AN: I'm so sorry this took so long. I wasn't in the best place to write between finishing grad school applications, preparing for the Women's March, and otherwise letting stress over America's Trumpertantrum get to me. I got blocked on this chapter – and I apologize if the quality of the writing suffers as a result. (Anyone following my blog knows I've been calling this "The Struggle Chapter"). But it's done now, and I'm really happy to be back on track. I think I've also learned some valuable lessons from it, which I'm employing as I work on the end of this story, and begin working on the next one. So thanks for sticking with me through a tough winter – especially the wonderful people who emailed and reviewed and commented and chatted with me on Tumblr – you helped keep me motivated and remember this was worth it.

Disclaimer: See chapters 1 or 9

Last Time on Sailor Moon H: The Order and Senshi's joint team (S.W.O.S.) successfully recovered the false Horcrux placed by Regulus Black, and subsequently ordered Kreacher to hand over the original Horcrux at Grimmauld. They were unable to destroy it, however, when it was revealed that Slytherin's locket is also the artefact that contains the Zoicite stone. Plans to destroy the locket were immediately put on hold until the order and the senshi could figure out how to destroy the horcrux without destroying Sir. Zoicite. The same day of the heist, Setsuna was also faced by a discomfiting revelation: Someone at Hogwarts has taken the potion that masks their actions from her sight, and may have been the reason she blacked out on a patrol of the castle and wound up in her office.

A Grim Christmas

The Christmas Season at Hogwarts was not the usual, jovial affair it would have been in other years, though the staff and many of the prefects tried valiantly to create such an atmosphere. There were extra garlands shimmering in every corridor, occasional flurries of snow that swept across the entrance hall, and Mcgonagall had even managed to cajol Peeves into singing proper carols. What she'd offered him in return, none knew, and the effort failed anyway once Peeves noted how few appreciated his singing and made to pelt the least appreciative with dung bombs.

Morale sank further as the last week before the holidays ticked on: each day more and more students found their names on the ever-growing list of those staying at the castle. While the process was usually handled discreetly by the Heads of House, this year there seemed to have been a startling spike in parents requesting their children remain at the castle, requiring a list to be posted outside the Great Hall on the 15th of December which grew each day that passed until the parchment had rolled out onto the floor of the Entrance Hall.

"I'm surprised you're all staying," Hannah Abbott said to Makoto as they checked the list before breakfast on the 19th – the day before the train to London was due to depart. "Most people are staying cause of the war, but you're no where near it."

Makoto shrugged. "Well – s'not like I have family or a boyfriend to celebrate with anyways. And besides, there's tons of people staying right? This place will be loads more fun."

"I hope so," Hannah said, scanning up the list of remainers. Her eye caught on an unexpected name near the top. It hadn't been there yesterday.

Susan Bones.

"She's staying!" Hannah exclaimed. "But... but she always goes home!"

"Doesn't her aunt work with the Aurors?" Makoto asked.

"Well... yes, but I'd think that'd mean she's safer..." Hannah trailed off as they walked through the doors of the Great Hall. The mail had come already, but rather than looking at the letters in their hands, the whole hall was silently staring towards the front of the Hufflepuff table: Where a short, auburn haired sixth year had stood from her seat. She was speaking to a resigned looking Professor Sprout. The sixth year's hand was waving a letter in her fist, the first clue to Hannah and Makoto that an argument was being waged.

The second clue was Susan's voice, a harsh whisper that never the less carried across the entirety of the silent Great Hall.

"I always go home!" Susan said as they approached; Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs along the aisle leaned out of their way. "She'll be by herself!" Susan said.

"I think your aunt will fare just fine given one Christmas on her own Susan," Sprout said. "And she wants you to be safe here."

"Our home's warded!" Susan fumed.

"And wards are only as powerful as the counterspells used to break them," Sprout said. "I'm sure your aunt will be safe, but she knows she has many enemies... more so these days. She only wants to be sure you're not endangered by them. Besides – she may well be working the holidays."

"She does every year! She takes me to work with her!"

Sprout sighed. "These are not other years, Susan. The Auror office will be doing far more than dealing with A.U.I.s and domestic disputes."

Susan could not be disuaded though. She glared at Sprout, then at the signature on the letter in her hand, and then back at her Head of House. She squared her shoulders and lifted her head high. "I'm 16. I'm not staying."

"16 isn't of age," Sprout pointed out, shaking her head. "I'm sorry – you can of course write your aunt and ask her to change her mind, and there would be a place for you on the train. But if she insists, then you'll spend Christmas here – don't worry!" Sprout assured her. "We'll have a spectacular bit of fun."

It was a negotiation that had played out at every table and in every fireplace connected to the floo that week. While a few, like Hannah and Neville, managed to talk their families around, many more like Susan lost soundly. It was even clearer in the Entrance Hall on Saturday morning, when the whole school crowded in after breakfast to watch the sparce few lucky enough to be permitted home drag their luggage out to the carriages.

"Lots more first and second years than I thought," Ron noticed. "I mean, blimey. If Mum thought it was dangerous to let me and Gin come home, I can't imagine..."

"They're all muggleborn," Hermione confided to him, Harry, Neville, Luna and Ginny as they lingered at the back of the group of leavers. "Most of the kids here are..." she surveyed the crowd with hard eyes as they approached the carriages. "Cause their parents don't know there's a war on."

"Come to think of it there's almost no purebloods here," Neville noted. "Save... us... and Hannah."

"All the blood-traitors," Ginny muttered, itching to conjure her sword.

On her left, Harry stiffened. "D'you think the train's a target then?" Harry asked, looking back towards the castle. Very few Slytherins had lingered on the steps to see the students off. Malfoy was one of those missing. "Did all the Death Eaters tell their kids to stay here so they can attack the muggleborns."

Ron swore.

"And a Bones or a Weasley in the mix would be the icing on the cake," Ginny said.

"I-it won't come to that will it?" Neville asked. "I mean... we could fight them off – we did at the ministry."

"You're all forgetting too," Luna said, stopping as they searched for an empty carriage in order to pet one of the thestrals. She pointed upwards. "They've prepared for that."

The others looked up.

"Is that a thestral?"

There was, indeed, one thestral above the carriages. They could just make out the white boots of someone flying astride it. The Hogwarts students didn't need the gleam of the trident in her hand to confirm which Senshi was flying it – Neptune's distaste for broomsticks was a well known one.

There was, however, a broomstick rider next to her. And it was much easier to identify Uranus dark blue skirt and twin swords. Just as it was easy to identify the green haired figure who flew to them from the castle, her white boots crossed as she perched atop the lavender staff with the dark red gem on the top. Hermione wondered if Sailor Pluto's garnet rod had always been able to fly, or if there was some spell she'd found to do the job.

A bright flash of color caught Harry's eye from the direction of Gryffindor tower and he drew all five of his friends attention to it: A figure in an orange skirt and with an equally orange whip was flying towards the three other senshi. They all huddled briefly and separated, two flying to the front of the carriages and two to the back.

"I love when they leave me out of the missions," Ginny muttered. She walked up to the next empty carriage and threw her rucksack inside before climbing in and closing the door. Through the carriage window they saw a fiery red flare, and when they opened the carriage to follow, Jadeite was there to welcome them, hand on the pommel of their sword.

Even before the six students had all settled into their seats, they drew their wands. They all crowded near both the carriage windows rather than talk, peering out at the grounds the entire way to Hogsmeade station. The skies were crystal clear, the sun so bright it reflected a blinding white off the foot of packed snow that crunched under the carriage wheels and thestral hooves.

"D'you think the train's really gonna be attacked?" Ron asked.

"Dunno," Harry said. "Didn't see it..." He almost wished he could have more, unintended visions of Voldemort, for Harry was already seeing the limits of Rei's fire gazing trick. So far, whenever he had time to meditate beside the common room fire, nothing interesting was happening on Voldemort's side. Harry tightened his grip on his wand and leaned closer to the carriage door as the grey smoke stacks from Hogsmeade drew closer.

They rolled towards the station, passing evergreens drooping with heavy snow. Some, outside Hogwarts borders, were shriveled, twisted and burnt (the results of stray curses that had struck the trees).

As the station neared, cold briefly pierced through the charmed wood of the carriage, Harry shivered, seeking out and finding the black, cloaked beings responsible in seconds. The dementors loomed over Hogsmeade station: four all along the roof.

Jadeite grabbed his hand as he moved to cast his patronus. "Wait." They squeezed it.

Harry heard a whip crack overhead. A swarm of bright, orange birds dove away from the front of the caravan of carriages and towards the dementors on the station roof. Two managed to flee, but the birds trapped the remaining two between them, reducing both dementors to whisps of smoke and shreds of black cloth that blew harmlessly in the december breeze.

"That's probably not the only thing they've got waiting," Ron said. "It's six hours between here and London."

Harry saw Venus and Pluto circle around to the far side of the station, where steam was churning out of the top of a scarlet steam engine. He bet Uranus and Neptune would be moving to the back.

"We should be ready to help them," Harry said as the carriage door clicked and swung open. "Come on."

The six of them were the first to venture out into the snow, leading the exodus of students from the carriages.

"Head for the middle car," Ron said. "We could get to all parts of the train pretty quickly from there."

The four senshi overhead watched the students as they scrambled through the snow, dragging their luggage, most even laughing at the prospect of being home for Christmas.

"Are they really going to attack the train?" Venus asked Pluto.

The time guardian's mouth was a thin line, her gaze looking far from the students below them as she scanned the horizon in all directions. She jerked her head quickly to the side.

"Voldemort is not," Pluto said. Her gaze fell towards the ground. Mcgonagall and Sprout were escorting the last of the students onto the Hogwarts Express. They separated on the platform, heading towards the front and back of the train.Mcgonagall looked up as she boarded the front car, and nodded to Sailor Pluto.

"We'll need extra security on that train," Dumbledore had told the professors who gathered in his office the night of the 15th.

"Surely he wouldn't attack so many children!" Poppy Pomphrey exclaimed. "He'd have no idea there weren't purebloods on the train as well."

"Wouldn't he?" Dumbledore nodded to Severus Snape.

"His followers have instructed all their children to remain here for the holidays," Severus said. "And all those students, it appears, have told their friends the same. The majority of my house has elected to stay."

"And many purebloods in mine," Flitwick said.

"And mine," Sprout added. "Save Abbott and a few others."

"And he certainly wouldn't care about hurting Abbott or the Weasleys no matter how pureblooded," Mcgonagall muttered. "You know – I used to dream of the day I could send Potter off on the Christmas train. Now, not so."

"We can protect them," Setsuna said as all eyes around the staff table turned to her.

"You know," Slughorn raised his hand. "If... if it's just a security precaution, I could go as well."

"It will be more than a precaution," Setsuna said. "We have to assume the train is a target, if not for Voldemort than for Lestrange."

"Oh, well... erm."

Severus rolled his eyes. "Can't stand up to a Cruciatus, Horace?" he muttered.

"Well... you know I've heard they're unpleasant," Horace stammered. "Still," he squared his shoulders and looked at Setsuna. "I could defend the train with you."

"That won't be necessary," Setsuna said. "There are others who are well equipped to defend it."

~SMH~

By the time the students had boarded the train, most had realized that the majority of them were muggleborn, and (despite the many empty compartments up and down the train) rumours had spread from Colin Creevey at the front to Hufflepuff chaser Jason Summerby at the back before the hot chocolate that had been waiting in each compartment had been finished. Even the reassurances of the prefects, those few available to patrol the train, could not quell the rumours. The students fears and speculations simmered in each sparsely populated carriage, dwindling only when the sweets trolley came round to boost their spirits. As the hours ticked by and the train powered towards London, those fears only grew. For surely an attack by the death eaters would be over the nearing hills or around the next bend. Each time the Express rolled through tunnels or across bridges every student in every carriage held their breath.

There were two attempted attacks: one via giants who hid beyond the hills in Yorkshire, lobbing boulders towards the steam train; and another as they neared the edges of London, where a group of twenty vampires attempted to project their spirits onto the train to enthral the students. The vampire attack came closest to succeeding. Their spirits breached the train. But Professor Sprout, thanks to a warning from the senshi, managed to ward each compartment along the train from intrusion until the senshi (half a mile away) had successfully dispatched the physical monsters.

The only evidence to the students of anything gone awry, by the time the Express arrived at Kings Cross, was a strong scent of garlic as they crowded into the hallways of the carriages, and the dust from demolished boulders which had dulled the train's scarlet paint.

Harry and company were briefly halted in the hallway of the train as they attempted to disembark. The students who'd reached the doors first had stopped short at the exits.

"Oi!" Ron hollered to the crowd at the door, while Ginny, de-transformed now, tried to peer into the compartments and through the windows to see the cause of the hold up. All she could see were the vague forms of many people on the platform, and a lot of scarlet towards the back of the crowd.

The scarlet, they found as they finally reached the doors of the train, was the cause of the hold up, for students had paused to gape at the bright, vivid robes of twenty aurors all lined up along the perimeter of the platform. And not just any aurors, Ginny, Ron, and Neville noticed: all wore the silver insignia of senior level law enforcement.

And in the middle, standing at the exit of the platform, was a short woman with silver in her auburn hair, drawn up in a bun as sever as Mcgonagall's. Her steely eyes scanned across the platform, one through the pink glass of a monocle. On her scarlet auror robes, was the silver and purple badge that marked the highest standing member in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement – Amelia Bones.

"They're not taking any chances," Ginny muttered as her mother and father bustled to the front of the crowds of parents.

Once Molly had hugged all of them – even Luna and Neville, Ron turned to his father with a puzzled frown.

"I thought the ministry was still downplaying the war," Ron said.

"They are, officially at least," Arthur said.

"Then… why'd so many aurors come guard the train?" Ron asked.

"It's… er…" Arthur stammered.

A gruff bark startled them as they turned, in time for a giant black dog to barrel through the crowds and stop short in front of them, tail thumping against the floor as he grinned at Harry.

"Oh good, you made it," Molly said.

"Sorry!" a man called. They all looked up. A tall, skinny man with hair the same color as his tweed suit was elbowing his way through the muggle families on the platform (all busy welcoming their children with early presents and muggle winter coats to put over their Hogwarts cloaks).

"Remus!" Harry grinned, greeting him with a hug as he made it to them.

"Got held up finding a spot for the car," Remus explained, and he looked over at Neville, "We're going to drop you off at your grandmother's along the way."

Neville nodded. "I guess they didn't know there'd be so much security," Neville said, "Maybe Mum and Dad would have come themselves."

"Well not many people did know," Remus said. "It wasn't a ministry decision."

