing as wandless magic!" Hermione began, surprised.

Remus looked at her with sharp eyes, "It's a dangerous practice, Hermione. If you use too much it can kill you. It's very draining. Not many teach it anymore in this time and age."

Hermione pursed her lips, thinking hard. If they could harness the wandless magic in the DA then they would probably have an advantage over the death eaters…She expected some of them to know, the death eaters that was, but the younger members probably would not.

"This world…" Walter Granger began, looking at Remus. It had somewhere along the line been decided that he was their unofficial leader. "I never knew it could be so dangerous."

Tonks stopped, realizing something. They were fighting for their lives. If they didn't start running, and figure out someway to fight this guy, who had all the advantage, then they were going to die. One by one. She looked at the man she had fallen in love with, the man she had promised never to give up on…If he died…She imagined it would feel just like it had felt for him when she had been dead, if only for a few moments. She didn't want to bear it. She bowed her head and turned away from them all to gather her thoughts. She had to be strong right now, she was the trained auror, and she needed to figure out a plan.

"Can you…can you teach me a little bit of the basics on Wandless magic? Just very, very quickly," Hermione asked Remus, hastily.

"It takes weeks to master, Hermione, months, maybe even years…"

"I don't care! I might need it later on, okay? Magic for wizards and witches is an impulsive thing! When we are in danger, do we not often let off accidental magic?" Hermione fisted her hands. She didn't want to be the low-lying, defenseless researcher anymore. Not in this situation.

"Well, yes, but it's usually just during puberty." Tonks informed her. Remus nodded, matter-of-factly.

"In some cases, it's not. Please, Remus?" She begged him with her eyes, with words. She wasn't usual one to beg, but she had to. She was going to use Ginny's tactics, "Please? This is something I have to do. I have to protect my family. I just need to know how I don't need to know if I can."

"Hermione…" Remus sighed, running a hand through his gray brown hair, rubbing his eyes. He reminded himself that this was the girl who had probably saved the only woman he had ever loved so deeply, "Okay, sit down."

"Sit…down?" She asked, watching him settle down on the floor.

"Yes, or do you not want to learn?"

She sat.

"Close your eyes hold out your arms…"

"Ginny?" Harry stopped from where the others sat, huddled together around Mrs. Figg's kitchen table. She wasn't as gray as she had been before, her color was coming back, and her wobbly legs had strengthened just a bit. She looked up at him with bright brown eyes, questioning and intent on just him for the moment. He had been watching her for many moments, as they all gathered their wands together (Bill had disappeared for a few minutes and when he had come back, he presented two wands to Harry and Ginny. Evidently, they were the twin's spares. Unfortunately, for Harry and Ginny, who both had phoenix feather cores, they were dragon heartstring, but they worked well enough, just not with the full power of their original wands. He brought with him shield cloaks, shield gloves, and the newly produced shield boots that reflected jinxes and hexes for each of them, as well).

"I don't want to lose you." He whispered, brushing his knuckles over her cheek, fingering a loose red wisp that had come free from her ponytail.

"You won't." She told him, smiling at him in that way that she did that made everything calm and perfect, even in the midst of chaos. "Remember you promised Mum none of us would die. You've got to protect me now, and I've got to protect you. We've got each other's backs."

"We'll all have each other's backs."

Startled, they jumped up and saw the twins standing with an intense looking Lee Jordan, a determined Angelina Johnson, and a heavily panting Oliver Wood.

"Wood? Angelina? What are you all DOING HERE?" Harry bellowed in surprise.

"We're here to help." Fred began, clapping Wood on the back, "Even old Ollie here!"

Wood glared at his former beater, straightened his robes, "I may not be an Order member and I missed out on the DA," he glared at Harry for that, "But I'm willing. I was in Diagon Alley. Puddlemere is on break, one of the players…his wife was killed." Wood looked uncomfortable, sighed. "Anyways, I'm here and ready to help."

"I was with Oliver at the time." Angelina flushed. Fred looked momentarily uncomfortable then George elbowed him in the ribs, "The twins told us what happened."

"I told you not to tell anyone!" Hissed Bill to the twins, his face red. "This mission is private!"

"YOU TOLD NON ORDER MEMBERS A PASSWORD TO AN ORDER MEMBER'S HOME?" Screeched Mrs. Weasley, her hands going straight to her hips. If looks could kill, Fred and George Weasley would be smack dab on the floor at the moment with the way she was mentally setting them on fire with seething and blazing brown eyes.

"Hm, yes." Fred said, lifting his hands in a shrug, "What can we say?"

"It was an emergency?" George supplied.

"We have enough people." Harry told him. "Too many people causes too much attention."

"Which is why—" Fred began, producing what looked to be a black headband from his pocket. George did the same.

"We scrounged up a few of these after Bill left." George grinned mischievously.

"Are those…?" Ginny asked, her eyes lighting up, shining with amazement. She felt Harry move his hand to her shoulder, rub it absently. She glanced in his direction and saw he didn't even notice what he was doing and smiled. Absent intimacy, a good sign.

"Right you are, sister dear!" George replied, "Invisibands…"

"Remind us to change the name, by the way." Fred interrupted, scratching his head.

"What do they do?" Ron asked, eying them warily. He remembered Headless Hats and such, and wanted to know what these could do.

"With the complicated password we have created for security measures—"

"We heard about what you said about thinking before we sell something that could be of benefit to the 'Dark side'—"

"Yeah. These are Order issue only, not even the Aurors can get their hands on them, no sir!"

"Anyways, with the password, and of course the headband has to be around your head," George demonstrated. He lifted his wand, tapped the fabric, "Hey, Diddle, Diddle, Die, Riddle, Riddle!" Ginny lifted a brow and Harry coughed. Ron stared. Bill looked to the sky, shook his head. Fleur looked at George oddly. But then George disappeared. They all stopped their speculating and gaped at the empty air. There was a moment of silence then Oliver jumped into the air, yelping.

"That was uncalled for!" He hissed, spinning around.

"Ticklish, Oliver?" Fred grinned, tapped his own band, repeating the password. Ginny stepped away from where he disappeared, curling into Harry, who grinned, wrapped his arms protectively around here. He still felt the feeling of dread and a need to rush to save the others, and knew they needed to leave quickly.

"Oy! Hands off the merchandise!"

"Oh, Merlin, ew!" Ginny said, glaring at the empty air, "That moment is forever zapped into my mind, thanks a lot Fred."

"We had a little trouble at first figuring out how to disappear the clothing and wands and things as well, but we got it in the end." One of them said from the side.

