This section written by LadyV
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Harry and Hermione glanced at each other, and Lavinia sighed disappointedly.
"Never mind," she said softly.
Her silver eyes flicked to the other occupants of the room. Michaela was sleeping again and Devian was absently watching the patterns the rising sun was making on his bedspread. Sirius still hadn't woken.
"Are we… safe here?"
"Do you know them?" Hermione asked excitedly.
Both Michaela and Devian had given no indication that they had met the other people who had evidently come back through the Veil at the same time. Harry could easily tell that Hermione was hopeful that Lavinia held the key to finding out what had happened.
But Lavinia was frowning. "I'm not sure. I… I don't think so. I just…" she shrugged, "I feel worried about them."
Hermione sunk slightly into herself, disappointed in Lavinia's answer.
"To answer your question," Harry said when he noticed Lavinia was still waiting nervously, "you're safer here than just about anywhere else in the wizarding world."
Lavinia nodded and relaxed slightly, "Thank you."
Hermione began pacing, Harry thought it was probably to try to figure out how to get the returnees to remember what had happened. If there was a magical way, Harry was sure Hermione would be the one to figure it out. She had always been the best of them at that. Lavinia watched Hermione pace for a few minutes before turning her attention on Harry.
"Not that I don't appreciate your help, but why is it that you and she are here?"
"We're at Hogwarts. Our Headmaster, Dumbledore, allowed us to stay for personal reasons." Harry pointed across the room. "That's my godfather, Sirius Black."
"Black?" she echoed. Harry remembered that Narcissa Malfoy had been born a member of the Black family, but he learned quickly that Lavinia was taking a different tack. "And you said before that your last name is Potter?" She was silent for a moment, staring intently at him before breathing softly, "You're Lily's boy."
"Yes, Lily Evans Potter," he said excitedly. "Did you know my parents?"
Lavinia nodded, tucking her long black hair behind her ears. "They helped me at a time when I really needed it. And they tried to help my mother a year before she died."
"My parents died, too," Harry said softly. "Voldemort killed them for trying to protect me."
Lavinia flinched visibly and whispered, "I'm so sorry. How did you survive?"
Harry never thought he would willingly be telling his tale as 'The Boy Who Lived' but Lavinia was obviously genuinely scared of Voldemort. Even if she had been the one in his dream who was holding the knife, that didn't mean she was a follower of the Dark Lord. And besides, wouldn't it be better for her to hear the story from him? Other students would embellish it or get things confused, and her cousin Draco would be sure to get everything wrong on purpose to make Harry look bad. But when he began his tale, Lavinia interrupted him politely to coax Devian to join them.
"Might as well tell us both at once," Lavinia said with a smile to Harry as Devian resettled himself in the empty bed next to hers.
Devian looked so happy to be included that Harry had to agree. Harry could imagine how lonely it must be to wake up to find yourself a hundred years from your own time. He thought it must be very like the feeling he had whenever he had to go back to the Dursley's for the summer. Though in a way Harry had it better. After all, Devian had no way to get back through time to his family and home, but Harry knew every fall he would be headed back to Hogwarts, and when he turned seventeen he could use the money his parents had left him to live on his own. Glancing across the room, Harry corrected himself. He'd much rather live with his godfather. Somewhere close to Hermione if possible.
Harry told his own story quickly, and Hermione helped when he began the tales of his adventures with his friends at Hogwarts. Harry considered glossing over the fact that Remus was a werewolf when they came to the adventures of their third year. Harry was sure that Remus would come visit as soon as he was told that Sirius was alive. But it was already common knowledge at Hogwarts that the former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor was not someone to have around on the night of the full moon, so why not let Devian and Lavinia hear it from two people who knew Remus better than most?
The story was interrupted only a few times for questions from either Devian or Lavinia, and Madame Pomfrey let Harry and Hermione finish before shooing them away from her most newly woken patient, not giving Harry the chance to ask Lavinia to reciprocate and tell what she knew of his parents' past. Like the other two who had awoken, there didn't seem to be anything physically wrong with Lavinia, only extreme exhaustion. Madame Pomfrey ordered both Devian and Lavinia to get more sleep and did a quick check of the still-sleeping Sirius before going back to her office.
