Hello my lovelies!

I'm not sure if the last chapter confused some of the first people who read it, but that was future Sirius and Remus reading Hermione's letter. I added a couple sentences in there to help clarify that, in case it was a bit vague and unclear. Sorry about that!

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Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to J.K. Rowling, and only the story line and any OC's belong to me.

Thursday, January 21st, 1999

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmistress's Office

As soon as she enters her office Minerva noted that something felt off. She waved her wand and lit the numerous candles that littered the space—she narrowed her eyes, but didn't see anything out of place so she instinctively dismissed it as her exhaustion playing tricks on her.

I see none of them are here yet, though it is around the time they normally invade, Minerva thought dully.

She tucked her wand back into her robes, reaching up to knead into her stiff shoulders—she winced when her thumb pressed into a particularly tight knot.

Minerva had almost reached her desk when she froze, something was definitely off: her ears itch, a tingling feeling travelling down her ear canals, and she sniffed the air—it is charged with magical energy, but she doesn't recognise its signature. It thickened the closer she got to her desk, it tasted old, really old.

She swore she heard a creak from behind her and she whirled around, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up as her hand dove into her robes and withdrew her wand.

Her office was still as empty as it had been upon entering it, her eyes darted from bookshelf to bookshelf, to all of the magical devices and apparatus that still remained from Albus's tenure.

With a heavy sigh she turned back to her desk, glancing first at the portraits of the former Headmaster's—which were either empty or they were slumbering away.

Minerva cautiously put one foot in front of the other, raising her wand, eyes flicking around as she tried to figure out what was amiss, and why there was such a potent magical presence.

Minerva reached her desk, eyebrows shooting upwards in shock, "it can't be," she said quietly, her wand lowered to her side as she straightened out.

Minerva's head snapped towards her door once more, where had they come from, and who could have possible put them there.

She peeked over her shoulder at her desk once more to make sure she hadn't imagined it, before clenching her jaw and flourishing her wand.

As the silvery tabby cat pounced out of the tip of her wand, she said, "you need to come, now." The cat licked its paw before springing away, disappearing through the wall and heading to its intended recipient.

Minerva faced her desk once more and placed a hand on her cheek, she feared if she ripped her gaze away from them again they would vanish into thin air: resting neatly beside each other on her desk are two wands, two wands that she was almost positive belonged to Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy.

It's dead silent, as if everyone present was afraid that if they utter a peep the two wands will disappear in a flash.

Finally, a ginger haired wizard broke the impenetrable silence, curiosity laced through every syllable, "you found them just sitting there?"

Minerva merely nodded her head in response to Ron's question: she was behind her desk whilst the others—Ron, Harry, Sirius, Remus and Narcissa were all gathered around the other side—every member of their party was enraptured by the items that had appeared out of thin air.

"That's definitely Hermione's," Harry confirmed softly, stepping forward and his hand hovered over the 10¾ inch vinewood wand with a dragon heartstring core before his fingers closed around it and he lifted it off of the desk; Harry stared at the wand like an old friend that he was being reunited with after what felt like an eternity spent apart.

"And I can confirm that that is indeed Draco's wand," Narcissa said reticently, hesitating before she delicately plucked it up, closing her eyes as she brought it to her chest—exhaling deeply as she held it tight.

"How did they get here?" Remus asked pensively.

"I have no idea, there is no sign that anyone has been here," Minerva said carefully.

"Then how did they get here?" Narcissa frowned, "surely someone must have found them and left them there."

"I don't think someone did…but perhaps something did," Minerva said, scrunching up her nose as she held her hands out slightly at her sides. "The air is charged with magic…so—maybe the Castle left them here somehow."

Everyone stared at her in confusion for a moment, before Narcissa snorted, "that is a bit ridiculous, Minerva, surely you see that?"

The evergreen glades trapped in Minerva's green eyes sparked alive as she said, "there are moving staircases and a myriad of other ridiculous things in this Castle, but the possibility that it may be the one responsible for all of this is inconceivable to you?"

Narcissa jerked her chin upwards, but said nothing in response.

"Regardless, I don't think we're going to find anything else tonight, so we ought to leave Minerva in peace for today," Remus said in an authoritative manner, clapping his hands together once whilst he himself headed for the exit.

Everyone wished Minerva their farewells as they also shuffled out—she grasped Sirius's wrist and stopped him so that they may share a word in private.

"Have you made any headway in finding Ms. Paddington?" Minerva asked with a quirked brow, relinquishing her hold on him at the same time.

Sirius sighed heavily, closing his eyes and pressing his palms against his closed eyelids, "nothing. We're no closer than we were a couple weeks ago—we found a letter yesterday…" Sirius trailed off as he looked upon his former teacher once more.

"A letter?"

"From Hermione that was addressed to Lily—one she clearly never sent—all it confirmed was that Dumbledore was a sodding prick," Sirius growled out the end of his statement, eyes hardening to hard pressed steel.

"So you know—"

"About the Unbreakable Vow? Yes," Sirius scowled deeply.

"Dumbledore was a complicated man," Minerva sighed, far too drained to exert any more anger than she already had on the deceased man.

Sirius snorted, "good night, Minnie."

"Good night, Sirius," Minerva said with a small smile, watching as the man strolled out of her office.

It feels like we're missing some crucial piece that would help us find her, and yet I have no idea what that might be, Sirius thought glumly on his way out. No idea.