"How do you take off the charm?" Bill asked, impressed with his brothers ability. Fleur was pondering this, interested and impressed as well.

"Harry and Ginny sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

They reappeared.

Harry went red, Ginny made a 'tuh!' sound and swatted at the nearest twin! "You change that password right now!"

"Sorry, sis, would if I could but I can't so I won't!" The twin said, laughing. "Actually, I wouldn't if I could anyways!"

"Why, you—" She swung at him, would have clipped him if Harry hadn't dragged her back.

"Play nice now, Gin."

She huffed, "I'm killing them. Slowly. I'll rip out their tongues, gouge out their eyes, and cut off every single body-part until there's nothing but…nothing." She whispered, voice hoarse with fury, eyes glaring and angry.

"How sweet." George said dryly, shifting on his feet rather uncomfortably.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, you will not threaten your brothers like that!" Mrs. Weasley looked at her daughter firmly, "And don't speak in such a way!"

"Hmph."

"Okay, we have people to save." Harry told them, tugging Ginny over, lifting her up to sit her on the edge of the table, "Stay." She glared at him, "How should we go about this?"

Bill said, "You're the one with the experience, Harry."

He looked at them, reddened, "I've never had a—you know…a plan."

Ginny rolled her eyes, "Well, we should have some way to communicate without words, in case of an emergency. There are one or more death eaters waiting them out in the woods," She shuddered, hating the chill that ran down her spine, "Hand signals are out, we won't be able to see each other." She frowned.

"Legilimency?" Harry asked.

"No good. Only images and memories." Bill said, shrugging.

"Hmm…any communication charms?" Harry asked, ponderingly.

"Zhere is one I know." Fleur interjected. The others had gathered around the table in a half circle. She stood beside Bill, as was expected. "Eet ees used during tournaments at Beauxbatons."

"Tournaments?" Ginny asked, curious.

"We had competeetions. Sometimes zhere are just games, but zee staff used them as tests." Fleur waved her hands gracefully, shifting her weight. Oliver was watching her, and Bill was glaring at him, "Zey used zhem to find out where our…talents lie. Zhere was one competeetion where you were een a group of five. You had to spleet up and find a treasure, it was very exciting! But you had to be very quiet, because zhere were traps set to acteevate by sound or movement or even certain colors. You had to step very carefully, but your group had to comuneecate somehow! So my team found a charm zat allowed several people to send thoughts to one another. Eef we were in a certain distance of each ozzer. You just 'ave to theenk of zee person really hard, you don't need to see zhem."

"Wouldn't that be…violating? Sharing thoughts?" Ginny asked, not liking the idea. Harry looked at her, rubbed her shoulder. Tom Riddle had invaded her thoughts, more times and violently. He squeezed her shoulder, gently, trying to comfort her. She just stared at Fleur.

"Oh, non, non, non!" Fleur waved her hands, managed to make it a sweeping, flowing movement, rather than the average person's 'flap like a bird', "You only share ze thoughts you weesh to send. You do not have access to ze person's mind on command. You can send and receive, zat is all."

"Oh, okay." Ginny said, relaxing beneath Harry's hand. He hated knowing that she still feared that incident and it killed him to see the fear in her eyes. He rubbed his free hand down her ponytail.

Bill watched Harry closely, when not glaring at Wood. He was touching her, a lot. Brushing knuckles over her cheek, fingering her hair, rubbing her shoulder. Things that lovers did. He knew from his mother's spell that Ginny was still…pure, but still. It made him angry to see a man touching his sister, and it pained him to see that she was accepting it. She had grown up so fast, and he hadn't been there to see the transition. Egypt had called to him, and he had left his family to quench his thirst for adventure. There were visits, letters, those kinds of things, but it wasn't the same. He sighed. That was in the past. He looked at his fiancée. There was time for family now, well…at least there was after the war.

"Okay, is there an incantation?" Harry asked. Fleur simply lifted her wand, closed her eyes.

"Profari!"

Oui. I see zat you have become a couple weeth Ginny. Gabrielle weel be very disappointed. But I must say zat you seem to be made for each ozzer. An attracteeve couple. I can see zat you are a love match.

"Love match?" Harry asked. Several eyebrows lifted, but Fleur just shook her head. "Try zee charm."

"Um, okay." He looked around, lifted his wand to Oliver. "Profari!" It failed the first time, but the second time he got it.

Er, mate, you need to stop staring at Fleur. She's Bill's fiancée and no offense, but he's a curse-breaker and was attacked by a werewolf—in human form, mind you, but a werewolf all the same—and lived. He's not one to mess with.

Oliver turned to Harry, pondered, sighed and nodded, "Thanks, Potter."

"Oooh let me try!" Ginny lifted her wand. Thought and turned in the direction of her mother, "Profari!"

I love you, mum. We're going to be fine, I promise. And we're going to save the others. Don't worry. We're going to be alright, and we're going to save them all. Okay?

"Profari!"

Ginny, I love you so much. You're my baby, my daughter. I know we're going to be okay. I just worry so much; I can't lose you, any of you. It would hurt too much. And we'll save them…somehow. I promise.


Claire was lying in her bed, in physical form, shaking uncontrollably with fever, sweating boatloads, and mumbling strange syllables and meaningless words. She was tightly cocooned in a wool blanket, and cooling spells were being cast every five minutes, as well as infection-protection charms. Hr. Jason Belenus stood at her side, his wand running many diagnostics over the girl for the third time in a row. He had found nothing the first two times in a row and he didn't expect to now. Her mother had insisted he try again, to try and find something that might lead to why her daughter was reacting so. It was his duty to do so anyways.

Sweat trickled over his brow as he gripped his wand. It took a lot out of him, this. He sighed, tightened the hold on his wand, shifting his weight, taking a deep breath, concentrating on the flow of magic as the tests ran. No colors flashed over her yet, so he didn't know if she had a disease, flu, a pox, or anything yet.

"She's dying, isn't she?" A boy appeared in the doorway. Jason looked up, placing his concentration on hold for a moment. Mrs. Raleigh had stepped out for a moment, to contact family and the girl's father.

"Son, you shouldn't be in here." He said. The boy looked ghostly pale. There were bags under his eyes; bluebell eyes the same as his mother's. Dark blonde hair curled about his face, and he was short and slender, probably nine or ten.

"She's dying." The boy said as his eyes trained on the figure, trembling, in the bed. "I can tell."

"What's your name?" Hr. Belenus asked.

"Christopher." He answered, softly, "Are you making her better? Are you bringing her back?"