It wasn't until after lunch, when Michaela, Devian and Lavinia were once again awake, that Sirius stirred. Harry's hand tightened on Hermione's in anticipation, and she squeezed back excitedly.
Sirius sat straight up in his bed, snarling, "Bellatrix!"
Harry watched as his godfather blinked and pushed his long black hair out of his face. Sirius frowned at the hospital bed he was on and looked around the room. His gaze passed over Michaela and Devian before settling for a long moment on Lavinia. His frown only melted away when he finally turned and saw Harry.
"Harry, my boy, you're alright!"
His godfather saying his name spurred Harry into action, the teenager throwing himself into Sirius' surprised but welcoming arms. Hermione turned her face away to allow them some privacy, but Harry soon pulled her into the embrace, too. Sirius quietly greeted her and asked softly how they had all gotten to Hogwarts and why he wasn't in Azkaban. Harry's voice broke several times when he tried to explain, so Hermione took over for him, explaining the Veil, the capture of Pettigrew and subsequent clearing of Sirius' name, and then the mysterious appearance of the Returnees and the destroyed Veil in the Room of Requirement.
Madame Pomfrey came over then to check on Sirius, requiring Harry and Hermione to move away from him. They sat back down on the bed next to Sirius'. Although Harry was still quivering with excitement over the fact that Sirius was back, he also knew that one part of his dream coming to pass increased the likelihood that the rest of his dream would also prove to be true.
Harry glanced once more at each of the Returnees, noticing that Lavinia was rubbing her temple. Devian had also noticed and seemed to be asking Lavinia what was wrong. Harry watched as the silver-eyed young woman smiled reassuringly at the boy. Other than her last name, Lavinia had shown no signs that would lead him to believe that she was evil. But looks could be deceiving, as Harry well knew. And just because the person in his dream was dangerous to Sirius, didn't necessarily make them evil on a par with Voldemort.
Dumbledore came into the ward while Madame Pomfrey was still examining Sirius. A twinkle came to the old wizard's eyes when he saw that Sirius was awake. After a nod in Harry and Hermione's direction, Dumbledore went to Michaela's bedside and asked the woman to come with him. Half an hour later he took Sirius out of the room, Michaela slipping back into her bed. After another reassuring smile from Lavinia, Devian was next.
When it was Lavinia's turn, Dumbledore helped her from the bed with a smile that made Harry think maybe Dumbledore had met Lavinia before. Had she been helped by the Aurors that were part of the original Order of the Phoenix and not just his parents? Either way it didn't truly add to her innocence factor. After all, Dumbledore had known Voldemort back when he had been Tom Riddle, and Pettigrew had been one of his parents' friends.
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"A Malfoy!" Ron screeched. "She's a bloody Malfoy! Of course she was the one with the knife! Probably got sent through the Veil for aiding You Know Who."
After Sirius had assured his godson that he was fine and Madame Pomfrey shooed everyone but the Returnees out of the hospital ward so her patients could get more rest, Hermione and Harry had made their way to the Gryffindor common room. Ron had been waiting for them, pacing anxiously. Hermione and Harry had just caught Ron up on everything after getting the day's notes and homework from their shared classes.
Harry had a feeling he knew why Dumbledore had sent Ron back to bed the night before. If he had been there with them, Ron would have reacted the same way when Lavinia had first introduced herself, and no matter whether or not she was the one with the knife in Harry's recurring dream, no one deserved to have to deal with automatic hatred when waking up in a new place to find sixteen years had passed without them. It also added weight to his theory that Dumbledore had previously known Lavinia.
"We think you might be right about the knife aspect," Hermione said. "But, Ron, to be fair, she did seem very afraid of Voldemort."
"Well, Pettigrew was terrified of everybody, and look at him!"
Hermione turned to Harry with a worried frown, "He could be right, Harry."
"Maybe," Harry responded, reaching over to give Hermione's hand a reassuring squeeze. To Ron he said, "We already decided we'd keep an eye on all three of them as long as they're here. We'll just have to wait and see."
