Hi there. I do so muchly apologise for yet another author's note rather than a chapter. Frankly the only reason I'm posting this? You guys-actually Guest 4 and the new comers and my old guys-you know who you are. :)

As such! I am including a series of snippets of the chapters that have had me stalled for so very long right below. (I have actually over 9,000 words worth of them.)

I can also edit this later based on reviews, and reworking the site's incredible need to block any and all links-but I do have about 2 separate playlists of music that I picked out for Ara and what I have planned so far.

Let me know if you'd like them!

Guest 4: Hi! I am actually not dead, or anything.
I've been reading your reviews too. I'm okayish-I am ill but that's genuinely just par for the course in my case (I've gotten sick with every germ ever. Makes it terrific when a student outright coughs or sneezes onto a paper then hands it to me.)
It's not COVID or anything, atleast as far as we know. Did I tell you we got a dog? It was last August, so I might not have with other stuff going on. She's a complete dickwad (and a rescue so it's hard to be genuniely mean to her.)
Fun Fact with the Bread Knife Thing, I used that because I once tried to shove something into the fridge whilst holding a knife in my hand and before I knew it-I was pushing my frickin' torso against a knife.
Another fun fact! With the Hits Ara Takes-about 96% of the descriptions of those come from stuff I've felt at one point or another! The remainder is filled out with anecdotes from medical journals (Once thought becoming a nurse was a cool idea.)
I don't recall calling you Voldemort in anything-but maybe I did? If so-I swear it was probably only in the most complimentary sense, like you've got the mojo happening or something. If it wasn't though, I am so incredibly sorry and I swear I didn't mean to call you that as I can't find it at the moment and I feel guilty that I might've?
As for an Account? Well, it'd make it way easier to bug you-but I get the whole panic of 0 stories and all favourites. I only did this whole thing because of the anonymous factor. Who am I? Well. I'm Dr. Mini Me. I write and I do other stuff.
Y'know Tina and the Erumpent, I have no idea. I have snippets at the moment. I jot them down when it smacks me, but life lately has been too much for me to focus solely on this whole thing-and seriously, I wish I could. This story is a huge treat to a relaxation centre for me. I don't have to think carefully-I just write it out. I miss that, and Ara, and I miss writing.

Ivana Bocanegra: Yes! I did. You're one of my old guys! People like me that legitimately write and spend-yes-literally hours pouring over stuff to publish it...well we quite like you guys. Encouragement usually gets the spark going! :)

As for, Susan Drakian, bored411, chlorose99, firemadein789, lovefiction2020, sltems, TECHNICALpanda, MaraVukovic, Reptoholic:
Thank you for your reviews and wishes and all! Some of you have been with me from the start, and some are new. Either way, please know I do see all of your reviews and I love each of them.

Keep in mind the upcoming writing parts are PIECES and so very much separated. They are separate chapters.

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Actually! They're SPOILERS.

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S.P.O. ilers!

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Here we go!

"You should buy that woman flowers," Jacob coughed, standing up fully from the icy terrain we were currently dealing with.

"Or like a ring-jeeze." He muttered, kicking a bit of rock.

I paused my consideration of Ara's possible head injury as his declarataion, perhaps that was something Muggles did during a mating period? I wasn't sure, but Ara..."no." I determined.

I noticed his pause from my response out of the corner of my eye while Ara sat up. I kept my arms around her frame, trying to keep her up and-hopefully-aware of smacking her head again.

"Is it bad luck, or sumthin'? For you guys?" He raised a brow at me when I turned my head towards him, Ara hissed as I seemed to have pressed too strongly on a wound on her head.

"Sorry, love." I murmered, inspecting the bump on her head as she blinked-obviously unaware of anything in the world while she held onto the twig she mistook for her wand.

"It'd be bad manners for this circumstance, Mr Kowalski." I declared, absentmindedly poking around the side of a grapefruit sized bump poking out of Ara's scalp.

"How? The lady just bounced off the ice for your-" He began in a shout, telling me he thought I was out of bounds and so I raised my free hand behind her back, "why would you give her something that would die? She hates when unconcious pretty things are slaughtered, I've already begun planting flowers outside our shed. Whenever she notices I cut the-"

"If she notices, you mean." Jacob cut me off, motioning to the disorented and possibly delirious witch I was holding up on the ice.