"Son…"

"Oooh!" there was a sharp gasp from the bed and the mutterings stopped. The girl began to jerk violently. Jason rushed to her, held her down, so she wouldn't hurt herself. He checked her pulse, her vitals with the quick swish of his wand. They were skyrocketing. Cursing, he pulled his wand, pressed it to her chest, "S—"

"No!" Christopher cried, "Stop it! You're hurting her!"

"She'll hurt herself." The girl was struggling, deliriously.

Hr. Belenus put his full weight on top of her. Long nails tore at his skin, tearing and scratching, limbs slammed into him, knees and elbows and fists and feet, leaving faint bruises. He held still, keeping her down as she struggled.

"Stop!" She bellowed, but it wasn't directed at Jason, "Stop, stop, stop! Don't go there…please…don't! He'll catch you! Stop! Pleease…" She wept, "NO!"

Then she stilled, jerked once more and moaned, before her body convulsed and she gave a gasp, went completely limp, like a broken doll.

"…Justin…" She breathed, then slumped further. After he made sure she was truly stopped with her fighting, Jason pulled away, checked her vitals. They were dangerously low. She was breathing, but faintly and she appeared to have scratched herself and had several light bruises.

"Christopher!" Mrs. Raleigh grabbed her son, shielded him from the sight of his sick sister, spun on Jason.

"What did you do to her?" She screeched.

"She was thrashing about. She would have hurt herself, Mrs. Raleigh. I had to try to restrain her. She said some things…stop, don't go there, please don't, he'll catch you…does that have any meaning at all?"

Audrey Raleigh shook her head, shaking with silent sobs, tears streaming down her perfect face, "No. No!"

"I think she is delusional. Earlier you said she was saying that she said she needed to get an owl to someone. Harry, you say?" The healer pondered this, and came up with nothing.

"It could be a potion or such."

"Did she—did she say anything else?" Christopher was hugging his mother, crying into her shirt. She was hugging him back, running her hand through his hair, shaking with her weeping.

"Just a name. Justin."

"I…I don't know about any Justin, either." Audrey sobbed, turned away, took her son and clung to him, wept.

Hr. Belenus turned away, began to work once more, trying to find out what was happening to this girl.

"We need to take her to Saint Mungo's."

Mrs. Raleigh nodded, still crying, "I'm coming with you. My daughter, my eldest, she can…she can watch the children until…until their father…"

Hr. Belenus just nodded, trusting the woman to scream hell and high murder if anything else happened to Claire, he stepped up and went to the floo to alert the hospital.


"…Justin…"

Justin stopped when he heard a voice breathe his name softly. He turned around, feeling the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, but found no one there. He stilled, staring about, searching around for Aiden or Christabel, who had gotten back early from her break. He'd been putting on a coat to go down the street and call on old Muggle friends to catch up and possibly go to the cinema.

Looking around the backroom he saw no one. It caused a chill. He reached for the wand hidden in his pocket, stopped himself, just wrapped his fingers about it. It gave him comfort. He searched the walls. There was nothing but stacked paintings, frames, a telephone, inventory, the counter adorned with coffeemaker, mini-refrigerator, microwave, all for the employees, and a few empty boxes and crates.

"Aiden?"

No answer.

"Christabel?"

"Yeah, honey?" Called the sweet, honey tones of Christabel. She stuck her head into the backroom, and he saw a heart stopping face, dark eyes and hair and a big smile. She was a "babe" according to Aiden, who, of course, knew all about these kinds of things. Her body was curvy, fit to fill the suit she wore perfectly, displaying womanly proportions that were natural and yet surreal. Justin himself felt his mouth go dry every time she came near.

"Er, did you call me?"

"No, I didn't Hun." Christabel replied, opening the door more, standing in the frame. Her legs were clearly on display with the skirt she was wearing. God, is she wearing anything under that jacket? He thought then shook himself. He was being dumb and hormonal. He had to stay loyal to Claire, Claire, who he liked so much. It was almost betraying her if he had thoughts about anyone else. This really didn't make any sense, seeing as they weren't even close in that way…Now he was confusing himself and ranting mentally. He did that sometimes.

"Er, sorry. Just thought…someone did." His face burned.

"Alright, darling!" Christabel said, blew him a kiss, and closed the door.

"What a tramp! Wait, did I say that?"

Justin nearly fainted. He spun around so quickly that he felt almost as if he had received whiplash. He held his wand, though he doubted a second later if he would have the guts—or the knowledge—on what to do with it. He jumped back when, to his amazement, in front of him stood Claire, flesh, blood, and bones…well, probably blood and bones, he had no idea. Did he have x-ray vision? No, he did not. So he probably would never know. There was probably a spell that he could use…he was ranting to himself again.

"Claire!" He cried hoarsely, looking at her with wide eyes.

She looked around interestedly then lifted her hand, stared at it, "Where am I?"

"Er," He watched her turn her hand, examine her palm, as if memorizing each and every intricate line, "My mother's art gallery. Actually, the backroom slash kitchenette slash storeroom slash er, room of my mother's art gallery. Finch's Galleries, it's called, really, not the backroom but the building…and the business…She's a businesswoman. She is also my mother, and er…What are you doing here? How did you get here?"

"I…don't know." She said. She lowered her hand then looked down, examined herself, shifted her feet, put her hands on her belly and straightened her shirt. She twisted and made to look at her backside. Justin felt himself blush, his eyes trailing downwards then zipping back up when he realized what he was doing. Claire didn't notice. She was too busy trying to look at herself.

"Uh, Claire…"

"Do you like me Justin?" She suddenly asked, looking up.

He stared, eyebrows going up, his voice cracked when he said, "What?"

"I need to know. Now. Do you like me Justin?" She asked calmly, but hastily. Was that contradictory? He asked himself.

"Uhm, Claire, you see, I well, I think you're, well, you have very pretty, you're eyes, Uhm."

"That's a yes?" She asked, softly.

He just nodded, going red.

"Okay, I needed to know that before…" She just stopped, looked at him, "I like you, too, Justin."

"Really?" He blurted. She nodded. Her bluebell eyes were very sincere. They suddenly went sad and her mouth formed a frown. How she managed to look pretty frowning was beyond his comprehension.

"Justin…just know that I do like you. Very much." She stepped back, "And…you know how to apparate?"

"Er, yes. I…I got my license." (A/N: I have no idea if he did, when his birthday is, but it's vital to the story…mmkay? Mkay."

"Go to Weasley Wizard Wheezes. Break in if you have to, do whatever you can to get into the fireplace there. You know how to use a floo?"

He nodded, uncomfortably.