Harry let go of Hermione when he saw Ron frowning thoughtfully at their still-joined hands. Harry wasn't sure where the compulsion to be in contact with her as often as possible had come from, but he found himself resenting the fact that he had to stop because of Ron watching.
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"It's not safe out there," Lavinia said as she gazed out the window.
She and Dumbledore were in one of the empty castle towers. Lavinia hadn't felt comfortable talking to Dumbledore in front of all the portraits in his office, knowing full well that some of them visited other places outside Hogwarts and shared their gossip.
"I am sorry about your mother, Lavinia," Dumbledore said. "I know it seems like only yesterday that she was killed."
Tears welled in Lavinia's eyes, but she refused to let them fall. He was right, of course. Asta had been gone for sixteen years, but to Lavinia it had been just yesterday when she had been forced to watch her mother struggle to breathe and be unable to do so. Despite the power she possessed that was partially to blame for the fact that her mother's killer had been after them in the first place, Lavinia had been helpless to do anything to save the only person to ever love her. She was determined that her power would never be the excuse to let anything bad happen to another person.
"You know what'll happen if I leave here," she said quietly.
She turned around to face the Headmaster and watched as a small smile lit his eyes. She had missed that mischievous twinkle.
"How do you feel about being a student?" he asked.
She smiled back, but frowned thoughtfully after a second, "There are some things about me that you don't know that will make it necessary for me to have certain privileges other students don't have."
"I'm sure we can work something out," Dumbledore responded.
With a small sigh, Lavinia began telling secrets to the Headmaster, some of which only one other living soul knew.
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Although the Ministry of Magic had been able to easily find that Michaela Archer still had a living cousin, the cousin had been away on vacation. So the Ministry had decided to put Michaela up in Hogsmeade until her situation could be further resolved. She would check in with Madame Pomfrey periodically while she was staying so close by.
Devian Lorren had a few living relatives, but having been gone a century, he'd never actually met any of them before since most had been born while he was… gone. One couple had agreed to become his guardians, but since he had been just about to start his Fifth Year at Hogwarts when he had fallen through the Veil, it was decided that he would begin his Fifth Year now and simply remain at Hogwarts. He would be able to travel to meet his new guardians during the winter holidays. The fifteen year old seemed relieved with the arrangements. Especially when he discovered that Lavinia would be staying as well.
Lavinia Malfoy had a special set of circumstances surrounding her stay at Hogwarts. Dumbledore had explained to the Golden Trio, as well as the other Returnees, that Lavinia had had an interrupted education, and though she was nineteen, passing her O.W.L.s was as far as she had gotten in the process. So even though she was three years older that the Golden Trio, she would be in Sixth Year with them. Because she was an adult, she would be given a room by herself in one of the towers, no matter which House she was sorted into. But she would still have to follow all the rules of a student.
The fact that Devian and Lavinia would be starting classes the next day was why the Golden Trio and Dumbledore were once more in the hospital wing with the Returnees the morning after they had all woken up. Until lunchtime, the rest of the school was scheduled to have an assembly at which the return of Voldemort would be discussed and the official reinstatement of the DA as an extracurricular club would be announced.
Hermione, as a Prefect and responsible young woman, was asked to go with Devian and Lavinia to Hogsmeade, from which they would travel by Floo Powder to Diagon Alley to get the necessary supplies. Ron and Harry were given the opportunity to go as well since they already had first hand knowledge of what was going to be discussed at the assembly (being some of Dumbledore's favorite students and Ron also being a Prefect helped a bit as well). They both eagerly agreed.
The walk down to Hogsmeade was uneventful, and the students parted ways with Michaela Archer before making use of one of Madame Rosemerta's fireplaces and a pinch each of Floo Powder. Having heard of Harry's misadventure with Floo Powder from a few years before, each of them was very careful in their pronunciation of "Diagon Alley".
The first stop in the wizard shopping district was Gringotts Wizarding Bank. Devian's relatives had arranged to leave him enough money at the counter in Gringotts to pay for his school things and some new clothes since all he had was what he had come back through the Veil in. Lavinia would be traveling down to a vault that had been hers and her mother's. Hermione, only ever having been in the main room of the bank to exchange muggle money for wizard money with her parents, asked if Lavinia would mind if they came along. Lavinia had agreed.