"But…" Ginny looked at her father. "Then how'd they get so many senior aurors here?"

"I – I am not supposed to know," Arthur stressed. "I mean… well I suppose there's no one here who would pass it on to Scrimgeour. They're here in an unofficial capacity."

"But… they're in uniform…" Ron said.

"That's… well… I can't," Arthur glanced around. There really were few other wizards or witches on the platform, and none of his colleagues. Still. He lowered his voice. "Wait until we get into the car."

The cars were parked a row over from each other: two small, white cars procured somehow by the Order. The Weasleys and Luna set off to the burrow in one, and Harry, Hermione, and Neville in the other.

Away from the crowds, Arthur and Remus felt freer to explain.

"As far as any of us knows," Arthur explained to his children and Luna, "The DMLE requested additional security on the platform and was denied by Scrimgeour several weeks ago – he's under a lot of pressure to be putting resources into protecting businesses and other wizarding properties."

In the other car, driving east rather than west. Remus told much the same to Hermione, Harry, and Neville. Hermione was outraged. "Because protecting muggle born students isn't important?!"

"I'm sure it is to Scrimgeour," Remus tried to explain. "But what he believes personally and what he can do politically are very different things."

In the front seat, Padfoot barked and transformed into Sirius. "He's inherited an absolute mess from Fudge. Budget's in shambles from what Arthur's said. Public fears are rampant. He thinks by protecting more wizards from the Death Eaters he'll keep more people from turning to their side."

"That's stupid!" exclaimed Harry.

"That's politics," Arthur Weasley explained to his own car when Ron said much the same. "In any case, the official security request was denied."

"But… then how were twenty aurors on the platform?" Ginny asked.

"Well…"

"I don't know all the details," Remus explained to Harry, Hermione and Neville. "It was largely organized outside the Order."

"Bones' doing," Sirius said, a grin on his face. "Always knew I'd make a rebel of her eventually…"

Arthur, from his own experience within the Ministry bureaucracy, had more to tell those in his car. "The way I believe it worked out is, she doesn't have the power to reassign aurors from places the minister has demanded be protected, but she does have the ability to independently rearrange their schedules. If I had to guess, the senior aurors we saw, those she trusts, would have called in sick or had the day off…"

Sirius thought much the same as Arthur did. "Probably played it right out of the corruption case we cracked in 81," he chortled leaning over the back of his seat. "She'd have asked all of them to come guard the platform, and paid them right out of the Bones accounts. Scrimgeour and the ones directing him can't do much about it."

Neville frowned. "Would it be against the rules for them to be in uniform there then?"

"Bones will take the fall for that," Sirius said, waving dismissively. "It's the statement that matters."

Hermione got it immediately. "That all those kids and families on the platform will know that there's still people in power to protect them," she breathed.

"You've got it," Remus smiled. "I've never know Amelia Bones to be particularly rebellious, but then again I don't believe she's ever had her job conflict with her morals as it does now."

"And," Sirius smirked, "it's going to be a surprise bludger for all the money-interests and Death Eater agents trying to get power in the ministry."

"Doesn't that put Madam Bones in danger?" Neville asked as they wound through the borough of London where his grandmother's home was.

"She was a threat to Voldemort long before she started giving the Auror office more targeted initiatives," Remus said. "There've been two attempts on her since the Department of Mysteries."

"They'd rather have Yaxley or Rowle in her spot," Sirius said. "Or the Carrows – Not sure how they've managed to keep their noses clean so long. But anyways," Sirius turned around in his seat. "I have more important things to ask, as Harry seems to have left it out of all two of the letters we've gotten since September."

Harry's felt his ears burning. He'd started writing what must have been dozens of replies to his godfather and Remus' letters over the past few months, most of which got lost in his notes, or scrapped, or set aside as revision for his NEWT courses piled up.

"You could never be bothered to send Andromeda a note in school, you can hardly talk," Remus reminded Sirius, who waved his hand dismissively.

"Yes, but that's beside the point. The point is: I've written Harry the same question three times now, and I still don't have an answer," Sirius said, and pointed at his godson. "What do you want for Christmas?"

Harry blinked at him. "Er..." Last year Sirius hadn't asked. Then again, Harry realized, he had still been in hiding last year, unable to go out to the shops. Harry wished immediately that he hadn't asked, as it would've saved Harry from having to scramble for an answer.

What did people ask for Christmas? He'd always been happy to get anything. "Er…" Harry thought. "Socks?"

Sirius stared at him, and so did Remus in the rear view mirror, and then at each other.

Sirius let out a short laugh and then stared at Harry.

"Kid, you're killing me – Hermione, what do you want for Christmas?"

"Uh…" Hermione looked between Harry and Neville, floundering a bit. She had, thus far, decided not to think of it, given she'd sent her parents abroad in the summer. "Books."

Sirius sighed. "Neville what did you ask your parents for?"

"Nothing," Neville replied. "I have them back… I didn't even think of anything else I wanted." He thought for a moment. "I suppose it'd be nice to get a new plant or trowel though."

In the front seat, Remus was chuckling.

"He's asking," Remus told Harry. "Because he spoiled you in July, and he's run out of ideas."

"Have not!" Sirius declared. "I have lots of ideas. If you want socks," Sirius declared, wagging his finger at Harry, "then you'll be getting absolutely all of the best, most ridiculous socks I can come up with." He turned around and settled back into his seat, rubbing his chin. "Where do they sell Christmas socks?"

Harry, for a moment, felt his throat get a little tight, and his eyes get watery. He looked out the window, his reflection was smiling. In the front seat, Sirius was debating with Remus what kinds of socks would be spectacular Christmas presents.

He was still musing about it after they'd dropped Neville off, and were driving into the neighbourhood around Grimmauld. Harry'd gotten over feeling the happy feeling he got whenever he remembered he had a family now, and had started to consider whether he ought to think of something other than socks – especially as Sirius had just asked Remus if he remembered the neon charm – when Hermione stiffened next to him. Harry looked up and saw Remus turn the car in the middle of the road and drive it right towards the grey face of number 14 Grimmauld Place. Hermione squeaked and Harry shivered. But they didn't hit the building. The car drove right through the grey stone, emerging into a hidden alley, so narrow the sides of the car scrapped the walls as they climbed out.

"Found it in the blueprints," Sirius threw in as they made their way round to the front of the townhouse and up number 12's steps. "Dad apparently used to keep a bicycle there. Wasn't charmed, mind. It was a rusty, old, muggle thing." Sirius slammed the car door and stretched, scanning the gap between the buildings in the process. "Goes to show even purists have their vices. Anyways." He led Harry and Hermione round to the stairs of Number 12, his wand out the entire time. Remus, behind them, continued to scan up and down the street. Sirius bounded up the stairs and jammed the key into the lock, he pushed the door open and waved them inside with a flourish. "We have holidays to start up."

Harry stared as he and Hermione walked into the narrow entrance hall, except it did not appear so narrow anymore. The decorations – from the gold garlands wrapped round the coat rack and the stair rails to the tinsel sprinkled across the side table and hung (along with colourful, flashing stars) from the lamps – made the whole space look brighter and wider.

They noticed something else that was different from when they'd left in September: the burnt wall space that had once been Mrs. Black's portrait had been swapped over for a new bronze frame that stretched the length of the wall and was tall enough to cover the entirety of the scorched wallpaper. Inside the polished frame was not one picture but two, placed one atop the other. Harry recognized the top one: the original Order. His throat constricted as he identified his parents waving from the middle of the portrait, a younger Remus, Peter Pettigrew, and a Sirius with a goofy grin crammed in on all sides of them.

Harry looked down at the same spot in the second picture. It was the current Order. In the place his parents and all the marauders had occupied in the old picture, an older Sirius and Remus stood alone, staring much more solemnly out from the frame.

Hermione pointed at the old picture, at twin red-heads that were elbowing a younger Sirius. "Are they Weasleys?"

"Prewetts," Remus answered. "Gideon and Fabian – Molly's younger brothers. And the reason, I believe she was so reluctant to let Fred and George join up."

Harry found Fred and George in the new picture, exactly where Gideon and Fabian had been posing making silly faces in the original. To their left and right, were their parents, Bill Weasley, and (Harry was startled to see) Fleur Delacour. He hadn't realized she had joined.

"The New one adds people as they join," Sirius explained as Harry and Hermione compared the pictures. "Neat trick."

The old photograph was three rows deep, people cramming into the frame. The new one was barely two rows. Those absent ran the gamut from the stout old men that had once stood by Dumbledore's side, to a whole clan of people who had Hannah Abbott's hair and chin. There seemed to be some consciousness to how everyone was arranged in the new Order photo, for Timothy Abbott stood in the same space in the second row that his family had in 1979. And, where the bespeckled, balding, laughing man stood with his arms around a younger McGonagall in the old photo, an equally jubilant (though much shorter) Rolanda Hooch stood holding hands with her in the new one. Harry spotted the younger, smiling, Frank and Alice Longbottom in the old photograph, and their older, drawn faces in the new one. Augusta Longbottom now stood with them.

Harry scanned the old picture again, just to see if he recognized anyone else. There was a whole family in the third row of the old photo: an older man and two younger ones crowded in with a woman who had Susan Bones' nose. Harry flicked his eyes to the new picture to see if anyone had replaced them, and recognized the monocled, stern face of the leader of the Aurors lingering hesitantly in the corner of the frame.

"Madam Bones is in the Order?" Hermione asked.

Sirius leaned in and squinted at the corner of the frame. "Merlin's balls she really is!" Sirius exclaimed, ignoring Remus reprimand about language. He turned to Hermione and Harry and explained. "She wasn't the last time I looked. Means Amelia must have riddled out what Tonks pin means, or she wouldn't be on here."

"Pin?" Hermione asked.

Sirius nodded, and withdrew something from his jacket: a gold phoenix pin – identical to the gold birds that decorated the corners of the picture frame. "Got the idea from your D.A. coins so we could send info where a Patronus would be too noticeable." Sirius grinned and clapped Hermione on the shoulder. "Kingsley said he's got a job for you whenever you want it."

Hermione looked tickled pink the entire walk through the main hallway, which was even more elaborately decorated than the entryway. Harry privately considered whether someone else had decorated this year, or if perhaps Sirius better mood (from being a free man) had carried over to his decorating. The colors and ornaments in the main hallway were startling. Harry was hard pressed to look closely at any one thing. Red garlands, twined with gold, arced all across the tops of the walls. The windows had been charmed to display a constant snowfall and so had the doors that lined the hallway. One of the bookshelves was a stage featuring a troupe of can-canning candy canes, and the grandfather clock at the end of the hall no longer counted hour by hour. Instead the minute, second and hour hand all ticked closer and closer to a single date where 12 o'clock would normally be: 25/12.

There was even mistletoe. One sprig drifting perilously up and down the length of the hall. They had to give it a wide berth. It nearly chased Harry into the dining room.

"That was this one's idea," Remus told them as he deftly banished the encroaching mistletoe to the other end of the hallway, clearing the way to the basement and the library. "We restricted him to one," he checked his watch. "If you two don't mind waiting, we can have dinner all together in an hour."

"Or if not," Sirius added. "I'll send Kreacher up to the library with something."

Harry frowned. "Why?" He asked.

Before Remus or Sirius could respond, they all heard the crack of apparition from the entryway, and the crash of a coat rack being knocked to the floor.

"Wotcher!" Tonks greeted them as she staggered into the hallway, followed by a smirking Kingsley.

Harry looked seriously up at his sheepish guardians. "There's an Order meeting, then?"

"There is," Sirius confirmed. "And I promise we'll give you some of the details later."

"Some!"

"Well…" Sirius sighed and shrugged. "I'd tell you everything if we didn't have to worry about Voldemort, Prongslet."

The moniker did not soften Harry's mood. "Voldemort hasn't seen through my head in a year!" Harry said. "Rei blocked him…"

"We think," Remus cautioned. "As you can still see into his head, we're not entirely sure." He opened the basement door, waving Tonks, Kingsley, and Sirius ahead of him. Harry pushed past Remus too, Hermione close behind him, trying to hold him back by his sleeve. "Will Mina be there?" Harry demanded as he followed Sirius down the stairs.

Sirius turned back and shook his head. "I can't do anything about that, Harry. She's of age."

"Hermione's of age!"

Sirius frowned, continuing to walk down the stairs. "Didn't know that… Hermione if you want to join we certainly can't stop you."

Harry gaped at him. "But!"

"That's alright," Hermione said. "I can wait."

"Sirius!" Harry said as they reached the bottom of the stairs. The door to Grimmauld's kitchen was open. He could see Mina, Professor Meioh, Haruka, and Michiru already inside, speaking with two boys Harry recognized from Fred and George's year… along with Moody, Dumbledore, Mcgonagall…

"I'm sorry, Prongslet," Sirius said as the boy with the dreadlocks – Stebbins or something – stepped aside to make room for the late arrivals. "It's out of my hands."

In the gap Stebbins had left at the table, Harry caught sight of something that Moody's magical eye was glaring at: a white bag, in the middle of the table. Looking at it made Harry's scar twinge. He stiffened. "That's a Horcrux," Harry breathed. "You found one."

"How did… no never mind," Sirius shook his head and looked up at Remus, who had just made it down the stairs. "I'm sorry, Harry," Sirius repeated, his shoulders sagging as he slinked backwards into the kitchen. "It's Dumbledore's call."

"But!" Harry insisted.

Remus put a hand on his shoulder and stepped in front of Harry. "We'll speak to Dumbledore about it," Remus assured him. "For now, this is very pressing, Harry. This is a meeting we really do have to keep top-secret." He looked at Harry and Hermione over the top of his glasses. "Perhaps the books Sirius has left out in the library will be enough for you."

Harry scowled, shrugging off Remus hand and looking at the floor. "Fine," Harry muttered. "Go talk about important stuff." He stormed off up the stairs, aware of Hermione's quick footsteps following him.

"Harry," she said after they're reached the ground floor and Harry had thrown open the library door.

"Don't start, Hermione," Harry said. "I know, alright: I can't expect special treatment because I'm 'The Chosen One'."

"I wasn't going to say that!" Hermione exclaimed, grabbing his arm and moving in front of him, a stern look on her face. "I was going to say that you should absolutely get to be there – you've got to deal with Voldemort more than anyone."

Harry blinked. "You agree with me?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly, you and Ron, I swear. Of course I agree with you! If Crookshanks hadn't eaten my last extendable ear, we'd be listening right now." She released his robes and strode into the library stacks, fingers skimming along the shelves as she wound towards their favorite study table. "But we can read what they're talking about… at least if I understood Remus correctly."