"Take some floo powder, throw it in, and say, not too loudly, you don't want anyone to hear. Say 'Arabella Figgs, Phoenix Code Green, Phoenix Code Keeper of Subject Griffin, Embark!' Okay?" She repeated it again, "Got it?"

"Yes, yes, but Claire. I-I don't…"

"Please, Justin, Please. Harry's there. Tell him that Hermione is in danger and he needs to work fast. Tell him that he needs to go now. I don't know how much time she and her friends have left. Please. They could die!" She cried, her eyes welling up.

"Okay, okay. Just-Just don't…I promise. I'll-I'll do it."

"Thank you, Thank you! I…I have to go now." Then she spun around and was gone.

Justin stared. He felt the urge to faint, to do so many things, and yet couldn't. He took a deep breath. No time to tell his mother, and Claire had sounded urgent. He didn't care if it was a figment of his imagination, if it was a trick, or anything. He needed to know what was happening. He had the urge to help.

Focusing on the three D's, he made sure no one was looking, and apparated away to the alley behind the Leaky Cauldron.


"Merlin, it's fricken hot!" Tonks stared down a large rock that sat at the foot of a large tree (There were many, many large trees around them), and wondered if she'd seen it before. They hadn't been walking through the woods two minutes before they got lost. It seemed they were winding their way in circles, and all of them suspected the strange man of having placed spells around them so it appeared as if they weren't getting anywhere. It also appeared as if he'd cast a whole heat charm over the place, because it was far too warm, even for a muggy, summer day. That had been about a half an hour ago, and she was starting to feel sticky. Her shirt and hair were damp with perspiration, her skin was slippery with it. She wished she had her wand to conjure some water, or to cancel the anti-apparition wards and leave this sorry ass place.

Remus had long since shed his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, un-tucked his shirt, undid a few buttons, and right now he was shaking his head a little bit, his damp hair making swishing and slapping sounds. "I should have gotten that haircut when I wanted to." He muttered to himself.

"Indeed." Mr. Granger said, running a hand through his own hair. Although shorter than Remus's medium length hair, it was still quite a lot of hair.

Mrs. Granger was rubbing at her face, now sticky with make-up, and didn't look very happy, but she was quite the trooper, Tonks thought, for a dentist. She had said only a few words the whole journey, the same with her husband. Hermione was quiet, but she conversed with the others easily. She didn't blame the two of them. If she had been thrown in this kind of situation, she imagined she wouldn't want to talk either. Of course, she would, but that's just because she loved to talk.

She sighed, shortened her hair even more, "I look ugly with this short of hair."

"No you don't, Dora." Remus said, looking at her, smiling, "You look…charming."

"Liar, Liar, pants on fire." She stuck her tongue out at him. He rolled his eyes. There was no way that Tonks could ever be professional, unless she was depressed. He didn't like it when she was depressed, so he guessed she would never be professional ever again, not while he was there to cheer her up.

Looking upwards, he sighed, seeing nothing but branches and a strip of blue sky. He could only hope that they were going to get out of here, with his nose to lead them. Merlin, what a cliché…

"Come on." He called, and the others continued after him. "We'll find a way somehow."

The figure stepped out from behind a tree after they had disappeared, a grin lighting his lips as he watched them go. "Tsk, tsk, my sweets. Rushing away so soon?" He wasn't finished with them. Oh, no, the fun hadn't even begun.

Justin had inhaled a flurry of soot and was coughing and gagging when he came out of the fireplace, wiping his palm over his tongue, trying to get the awful taste out of his mouth. He had floo'd maybe once or twice in his lifetime and he admitted that he did not like it at all. Hacking and choking from the ashes, he folded over, gathering himself up.

"Oh, certain no one overheard you, hmm?" A voice shot out. Justin looked up through half closed eyes. He saw a woman he recognized as Ron's mum, and a group of other people who all had their wands out and trained on him. Still hacking, he lifted his hands up.

"I—I come…in peace." He managed to tell them hoarsely.

Harry snorted, but no one else got the joke, they kept their wands on Justin. Ginny was the first to speak, "What did you tell Harry that later on made everyone think that he had attacked you on purpose?"

Justin looked at her, confused, said, "That I was muggleborn. He, er, set a snake on me."

"For the last time, I was keeping it from attacking you!" Harry huffed, sticking his wand bake in his pocket. Ginny laughed at him, patted his arm consolingly. Everyone else hesitatingly lowered their wands to their sides.

"I guess we were overheard." Bill said, growling at the twins, "You said—"

"There were protection and silencing charms all around us, we swear!" The twins said hastily, waving their hands.

"No, no, I wasn't spying. I swear." Justin replied, brushing dust from his hair.

"Oh, here you are, dear." Mrs. Weasley waved her wand and the ash disappeared. He thanked her.

"Tell us how you found out the password, Justin." Harry asked. Justin told them all about Claire and the backroom and explained everything in great detail. He glanced at all of them. He recognized a few. The Trio, of course, the Weasley twins, Angelina Johnson and Oliver Wood and Lee Jordan, Fleur Delacour. A man who could be another Weasley and an elderly woman who was wringing her hands in the corner were the only ones he did not recognize.

They all stared at him speculatively when he said that she just….disappeared. Just like that.

"Erm, right. Does anyone know where she lives?" All of them shook their heads at Ron's question.

"She's unconscious remember, there was no way she could be in the backroom and her house at the same time." Ginny told them.

"Did you touch her in any way?" Bill asked Justin, thoughts popping in his head.

Justin thought and shook his head, taking a deep breath.

"I think…I think I know." Bill said, rubbing his scarred face, "She was astral projecting."

"Astral…projecting?" Ginny asked, one eyebrow lifted.

Bill nodded, and began, "Astral projecting is when the spirit leaves a body for a break. It usually is surprisingly common, and your spirit normally stays close to your body. But in some cases you can travel great distances to a single specific location. There are often cases where someone astral projects to their loved one or loved ones is in trouble, without even knowing the fact beforehand. Normally they are unable to do anything to stop it, they are incorporeal most of the time."

"And you think Claire did this, to try and tell Justin to tell us…"

"To tell you that, and that Hermione is in danger and Harry needs to work fast. That Harry needs to go now. She didn't know how much time Hermione and her friends have left. That they could die." Justin told them all solemnly.

Harry paled. Ginny gripped his hand, "Someone go to Number Four, please, and get mine, Ron's, and Harry's brooms, check on Galahad, my kneazle and Hedwig. If the Dursleys yell at you, stun them or whatever you can and get her fast, okay?" the Twins did just that, then popped back in a jiffy, "Everyone needs a broom."