My arms tensed around her, she'd just bumped her head-she was still Ara and he'd regret those words..Or atleast the Niffler would ensure he did.

"She'll notice." I fired back, feeling the determination that I imagined Ara often felt before she charged off into battle for creatures against both the elements like ice and other people.

She didn't exactly say she hated the idea of fresh-cut flowers, but why wouldn't I just grow my own instead of harvesting them for her? And when had she ever actually said she genuinely hated something I did? She'd be able to appreciate them everyday when I showed the potted plants to her. She'd like it more that way.

"Alright. There we go. One down, two more to go, was it?" I murmed outloud as I decided that her welt would simply need an ice pack, rather than a few stitches and dismssed the subject. She needed to be more careful.

-)()(-

"Weve all got a timer, Cricket. Luckily for us, your inherited your mum's stubbornness. You two added a good few centuries worth of time for us to cross."

"That's...good. I guess." It didn't feelt good. Felt like I'd just throw another spanner into the mix I was surrounded with.

"Hum." My father was suddenly disappointed, and we came to a dead stop. No matter how many steps I took, nor how quickly I could've run, we were going no wher-

"Here." He pointed at a pond I was sure didn't exist prior, but still I looked.

The murky blue had turned a mucky greenish grey before it revealed a dirtier ashen face, similar to mine, framed by light blonde hair. I was hiding, cupping my breast pocket, and breathing hard.

I stared at it for a moment, my eyes were dark but alert-I was in battle mode, I guessed. I wonder what I was doing all that for. Must've been something important because I was crouched so low and stiffly, my back must be hurting.

"Hush now." My lips whispered. I'd grown quieter in my warning to my pocket as footsteps become more and more thunderous near me.

-)()(-

I blinked as my reflection seemed to try it's best to blend into the decimated remains of what was once a wall. But.

Then I stopped breathing entirely and rose. My own head tilted at my reflection as I seemed to have decided to ditch my hiding place to rise with a tilted chin and unsteady hand. Idiot.

"At ease, Miss Maximae." A voice sounded off next to me as I realised I rose for my wand. It laid on the ground near my reflection's feet-dusty from the rubble that'd collpased around me.

"Really?" I was cocky. Perhaps a little too much so.

-)()(-

"Well. Cricket. This is where we part ways."

"Wait."

"Whst is it, love?"

"Why did that-that patient happen to you guys that day?"

"Bad luck. Even fate has a hint of uncertainty. We were lucky. Got stuck together when I dived in for your mum." I felt his hand squeeze my shoulder for the shortest second, and blinked-processing his words.

"Sometimes I wish I could still hold you, we were talking about picking you up that day. Should've known better. But. I saw your mum go, and I just didn't think. I jumped."

-)()(-

I wanted to melt into the scene before me, wanted to blend into it as if it was almost created just for me-a jerk in my collar startled me. I was dragged from the pub with my companions faces before me. They were so happy, we caught a break. Those were rare, y'kno-

"Get up, Cricket." I recognised the voice, but I couldn't place it.

"Come on, now. If you keep on, your mum'll have to come 'ere." Another jerk dragged me further away from the scene and suddenly I heard a creature's annoyed clicks-Aurelius. He was annoyed. But worried. I glanced up at an older man whose features resembled mine in a masculine manner.

I blinked at him, his hand gripping my collar, despite the fact Aurelius was nipping at him in the middle of his palm. But, he wasn't bothered. He just sighed at me, shaking his head.

-)()(-

"Please, stand back, Love." I threw over my shoulder as the fury built in my core. He just kept bloody throwing strikes at Newt. He wasn't even fighting back!

"OI!" I'd yelled with my wand pointed before it seemed to gather a mind of it's own, sprouting a blue flame at Graves.

He chuckled, irritating me further but I didn't drop my arm across the boy's chest. "He's not fighting back, you-"

I couldn't finish the insult as he turned his attention towards me and the child. What. A. Bully.

I couldn't stand bullies.

-)()(-

I waved my wand with might, feeling it's reciprocated need to defend what I loved as well as it's anger that this Idiot would try and take those away from me. How dare he.