"The books Sirius left out in the library." Harry's eyes widened. For a moment he felt an uncomfortable twist in his gut for having yelled at Remus, but he tried to dismiss it. He could apologize later. For now he hurried ahead, in pursuit of Hermione. She had turned down another row of books, eyes drawn to several volumes that had been hastily stuffed back onto the shelves.

A thought occured to him as he caught up with her and noted one of the books she was examining was a potions volume. "Where's Snape?"

"Isn't that obvious?" Hermione asked him, pushing open the door to the ground floor and making a bee-line for the library. "Voldemort can read minds, Harry, Snape's their spy; the less he knows, the better."

Harry swallowed the lump in his throat. He was feeling more and more conflicted about his continued suspicions of Snape, especially the more he learned about how the man dealt with his double-agent status. "Fair," he admitted as the made their way through the library. It looked like it had seen heavy use recently: Dark Arts books still lay strewn across the unused shelves, stools, and ladders, and many more were haphazardly wedged back onto their shelves. Hermione pulled out some of those sticking out of the shelves as she passed. She'd collected ten by the time they reached the most-used study table in the library, one with three books already strewn across it with many slips of parchment sticking out of them. One caught Harry's eye, due simply to the cloaked figure – like a dementor – hovering omionously on the cover.

"The Nature of Destruction," Harry muttered, idly flipping through to the contents while Hermione leaned over his shoulder in interest. "This has tons of curses in it."

"I think... it's talking about how each one destroys things, see," Hermione said, flipping to the front and pointing to the chapter titled Reducto v. Diffindo. "Are they..." she bit her lip. "Do you suppose they're having trouble destroying that Horcrux?"

"I guess," Harry said, flipping through the book. "But... they destroyed the ring one just fine... and I did the Diary in with a Bassilisk fang." He furrowed his brow. "What's so special about this one?"

Downstairs at the partial Order meeting, Sirius had dumped the locket out onto the table-top as soon as the kitchen door'd been locked, and Tonks had just come out with the very same question as Harry. It was clearly the first Horcrux many members present had seen. Tonks hair had spiked and turned an alarmed white, and Mcgonagall had her wand pointed at the locket as though it might attack her any second. So did Moody, as it happened, though his wand was hidden under the table.

"There's two souls inside," Dumbledore informed the group, prompting Mcgonagall and Kingsley to gasp. "One, we very much want to destroy; the other, we don't."

The silver locket, gleaming as though new, seemed to glare at them due to the red light reflecting off it from the kitchen's candles. In particular, the blue-green Zoicite stone above the Slytherin coat of arms gave the impression, at least to Mina, of a particularly mocking eye.

Or maybe, Mina considered, tearing her gaze away from the locket as Moody began to speak. Maybe the souls in there really can see out of that thing.

"Both'd be dark magic all the same!" Moody snapped. "Horcrux is a Horcrux, other soul, whoever he is, is just as guilty of murder as Voldemort."

"The other soul contained within this locket, functions differently than a Horcrux," Setsuna explained. "For one," she pointed to the bluish-green gem on the top of the locket. "It is contained only within the Zoisite stone, not infused into the whole locket. For another," she looked at every person present. "It isn't a horcrux, but a whole soul, of an unwitting, living person that is contained within the gemstone."

"Don't see how imprisoning your whole soul's any better than imprisoning part," Tonks muttered, shivering. "You'd do to yourself just what the dementors do to people then."

"But..." Minerva frowned. "If I recall correctly, young Ginevra's aquisition of the Sword of Gryffindor and her new magic are due to such a thing."

"Exactly," Mina pointed to the locket. "Zoisite's the same situation as Jadeite. They just... got their gem hijacked."

"And our friends here," Dumbledore continued. "Need that soul to be restored. All our research these ten days," he told the room. "Has gone towards ensuring Zoisite remains unhar –"

"Hold it!" Moody growled, his low voice as soft as a whisper, but sharp enough to cut across the whole kitchen. "Got a listener." His magical eye stared towards the icebox. "Black," he said, jerking his head towards the ice box. On the table, he put one of his intact fingers on the tabletop. Sirius nodded and raised his wand.

"Anyways," Moody said. he tapped his finger once. "As I was saying," twice. "It's still dark magic," three taps.

Sirius waved his wand. A jet of red light shot out, splintering through the door of the icebox. They all heard a thud as something fell over inside.

Moody stormed over to it, jerking off the door and pulling out a stunned, rag-clothed creature who looked like a fat, frozen raisin. He had a large snot hanging out of his nose, Mina saw, wrinkling her nose along with Michiru as Moody dumped Kreacher the house-elf onto the kitchen table.

Sirius growled the elf's name, scowling. "Renneverate," he said, pointing his wand at the elf.

The moment Kreacher was restored, he gasped and launched towards the center of the table with his skinny fingers stretching towards the locket.

"Freeze!" Sirius ordered the elf. Kreacher cried out as he did, crashing into the table and banging his elbows and his chin in order to obey Sirius command to the letter. "Don't Move," Sirius ordered again just as, the moment he hit the table, Kreacher made to reach for the locket again. "And when you do move, don't pick up the locket!"

Kreacher whined and snapped at Sirius. "So says dis-honored master who disobey's honored Master Regulus dying orders." The elf wiped his dripping nose on his grimy wrist and then that on his even grimier loin cloth. "Kreacher heard you, you want to save the locket."

"Yes, we do," Sirius said plainly, "But we're still going to destroy the – argh!" Sirius rubbed his forehead. "How many times do I have to say this to get it through your thick head, Kreacher?"

"Master must destroy the locket," Kreacher repeated. "Or master doesn't care about Master Regulus."

"Of course I fucking care, Kreacher!" Sirius snapped. "I am still destroying the horcrux – that is what Regulus wanted destroyed. He didn't give a rats arse about the locket it was in."

"The locket is important to destroying Voldemort, Kreacher," Dumbledore said more gently. "We will absolutely carry out the destruction of the horcrux that Regulus sacrificed his life for, I can promise you we are discussing it presently." He smiled genuinely at the elf, whose arms were stretching towards the locket, fingers curling, as if he would absolutely take it were it not for the direct order from Sirius. "But there is another person trapped inside that locket, a good person, who may help us destroy Voldemort, something Regulus ultimately wanted much more."

"Half-blood with the funny hat says as dis-honorable master says," Kreacher glared, crossing his arms. "Kreacher is sorry for misunderstanding, mudbloods and master did not explain well."

"Watch it," Sirius snapped. "Oh, what am I saying? Kreacher, just –"

"Wait," Setsuna raised her hand. "He will still attempt to destroy the locket himself," she said. "Potentially endangering it in the process."

"Oh for the love of Merlin, Kreacher," Sirius slapped his hand over his face. "Right. Listen to me." He waved his finger at Kreacher. "Under no circumstances are you to touch, or levitate, or vanish that locket."

Kreacher gaped at him, whining and tugging on his ears. "But!"

"And... and no stabbing, cursing, or... or throwing heavy objects at it either," Sirius added as an after thought. "Actually, you're not to be in the same room as it. Ever. Am I clear."

"P-perfectly clear," Kreacher seethed, glaring down his nose at Sirius even as he grinned in a way that might have been an attempt at a pleasant expression. It was incredibly disturbing. Mina thought he resembled a person mid-transformation into some grotesque daimon. "Kreacher will do as m-master wishes." And with that the elf stood and vanished with a crack, no longer able to be in the kitchen as the horcrux he was forbidden from going near sat on the table.

Sirius looked pleadingly at Setsuna."Please tell me that'll do."

Setsuna looked off to the left, raised one eyebrow, and nodded. "At present he has no viable plan for disturbing it."

"Good," Sirius sighed. "In that case..."

Their meeting resumed then, diving back into the grim work of discerning how to separate a horcrux from a whole soul, a conversation, the senshi noticed, that Dumbledore seemed quite withdrawn from.

"He doesn't think there's a way to do it," Setsuna explained to Michiru, Haruka, and Mina afterwards. "Which I suppose is fair – this is slightly without precedent."

"Slightly?" Haruka raised her eyebrows. "So there's another soul walking around with a Dark Lord cling-on?"

Setsuna held a finger to her lips. "Slightly as in I have a theory... which I suspect Dumbledore has as well, and which is best left for another time... as it involves certain people who'd do better to uncover this at a... later date."

Haruka and Michiru traded the same, bemused look. "We'll ask you next time we're at Hogwarts then," Michiru said. "If I get your meaning correctly."

Setsuna nodded. There were even now, too overly curious Gryffindors hiding on the landing under and invisibility cloak. "That'll be Christmas Eve, since you'll be visiting." Setsuna smirked as Haruka cursed. "Unless you were expecting that to surprise me."

"Could you at least pretend you don't know these things?" Haruka complained.

"Yes, we will be visiting," Michiru told Setsuna. "And you are not to be working on anything no matter how arbitrary you think the day is." She looked at Mina. "Do make sure she finds a balance between war and festiveness."

Mina grinned and saluted. "Count on it!"

Mina and Setsuna departed via the time doors shortly afterwards, emerging into the hallway outside Setsuna's Hogwarts chambers.

"Now," Setsuna said to Mina, raising an eyebrow at her. "Why do I get the feeling you've been up to something."

"I have not," Mina said, putting a hand over her heart. "I am completely shenanigans-free..." she winked. "Unless of course you looked at my timeline between breakfast and now."

Setsuna raised her eyebrows. And Mina chuckled, and turned sharply towards the portrait that concealed Setsuna's rooms. "Chronos," she told it.

The portrait nodded solemnly and swung aside. The door behind it was slightly ajar.

Setsuna glanced between the door and Mina and stepped forwards, throwing the mahogany door wide open.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Eight voices startled Setsuna as her friends jumped up from behind her couches and twin explosions of sparkling confetti went off over her head, covering her in tinsle and glitter. Chibiusa and Hotaru jumped over the sofas and ran to her, hanging on her arms.

"What?" Setsuna asked, staring around as the lights around the room turned up, revealing multicolored garlands bordering her ceiling and decorating the arcs of the windows. There was holly and tinsle hanging from the lamps, and even a tree, evidently dragged in off the grounds if the pine needles and dirt on the carpet were any judge. It was standing opposite her fireplace and had been covered in glass and metal bulbs, paper chains, and strings of popcorn of all things.

"The popcorn was Susan's idea," said Makoto, holding up a pan of the stuff that they'd clearly been eating while they waited. "Only gave us a little trouble."

"Stringing them with magic wasn't working!" Sora exclaimed, running up to her. "So we strung them all by hand – see!" she held up her left hand, which had three bandages taped around her fingers. "I only stabbed myself five times."

"And whenever did you orchestrate this plan?" Setsuna asked, for she had not seen any indication of it on any of her recent future observations.

"Mama and Haruka-papa gave us the idea this morning," Hotaru explained.

"They did, did they?" Setsuna asked. And everyone in the room nodded. Ah, she remembered now. When they'd been preparing to escort the students to the train and she'd mentioned how the two week holiday gave her plenty of time for research.

"Promise you won't spent the whole Holiday working," Michiru insisted.

"Why not?" Setsuna wondered. "A holiday's just as likely as any other day to be targetted by dark forces, more so in many instances."

"Yeah, but it's a holiday." Haruka shook her head. "They're important,"

"They're just days," Setsuna frowned, looking between the two of them. "Arbitrary mortal festivals don't make them special to me."

It seemed that Haruka and Michiru had set out to prove otherwise, Setsuna thought as she surveyed the brightly decorated room. And had enlisted other masters of persuasion into the effort.

"We weren't going to let you ignore holidays just because you feel too busy," Usagi told her. "The whole point is to do something fun to feel happier."

"Yeah – come on!" Chibiusa said, tugging on her hand. "Flora lent me her exploding snap cards! You should play."

"We need you to beat Megumi!" Sora said. "She keeps winning."

And Setsuna looked over at the other two first years: Megumi still lingering slightly behind one of the couches, and Akira with her, one hand on the tall Ravenclaw's shoulder.

"I tried to lose last time," Megumi said. "It was only luck." She tugged on her sleeve. "It's just a silly card game, I don't have to play."

"Yes, you do," Akira countered, clapping Megumi on the shoulder. "You need to have fun." And then Akira pointed at Setsuna. "And so do you."

Setsuna sighed along with Megumi, and the two spoke at the same time: "There's no time for having..." Megumi stopped as she realized and Setsuna's own voice trailed off slowly. The time traveler blushed and ducked her head. Setsuna stared.

For a moment, the whole room looked back and forth between the two of them. And then Chibiusa put her hand over her mouth and giggled, prompting laughter to bubble out of everyone gathered in Setsuna's sitting room. Even from Hotaru, who had still yet to warm up to the girl that was evidently Setsuna's replacement.

"Yes, there is time," Usagi countered once she'd got control of her giggles. "Because you have help." She crossed her arms as she looked between the four first years and her friends. "What stuff do you have to do so badly?"

"Patrol the halls as usual," Setsuna said. "And I need to monitor the Room of Requirement, Mr. Malfoy's been set a task I'm trying to monitor to be sure he hasn't jumped ahead of its scheduled completion."

"Rei and I can do that," Mina volunteered. "Stare at a door and sneak around some hallways, no problem."

"And I can do it tomorrow!" Makoto said. "Gotta keep Susan from tailing Slytherins on her own anyways."

"I can go too!" Akira volunteered. "Tomorrow though, not now," she said, looking pleadingly at Mina and Rei. "I wanna play cards."

"Leaving us to our own devices," Mina gasped, putting her hand over her heart. "Traitor!"

"Don't listen to the drama queen," Rei said, eying Mina slyly. "We can have fun on our own."

"We all want to take turns patrolling for you," Ami said to Setsuna. "We could help every night especially since none of us has much homework over the break."

"Let us help you with your work," Usagi said to Setsuna in a warm tone. It sounded like a polite request, but was unmistakably an order. Usagi was getting more confident about giving them, Setsuna observed as she looked to the Queen, then to Chibiusa and Hotaru hanging off her arms, and then to the other first years eager expressions, and finally to Mina and Rei half way out the door, fully ready to cover her patrol.

Setsuna sighed. "Alright," she said, shaking her head when the collective cheer erupted from her friends and family gathered in her sitting room. "One game of cards."

~SMH~

Christmas Eve morning, Harry Potter was startled awake by a trumpet in his ear, belting out a vaguely Christmas-y jingle. It caused Harry to bolt up in bed, making the same squawking noise that Hedwig did at the exact same time. He reached over to swipe his wand and glasses off the bedside table, caught his wand, and fumbled his glasses, knocking them onto the floor. Harry (still waking up and not quite realizing he should not lean over to chase them) tumbled out of bed.