The twins already had theirs. Bill popped over to his flat to his and Fleur's, Angelina and Lee did the same. Wood produced a mini-broom from his pocket sheepishly and unshrunk it with a tap of his wand, "You never know, you know?" Mrs. Weasley huffed and said she didn't have a broom. Ginny told her to take Charlie's from the burrow. She sighed and did that. Justin didn't have a broom at all, so Ginny told her to take one of the old spares as well. They were all waiting on here now. She took quite a bit and they all wondered what she could be doing.

When she popped back, she had Mr. Weasley in tow. Harry groaned, "Not another."

"Harry Potter, you don't try and take my wife, five of my children, my to-be-daughter-in-law, and other innocent people on a dangerous mission without telling me first." Arthur told him, though he didn't look angry, just frightened. He carried his own broom.

"Jeez, people, you're lucky we brought more spares," Fred said, throwing the Invisicaps and shield clothing on the table. There were enough for everyone, even Arthur and Justin. "We've got some for Remus, Tonks, Hermione and her mum and dad, too. Don't know if they'll work on Muggles though."

"Shouldn't you be at the ministry, dad?" Ron asked, curiously.

He shook his head, "Off early. Just this once."

"Okay, that's it people, I officially call the line at Mr. Weasley! No more." Harry said, looking frustrated, turning to the twins, "The caps will keep our brooms invisible?"

"You've got to tap it and say the password, but yeah."

"We tried getting it so you just had to touch it, but then everything you touched turned invisible!"

"Right." Harry had dressed himself, kicking off his shoes to put on the boots and slipping on the gloves easily, finding that when he took hold of something he had a firmer grip with the textured palm of the gloves. The cloak was light and easy, he could tell the twins had modified it. It was long and fit with long sleeves. It sort of…morphed to his body. You buttoned it and clipped it from the neck to the groin, and then there was a slit between the fabric and it flowed around his ankles. When he looked around he thought they all looked like some Video game characters, then shook his head. Ginny looked particularly seductive in hers as she bent down to tie her boots, he noted, then shook himself to look away. He took a headband, bent down to Ginny when she stood up and pecked her on the mouth. She stopped him from pulling away by grabbing hold of his head on both sides, fisting her hands in his hair and bring his mouth hastily back to hers. She kissed him with fervor and passion and just plain love, her body fitting perfectly against his and his arms encircling her, pulling her tiny form up higher. She didn't pull away until she was quite satisfied with it and when she did, she smiled at him, whispered, "Just in case."

He nodded, not wanting to think about what would happen if that was their last kiss. It was too unbearable. He simply pulled away, "Does everyone understand that we have to stick close together?"

They all nodded, everyone avoiding eye contact. "We won't be able to see each other, so it will be difficult, so use the Profari as often as you can. Try it very softly, or if you can, wordlessly, okay?"

More nods. He then sighed, tugged on the headband, tapped it, "Hey, Diddle, Diddle, Die, Riddle, Riddle!"

He disappeared, and then stopped, "Mrs. Figg, please don't tell that man, Marvel, about this."

Her eyes widened and she gaped at him, then nodded, unsure. He tapped his wand and said the password again, everyone did the same with their caps and their brooms then they all filed outside.

"We really need like, I don't know, a battle cry…" Ginny whispered in his ear, making him shiver.

He turned to her, whispered back, "No. Too cliché."

She laughed, and he heard her softly kick off. He did the same. He signaled everyone to go high up in the air, then told them all, "We're going to fly as fast as we can, everyone. Yes, even you Mrs. Weasley. Go as fast as you can. Every ten minutes signal that you're there by making your broom visible."

"Bill, lead the way."

Alright everyone, head north.


Galahad hissed from where he prowled around the floor on his humans' room, angry that they had not thought to take him with them, to seek out the one who was hunting their friends. He, as always, knew what was going on. Kneazles always knew. He pranced to the door, swiped at it. The non-magic humans wouldn't hear him. They were downstairs, watching that loud noise and picture maker. He hoped they died of loss of brain cells, he thought to himself malevolently.

He continued to pace the floor, his tail swaying with him as he did so. He did not like being locked up like this. The two humans, his female human's litter-siblings, had come and gone very quickly, grabbing the strange broomsticks that allowed them to fly, scooped him up and put him on the bed, set out food and water, then gave the white owl and the small owl treats and water as well, and left just as quickly as they had come. It annoyed him. They had not even asked him if he wished to come and help on their journey.

He turned to the white owl. She was of the snow, he thought, one of those rare birds who came from the snowy northern regions. She watched him with narrowed amber eyes. At least she was far more intelligent than the furball spaz of a bird who flurried in the cage beside her, hyper as his litter-siblings on cat-nip. The little squeaking live play-toy was on the windowsill again, basking in the sun, purring. He had begun to like the little plush toy, although he still wondered why it had been made into a living thing when he would have been much more fun as a toy, rather than as a pet.

Hedwig was her name he thought, turning back to the white owl. Hedwig glared at him, then turned around, sticking her head beneath her wing and hooting jealously, angrily. Galahad simply cocked his head, letting his tail flick to the side. She wanted his male human all to herself, she was very protective of him. He gave a shrug, if that's what you could call it, and turned, jumped up from the floor, to the trunk at the foot of the bed, then finally to the bed, prowling over to the window. He settled beside the 'Arnold' as his female human called him, and peered out the window pane at the sidewalk and garden below. Nothing was out of the ordinary, he saw.

He wished he could go with them. He could be of so much help. He would sniff out the bad man who was trying to hurt their friends. He knew he could. Meowing, he padded the window with a paw angrily, then turned away, swatted it with his tail and jumped to the floor.

He finally decided that he would call on one of the Elder Birds to help him. He knew the man who had visited his previous owner, the Gray One, had an Elder Bird. With the Gray One's death, he would be back with his Elder Birds, or mayhap even with his lost charge.

You do not call on an Ancient Guardian without permission, feline. Hooted Hedwig, spinning around, looking at him with angry amber eyes.

Oh, poppycock to you, Snow. Galahad replied, settling back on his backside, The Elder Birds will understand.

Fine. I'll be happy when the Guardian shreds your little furry body into bits. Hedwig hooted, glaring, turning away from him.

Galahad grinned in triumph, his tail flowing in the hair.

The GUARDIANS! Oooh, this'll be fun! This'll be fun! Won't it, Snow? Won't it? They're all so wiiiiise! I wish I was wiiiiise! Don't you, Snow? Don't you? Don't you?

Hedwig ignored Pigwidgeon, or Spaz, and continued to preen her feathers.

Galahad finally purred heavily, calling the name of the Elder Bird.