When Lavinia filled out a form at the counter, Harry decided to go into his vault as well. He had been in one of his funks when he had gotten money to buy the year's supplies, so he didn't have any extra for trips to Hogsmeade or the eventual buying of Christmas presents. And he wanted to get Sirius a "welcome back" present today.
They reached Lavinia's vault first, and Harry glanced at Hermione to see her eyes sparkling. He smiled happily when she grinned at him. Ron was busy watching Lavinia, something he had been doing constantly without a single hint of subtlety since they had left Hogwarts. Harry, too, turned his attention to the raven-haired young woman. He wondered briefly if there was any special way to open her vault, as he knew there were for some. His unasked question was answered when Lavinia was handed a small knife by the goblin in the cart with them.
Lavinia made a small cut on her palm and allowed the blood to pool slightly before placing her open palm on the door to the vault. She muttered something that Harry couldn't hear and the door opened. Lavinia was back out a couple minutes later with a bulging coin bag and a small knapsack.
Their next stop after the bank was Flourish & Blotts where Hermione helped Devian and Lavinia find all the books they'd need for their classes. When Devian mentioned that the texts had probably changed from when he had been in school, Hermione talked him into getting a few extra books for 'background material'. Hermione also offered to tutor either of the two new students if they found they were having trouble. Harry smiled when he thought that the fact that her tutoring them would help in keeping an eye on the Returnees probably hadn't even occurred to Hermione.
While Hermione went next door to Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions with Devian and Lavinia to get school and dress robes and regular clothes for both, Harry and Ron wandered over to Quality Quidditch Supplies. Ron went into paroxysms over the newest Broom Care Kit, which Harry made a mental note to order for Christmas for his friend. The two boys browsed until Harry looked out the window to see Hermione waving to them from the street. Together the small group walked to Ollivander's, Devian and Lavinia's purchases charmed by Hermione to levitate behind the Returnees as they walked.
"What's this? Did you young people break your wands already?" Mr. Ollivander asked as they entered his shop.
Lavinia didn't answer, but Devian said cheekily, "The last time I saw mine was a hundred years ago right before I left my dad's office in the Ministry."
Mr. Ollivander blinked in surprise but came forward to measure Devian's wand arm. The old shop keeper darted around the shop, dismissing some wands and having Devian try others. It was the seventh wand when Devian finally found one that worked well for him. It was mahogany, eleven inches and had a Veela hair as its core. Mr. Ollivander turned his attention on Lavinia, but she spoke before he could pull out his measuring tape.
"I need an ebony wand, Dragon heartstring core, probably ten and a quarter inches," Lavinia said with authority.
"Just like a Malfoy," Ron muttered under his breath.
Harry couldn't tell if Lavinia had heard him. If she had, she didn't react in any way.
Mr. Ollivander raised his bushy eyebrows but bustled among his boxes, placing three on the counter. The first one did not react when Lavinia swished it, but the second wand was a match. With a smile, Lavinia slipped the wand into a slim pocket especially made for that purpose.
Devian and Lavinia paid for their wands and the group went over what else the two would probably need for the school year. When they had gotten the rest of their school supplies as well as some odds and ends they both needed for day to day life, the group turned their attention to finding pets for Devian and Lavinia that would be allowed at Hogwarts.
Devian got a Barn Owl from Eeylops Owl Emporium that he immediately named Mercury after the one he'd had a hundred years before, and Lavinia looked through the varied selection at the Magical Menagerie. She played with the rats for a few minutes and longingly eyed a golden hawk sitting on a perch in one corner, but settled on a tiny, fluffy kitten that was gray and black striped. As soon as she had paid for the small feline, she slipped it into the pocket of the black robe she had worn out of Madame Malkin's. Trunks that had been purchased from the junk shop and had a repairing charm put on them by Hermione now held all of Lavinia and Devian's possessions.
There was a sudden, sharp crack followed a few seconds later by another as Lavinia Disapparated and then Apparated again. The younger wizards looked surprised even though they had all known she was nineteen and seventeen was the age one could receive permission to Apparate, and Lavinia smiled.