Hedwig's indignant squawking nearly drowned out the trumpet noise above him. Harry hauled himself upright and finally managed to get his glasses on his nose. He glared upwards.

The trumpet, floating over his head, tooted triumphantly.

Harry resisted the urge to diffindo it by reminding himself that he could still be expelled for underage magic whether he was in a muggle household or not. "What the hell?" he muttered instead, looking over to check on Hedwig. Her chest was puffed out and she glared at the trumpet, but she otherwise seemed fine.

"Knock, Knock!" Fred and George's voices echoed through Harry's door. He swore back at them.

"Oh Potty-mouth-Potter," one of the twins laughed.

"There is something wrong with you," Harry grumbled, realizing he'd put his glasses on upside down. He set about righting them.

"True enough," the twins agreed.

"Be out in five minutes."

"We need your help," they chorused.

"With what?" Harry asked.

"You're going to like it." He heard them disapparate with twin pops. The trumpet vanished.

Harry sighed, grudgingly admitting he liked pretty much everything the twins thought up, even if they thought of it on Christmas Eve at – Harry checked the clock on side table and groaned – eight in the morning. He went over to comfort Hedwig and feed her breakfast, then searched around for his pants.

When Harry got downstairs, he felt a bit less disgruntled upon seeing Ron and Ginny there: Ron with his hair still a mess as though Fred and George had dragged him out of bed too, and Ginny looking a bit more put together, polishing Gryffindor's sword. Ron waved at him mid-yawn, Ginny glanced up and smiled a little, moving over to make room for Harry on the couch.

"What're they up to?" Harry asked.

"Dunno," Ron grunted. "All they bloody said was –"

He was cut off by a flurry of chirps and a furious flapping of wings erupting from somewhere on the upper floors, shortly followed by Fred and George's panicked shouts. The three Gryffindors stood from the couch as twin sets of feet thudded down the stairs, the chirping and flapping chasing their steps.

Moments later, Fred and George burst into the sitting room pursued by a swarm of bright yellow, murderous looking canaries. The twins ran behind Harry, Ron, and Ginny to the couch, diving under the cushions to hide from the barrage.

"We should have considered this," Fred hollered as the birds tried to peck them, completely ignoring Ron, Ginny, and Harry.

"Indeed," George groaned. "Hermione!"

Harry, Ron, and Ginny looked up as the bushy-haired sixth year appeared in the doorway, hands on her hips and still wearing her pink, button-up pyjamas.

"Well," Hermione demanded.

"Sorry!" the twins chorused.

Hermione rolled her eyes and whipped her wand out of her sleeve. She waved it once and, with a silent Finite Incantatem, the canaries vanished.

"A simple knock will suffice next time," Hermione told the twins as they hesitantly removed themselves from their hiding place beneath the couch cushions. They both turned and saluted her.

"So what's this about?" Ron wondered.

The twins looked at each other and waved their wands in tandem, pointing them at the coffee table. A heaping mess of multi-coloured yarn appeared. And, Harry raised his eyebrows, knitting needles.

"We need your help," the twins chorused.

"We want to make our own gifts this year."

"Just for siblings and all."

"And friends."

"Except…" Fred said. And he gestured to a haphazardly knitted bit of blue yarn, which, in the process of being knitted, had become mangled enough to look like a hairball.

"We can't seem to get the instructions right," George told them, conjuring a book and shoving it at Hermione.

"I don't know how to knit," Hermione sputtered.

"Yes, but you are better at books," Fred said. "And we're on a serious time crunch. It's all hands on deck. We need to make ten hats."

George coughed into his hand "Mum," he reminded Fred.

And Fred pouted. "Fine. Eleven hats."

"Are these to go with the sweaters?" Ron asked. And Fred and George exchanged looks.

"No," they said firmly.

"These'll be better than sweaters," Fred said. "Because hats are for everyone."

Harry looked between Ginny and Ron. Ron looked confused. And so did Ginny for a moment before her eyes widened.

"Mum's not making one for Morgana, is she?" Ginny realized.

Fred crossed his arms and nodded. "Figured it out yesterday while she was wrapping them."

"Don't think there's one for Fleur either." George looked between all of them. "So… please tell me one of you knows how to work these," he gestured to the knitting needles.

Ginny smirked. "Sorry, I went and hid in the garden whenever she started talking about teaching me."

"I've only ever untangled the yarn," Ron added.

Harry too did not know how exactly one went about turning yarn into clothing. He'd only ever been allowed to put away the yarn and needles once Marge or Aunt Petunia had gotten bored of them.

"It seems straight-forwards," Hermione said, beckoning for the needles. "If it's just a hat."

"Yes," Fred and George chorused, moving to the back of the armchair Hermione had plopped into and watching as she tried to match the diagrams in the book to the needles and green thread in her hands.

"If we finish we'll make two for you and Harry as well," George piped up.

"Well let me figure out one first," Hermione nagged, squinting at the needles.

They were still at it at noon, when Kreacher came in with sandwiches that he dropped with a loud clang onto the coffee table. He caused half the sandwiches to roll onto the floor and startled Harry into dropping a stitch. Harry was used to the elf disappearing without a word, but today Kreacher made a point of glaring at each of them before proceeded to skulk away towards the edges of the room, muttering loudly about being ordered to serve mudbloods and blood-traitors.

"What's his problem?" Ron muttered, biting his tongue as he worked on finishing off his second hat. He was having much more success than the rest of them, Harry thought, looking at the half-made, fraying mess he was attempting to knit.

"He's been like this since we got here," Hermione said, glancing sympathetically over at the elf who was shuffling around near the fireplace. "Apparently, poor Kreacher doesn't like that they can't destroy the horcrux."

"Zoisite you mean," Ginny corrected. "Are they… have they thought of anything?"

"Dunno," Harry shrugged. "Guessing not." He watched the elf as he cleaned the ash out of the fireplace, one of several chores Sirius seemed to have given him to keep him busy during the day, apparently thinking Kreacher could not be trusted when left to his own devices. The elf was doing a spectacularly horrendous job: dumping nearly as much ash onto the carpet as he was vanishing. He even managed, as he was re-organizing the fire-pokers, to knock the floo powder onto the floor.

"Tonks was over the other day," Ron said, lowering his voice. "Heard they caught Kreacher spying at the last order meeting. And he nearly nabbed the thing when they found him."

"It's sad," Hermione sighed, watching Kreacher until he abruptly disapparated, and then frowning at the half-knitted green hat in her hands. "They've tried explaining to him at least three times now. Maybe if Sirius just put a little more effort into it…"

"Sirius is making plenty of an effort," Harry muttered in his Godfather's defence.

As Hermione tried to pose a counter argument, they heard footsteps out in the hallway. The door swung open.

"Harry's got the right of it," Haruka announced as she strode into the room, wearing (all of them raised their eyebrows) red pants and trousers with white fur cuffs. She was carrying a white sac – stuffed with boxes – over her shoulder.

"It's really on Kreacher whether he wants to listen," Michiru agreed as she followed Haruka into the room. Her coat and dress (white with red accents) were a festive contrast to Haruka's. "How are these coming?" she asked, walking behind the couch Fred and George were sitting on to see how they were faring.

Fred shrugged, a glum pout on his face as he gestured to the amorphous blue mess that had been his first hat, and the rows upon rows of dropped and added stitches that was shaping up to be his second. "At least I'll never wonder if I missed my calling," he tried to joke. "I should just buy her one."

"Hmm," Michiru shook her head. "The perfect gift is one that comes from the heart, it won't matter what it looks like." She waved her hand towards Fred's first hat. "Give her that one."

"And save some dessert for us," Haruka said, walking to the fireplace and vanishing the mess Kreacher'd left. She leaned over, scooped up the open jar of floo powder he'd left on the floor, and set it back on the mantle. She took a handful. "We'll be back late tomorrow."

"Is there a mission," Ginny asked, eagerly dumping her knitting work on the couch and reaching for her sword.

Michiru giggled as she and Haruka shook their heads. "Not today." She waved her wand to light a fire in the hearth and took Haruka's hand. "We have somewhere else to be."

~SMH~

Setsuna woke early on the 24th in order to watch the Time Dimension (knowing it'd be her only chance all day if Haruka and Michiru had anything to say about it). She made her sixty-fourth attempt in as many days to determine how many others besides Bellatrix Lestrange had taken the potion that prevented her from seeing changes to their timelines. But she came up, once more, with no clear list of candidates. Next, she tried to uncover how soon they might find a solution to awakening Zoisite without awakening the horcrux. No one was on a successful path at present, but perhaps, the Time Dimension thought, they might get there by February and at most by June. It was comforting to see that the swirls of sand that denoted Zoisite's awakening grew stronger as the end of the school year approached… even if the swirls could not, yet, resolve into concrete events.

Finally, Setsuna tried to see what had happened December 10th: when she'd gone out on patrol and awoken in her office with no memory of returning. Once more, she had no luck with that. Having failed three times, she was battling an absolutely sour mood by the time she conceded defeat for the day and let the Time Doors open up onto the seventh floor corridor. She paused by the Room of Requirement. It was currently presenting itself as a wide set of warm, polished, oak doors. She could hear music filtering out from inside. Good: the impromptu Christmas party the Hufflepuffs had planned was going ahead then, meaning today was one-less day Draco Malfoy could use the Room of Requirement for his own project. She itched to uncover what phrase to use to open that particular room – if only to see if Draco was farther along with repairing the vanishing cabinet than he ought to be. Then she could confirm, for certain, that he had taken Lestrange's potion.

Her thoughts were interrupted abruptly, by a delighted and all too cheerful call of her name. She turned round.

Slughorn was making his way down the corridor. He waved at her, grinning. "Fancy finding you up here," he said.

Setsuna frowned. "Were you going to attend the Hufflepuffs' party?"

"Oh is that in here," Slughorn asked, and then did a double take, frowning at the Room of Requirement. "Age must be getting to me, I don't believe I've ever seen a door there before."

"It appears from time to time," Setsuna smiled.

"Hmm, another one of those only the students can get into," Slughorn chuckled and shook his head. "A couple of those around – none as obvious as these doors mind. Why the two in the dungeons only look like notches in the stones – perfect for meeting after hours," Slughorn declared. "Except there's always the risk your head of house was waiting outside."

"There are rooms only the students can enter?" Setsuna asked.

"Oh? Oh yes, at least seven," Slughorn said, "Though they might have been done away with since my days."

Or not done away with, Setsuna frowned. They'd be convenient meeting places for students coordinating with the Death Eaters. Perhaps Malfoy and others like him met there, recruited there, unable to be heard by adults or, it would appear, seen through time.

Perhaps she had passed one such room on the 10th, on her ill-fated patrol. Perhaps whichever student had taken Lestrange's potion, Malfoy or otherwise, had been hiding in one.

"You look very concerned about something?" Slughorn mused, "Don't tell me the war's got you tied up in knots on Christmas. Why: the papers have been positively quiet for weeks now." He even chortled. "I'm sure you all have the hot-heads in retreat."

"The Death Eaters are only lying low," Setsuna told him. "The creature attacks have continued on non-magical and business targets."

"Well…" Slughorn cleared his throat. "It still stands that fewer Death Eaters about makes for a very positive day in these days." He looked at her. "And yet you've been much busier, I've noticed. It hasn't got anything to do with your," he lowered his voice, "divination work, has it."

Setsuna looked over at him with her eyebrow raised. "Everything's got to do with the future, Professor Slughorn," she said. "It's been very muddled and dark of late."

Slughorn sighed. "Alas, tis a subject I've never had particular talents for, otherwise I'd offer my advice." He had lengthened his stride to keep up with her as they approached the stairs, which remained, thankfully, still. "So you have seen something that's concerning then?" he asked. "Don't tell me this war is set to last a decade like the last one?"

"No…" Not in any timeline would the conflict last that long. None that I can see at any rate, Setsuna thought as her shoulders sagged. "No it's a bit more complicated than that."

"Well, don't despair, perhaps it could be uncomplicated," Slughorn said brightly. "The faculty at Hogwarts has always been the best in the world, save Uagadou's wand-less department…"

Setsuna shook her head. "I've already spoken with Minerva and Severus. They've been unable to help."

"Oh!" Slughorn snapped his fingers, stopping midway to the fifth floor with a jovial look she couldn't fathom. She'd just said time was dark and murky; it was no time for frivolity. "You've a problem to do with Transfiguration or Potions then?" Slughorn crowed. "I may only teach the latter but,"

Setsuna shook her head again. "Forgive me," she hesitated, it isn't a problem I wish to speak of lightly," certainly not here in the halls, with so many students staying for the holidays and free to roam them.

"Oh… Oh I see," Slughorn nodded sagely. "I've been there – always frustrating having a problem you can't riddle out. Nevermind, let's speak of other things, you'd probably appreciate the distraction."

"That might be nice," Setsuna said, though truly what she'd appreciate were answers. What was it with mortals constant insistence that the asnwers to problems were to ignore them?

"Well in that case there is one thing I've been wondering," Slughorn carried on cheerfully. "My seventh years, the ones in your Muggle Studies class, they were absolutely raving about the assignment you set them over Christmas. I have to tell you – even the project I give my Alchemy students each spring has never garnered that level of enthusiasm. I don't know what your secret is that makes them so excited to live like muggles while they're meant to be on vacation."

She made a face. "I really don't see what's so different," she said. "In fact the point of the assignment is to show them how similar muggles are."

"Oh for sure!" Slughorn rushed to say. "I just meant, you know teenagers I'd imagine would make such a big deal about it. But anyways, I was more wondering: how do you manage to give them the whole vacation time. Now, there's where I am stumped. I gather there's some time travel involved."

Her lips twitched as she tried to mask her smirk. "There may be some," she conceded. "Though no more so than is reasonable."

"Well how are they going about it this year," Slughorn asked. "Given the whole stock of time turners was destroyed – it's those doors of yours surely."

Setsuna tried not to sigh. The rest of the staff would happily accept any half-answer she thought up. Slughorn on the other hand would endeavour to understand. I normally appreciate his intellectualism. "They are very similar to a time turner," she hedged, thankful she'd put plenty of study into how time turners worked, for she could give him reasonable fabrications.