Fawkes of the Ancient Fire Guardians, Elder Bird, Protector of Wizard, Keeper of the Secrets of Heart, please heed the call of a humble kneazle, who calls upon you to ask permission to help his humans, to guide them on their way, and to seek out the one who seeks to harm them and their love-litter.

Smugly, he looked at Hedwig, who perked up. He could see now that she wanted to do just the same thing, and glared at him, flapped her wings, but was stuck inside the cage.

There was a moment that he wondered if the Elder Bird had ignored him, then there was a flash of fire and a magnificent bird appeared. It was the size of a swan, with magnificently crimson and gold plumage, golden talons and beak and coal-black eyes that burned with inner fire and wisdom. He perched on the back of the writing chair, looked about until he found Galahad with his eyes.

I have been watching the one's you call your humans, Galahad the Cunningclaw, on request of my companion, until the Chosen One has undergone evaluation by the Ancient Elders. I grant it. Come quickly, there isn't much time.

Galahad purred gratefully, rushed to the Elder bird. It dropped down and picked him up gently with his claws and then they both disappeared in a flash of flame, without a second thought.

When Galahad opened his eyes again, they peered into a heavily wooded area that smelt of musty sweat, fear, indecision, anger, grief, guilt, hope…He could smell werewolf, too, and the changeable scent of a metamorphmagus…the area around him stunk of deception and vileness, and the hairs on his back stood up as his senses went into gear, searching for the producer of such a smell and piercing sound in his ears.

Quickly, now, Galahad the Cunningclaw, follow the scent of the Werewolf and the Metamorphmagus, you must protect them. They are the love-litter of your humans. Keep them from harm as long as you can, and be wary of the Shadow-man.

Galahad placed his front paws and stretched, bowing to the Elder Bird, who bowed his head, gave a soft, lilting trill and disappeared in a flash of fire. Galahad straightened, sniffed the air and perked his ears, listening, smelling. The vileness nearly blocked out the trail of the metamorphmagus, but the werewolf was clear to him as day. It was easier to sniff out creatures rather than humans, he thought to himself.

Setting off quickly, he jumped over fallen branches and leaves, and skidded through the wood, following the scent, intent on finding them all. He rushed down a slope, through a fallen log, past a stream, a tree with a large rock, farther, and farther and farther, following the scent of his humans' love-litter.

Finally, the scent of musty werewolf hit him in the face and he slowed, bursting through a bush.

"GREAT JEHOOSAFATS!" Walter Granger leapt back, clutching his heart, slamming into Remus Lupin as a little creature shot out just where he was about to step, quick as a bullet, no more than a sudden blur in his vision. His wife yelped, stumbling into Hermione, who stopped her, unconsciously reached for her wand. Tonks gave a cry, tripped over her own to feet and fell to the ground.

"What in the…GALAHAD!" She cried, staring at the little kneazle that plopped down on her chest, swatted at her face with a furry paw. She was sitting up in a flash, and grabbed the little kneazle, "Oh my god, it is you! I thought…I thought Lily was joking! Cats can help…more than you know. I thought she was INSANE! Now, I get it!"

"Tonks, I think you're insane!" Blurted Hermione, shocked, "What in the world is it?"

"It's Ginny's new kneazle. Galahad." Remus told her, scratching his head. Walter had stood again and was rubbing his face, embarrassedly. That had gave him the shock of his life and he would never know why he hadn't peed himself in fright.

"What? What's he doing here?" asked Hermione.

Saving your furless butts, what do you think? Galahad meowed, swatting Tonks, Now get up, you two-legger chameleon! He urged her up, she didn't get that his hitting was a way of trying to tell her to get moving, thought he was playing.

"You're so cute, aren't you?" She told him in a baby-tone. He hissed. Her frown disappeared, "Ooh, feisty kitty." She picked him, set him, down, stood up.

"That cat gave me the biggest scare of my life!" Mrs. Granger laughed hysterically, "I think my hair turned white!"

"No, it didn't mum, I'm sure." Hermione told her, patting her on the back. Her mother wasn't a very strong woman, she would know. She got sick very easily, and depression came without even the slightest prick, but she had lasted till now and she was going to keep it that way.

"What is he doing?" Walter asked.

Remus stared at the little kitten. His senses had been elsewhere, or he would have warned all of them that the furball was coming. Staring at him, tugging at Tonks's shoe with his teeth, as if trying to tug her away, he rubbed a hand through his hair. A habit he had developed from James, he thought to himself. Who knew? Maybe he would see his friends sooner than he had thought.

"I think…I think he wants me to follow him." Tonks said, staring at the little fellow. He made a movement where his body sagged, then rushed over to each of them, tugging at their shoe or pant leg. "Correction, he wants us to follow him."

"Meeeeeoowwww!" The kneazling hissed, his tail flowing through the air, the end flicking. He pranced back and forth, waiting for them. Then shot off.

"Crap, follow him! He might lead us to safety!" Tonks cried, setting off after the little kneazle.

"How—"

"Magically intelligent, knows when unsavory characters are around, I'll tell you later, now come on!" Hermione grabbed hold of her parents' hands and dragged them until they all started running with her, racing after the kneazle, setting off on a chase after a feline.

"Damn it!" hissed the man, slicking back his dark hair, furrowing two dark brows, and cursing once more. One more step in the second direction and the metamorph would have stepped into his trap and would have been struck with his spell. One strike on the 'gone wrong' side of the plan, he told himself, furious. He hadn't had a strike on that side in ten months.

He pushed away, slipped through the shortcut he'd made, found himself in a clearing. He crossed it quickly, peered through. They should be passing any moment. He waited a single moment, two, three…cursed again. The damn cat was leading them the wrong way. He'd been leading them through these damned woods, towards his maze of traps and already they had been set off path.

He took a deep breath, controlled his anger, and closed his eyes, counted to ten, breathing in, breathing out. He was the best at his job; he was Voldemort's top assassin. He had never let a victim go, and he wasn't about to let it now. Opening his eyes, he turned and sat down to meditate for a while, to calm his nerves, to set out his plan. They wouldn't get too far, he knew from experience. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes once more. He sat for a long, calming fifteen minutes and was about to stand when he felt the hairs on his neck stand up and ducked.

"Hello, have a nice nap, Asshole!" He saw a pale, heart-shaped face yank back her arm to punch him. He grabbed her hand before she could, yanked it, pulling her to him, restraining her by taking her arms and yanking them back, cuffing them both with a single hand. She evaded, making her wrists thinner, slipped out of his grasp, rolled backwards, and kicking out a leg. He tumbled down, countered with a kick of his own, she rolled again, he grabbed her ankle, tightened his grip, yanked her.

