Carina woke in her less frightening, human form two days after her first trial. She was dressed, she could tell that much; probably thanks to her ever mindful sister. She was in her own room, Dante at her feet, and an orange glow to her left. Someone was sitting on her bed. The sleep faded from her mind as she focused on the hard lines of Draco's jaw and nose. He turned to her as she stirred.

"Dad let you in my room?" She asked as she stifled a yawn.

"The strangest thing happened. My great-grandfather had words with your sister and dad, then your dad got very loud. That's not actually the weird part. The weird part was that Pansy looked right at your old man and said, and I quote; 'Severus, it's my call as your Alpha.' Then he got very quiet. He then turned to me and said, 'Draco, if you know what's good for you, you will not leave her side until she wakes.' I apparently know what's good for me. So..." He looked straight at Carina. "How's the family business?" He asked sarcastically.

Carina groaned and held her head in her hands. "Draco, I'm so sorry."

"Don't be stupid, Carina, to be sorry for safe guarding a secret like this...I'd be disappointed in you as a person if you'd said anything. Especially to the likes of me." Draco nudged her. "Pansy told me everything. Well, and her uncle...your uncle.. he came to visit. He explained the order of things..he said that pack order was shifting. The war is bigger this time around, and the pack must grow with its responsibilities. She, your sister that is, believes me to be good for you. Her words. With your permission of course, she'd like to assign you a general of your own. She said the two of you haven't discussed pack business since the two of you took over for your parents, and the time is coming when the roles need to be clear." Draco cleared his throat. "I've..applied for that position. As your general, I mean. It's your decision." With that, he left the room to inform her father and sister that she was awake.

After using the bathroom and pulling on the fresh clothes hanging behind her bathroom door, Carina made her way with grace toward the small kitchenette.

"Carina, how are you feeling?" Severus wrapped her in a hug.

"Perfectly fine, dad." She said as she looked around for her sister and Draco. They weren't around.

"We have to go, if you're well enough, my girl, we've been summoned to the pack."

Carina nodded and she and her father flooed to the Parkinson manor.

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Upon arriving in the ritual cavern beneath the large manor, Carina recognized the soft warmth of her sister and the blazing heat of her protector. There was another presence; a distinct lack of heat standing between Pansy and Lucifer. She recognized the calmness in the air as the spirit of the earth.

Welcome A voice chimed like crystal in the air. Pansy held a hand out to her, and she took it. Severus left and the four were alone standing over the great oak carving.

"We are holding a meeting to discuss a proposal from Lucifer." Pansy filled Carina in.

"Yes," He said. "I believe that it would be in the best interest of the future and good of all if we were to join forces." Lucifer offered.

You understand, Angel, that you can not hide things from me. I see all as it happens and I can not be betrayed. If this is your intention, you should leave now.

Lucifer rolled his eyes. "There are few forces in existence that I can never betray and two of them are in this cavern. I wish no ill intent on the earth, its occupants or its protectors. This..." He seethed. "This black hole of a man is going to destroy this earth. As it happens, my goal for this world is not destruction. I quite like it here. I have no intention of watching it burn!"

"Couldn't you just have Dad go and sever his head for you?" Carina asked.

Lucifer sighed. "Believe me, it's tempting. The result, I fear, would be worse than I can allow."

"Meaning?" Pansy asked.

"If we go straight for this lunatic his followers would rise up and burn the earth down. Voldemort on his own is not strong. He frightens others into doing his bidding but he doesn't do anything for himself. Not to mention the split soul. A man with part of a soul is weak. But there is something he must never know. There is a way to fuse the damn thing back together. To make it whole again. If that should happen.." Lucifer shook his head.

"He split his soul because he knew it would keep him from death's reach." Carina said.

"Precisely, so we can assume he doesn't even want to put it back together. But there is a book. An ancient one, left by my brother." Lucifer sighed. "It contains anything and everything one might wish to know about death. How to avoid it, how to reverse it, how to overcome it. How to split a soul, and how to put it back together. It was left somewhere I can never go, and even if I could, I could not cast my gaze on it."

"If a book left by an angel were left here, I think we'd know about it. It's pretty safe to assume that no one else knows about it either." Pansy reasoned.

"No." Carina shook her head. "That's not true."

"You understand, Carina." Lucifer encouraged her.

"No one knows how the information on how to split a soul came about. All we know is that Voldemort got his hands on it. If that book contained that information it's safest to assume that he either has access to that information or he has access to someone else who has it." Lucifer nodded.

"Surely that one book can't be the sole source of that information?"

"Think about it Pans. Angels are celestial beings. Why waste their time making physical copies of information that can be found elsewhere? Am I right, Lucifer?"

"You really are a bright one, young Mistress." He replied.

Pansy sighed. "What do you suggest?"

"Nothing." Lucifer answered. "This is your pack and I have no desire to run it for you. You do it your way, but I am available to you for information...and should you need it; armies."

"What do you say?" Carina asked the earth spirit.

Normally you'd cut off the head to kill the body, like a snake. But this is a hydra that you face. You must distract the heads and take the heart.

"What is the heart?" Pansy asked.

"Information and power." Her sister answered.

Pansy nodded. "So far what we know about the war at hand is that he is gathering forces. We know the Order of the Phoenix is also gathering forces. While the two distract each other, we need to lock down our own forces. Redistribute power and responsibility, balance ourselves out. We're a whole new pack now and we need to learn to work and fight as a single being."

A very wise decision.

"I can offer my armies to help you train."

Pansy nodded her acceptance.

"I also would like you to consider adding my great-grandson to your ranks. He already knows about the pack now, and having him take a wolf would ensure that he keeps your secret and follows orders. I also know that he cares for Carina very much and I also know that he will push her to do what is necessary for her and all of your survival. But that decision lies with you, Carina."

Carina thought about what Draco said in the woods. She didn't want any of their deaths to be on her hands because she couldn't make the leap into morally gray. She nodded.

"I accept."