I heard the blasts of their wands after I put my hands up in surrender, and felt my magics need to defend me-to deflect. But I stopped it. Perhaps if I didn't fight back, I wouldn't be a threat and Aurelius would be okay.

But they didn't seem to care, they simply fired and I knew from the second i was thrown with my my hands scorched as they tried to protect my face-a mistake. I made a serious and grevious mistake.

123 HOOOOOOO

"Potter!" I hissed attempting to send him back with a hardened expeliroarius. This was not his fight, the poor boy. Desp whatever Dumbledore had said, he had so much-no so many more years to live just yet.

I'd lived so many if mine, defending my creatures, I wasn't sure I had many more left in me despite the clicking in my robes breast pocket.

Aurelius stuck his head out as I deflected yet another curse in this awful graveyard. I heaved for air for a moment, feeling my age catching up to me, and inhaled the stale stench of decay. Of grief. Of marble and greenery.

I could also smell a hint of this decay on the snake nosed man infront of me, directing his wand each and every way I countered.

I had fought hardened soldiers before, poachers, abusers, misinformed to be heroes, and I not only adapted. I overcame. That was our family motto after all, adapt-persevere-overcome.

This did not aid me in halting potters need for the retribution of his own parents, despite my discouragements. I spotted an odd spark in our duel and shifted my eyes, catching him in the corner of them. He looked like I once had, before I'd joined the Great War.

Determined. Consigned to death. At home with both of these facts.

But I could not allow such a thing. I was one of his professors, whether he liked it or not. He was currently mine to protect, and I don't shirk my duties.

So I raised my wand again at him, this time sending him back even further as I had half a second to reacf to the crucio shot at my by the snake himself.

"Getting tired are we?' He chuckled as I crouched under the weight of his curse, potrer doing the opposite of helping. But I would not bow, it was simply not in my biology to do so.

"I have a duty, you no-nosed ecuse of a half-blood wart." I typically did not deign to insult even my mortal enemies for their blood. Yes, even if they attempted to kill me, or strike me down for a moment to hurt my creatures-my responsibilities. Newt provided love. I was their protection..

Blood was so very immaterial in my own mind and heart, but I had fought grindelwald and frankly, this mangled human was no different in his deeds.

"Ms. Ara-I can" I cut the distraction of my impudent student off with a raise of my brow and a glance back to his position among the headstones in this cemetery. I blinked for a moment, making a rash decision as Riddle raised his wand aiming it at Potter with a bloodthirsty grin.

This decided things for me rather quickly, and all at once. I was not a lioness, so to speak. I'd been in Ravenclaw in my Hogwarts era- but this did not stop me from summoning the Nundu cub I'd once rescued from a poacher. Nor did it stop me from further summoning the female threastal-both summoned confidently for their hides resistance to magic.

Voldemort actually took a step back at the fully grown msle Nundu when he laid eyes upon it, even two more steps back when it paused it's growling to glance around until it's eyes landed on me and my defensive posture.

"MS SCAMANDER, I Must PROTEST THIS-" The man's shouted words sounded nasally at best as I took a moment to ignore him and focus on my one dead student and my living one whose eyes appeared near to pop at the sight of my creatures.

"A-tha-what is what are those?: Potter stuttered, looking between me, , and apparently the Nundu that puffed it's neck the second Voldemort reached tor his wand.

"oOH! I wouldn't do that, dear." I gave him a saccharine smile behind the Nundu and when he raised only his brow, I decided that I ought to educate him.

"As I'm sure you're well aware, being such a GReaT wizard-" I inhaled, yanking harry up to his feet beside me.

"This is a Nundu." I dragged him along as I went closer to the cub that had climbed up my legs and clinged to my every move when I'd rescued him as a pup.

"Their mere breath is toxic, you see. It is infamous for killing entire villages in only a day. I imagine one wizard would only take a moment of his time-don't you?" I raised a brow as I finished my bluff, having never seen him decimate a person, much less a town. The Numdu rubbed up against me with a growl, as if he'd understood my bluff and was confirming his loyalty.

Both Potter and Voldemort seemed to inhale before taking a step away from me, Potter attempting to but failing as I already had his shirt collar in my hand.