"Sorry, I had almost forgotten I could do that and I know we can't in Hogwarts. Just wanted to make sure I could still do it."
It was decided that Lavinia would Apparate herself and all of the things that had been purchased to Hogsmeade so she and Devian wouldn't have to try to hold onto their things while using Floo Powder. They returned to Hogwarts just as the lunch hour was ending.
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"Now, everyone, before you leave the lunch tables, I'm sure you all know by this time that we have two new students joining us. Devian Lorren will be in Fifth Year, and Lavinia Malfoy will be joining the Sixth Year class. There won't be a repeat of the Sorting Song, but they will now both be Sorted into their Houses."
Dumbledore beckoned Lavinia and Devian to him from the side entrance where they had been told to wait.
"Going in alphabetical order puts you first, Mr. Lorren," Dumbledore said softly when they reached him. "If you speak in hushed tones the students will not hear you."
"But I'm already a Hufflepuff," Devian said quietly. "Why do I need to be Sorted again?"
"Because, Mr. Lorren, it's tradition when starting at the school, and even though you were a student, it was a long time ago and things have changed. Perhaps the House you belong in has changed as well."
Devian looked at Lavinia, who smiled encouragingly at him. Dumbledore had noticed more than once that the younger teen already looked up to Lavinia on a level almost on a par with a mother figure. He hoped that the fact they would be Sorted into different Houses wouldn't change that, for both their sakes.
"Alright," the boy sighed.
Devian sat on the stool always used to Sort new students. As soon as the beat-up looking Sorting Hat was on his head, it announced, "Hufflepuff!"
The Hufflepuff table cheered their newest member, but Devian just rolled his eyes as he slipped from the stool.
"I told you," he said, and then seemed to realize whom he was talking to. "Sorry, sir!"
"That's alright, Mr. Lorren, just don't let it happen again. Your turn now, Miss Malfoy."
Lavinia's hands were clenched into fists.
"Do I really have to do this?" she whispered.
"As I told Mr. Lorren…"
Lavinia put up a hand to show her surrender and sat tensely on the stool. The hat was barely on her head when it shouted, "Slytherin!"
Dumbledore watched as Devian's eyes rounded. There was a smattering of applause from the Slytherin table. Dumbledore glanced to the Gryffindor table to see Ron Weasley whispering furiously to Harry Potter and Hermione Granger, who didn't look as surprised as young Devian. Dumbledore put aside his concern for the moment and gave Devian and Lavinia the spells they would need to make their House coat of arms appear on their school robes.
He turned back to the rest of the school, "Alright, no dawdling, on to your afternoon classes!"
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"Devian, you have to know I don't want to be in Slytherin," Lavinia said quietly when they moved away from the teacher's table.
The two of them wouldn't be joining classes until the next day, and they had a check-up with Madame Pomfrey in half an hour. They walked slowly in the direction of the hospital ward.
Instead of answering her, Devian asked, "What did the Hat say to you? As soon as it was on my head, it said 'Same person you were a hundred years ago, so it's back to Hufflepuff'."
"It told me 'With so much power and your bloodline, there's only one place for you, Slytherin'. Why do you think I was so reluctant? I'd rather be in any House other than Slytherin."
"I would have thought you'd be in Gryffindor," Devian admitted. "And what did it mean about your bloodline?"
Lavinia tensed and tried to shrug nonchalantly, "I don't think there's ever been a Malfoy who wasn't a Slytherin."
"But Harry said until Sirius the same could be said about the Black family," Devian pointed out.
"I guess the Sorting Hat didn't think I was special enough to be the first exception in my family." They had reached the hospital ward, but Lavinia paused with her hand on the door. "Are we still friends?"
There was only a slight pause before Devian answered in the affirmative, but Lavinia felt a part of her shut itself away when the pause was felt. Merlin help her if the real reason she was in Slytherin was ever revealed.
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Sirius was sitting up in his bed when Devian and Lavinia came in, but his visitor was the one who reacted to their presence first.
"Lavinia, Lavinia Malfoy?" he asked, a note of pleasant shock in his voice.
Lavinia felt a genuine smile curve her lips. "Hello again, Remus."