"Did you craft them yourself," Slughorn pressed. "That's marvellous if you have – I've heard the rune work alone on a time turner can take years to do right…"

It took her the better part of the trek between the fifth and third floors to flub enough answers to satisfy his curiosity. It took such a long time because Slughorn punctuated each part of her explanation with new questions, all of which left her aware of just how little she knew of Wix magic. She managed, and had hoped when they reached the second floor he might turn in the direction of his own rooms, or towards the stairs to the potions dungeons. But he followed her towards the Entrance hall instead. I wonder where he's meant to be going? Setsuna thought. His office is on the other side of the castle.

At least it was a question that would distract him from his time-travel queries.

"Oh – oh goodness I actually should turn round," he realized as they passed her rooms, approaching the main stairs. "There's an RSVP I've got to send. Christmas Party tonight, quite a few ministry friends who want me to attend." He lifted a letter, an invite she presumed, from his pocket. "Actually," he said, reviewing it. "It says I can bring guests. It'll hardly be a wild crowd. Perhaps you'd like to come along."

Setsuna frowned. "A… party?" Mentally, she added another bit of evidence to the growing pile of experiences that lent credence to Hotaru's theory that Slughorn's feelings for her extended beyond academic camaraderie.

"Won't last long," Slughorn carried on. "You'd have plenty of time to sort out presents for Hotaru, or Megumi, or your students if you're planning that sort of thing, and it would be an excellent networking opportunity – these are the same people who've been passing information along to me, might be valuable for you to hear their accounts from the Ministry first hand."

Her lips twitched. Slughorn's offer was quite a testament to how much she needed more information about Voldemort's influence in the ministry. It proved tempting despite her aversion to parties and the exhausting prospect of carrying on hours worth of conversation with the potions master. Slughorn was a man who was as rejuvenated by socializing as she was by quietude.

"That does sound interesting," Setsuna told Slughorn as they neared the main stairs. Her eyes lit up as she spotted the two people on the landing: Haruka and Michiru leaning on the stair rail, dressed in perfectly coordinated holiday outfits. They were punctual as usual (and a very convenient excuse). "And I appreciate the offer." She waved at Haruka and Michiru as they spotted her, both smiling as they pushed away from the railing. "But I have plans."

"Oh!" Slughorn said. "Why this is… Miss. Tenou and Miss. Kaioh, I recall."

"Nice to see you, Professor Slughorn," Michiru said, ever gracious, moving forwards to shake his hand. As she stepped away, she linked arms with Setsuna.

"I should have realized you'd be spending time with your friends today," Slughorn said. "My apologies – they're welcome to come along tonight as well."

"Come along to what?" Haruka asked, clapping Setsuna on the shoulder.

"Oh just a ministry party – I thought it'd be a wonderful networking opportunity," Slughorn said.

Setsuna saw him flexing the hand Michiru had shaken and had to school her features to hide her smirk. He prattled on, making a valiant effort to persuade her. "I've even heard the minister himself might make an appearance. Celestia Warbeck's been booked, she's a fabulous singer."

"Hmm," Michiru smirked. "Tempting as that sounds," she looked at Setsuna and Haruka. "We've a previous engagement tonight, and we're late for one right now." She nodded to Slughorn. "If you'll excuse us." And she turned towards the stairs, tugging Setsuna along.

"Perhaps another time," Setsuna offered upon seeing Slughorn's crestfallen look. "I hope you have a good day."

"Oh, I will," he said, standing on the edge of the landing. Setsuna looked behind her as he kept talking. "And if you change your mind, be sure to find me at dinner."

"Unlikely," Haruka muttered and then turned back and offered him a wide smile. "Happy Christmas," she called as they turned on the first floor landing and out of Slughorn's sight.

Setsuna sighed when they reached the Entrance Hall and glanced between the two of them. "Thank you," she said now that she was sure Slughorn would not hear. "I was worried I'd have to carry on that conversation all day."

"He does seem to be overly gregarious," Michiru mused. "And overly friendly."

"He means well," Setsuna assured them as they walked. "And he has very useful contacts."

Haruka grunted, walking a bit ahead to hold the doors to the grounds open for them. "I don't like him," she announced. "He's too interested in you."

Setsuna smirked. "He's harmless," she assured them. "Though I am starting to agree with Hotaru's assessment: he may perceive me as more than a colleague."

Haruka snorted and let the castle doors swing closed behind them. "Perceive – that man clings to you like a leech." Their shoes crunched in the snow at the foot of the stairs. The path down to the lake was still several inches deep thanks to the latest snowfall, compared to the foot and a half that covered the rest of the grounds. Setsuna squinted in the bright sunlight and grinned. She could already see ten figures gliding around on the lake – including one blond-haired Gryffindor wobbling close to the shore.

Haruka cursed. "I forgot the spell that makes skates."

"Don't worry," Michiru assured her. "I've got it covered."

Setsuna put her hand over her eyes as she squinted at the lake. She grinned as she spotted Hotaru: less than graceful as she skated across the ice in her purple cloak and hat with both her arms stretched out. Chibiusa was weaving back and forth in front of her, skating backwards and clearly showing off. Perhaps she's giving her pointers.

Whether she had sensed their approach or simply been looking towards the castle at the right moment, Hotaru spotted them first. She waved frantically, causing her to wobble even more on her skates. Chibiusa had to grab her arm to keep her up. Haruka waved back just as excitedly, breaking away from them to run towards the lake as Hotaru and several of the first years made their way towards the shore.

A thought occurred to Setsuna as the children approached. "Presents," she whispered to Michiru. She'd forgotten to buy any…

Michiru laughed. "Also covered," she said, moving her hand down to clasp Setsuna's. "They're under your tree." She quickened her pace, pulling Setsuna along towards the lake. "Come on," she insisted. "We're going to have fun." Ahead of them, Haruka had reached the lakeshore. Hotaru was speeding towards her, Chibiusa racing behind trying to remind her how to stop. Hotaru didn't quite manage it. She barrelled into Haruka, who caught her and slipped, both of them tumbling into the snow.

It was not the only fall of the day, nor the most spectacular. Usagi managed to knock Haruka over herself one of the many times she tripped on her skates. Hotaru accidentally tripped Chibiusa several of the times her friend tried to help her. And while Akira Hino did not fall, she did spin into a snow bank while racing Haruka and Sora around the lake.

The most spectacular wipe out happened within an hour – when Usagi knocked over Rei, Ami, and Makoto. All four of them landed in a heap on the ice, Usagi stuck at the bottom of the pile. Setsuna, a safe distance away skating the perimeter of the lake with Michiru and Haruka, successfully stifled her laughter. So did Michiru and Haruka. Not Mina. She doubled over on the ice, erupting in peels of laughter along with boisterous little Sora, who joined her in circling the pile up of unfortunate sixth years.

"We may want to stay back," Setsuna murmured. Across the ice, the future time guardian, Megumi, seemed to be whispering the same to Chibiusa. "Rei's going to…"

"Retaliate," Michiru guessed, watching the inner senshi.

A cherry wand pointed out from the middle of the pile up, and the hand holding it gave it a sharp wave. A large heap of snow rose off the island in the middle of the lake, racing over the ice and straight at Mina and Sora – who both turned tail and ran.

It hit the both of them, knocking them onto the ice with piles of snow heaped onto their hats and shoulders. The three outer senshi broke into laughter.

"Oh that started something," Haruka said as Sora packed a hasty snowball together and lobbed it back across the ice. Mina followed her lead. Usagi ducked the first one. The second one hit Makoto, who gathered the snow off her shoulder, grinning.

"SNOWBALL FIGHT!" she hollered, lobbing a smaller snowball back across the ice at Mina. Rei joined in with another spell, and Usagi after her, scrambling a snowball together from what was left on the ice.

"I'll be back," Haruka announced, dashing towards the shore. She vanished her skates as she ran into the snow, leaning down and scooping two snowballs together.

The whole crew on the ice was making their way towards the shore too, chasing Mina and Sora. Michiru laughed as Ami snuck away, gliding over to them rather than get caught up in the snow war.

By the time the orange hues of the sunset had covered the grounds, the snow war had amassed four snow forts, two transfigured snow men to lob projectiles, and the teams had changed at least four times by Setsuna's count. The current arrangement pitted all four first years against Haruka and Hotaru, and Mina, Makoto, and Rei against Usagi, who outpaced them all. Her feet kicked up snow as she sprinted away from them around the lake.

Twilight was falling. It came too quickly and too early this far north in the winter. Setsuna countered it in the blink of an eye by waving her wand. Dozens of blue will-o-wisps appeared and flew to the edges of the lake, maintaining the light. She saw several other flames being conjured by the snowball fighters – including by Chibiusa; she'd learned to hold blue-bell flames in her palm.

"Oh they've got her now," Ami announced, pointing towards the north side of the lake, where Rei, Makoto, and Mina had finally cornered Usagi, and were pelting her with snowballs. "That doesn't seem fair."

Setsuna hummed and pointed towards the sky. "Don't worry," she told Ami. "She'll have an excuse to duck out any moment now."

Ami and Michiru traded glances and looked where Setsuna pointed. Sure enough, a few minutes later, a small shadow appeared in the deep blue sky, soaring over the trees. It flew over the grounds, circling Usagi and catching all the scouts' attention with its screeching cry and loudly flapping wings.

Usagi held her arms out as her assailants lowered their snowballs and the screech owl dove towards her, alighting on her shoulder. From the shore, Setsuna could see Usagi reaching for its leg, untying a letter from it.

"I wonder who that's from," Ami wondered. "Ginny or Hermione, maybe."

"Certainly someone she likes very much," Michiru murmured. She'd taken out her mirror, which was displaying Usagi's face, a delighted grin on it as she looked at the rolled up parchment.

They watched in the mirror as Usagi unrolled her letter and saw her smile grow pensive the farther she scanned down the parchment. Michiru frowned as they watched Usagi speak briefly with their friends and stride away, towards the castle.

Michiru concentrated on the mirror. The image in it rippled. "The astronomy tower," she announced, confirming Usagi's destination. "Something she likes there?"

Setsuna nodded, chaos began again on the shore as Rei used Usagi's departure to lob a new snowball at a distracted Mina. It started the snow war anew. Setsuna turned her attention back to Usagi, watching her progress across the grounds.

I'll give her a little time to herself, Setsuna thought as she, Ami, and Michiru resumed their lap of the lake. The first years had gotten Hotaru and Haruka now, and had knocked down their snow fort and tackled them both into the snow. Only a little.

She waited until the light had faded fully from the sky and then broke away from Michiru and Ami. "Excuse me," she told Chibiusa and Hotaru as they returned to the ice, Hotaru holding Chibiusa's hand as she tried to keep her balance. "Want to spend some time with Michiru-mama for a while?" Setsuna asked Hotaru. "I need to borrow Chibiusa."

She led a curious Chibiusa around the boathouse to the docks, where the Astronomy tower was visible. She pointed Chibiusa towards it.

"Is that where Mama's hiding?" Chibiusa asked.

Setsuna nodded, smiling at her. "She got a letter a little while ago," Setsuna told Chibiusa. "Which has given her a lot to think about."

"From who?" Chibiusa asked.

"I don't know." Setsuna smirked. "But I have a strong inkling it is from a boy."

Chibiusa's eyes lit up as she grinned. "Mamo-chan!"

"Perhaps," Setsuna stressed. "I am honestly unsure. Certainly," she said. "They're someone Usagi considers very important." She waved towards the Astronomy tower. "As I said. She's got a lot to think about. She may need your help."

"With thinking," Chibiusa giggled. "She always needs help thinking." She turned around, skating backwards onto the shore. She kicked off her skates. "You can count on me, Puu!" she said, turning, red cloak flying behind her, as she began to run through the heavy snow.

Setsuna watched her until the light of the blue-bell flames in her palm was too far off to light any part the lake. At that point, another light drew her attention, dim and green, permeating up through the ice.

The Slytherin dorms, Setsuna realized as her gaze fell towards the light coming from beneath the ice. From the windows… She waved her wand, clearing the frost off of the ice, leaving it as clear as glass.

The green-lit windows were clearer now, build into the stones of the castle walls. Setsuna jumped as someone with platinum blond hair passed in front of the window, moving towards a pack of Slytherins gathered in what, she presumed, was the common room. She skated back from the cleared ice, lest the Slytherin students see her, and sighed, skating until she hit the dock. She sank onto it, gazing at the green common room light, which was glaring up at her through the water.

So many of them had stayed for break: so many children of the Death Eaters, or of possible Death Eaters…

So many children who might be working for Voldemort themselves…

Or for Lestrange. Setsuna shivered, the frozen dock chilling her through her heavy cloak.

Are they planning something now? Setsuna thought as she watched Malfoy's blurred form throw up his hands as he talked with his friends. Something I don't have a hope of accounting for…

She didn't know how long she sat there before she heard the scrape of skates across the ice. "Hey!" Haruka exclaimed. "Thought you went off this way. Come on, Hotaru wants to have a contest to know who's the better figure… skater…" Her voice trailed off as Setsuna glanced up at her, and Haruka frowned, moving to the docks and plopping down next to her. She put her arm around Setsuna and her frown only deepened when Setsuna leaned on her, head falling onto Haruka's shoulder. "Alright?"

Setsuna shook her head, gaze flicking briefly to the Astronomy tower where the light of the blue bell flames was peaking out between the rose vines. Her gaze quickly fell back to the Slytherin windows.

"Is this about the 10th?" Haruka asked. "When you woke up in your office?"

Setsuna nodded.

"You know for sure it was Malfoy yet?" Haruka asked. Setsuna shook her head again. "Or how they broke in?"

"They used my key," Setsuna whispered and sighed. "Which I keep on me, and I'm sure I must have let them in, given I woke up at my desk with it."

Haruka stiffened.

"I wasn't Imperioed," Setsuna said. "Pomphrey's fairly certain about it."

"You still don't remember walking back," Haruka said. "Something happened."

"It must have been the potion," Setsuna whispered. "Whatever it is, perhaps I've underestimated the effect that it has."

"How many people besides Lestrange have taken it?"

"At least two," Setsuna said. "Whoever broke into my office for certain, so possibly Malfoy, and..."

"The Wizard in White," Haruka finished, staring down the darkened eastern corridor. "He's been quiet lately."

"Has Michiru been able to see him in the mirror?" Setsuna asked.

Haruka made an affirmative sound. "A bit... she can see more of Lestrange and Voldemort, but whatever spell the Wizard used to erase records of himself seems to keep him from being easily spied on..." Haruka turned her head as she heard the light scrapping of another set of skates approaching. "Speaking of..."

Setsuna lifted her head as Michiru rounded the corner of the boathouse, mirror in hand. She stopped in front of them with a neat twirl and tucked the Aqua Mirror into her coat, adjusting her scarf as she sat down next to Setsuna. Michiru tucked herself close to her, lacing her hand with Setsuna's.