"Let go of her, right now." The voice was cold, angry. He felt a hand wrap about his neck, tighten. He let go of the girl, knowing that the werewolf could snap his neck in half. The metamorph sat up, glared at him, pulling her feet out of reach. He was devilishly handsome, with chiseled features ruined by a thin face and ghostly skin. His eyes were dark and gleamed like those of a mad man, which he probably was, and screamed of insanity.

In the blink of an eye, however, he was out of Remus's grasp.

"DAMN IT!" Tonks cried, reaching out a second before the man changed into a sleek ebony snake, hissed and slithered away, diving beneath a bush. Tonks reached out to grab him, cursed when his tail slipped out of her grasp.

"MEOWW!" Galahad flicked his tail, started off towards the snake, but Remus stopped him, "Ah, ah, kitty, I don't think so. It's not worth it."

"It is too!" Hermione bellowed from the side, "He killed Auror Shacklebolt!"

"Yes, I know." Remus began, shaking his head wearily. "But I'd rather get out of here alive than die trying to catch him."

"Who is he?"

A grave look took over Remus's face and he had gone very, very quiet, before telling them quietly, "Osiris…Osiris Rosier…Technically, it's Osiris Riddle."

A pause, then two unison gasps.

"VOLDEMORT HAS A SON?" Tonks and Hermione cried at the same moment.

(A/N: I would cut it off here…but that would be mean, huh?)

"Yes." Remus said, looking tired.

"No!" Hermione gasped, her tone that of disbelief.

"Yes."

"Im-fucking-possible." Tonks spat. The two Muggles looked at them all with confused expressions, and then bowed their heads, finally deciding that they would rather not know yet until they could get all the details.

"You're joking!" Hermione said, looking disgusting, tugging at her hair, "I refuse to believe it. I will not believe it. It isn't possible, it isn't true, and it isn't humane." She shuddered, the thought "grossing her out".

"I'm not joking, you two." Remus said, a stony face meeting their disbelieving ones.

"Seriously, Rem?"

"I'm serious." Remus told them, sighing, rubbing his face, "No one really knows but a few. Mad-eye Moody, Kingsley, the Minister of Magic, Dumbledore…well, he did."

"He would have told Harry!"

"He didn't think it would be wise to tell Harry. Harry didn't need to know." Remus said, sighing heavily, his shoulders slumping.

"Harry did not need to know…" Hermione spread the words out, nodding her head with each syllable, pronouncing every sound precisely correct. "Harry didn't need to know. Harry needs to know everything he can, Remus! Everything!"

Remus just sighed once more.

"Oh, ewww!" Tonks had a chill run through her body, gagged. "Disgusting…ughhhh!"

"When…when was he…" Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, gagging as well.

"He's my age, a few years younger." Remus told them.

"He looked…younger than that."

"No, Hermione, I look older." Remus said with a small smile.

"Still, it doesn't…it doesn't make sense. Who would…?" Hermione's body shook with several continuous shudders, imagining the thing that Harry had described doing…it. Oh, she thought, oh, I'm going to barf…

"Elena Rosier. She's still alive…I think." Remus told them, thinking back to his time at Hogwarts. Osiris Rosier had been a sick bastard, he remembered that. The sadistic things he would do…it was unheard of. And his mother, mad as a hatter, worse than Bellatrix Strange herself. He'd seen her at Platform Nine and Three Quarters only a handful of times, and she'd been a beautiful woman. In a dark, evil kind of way. And the mad look in her eyes, the way she watched everything with those blue, nervous little eyes. He remembered the war had just begun to heat up and Osiris would have been in his fifth year while he had just left Hogwarts. On a visit to the castle with Sirius and James, they'd found Dumbledore in his office with the fifth year, laughing manically, dark eyes gleaming, his skin glowing, being so pale. He had cried out how he was the heir to Voldemort, he was the spawn of the Dark Lord, and how he would kill them all just like his father planned.

The look in his eyes, Merlin…it had given him the chills for weeks.

When the boy had been sent home later that night, the three marauders had turned to Dumbledore and laughed hard and long, thinking that he was lying, just to get attention, to 'frighten' them. Dumbledore had sat there, back straight, chin lifted, head cocked, staring at them calmly. And then he'd said six little words that had ceased their laughing in a second.

"Osiris is the son of Voldemort." Dumbledore told them. They all trusted the Headmaster, and everything he said they had known to be truth.

After a long, startled moment, Sirius had blurted, "How long have you known!"

"Since the second he stepped into this castle, in your third year. He is identical to his father, well, before he underwent his…changes. I ran a test, while he was in the hospital wing in his fourth year, a paternity test, with a hair from Voldemort that I kept from when he was at School here. It was positive. Osiris Rosier is the son of Lord Voldemort."

"Dear God…" Was the words he had used then, and it was the words he used now.

"Dumbledore swore he had disappeared when his father died, he swore that he had gone too far away for the news of His return to reach him. I, like a fool, believed him." Remus rubbed his mouth, "We're in this far deeper than I thought."

"How so?" Tonks asked. It was a stupid question. They were being hunted by a man who had been sired by the most evil wizard in written magical history.

"He's an assassin. His father's best, in fact." Remus told them, "Started killing off people before he had even finished Hogwarts. Anyone who angered him, two weeks later, they'd disappear off the face of the earth, no trace of having ever existed except for the memories from other people and things left behind."

Hermione shivered, paled considerably.

"If we die…just know that I love you all." Tonks sniffed, rubbing at her eyes which had gone watery.

"Don't…Don't say that!" Mrs. Granger cried, stepping forth, taking a deep breath, "All of you! Up! Get off the ground! We have to get out of here! I don't care how, but we're getting out, do you hear? We're going to get out. And you all have to lead us! You and the cat."

Galahad had curled up in Tonks lap and purred tiredly, gathering his breath from their run.

"Mum…?"

"Didn't you hear me, young lady? GET UP!" She cried. Hermione jumped up hastily, nearly tripping. Tonks did the same, and did trip. She stood up after that, balancing herself. Remus did the same, without the tripping part.

"Okay, kitty, lead us far away from that man as you can, okay?" The kneazle stopped suddenly, spun around, hissed.

"MEOO—"

"You didn't think I left, now did you, loves?" A cold voice cried form the edge of the clearing, "Avada Ke—"

"Reducto!" Out of no where a spell appeared into the sky and blasted into Osiris.

"Take that, dickface!"

"GINEVRA MOLLY WEASLEY!"

"Molly? Ginny?" Remus cried in surprise, looking around, shocked and startled. Osiris groaned, rolled over.