I smirked for a second, letting go of the Chosen One when Voldemort found his courage again after a second and fired off a curse. Foolish man, er half snake..thing? Could a human still be considered human after splitting his soul?

I'd already raised my want in defence, but forgot my summoned protectors. My creatures.

It was the Niffler that sounded the alarm first, seemingly shouting at the other two that his mistress was in danger due to her own stupidity and she needed protection.

The threstral seemed to have understood and jumped infront of us without so much as a sigh. It took the hit, unfettered by the spell. The Nundu took up defence, beginning to growl and roar angrily. It sounded as if he was upset anyone had attempted to harm his human-sucessfully or not.

"I told you before. But then again, students never do pay attention do they." I mumbled as I watched the neck I'd been petting begin to angrily bunch up around the Nundus neck.

I spun around, spying potter next to Diggory, the one I'd been late to save. "Time to go, Potter." I grabbed his arm with little regard, wrapping it around the other boys body. Someone needed to mourn him, I was sure of that.

I waved my wand the best I knew how, glancing back at my creatures as they practically waged war upon the enemy and closed my eyes. It was simple to summon them, and simple to summon them back home to the case. They would be fine, I had faith.

For now, I needed to get my students back home to Hogwarts, safely as we separated. POtter was under age, lest a magical port they appeared as cleanly as it had when she jumped on it prior.

A wrangling. Whirling sensation rattled my stomach as we popped back into existence and oddly into complete silence.

First the niffler broke it, poking his head out of my pocket. Then I could hear a rather distinctive keening that not only sounded like my name but also had me wondering if perhaps I'd imagined apparating away before. I pondered that until Newts smell flooded me as his arms seemingly tried to wrap me up entirely.

Then I heard a distinct set of feet, running then collapsing and as I turned my head-I heard wailing.

Diggorys father collapsed to the ground, grasping his son's boy with disillusioned tears flowing and my heart hurt more. Not only had I failed to keep my kids safe, I now had to watch one of their fathers weep at their bodys waist.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I failed I-" I mumbled disjointedly until Newt hushed me.

"You did what you could. You brought Harry back, you brought his body back for his family. You're only human, love. You can't take on the world, despite what you may feel." Newt whispered this over and over and over as everyone else seemed to jump into action. Medics came by, other teachers frowned, McGonagall frowned even moreso. I hurt

No. There wee no excuses for this, I'd mistakenly lost a soldier. One that was utterly unprepared and untrained, despite my charms classes. That was the entire reason that I'd stood up like my arse was on fire only a moment ago. I'd sensed it.

No aurelius had, he clicked twice at the site of the cup in the maze and I stood readily. I knew those clicks despite how aged we both were now, they meant something was amiss and I couldn't rest when it came to my students-my kids.

I'd stood up and ran off like I could actually feel a burning on my arse as I attempted to reach a trophy before it's champions did. I was too slow. Far too slow.

I arrived as I heard an avada kadavera issued and dove while flicking s cover over my person. A hair of a second earlier, and Diggorys father would have been weeping in joy over his survival.

"I'm sorry. Too slow. A second earlier," I grasped newts collar bringing him closer to me, " a second earlier. Newt. I would have been there. I could've saved him. I-" I swallowed, tears now suddenly appearing, " I wouldn't have lost him."

Newt blinked at me then seemingly held me closer, his once sandy blonde hair-now nearly brown from age and a lack of sunlight-his hair nearly suffocated me. He needed to have it cut, or at the very least, styled.

"You did your best, Ara, my love. No one could ask for better. I have my wife in my arms-alive. Conscious. I could not *ever* possibly ask for more after you running into the dark lord, love." He seemed to hold me even tigher then, as if the more he cut of blood flow-the less panic I'd hear around us.

"I really could not ask for more, dear." He sweetly mumbled into my frazzled and sweaty hair. I swallowed. He may not ask for more, and that was fine. I would simply *tske* more next time I went toe to toe with Voldemort.

Never again, I decided

I plotted the next time I met Voldemort, I would not be caught unawares. All of my kids would make it home to see their loved ones next holiday.

I swore it would be so.

I swore it to myself on my own magic.