"I still haven't found anything on Lestrange's potion," Setsuna confided in them after a minute had passed. "And I don't care if it's a holiday, I can't stop thinking about it."

"Didn't expect you to," Haruka said. "But you've got to find time to enjoy yourself, the war'll drive you mad otherwise."

Setsuna sighed. Michiru squeezed her hand.

"We'll figure it out."

"Will we?" Setsuna breathed. "I can't see... you can't see much more."

"We don't need to see," Michiru said. "We may have to wait,"

"And be more careful," Haruka added, wrapping her arm tighter around Setsuna.

"But we will figure it out, and we will win," Michiru continued.

"Together," Haruka added. "Promise."

Setsuna chuckled. "You know I don't believe in promises."

"Maybe not, but you believe in us," Michiru said. "Don't you?"

Setsuna sighed. "I do," she whispered. "Still," she looked down at her lap. "There's some things that are out of anyone's control, even mine." She closed her eyes. "I'm starting to think this may be one." More than one. The potion, the wizard, Lestrange...

Setsuna felt Haruka's warm, gloved hand under her chin, lifting her gaze to meet hers.

Haruka pressed her forehead to Setsuna's. "What things can you control?" Haruka asked. "Think about those."

Setsuna tried. "Most of the Death Eaters attacks," Setsuna said. "Finding Voldemort's horcruxes,"

"The prophecies," Michiru added, squeezing Setsuna's hand again.

The prophecies. Especially the new one, which should not exist, whose whole contents were lost to them. Setsuna looked away from Haruka, towards the Astronomy tower. It was dark now. For a moment, as goosebumps prickled on the back of her neck, it looked as though green lightning struck the top.

As the sun sets on the Elder Stewart, the Chosen One becomes a pair...

"Yes," Setsuna affirmed. "I can control that too."

~SMH~

At the Astronomy tower, Chibiusa found Usagi under the rose vines, leaning on the tower wall as she stared at the letter she'd recieved.

"Who's it from?" Chibiusa asked, standing on her tip-toes to see the letter in Usagi's hands.

"A friend," Usagi whispered, handing her the letter. Chibiusa took it. Neville Longbottom it said across the top.

It was long. The penmenship as precise as Hermione's ever was.

Dear Usagi,

I hope you're having a Happy Christmas at school – the elves will be happy to give you extra hot chocolate, by the way. Just drop by and ask them.

I just, well I wanted to tell you about my Christmas, see. It's shaping up to be the best one I've ever had and it hasn't even started yet – and that's all thanks to you. Cause it's the first one I can remember that I haven't spent in the Janus Thickley Ward. Gran's cried three times just because she's walked into the kitchen and seen Dad cooking breakfast!

And I know I thanked you already, and I know you healed a lot of other people too, but I just wanted to thank you again. Even with the war on... I've never seen Gran happier.

Which... which isn't why I got you the present though. I mean, I was thinking of it when I got your present, but I just want you to know I'd get you a present anyways. It's probably fallen out by now. I had trouble taping it to this letter the first time I tried to write it. (And my sticking charm is not very good)...

"Present?" Chibiusa asked, looking up from the letter. Usagi nodded, and Chibiusa noticed she had something in her left hand. Chibiusa held up her blue-bell flames so she could see it.

"Wooah..." Chibiusa breathed.

"It's pretty isn't it," Usagi smiled, letting the necklace dangle off her hand, the blue flame made the tiny silver chain shine and winked off the pink, heart-shaped jewel that hung on the end.

"Do you like it?" Chibiusa asked.

"Love it," Usagi whispered. "He's really thoughtful..." She held the necklace up so she could watch the pink jewel swing. Her gaze turned pensive. "He's a friend."

"A really good friend," Chibiusa grinned and gasped. "Are you going to date him?"

Usagi took a minute to respond. When she did, it was not how Chibiusa'd expected.

"Colin and Anthony are fun," Usagi confessed. "But Neville's..."

Chibiusa waited, watching Usagi's pensive frown as it, for a moment, turned up in a smile.

"Neville's kind," Usagi continued. "And earnest, and he loves helping people." She gathered the necklace in her right hand, staring at it. "And he's shy..." She stared at the Christmas gift. "Colin and Anthony asked me out," she told Chibiusa. "I don't think Neville would."

"So... Why can't you...?" Chibiusa asked and crossed her arms. "Come on – have some initiative!"

"It's not that," Usagi whispered. And Chibiusa was startled to see a tear roll down her face. "I like Neville," Usagi said. "I don't know if he can be Mamo-chan, but I really like him..."

Chibiusa doused the blue bell flames and walked the two steps to Usagi, hugging her around the waist. "I thought you wanted to like people."

"I did too," Usagi sniffed. "But then I actually did." She let out a watery chuckle. "He's my friend... What if I like him and he's not Mamo-chan... and that would hurt him if that were true."

Chibiusa looked up at her as she scrubbed more tears off her face. "Maybe," Chibiusa whispered. "But also... how are you gonna know unless you take a chance."

Usagi thought about it and considered the necklace again. "I know but,"

"No, no buts." Chibiusa insisted, stepping back and putting her hands on her hips. "Are you a Gryffindor or aren't you?"

Usagi sighed, a smile was peaking up on her face. "Who made it your job to play Cupid?" she teased.

"So you'll think about it?" Chibiusa pressed.

Usagi shook her head, looking at the necklace again. Chibiusa's face split into a grin as Usagi fiddled with the clasp, and wrapped the necklace around her neck, smiling at the pink jewel before hiding it under her robes.

"Fine, I'll think about it," Usagi said and stretched her hand out. "Can I have my letter back?"

"No!" Chibiusa protested, pressing it to her heart. "I'm not done reading it." And she started from the top, smirking wickedly at Usagi before beginning to read "Dear Usagi," she declared in a dramatic voice, punctuated by a sigh. "I hope you're having a Happy Christmasssss," she ducked away as Usagi tried to snatch the letter.

"People are gonna hear you!" Usagi whined, chasing her out from under the rose vines as Chibiusa ran off, giggling and calling out lines from the letter whenever she could catch her breath.

Usagi chased her all the way back to the castle, catching her with Makoto and Mina's help as they barred Chibiusa from opening the Entrance Hall doors. She was red faced and trimunphant as she caught the grinning, pink haired brat and snatched her letter back, tucking it safely into her cloak.

"What was that?" Mina laughed, letting Chibiusa through the doors to the castle.

"Nothing except a little twerp trying to steal my mail," Usagi said, glaring at Chibiusa, who was giving her a cheeky grin. Usagi shook her head and sought out Ami, who was laughing with Rei just inside the doors. "Do you have a pen and paper?" she asked her. Chibiusa let out an ecstatic cheer. "I need to write a reply."

~SMH~

Pop! Pop! Pop! Miniature bursts of sparks and confetti exploded all along the dining room table as the entire stock of Grimmauld Place's Christmas crackers was pulled simultaneously by all the Order members gathered for the Christmas day party. Harry darted forwards to catch the hat from he and Hermione's – a bright yellow top hat – before it could plummet into the remains of the mashed potatoes. He looked over at Ron, who'd wound up with a pink beret that Ginny didn't want, and then across the table at Sirius, who'd got the sort of plastic silver crown Harry was used to seeing in fancy dress parties on the television. It was a garish thing: covered in pink tufts of fake fur and false, plastic diamonds. His Godfather had gamely stuck the ornament on his head, where it stuck out brightly against his wavy black hair. It had come with a toy wand of the same pink and sparkling design. And Harry snickered as Sirius banged it like a gavel on the dinner table.

"All right! Listen up, yah glutinous merry-makers!" Sirius hollered. He took out his real wand as the packed dining room quieted and vanished the remains of Christmas dinner from the table. He then waved his wand second time.

All the presents that had been sitting under the tree in the drawing room all day appeared, in an uneven, swaying pyramid in the centre of the table; the stack nearly brushing the ceiling.

"It is PRESENT TIME!" Sirius bellowed.

The stack looked much more impressive than it had hidden under their tree's massive branches. Harry's eyebrows shot up as he saw his name on at least three of the packages, or maybe four, five… it was hard to tell. He craned his neck to see the names on the ones higher up.

"How the hell'd you two wait all day?" Ron asked, leaning around Hermione to look at Harry. "Gin and I barely made it through breakfast."

"He did not last till the end of breakfast," Ginny whispered to Harry, snickering. "He took his plate into the living room so Mum would let us unwrap them early."

"Oi! Harry!" Harry looked up as George called his name, just in time to catch the squishy package that was tossed at his head. Harry had a guess it was a Weasley sweater. "First one's for you – From Mum, and this one from me an' Fred." George tossed a second package at Harry, smaller and just as squishy, which certainly contained one of the hats they'd spent all of yesterday knitting. Harry's fingers ached just thinking about it.

He unwrapped both. The sweater was green as usual, this year with a gold lion stitched onto the front, and the hat from Fred and George was green to match. And better. Harry grinned as he unwrapped the hat and dumped it out on the table. The twins had stuffed it full of Canary Creams.

"Next one's for you, Hermione!" Sirius said, levitating a small box off the top of the pyramid and lobbing it down to her.

"Careful!" Ron squeaked, catching Hermione's attention.

"This is from you?" she asked, smiling as she turned her attention to the package. Harry watched Ron on the other side of her, shifting from foot to foot. His ears were turning pink as Hermione carefully peeled the plain, brown paper off the box, which was black and velvet, a jewellery box about the size of Hermione's palm. She frowned as she moved to pop it open and gasped, picking up what was nestled inside.

"A watch," she whispered, staring at the gift. Harry raised his eyebrows. It looked new: a gleaming silvery band joined together with a watch that had a white face and purple numerals engraved inside. Hermione gaped at it and then turned to Ron. "You bought this for me?"

"Er… yeah," Ron stammered, the pink spreading from his ears all the way across his face. "Sorry I didn't have it in September – I had to raise the money, see. Spent a lot of time testing news stuff for Fred and George… Do – do you like it?" he asked. "I had Dad charm it, so you can set alarms on it and stuff, and look, see:" He tapped the watch face twice. The inside lit up – displaying a bright, full circle. "It'll tell you what phase the moon's in for potion brewing, you know…"

"You… bought me a watch," Hermione repeated in the same stunned tone.

"Yeah. Well, cause everyone's s'pose to get one when they come of age. It's wizarding –"

Hermione cut him off, nearly knocking Ron out of his chair as she hugged him. Ron's face was beet red, likely because all the Order members gathered at the table had started cheering and applauding. Mcgonagall was nodding as though she heartily approved.

"Thank you," Hermione mumbled as she pulled back.

"Right," George interjected. "If you two are done being all lovey-dovey, Ron needs to open his – you're holding everyone up."

Ron's first present, like Harry's, was a hat from Fred and George. Blue. It was a nicer color on him than his maroon sweater, Harry thought. Ron merrily put it on his head. George was already wearing a magenta one, Harry realized. He glanced at Mrs. Weasley. She had pursed her lips as she glanced between her two sons.

"Is she mad?" Harry asked Ginny while Fleur, sitting beside Ron, opened her own hat from the twins.

"I don't think she's put it together yet," Ginny said. "Might have – she's still stewing that Fred's skipped out on Christmas."

That must be why only George was here, Harry realized as he hesitantly put on his own hat.

"He wasn't at home all day," Ginny confided. "Said if Morgana wasn't welcome, neither was he."

Bill had just opened his own hat – black – and thanked George with an amused chuckle as he put it on his head. By now, it seemed, Molly'd got the gist of what the twins had done.

"Wait till she gets hers," Ginny whispered. "I saw Fred put a card in it."

When the gift giving did reach Mrs. Weasley though, she made no fuss about the purple hat or whatever card was inside it. She thanked George, and said it was very nice, before putting it on the table. Arthur, who'd already got his, slowly pulled his hat off his head while he watched Molly.

The Weasleys' quiet drama though had little mind paid to it as the rest of the presents were passed out. There were far more interesting gifts given – especially from the Order's Secret Santa. Most notable was Mundungus Fletcher's present. His gift giver either had a spectacular sense of humour or was very practically minded, Harry thought. He snickered along with his friends – and many of the adults in the Order stifled chuckles – as Mundungus unwrapped a very large bottle of cologne. Harry suspected it was Mcgonagall given the self-satisfied smirk on her face.

There were other surprises. Arthur's gift giver seemed to have panicked over what sort of muggle knickknacks to get him because they had stuffed half a store's worth of them into a briefcase. All of it – from the slinky he tried to wear as a hat to the set of 3D glasses he marvelled over – delighted Arthur, and none more so than the last thing that popped out of the briefcase: a bright, red toaster.

There were several joke gifts that got even more laughs. Sirius got Remus a bottle of hair dye with a handwritten label: For Counteracting Oldness. Remus got Sirius a dog toy. The both of them got Harry a box overflowing with socks – some with snitches, some wool, many with flashing neon stripes that Dumbledore declared were "wonderful" (while Harry was beset by trying to wrestle the lid of the box shut). Maybe, Harry thought, he could persuade Dumbledore to take some, because this was surely enough socks to last him a few lifetimes.

They went around the table several times. Harry got books from Hermione and Hagrid, and candy from Ron, and new Quidditch gloves from Mcgonagall. Ginny and Hermione both got Fred and George's hats, and the pyramid in the center of the table eventually dwindled down to three presents: one long blue box, a plain envelope, and a box as big as Harry… which happened to have his name on it. Remus pushed it across the table himself. Harry grinned, tearing off the green, sparkling wrapping paper and standing on his chair to open the top, pulling out, he frowned… a second, green-wrapped box?

"Oh, Merlin, Black," Moody groaned. "This could take a while."

It certainly did. The second box had another box in it, just a bit smaller, and that box housed another box, and another box. Sirius had started laughing at Harry's expression by the time he got to the sixth one, small enough now that he could hold it in both arms. This one he set on the table and tore off only the wrapping paper on the top. He pried open the lid and reached inside, pulling out, he grinned, not another box but a rounded package, wrapped in unassuming brown paper.

"Let me guess," Mcgonagall muttered as Harry peeled the paper off. "A circular box?"

"Nope," Sirius chortled as Harry got the rest of the paper off the real present. His jaw dropped as he lifted it free of the wrapping.

It was a shiny black helmet. Harry's eyes bugged out of his head as he stared at it, running his hand along the gold lightning bolt that had been painted on the side. The tinted visor and the padding inside confirmed that it was decidedly not a bicycle helmet. Harry turned it all around. On the back, H.J.P. had been hand-painted, in Remus' neat cursive, along the rim.