"No time, put these on." It was Harry's voice. Clothes were thrown to the ground. They hesitated, moved to grab them.

"Ron? Ron are you there?" Hermione squeaked, crying for me, tears flowing down her cheeks as she did. There was a shift of air and then Hermione was enveloped in a tight hug with an invisible person, "I though I'd lost you forever, Mione!"

"Oh, Ron!" She had heard the turmoil, pain and fear that had been gathering up throughout the day since he had heard that they had disappeared, and wept into his invisible shoulder. The Granger looked around, warily, avoiding the sight.

"Come on, everyone, hurry." Mr. Weasley's voice urged them.

"He's getting away!" Cried Justin Finch-Fletchley.

"Ralashio!" "Petrificus Totalus!" "Levicorpus!" "Impedimenta!" "Stupefy!"

Osiris, eyes wide with shock, was yanked up by his ankle into the air, doused in hot jets, couldn't move a single muscle, was frozen and knocked out. There was a very long moment of shock as they stared at the figure in the air, then Harry said, "Who's he?"

"Death eater." Remus said.

"Voldemort's son." Hermione blurted. There was a shocked silence…then several voices rang out in unison.

"VOLDEMORT HAS A SON?"


"I'm sorry, Mrs. Raleigh…"

"NO!" Cried Audrey Raleigh, pleadingly, gripping the hand of the healer who stood in front of her, "No, please…"

"Let me finish. She's not dead. She's in a comatose state. There's no telling what's happened to her, or how she was put into this coma, but it seems to be of magical means. There's no telling when she'll wake up, or even if she'll wake up." The healer let her grip her hand, pulled tissues from her pocket solemnly. She was a pale, pretty woman with a flurry of light brown hair and dark green eyes, wearing the lime green uniform that all the healers working in St. Mungo's wore. The woman in front of her was blonde, blue-eyed, looking broken and tragically grief-stricken.

"My baby, my Claire…please, my Claire…" She cried. The husband appeared then, rushing into the room, looking around, spotting his wife. He ran to her, picked her up into his arms and cradled her against him, looking to the healer. He was a handsome man with dark blonde hair and silvery-blue eyes, a square, dimpled chin and sturdy jaw. He hugged his wife tightly.

"Oh, Ben, Oh, Ben! She's in a coma…Our baby's in a coma!"

"A coma?" Ben looked up, pierced the Healer, Vyvian Ruiseart. She nodded, sadly. He gave a soft mournful sound, turned to his wife, and buried his face in her hair. It was too much to bear, this. It was more than he could handle. His little Claire-bear, almost as lifeless as she would be if she were dead. Later, when he was in her room, huddled at her bedside, holding her limp hand in his large, burly one, he stared at her pale face. She had always been such a beautiful girl, so pretty and happy. So very happy. Nothing could slow her down, nothing could keep her back. He had always questioned her being placed in Hufflepuff instead of Gryffindor, not that he wasn't proud of it, he himself was a Hufflepuff. Then he always reminded himself how not once had she ever turned her back on anyone, stranger or friend. Not once. It was almost as if she could feel their pain, sometimes, with the way she knew how to make them smile even if it was their darkest day. It amazed him how he could be so angry and then she would say one word and he would be perfectly normal a moment later.

"Oh, Claire, honey, come back to us. Please…you have to come back, sweetheart." He clung to her hand, feeling tears track down his cheeks. He hadn't cried in years and now they came so easily. Her mother was curled up against him, not saying a single word, staring at the wall ahead of her. The kids were being taken care of by their aunt, he thought. They probably were all so scared…

"Please, baby, come back." He reached out, stroked his daughter's fine blonde hair, "We all need you so much, Claire-bear. So much…just hang on, okay? Please, please just hang on for daddy and mummy, okay?"

She didn't reply. She didn't move or open her eyes like she would have in a book. She didn't even stir. She just continued to lay there, hair strewn about the pillow, lips slightly parted, eyes closed, her chest rising and falling, and appearing as if she were in a deep sleep. It broke his heart. It broke his heart to see her there, pale and sleeping and seemingly perfect. It felt so unfair. So tragic. Outside he knew the sun was shining, and people were laughing and having a good time. There was no thunder storm, no angry lightning strikes or rumbling thunder. His daughter was lying in a bed, in a coma, and the world didn't care.

He suddenly felt very small and helpless, and he bent down, letting tears fall down his face, hugging his wife tightly, silently begging a God he had never before believed in to bring his daughter back to him.


Oh, Daddy, please don't cry! Claire wished so hard that she could say it, that he could see her. She wanted to rush to him, throw her arms around him and weep, hug him like she hadn't hugged him since she was little, cry as if she had never cried before. She wanted to kiss his face, and burrow into his chest and feel safe and protected because she was in her daddy's arms. She looked at her mother, fragile and tired looking. She wanted to slip into her arms and hug her, hold her, tell her she was okay, tell her she was fine.

She wanted to be okay, she wanted to be fine, but how could she, when she wasn't even in her own body?


I'm sorry about the irregular schedule so far in posting, but I usually just post a chapter as soon as I'm done writing it, and I make sure to dedicate as much of my free time as I have to write it, so you don't have to worry too much about long waits. I know I will at least post chapters within a week and a half of each other (two weeks if I have really bad writer's block, pray that I don't), and if not then you have permission to berate me and send me flames as much as you want! XP. The gaps might become longer when school starts, which is why I'm trying to cram as many chapters as I can in the eight days before it does. I'm hoping for one more before school starts (if I'm lucky as I was as I was writing this chapter, then it will be posted on Friday) Meh, School four days after that…greeeeaaat…

Yes, I know, Son of Voldemort! AHH…never gonna happen in the books (it's happened about a billion times in fanfiction) but I can have an imagination can't I?

I feel rather good (is good or well?) about this chapter. Don't know why. It's the longest chapter I've posted, and I like it well enough. I don't know…I just…feel good/well about it. Or maybe it's just listening to happy music that's gotten me in the mood.

Will Claire live…Will Claire die…tune in next week (or whenever I post) to find out! …and now I feel bad for making a joke out of a girl in a coma… (Sigh) I'm hopeless. But it did sort of remind me of a soap opera I once saw…or maybe a bunch of soap operas I've seen XP

Yes, yes, I know, cliffy-cliffy with the "VOLDEMORT HAS A SON!"…which really should be "You-know-who has a son" but that would kind of really ruin it…anyways, with the VOLDEMORT HAS A SON bit, sort of a cliffy…you can kill me when I'm done with the story, mmkay?

(Anyways, thanks for reading and review! PLEEEEEEEEEEASE!)