"Might want to look inside," Sirius suggested. Harry scrambled to tip the helmet upside down.

Inside, taped to the padding on the top, was a piece of paper with Sirius' block lettered hand-writing on it.

IOU: Driving Lessons.

"I'm thinking summer," Sirius mused. "Should have this war business done and dusted by then."

"Don't you have to be 18?" Hermione asked.

"Pssha," Sirius scoffed. "Technicalities."

"This is brilliant," Harry said, grinning at the helmet. He couldn't bear to let it go, and kept both hands on it as the second-to-last present – the envelope, was lifted off the center of the table by Remus.

Rigel Fawcett excused himself as the envelope was passed along, from member to member, all the way to Dumbledore at the head of the table, who – with a warm smile – passed it to the man on his left: a rail thin Garrick Ollivander.

"This is from all of us," Dumbledore told him. "Though mostly from Ms. Delacour and Mr. Weasley over there."

The whole table grinned as Ollivander opened the envelope, pulling out a letter. When he opened it, two keys tumbled out onto the table: one large, bronze skeleton key; and another small gold key, like any kind you could have made in a muggle shop.

"That one there's to a Gringotts vault," Bill said, pointing to the skeleton key. "We took up a collection so you can rebuild your shop. The small one…" and he dug into his own pocket and produced a matching key.

"Eets to our cottage," Fleur said, smiling at Ollivander as she leaned closer to Bill. "Custom built and custom warded – We just finished eet and we have an additional room. So you can stay zere and we can help you while you recover. And," she wrinkled her nose, "so you can recover some place more quiet zan ze center of ze war."

"I would hate to intrude," Ollivander began.

But Fleur brushed him off. "We want to aid you in any way we can."

As Ollivander nodded and accepted the offer, the whole table erupted in cheers and applause. Mrs. Weasley's smile seemed thinner than the rest.

"Does she dislike Ollivander?" Harry whispered to Ginny.

Ginny snorted. "Oh she loves him," she assured Harry. "She's just sour about Bill and Fleur living together before they're married – but Fleur's grown on her at least," Ginny added. "Caught her telling Bill that at least she wasn't a Slytherin."

"She's being a bloody arse about it," Ron added. "Well it's true!" he said when Hermione gasped. "I mean… yeah most Slytherins are rotten, but Morgana's cool."

"We're trying to get Dad to stand up for her," Ginny carried on, lowering her voice as the Order quieted down. The last present, the long blue box, was being levitated across the table. "He doesn't want to of course, doesn't like the drama. But Mum might listen to him."

Harry wanted to reply, but the table had gone completely silent now, as the last present was set down in front of Hamish Stebbins. He took extra time, with only his one arm, to peel the blue paper away from the box. And Hamish frowned when he opened it. "It's only a note," he said, setting aside the lid of the box and taking the note out. He flipped it open. "It says… turn around."

He did. So did the rest of the table. Harry leaned around Hermione and Ron to see…

Rigel Fawcett had snuck back in, and was standing in the doorway behind Hamish, with both his arms behind his back.

"Well I was gonna put it in the box," Rigel said. "But Remus thought it might break the cardboard… and Michiru said this would be better anyways…" as he spoke he took his right arm out from behind him. The whole table gasped, murmurs rippling through the crowded room.

In Rigel's hand was a black scabbard – with yellow and white gems lined up along the middle. Inside was something that had a matching black leather hilt with gold accents and pink gem on the pommel.

"Found a smith in Spain who could make them," Rigel said as he held the scabbard, hilt out towards Hamish. "Haven't tried yet – he said that's unlucky."

"This is mine?!" Hamish asked, his voice hoarse.

Rigel smiled and nodded. "Can you draw it now?" he asked. "It's a bit heavy."

Everyone clamoured to get closer as Hamish reached out and curled his hand around the hilt. He took a deep breath before drawing the blade.

The shing of metal leaving the scabbard for the first time echoed around the silent dining room. Stebbins let out a shaky breath as he hefted the sword – nearly as black as its scabbard. Ginny whistled – eyes sparkling as she sized it up. It was nearly as long as Gryffindor's, but narrower, designed to be wielded easily in a one-handed grip.

"And…and it does magic?" Hamish rasped.

"Should do," Rigel said. "I took your advice, Mr. Ollivander." He smiled at the old man. "Spodumene crystals. Man who made it was a little sceptical about putting them in the core, but he did it." Rigel put his left hand over the top of the empty scabbard, gripping it tightly as he looked at Hamish. "Try it."

Hamish gulped, turning to the table and staring up at the sword. The whole Order held their breath.

"Lumos."

Bright, warm light blazed forth from the blade – outshined even the candles along the walls – so much so that Harry and many others around the table had to shield their eyes.

"Woohoo!" Tonks hollered, starting off a raucous applause as Hamish doused the light in the sword and turned back to Rigel. He sheathed the blade and then bent down to give Rigel a kiss, prompting a new round of cheering.

"Is that the last one?" Sirius shouted over the din when it had gone on a full five minutes. "Right everyone pipe down – you can watch them snog later we've the best bit of Christmas to get to." He grinned as he waved his wand. Plates, spoons, and many covered dishes appeared in place of the discarded boxes and wrapping paper. "Pudding time!"

"Mind if I steal some as takeaway?" Tonks asked, leaning over the table and snagging two small cakes.

Sirius gasped. "No – not working on Christmas! I have a bone to pick with Bones about that."

Tonks rolled her eyes. "I had my shift this morning," she said. "Nah – got plans."

"What plans?" George asked, wagging his eyebrows. "Romantic plans."

Tonks chuckled. "I wish – no," she said, walking to the door. "Call it community service." She waved to them all as she ducked out. "Happy Christmas."

~SMH~

From Grimmauld Place, Tonks apparated all the way across London, and across the Thames, to Greenwich and an unassuming street corner therein. Once there, she checked her watch (still plenty of time) and walked along the block, fingers skimming across the fence that bordered the park. In her torn jeans and black jacket she drew no notice. She walked the length of the park, eyes scanning all around, across the bushes and trees and into the tight alleys between the surrounding townhouses. Finding nothing and no one, Tonks turned round and walked back to the middle of the block – where there was bus stop just to the left of the park entrance. An old woman was sitting there, on a bench, a top a weathered sleeping bag, wrapped up in a blue shawl and three heavy blankets. She was holding an empty coffee mug. The woman waved at Tonks as the young Auror approached her.

"Wotcher, Mrs. Wilkins," Tonks said, digging in her pocket. "How're you?"

"Just duckie," Mrs. Wilkins said. "Had a boy throw a snowball at me this afternoon – threw one right back."

"Betcha knocked him on his arse," Tonks said, pulling a wad of muggle money from her pocket. She tucked it into Mrs. Wilkins hand. "Here – stay some place nice for the holiday – and buy a proper Christmas dinner too."

The woman gaped. "They pay you this much just to bribe an old bat like me?"

Tonks winked. "Well you're a helluava cover." She looked around. "Seen anyone suspicious today?"

"Couple men," Mrs. Wilkins said. "And a girl. They all came stalking through the park this afternoon – smelled like marijuana." She said the last in a conspiratorial whisper. "They part of that gang you're busting?"

"Just might be," Tonks agreed. "I've just gotta keep tabs on 'em."

"Well you do good work," the woman said, shrugging off her blankets as she stood up. "Now, don't mess up my bed," she said, referring to the sleeping bag that had been carefully arranged on the narrow bench.

"You know I won't," Tonks told her, waving Mrs. Wilkins off. "Happy Christmas."

"You too," the old woman said. She shuffled away.

When she was gone round the corner, Tonks sat down on the sleeping bag and drew her wand. She turned her jeans into grey sweatpants like Mrs. Wilkins' and her jacket into the woman's battered, brown corduroy. She even conjured a blue shawl of her own and wrapped it, and the blankets, around herself. By the time she picked up Mrs. Wilkins empty coffee cup, her hands had taken on the veiny, wrinkled appearance of the old woman's, and her facial features had all changed to an exact match.

Tonks scanned around the block again, keeping her wand concealed under the blankets. She let her gaze linger on the town house across the street – with all its lights off. It stood out from the others for being the only house on the block with no wreath on the front door or candles or menorah in the windows. And it had no visible decorations anywhere on or within it.

For the twenty-first night since taking up watch here, Tonks thought how ironic it was that her boss – who nagged her about the finest details of her disguises – had left her own home standing out like a sore thumb.

Ten minutes later, right on schedule, Tonks heard a pop from the end of the street. She looked through the light snow-fall to watch Amelia Bones – who was unbuttoning her red auror's cloak. She folded it over her arms, no doubt concealing her wand, as she walked slowly down the street. She tilted her head upwards to watch the snowfall as she meandered towards her home.

Habits broke hard. Mme. Bones was no exception to that rule. Even given the war and her advice to all her aurors to practice apparating right to their front doors, the head of the DMLE had maintained her own daily, leisurely stroll from the corner of the block, alongside the park, to her home.

Tonks watched Amelia take her auburn hair out of its strict bun as she scanned down the street through her pink monocle. Tonks nodded to her as Amelia approached, she even waved. Amelia nodded to her and smiled, reaching into the pocket of her robes.

"Evening, Mrs. Wilkins," Amelia said. "Good day?"

"Better than yesterday," Tonks said, making an effort to put on a raspy voice. "Still haven't got over this cold though."

"Your voice sounds worse as well," Amelia worried, stuffing a roll of muggle bank notes into the coffee cup. "I have something for that."

She reached into her pocket again. Tonks raised her eyebrows as she dug out an unlabelled, plastic bottle.

"My brother's a doctor," Amelia lied. "I had him get me the latest medicine."

Tonks took the plastic bottle, which contained what she was sure was a pepper up potion. Mentally, she cursed. She'd have to figure out how to do Mrs. Wilkins normal voice by the time Amelia left for work tomorrow. "You're too kind," she said. "Happy Christmas, Ms. Bones."

"You too," Amelia managed a small smile. "Stay warm."

As Amelia Bones turned away, towards the street and her home, she put up a heating charm around the bus stop. Yep, definitely wand-less, Tonks thought with envy.

She was hyper alert as Amelia crossed the street, eyes out for any rats, any shadows in the alleys or along the roofs, or any shimmers of invisibility cloaks under the street lamps. Her ears were tuned for the slightest rustle, shuffle, or whisper of a cloak.

But there was nothing today, as there had been nothing the past three weeks. Amelia Bones was, in no time, safely behind the wards of her family's old London home. Tonks breathed a sigh of relief and settled back against the glass wall of the bus stop. There was much less danger now. Anyone attempting to breach the wards would be very obvious. She unscrewed the top from the pepper-up potion Amelia'd handed her. Couldn't hurt to stay extra awake.

The lights lit up on the second floor of the house, and moments later Amelia appeared in the window with coffee and a book. She settled into an armchair near the windowsill.

Tonks frowned, and cast a charm to sharpen her vision.

She had assumed before the holiday that Amelia just wasn't one to decorate far in advance, but looking into the house now, there was as little evidence of decoration inside as there was outside… and Christmas was nearly over.

Tonks watched Amelia. Her face was downcast and drawn as she stared at the cover of her book.

Guess she hasn't bothered celebrating this year, Tonks thought, recalling that Amelia's niece was spending the season safe at Hogwarts.

Tonks watched Amelia for a half hour, staring at her book, which Tonks bet she was not reading. All the while Tonks thought how decidedly unfair it was for Amelia Bones to be spending Christmas like this.

We didn't even have the office party this year with everything going on, Tonks thought, scanning around the block. As she pondered, her eyes settled on an evergreen tree just inside the park, whose branches poked out through the fence. Ugh, Tonks thought, pointing her wand through the crack between the bus stop's glass walls. I'm gonna regret this.

She screwed up her face, concentrating as she tried to remember the right incantation, and then silently cast her spell.

Gold and silver sparks raced out of her wand, zipping through the evergreen's branches and rustling them as the magic swirled up, around the tree – creating garlands and bulbs and candles that shown out into the night and made all the tinsel glitter. The magic filled every tree branch as it raced upwards, ending at the top where it left an angel in its wake.

Tonks stowed her wand a second before Amelia took notice, bolting out of her chair and throwing open her window. She leaned out of it, wand drawn.

Tonks smirked, hiding her face in one of the blankets as Amelia gaped at the giant Christmas tree. Her boss scanned the whole street, her gaze lingering on Tonks, who shrank back under the cover of the bus stop's roof.

Might have just blown my bodyguard game, Tonks thought as she tried to ignore Amelia Bones scrutinizing gaze. Lasted three weeks… well she's gotta think that's impressive at least.

And, Tonks considered an optimistic fall out, Bones might let her get away with it.

Better that than admit she overlooked me for three weeks, or admit that perhaps she does need a bodyguard.

Perhaps she'd beg Kingsley to keep watch in her place a couple nights to throw Amelia off her trail… so long as someone was guarding the DMLE director…

Tonks heard a rustle in the trees behind her and turned around, casting Hominem Revelio.

Nothing. Likely a bird. Tonks gave the street another scan and took another swig of pepper-up potion.

No Death Eaters were getting up to anything on her watch.

~SMH~

The green flames in the fire-place faded back to orange and extinguished with a hiss as a chill wind blew through the sitting room. Bellatrix Lestrange turned away from the hearth as the Wizard-in-White materialized before her.

"An interesting floo call, I take it," he said in his soft voice.

Bellatrix hummed. "A favour. Foolish elf to think he could ask it of me too." She tapped her chin. "That is if he has what I think he has."

"Hmm…" The wizard conjured his crystal ball. "I believe the item he's acquired is this."

Bellatrix peered at the image in the crystal ball. She gasped. "Then he does have what I think!" she cursed. "Blood traitorous nuisance!"

The wizard chuckled. "Ah Bella: this trinket's far more valuable than even you give it credit for."

Bellatrix narrowed her eyes. Someday they would be on equal footing and she could force him to cease his silly, cryptic games. She stepped close to him. "What do you mean?" she asked, drawing her wand and putting it under his chin.

It only made him smirk. The wizard moved his hands around his crystal ball and Bellatrix peered closer to see. The image had zoomed in on a particular blue-green gem.

"Tis far more than your Dark Lord's pathetic horcrux that's hiding in there, and it's something I'm most eager to study." The wizard grinned. "So I hope you took that elf up on his favour."

~SMH~

Grimmauld was host to a smaller party on New Years Eve, but a party none-the-less. Harry woke up when he heard the fire roar up in the drawing room fireplace. He rolled out of bed and down the stairs, finding Ron and Ginny on the couches with Hermione, already awake, and an Exploding Snap game being set up on the table. Ron eagerly dealt him in.

They'd played two games by the time the next guests arrived: Neville ducked out of the floo ahead of his parents, grinning from ear to ear. "Ginny!" he exclaimed, striding up to them. "Gin, she liked my present!"

Ginny smirked. "I told you she would," she said. "I told you five times."

"No I mean she more than liked it - look." And he took a well creased piece of parchment out of the breast pocket on his robes and brandished it at Ginny. "She asked me out!"

"A girl asked you out!" Ron exclaimed. "Who - what!" he asked when he saw Hermione's stern look. "Can I help it if I'm surprised?"

"Usagi," Neville answered, his mouth forming a goofy smile as he folded up his letter and put it back in the pocket of his blue robes. "She wants to go stargazing together."

"Boring." Ginny yawned. "Why not break the rules and sneak out to Hogsmeade instead?" Ginny asked. "And bring me back Puddifoot's chocolate cake while you're at it."

"Or you could visit Honeydukes," Hermione threw in, motioning to Neville to sit on the couch beside her. "Usagi adores that place – oh and you could..."

Hermione and Ginny fell into date planning then, as Harry and Ron tried to keep up the flow of the exploding snap game. Hermione threw herself even more into the planning once her last card had exploded, joining Ginny in trying to decide what Neville should wear and what cologne he should buy. Throughout it, Ron and Harry both kept up a conversation with their eyes, debating whether to stay or not. Part of Harry certainly wanted to stay and take notes. But a much larger part of him wanted to run away – especially as Ginny got into what clothes would show off Neville's best features, and also what she considered his best features to be...

The conversation was, thankfully, cut short close to 1:00, when a heavy crash sent green sparks and wood spewing out of the fireplace and across the carpet. Someone groaned, and a soot-covered, cloaked body rolled out of the fireplace onto the rug.

"Shhhiriushhh..." Mundungus Fletcher called, lifting his head off the carpet. "Shhiriush! Remush!"

There were two pops and Sirius and Remus appeared in front of Mundungus – Remus moving to stomp out several green sparks on the rug.

"Dung!" Sirius frowned at the man's rosy red cheeks and glassy eyes. "How much have you had?"

"A jolly night's worth!" Mundungus said. "Got to drink in the New Year bright and earrrrly."

"And you managed to floo here?" Remus asked, eyebrows raised.

"What like itsh-hard?" Mundungus belched. "Numburr twelf, Grim-old plashhe." He grinned, quite pleased with himself. "Only took me fife or sish tries."

Sirius snorted. "Where were you drinking?"

"And which bartender didn't cut you off three hours ago?" Remus muttered.

"Here an' there," Mundungus said. He stumbled to his feet. "Speakin' ah. I'mma bit short." He demonstrated by upending his empty pockets... accidentally pulling his robe up over his briefs. Sirius started snickering, along with Harry and his friends. Remus smacked his hand over his face.

Mundungus carried on undeterred. "You got anymore merchandish fer a broke mate?" he asked. "Got a guy on Knockturn who's sellin' Mandrake vodka fer sheventeen shickles an' a bit of hair."

"You're getting gipped Dung," Sirius said, shaking his head. "Merlin, you smell like piss."

"Shhnot mine!"

"Sure," Sirius agreed, looking around. "Oh, good – Kreacher."

They all looked to the corner of the room. For once, Kreacher was present, busying himself dusting the trashcan. At being addressed. Kreacher dropped the duster and crossed his boney arms. "Master has another useless task to distract Kreacher from other useless tasks," the elf sneered. "Perhaps Master would like it if I moved all the attic furniture back to the right side."

"Oh no." Sirius wagged his finger at Kreacher. "No, you are the one I caught throwing pebbles at the locket." Sirius matched the elf glare for glare. "If you want useful things to do, you've got to trust me."

"If master would destroy the locket, Kreacher would," the elf protested.

Sirius sighed. "Never mind," he gestured to the mess of ash and wood strewn across the drawing room's slightly burnt carpet. "Clean that up... then get a bucket for Dung here - he's gonna sleep in the library for a bit."

"Kreacher must do as master wishes," Kreacher said, dipping into a mockingly low bow as Sirius escorted Mundungus from the room. Remus followed after them shaking his head, and looked at Harry and his friends, most of whom were still quietly laughing on the couches.

"Avoid the library today if you can," Remus advised. "Carry on."

~SMH~

On December 31st, Draco Malfoy did not appear at the Room of Requirement until afternoon, having waited until he was absolutely sure Setsuna was gone for the day. And while he did look all around the hallway for anyone watching, he completely bypassed the four first years who'd hidden inside a suit of armor as soon as they saw him climbing up the stairs.

"Draco Malfoy," Sora whispered, peering out of the crack between the armor's leg armor. They'd been waiting ever since Setsuna had tasked them that morning with maintaining her duties, for she and the scouts were spending New Years Eve combatting several Death Eater attacks. "Finally."

"Wait," Megumi and Chibiusa said above her. Chibiusa's foot kicked Sora lightly on the shoulder.

"This needs to happen." Megumi whispered. "We just want to make sure he's not finishing his project too quickly."

Sora sighed. "But," and the rest of them shushed her. Sore peered out into the corridor. Draco had frozen midway through pacing in front of the wall. He whipped out his wand and scanned the area. All of them who'd packed into the suit of armor held perfectly still.

Draco shook his head. "Stupid cat," he muttered, resuming his pacing.

A few moments later a door had appeared, and he moved inside. The breastplate of the suit swung open as Chibiusa and Megumi rolled out of the top. Megumi ran ahead to the doors, grabbing the handles before they could vanish. She tugged one them, but they didn't budge.

"Alohomora!" Chibiusa whispered, but that did nothing. Sora and Akira climbed out of the legs of the armor. They ran over to the Room of Requirement.

"I can kick it," Sora offered

"I could melt it!"

Megumi shook her head, putting her palm on the door. "I can do it." She closed her eyes. The symbol on her forehead glowed bright bronze. "No dimension hides from me," she whispered, her other hand curled around the door handle. "Let me through."

The door clicked, one side creaking open.

"Stay quiet," Megumi cautioned, holding a finger to her lips as she eased the door open. They could hear Malfoy's footsteps somewhere inside.

Chibiusa slipped through first, leading them into the room. It had whole walls of shelves, broken furniture, dusty books, and all sorts of other odds and ends that had even Megumi looking curiously around.

"Is this where socks wind up when you lose them?" Sora muttered under her breath.

The junk that filled the room from floor to ceiling formed a labyrinth of sorts, one they could hear Malfoy striding confidently through. For their part the four first years shuffled along. Chibiusa in front, Sora at the back, Megumi walking close to Chibiusa's side, eyes closed.

"Which way?" Chibiusa asked when they reached a split in the labyrinth.

Megumi wrinkled her nose. "Left," she said. "This is a very crudely formed dimension."

Akira had to stifle her gasp. "It's another dimension!"

Megumi nodded. "Right, up here."

Malfoy's footsteps ceased somewhere ahead, and they ceased their talking, save Megumi's occasional direction. After a few minutes of walking they heard Draco mumbling, and the rustle of pages as he flipped through a book.

Sora raised her wand. But Megumi shook her head. "We can't," she mouthed. The Gryffindor sighed, but lowered her wand, hiding with the rest of them behind a molding, overstuffed armchair.

They watched Draco work for twenty minutes, casting spells and drawing runes on a tall wooden cabinet, before he tried to test his work. He stepped back from the cabinet and took a deep breath. He racked his hand through his hair and moved over to a side table, picking up an apple. He went to the cabinet and placed it inside, then knocked three times on the wood.

He waited. His hand hesitated over the handle, and then he wrenched open the cabinet door.

"Fuck!" he swore.

The green apple lay unmoved on the bottom of the cabinet. Malfoy pointed his wand at it. The fruit exploded. And he then slammed the door shut again, slamming his fist into it. His forehead thudded on the wood as he continued cursing under his breath.

A few minutes later, Draco Malfoy turned back to his textbook, and Megumi Meioh tugged on her friends' robes, pointing them back towards the exit.

"We're just gonna leave him to it?" Sora asked once they were back out in the hall. The door to the Room of Requirement vanished behind them.

Megumi nodded. "All Sailor Pluto wanted us to do was see if we could find a way in, and see how his work was going." She looked up towards the left as she thought for a moment. "I think he's right on schedule."

"What's the cabinet supposed to do?" Chibiusa asked.

"When it works, it'll act like a wormhole," Megumi explained. "Condensing space so the Death Eaters can enter Hogwarts undetected." They gasped, but Megumi carried on. "So long as nothing impedes him, or speeds up his work, that should happen some time in April."

"Then we should stop him!" Sora cried.

But Megumi was shaking her head. "It's necessary in the original timeline…" she said, biting her lip. "And in order for the second prophecy to happen, it's necessary that it occur now too."

All her friends sighed. Their shoulders sagged.

"This blows," Akira said.

"Seconded," Sora said as they began walking towards the stairs. She stuffed her hands in the pockets of her robes. "When are you gonna tell us what's in the prophecy?" she asked.

Megumi stared at her shoes as all three of them turned to look at her. "The contents of the prophecy are unimportant." She said. "What is important is making sure it happens, cause it will stem effects the Change-maker's having on the timeline."

Sora, Akira, and Chibiusa all traded looks. "That means it's baaaad," Sora sang. She walked up to the stairs and hopped onto the banister, sliding down to the sixth floor landing.

Megumi rolled her eyes. "All prophecies are bad," she muttered. "How many times do I have to tell her that?"

"Doesn't matter how many," Akira chuckled, shaking her head. "She's gonna pester you until you tell us." And she hopped up onto the banister herself. "Which you should do," she said, stretching out her arms as she sailed down to the sixth floor.

Chibiusa hung back with Megumi, putting her hand on her shoulder. "They're right," she said. "It couldn't hurt to tell us what'll happen."

"It will," Megumi said gravely. "Prophecies are one of those things I keep to myself."

"Why?" Chibiusa asked.

Megumi thought for a moment. Up ahead, Sora and Akira were already sliding down towards the fifth floor.

"They predicted the end of the Silver Millennium," she said. "That had to happen, and a lot of good came out of it."

"So?" Chibiusa said. "A lot of good will come out of this one too, right?"

Megumi nodded. "But that prophecy was known by only two people, in full. Two in the whole solar system." She looked at Chibiusa. "Do you know why?"

"Erm… security purposes?"

Megumi raised one of her eyebrows. "What do you think would have happened if it had got out that the Silence Glaive was going to slaughter nine planets worth of people?"

Chibiusa gulped. "This prophecy is that bad."

Megumi shook her head. "No, not by half," she crossed her arms. "But I am… confident that the fewer people know its contents, the more likely it will be to come to pass." She sighed. "I'm sorry."

Chibiusa frowned. "Don't be sor –"

Akira shouted three floors below, cutting Chibiusa off. She and Megumi ran to the railing and leaned over it.

Akira was on the third floor. And Sora was on the floor next to her, holding her hands up to the light.

They were translucent.

Megumi and Chibiusa thundered down the stairs, jumping onto the landing halfway down the final flight. Megumi landed, still running, and skidded to a halt next to Sora. Chibiusa was right behind her.

"I thought you said you weren't diffusing anymore!" Megumi fretted, tugging at her hair.

Sora sat up. "I didn't w-want you to panic," she said. Her voice wobbled. By now her knees had begun to fade too.

"But… but they're not fighting anything super bad today," Megumi whispered. "U-uranus and Neptune fine. They should be fine – I promise they are."

"We-we're not supposed to promise things," Sora said, trying to smile at Megumi, though every other second her gaze returned to her disappearing hands. "Mama always says,"

"Shut up!" Megumi cried, throwing herself at Sora. "I can too promise!"

Akira and Chibiusa traded glances as they knelt on the third floor landing. Chibiusa held her wand in hand. Akira was biting her lip.

"They'll be alright," Megumi cried. "Please don't disappear."

Sora, trapped in Megumi's hug, lifted her head, watching her hands. "I'm trying not to," she muttered. "I think… this just happens if they get hurt." The tingling feeling was fading. "I think I'm fine." Chibiusa and Akira sighed as they watched her hands return to normal. "Yeah… see." She tried to grin as Megumi pulled away from her. "False alarm." She flexed her hands. "Um…" she looked at Megumi. "When are they are they going to get back?"

Megumi closed her eyes. "They'll foil the last death eater attack about twenty minutes of midnight… and be here right after."

"That long!" Chibiusa gasped.

"I think…" Akira thought. "If we can figure out the notice-me-not charm, we could watch them battle in the common room fire!"

Sora's eyes lit up. "I know the spell for that one." She jumped up, still flexing her hands to make sure they were real. "Let's go!"

~SMH~

All nine senshi returned to Hogwarts exactly when Megumi'd said. The Time Doors let them out right a top the Astronomy tower. The first years who'd waited behind for them raced up onto the roof of the tower just after the senshi arrived. Chibiusa tucked herself under Usagi's arm, Akira squeezed between Rei and Mina as they found a spot along the tower wall, and Sora raced right to Haruka – who walked out of the time doors with a limp. Only Megumi hung back, until Setsuna waved her over.

The senshi had fought five battles against the Death Eaters and their creature allies since the day'd begun. They'd enabled the aurors to capture several. And – though Haruka's had a near escape after a duel with Avery and Dolohov had turned sour – no one, wix or muggle, had been hurt the entirety of New Years Eve.

"Just in time for 1997," Usagi cheered, standing on her tiptoes and scanning across the dark horizon. "Will we see fireworks from here?"

"Hogsmeade should be setting some off," Ami said, pointing Usagi in the right direction. "Is anyone cold?" They'd left without even their cloaks that morning. Ami summoned a bunch of rocks up from the ground and proceeded to transfigure them into blue hats, mittens, and scarves.

"I have good news," Megumi told Setsuna as they waited for the midnight fireworks. "We were able to get into the Room of Requirement while Malfoy was using it – he's not any farther ahead with his plan than he should be."

Setsuna smiled, though it didn't quite meet her eyes. "Good," she said. And it was good, but frustrating all the same: one less way to confirm whether Malfoy's timeline was changing like Lestrange's, and whether his choices were also masked from her. "Did you hear the phrase that opened the door?"

Megumi blushed. "No," she whispered. "We just caught the door before it disappeared."

Setsuna sighed. "Well a good job anyways." She worried her lip between her teeth as she turned her gaze towards Hogsmeade village.

She'd felt antsy since 20:21. She hadn't paid attention to it up until now; their battles with the death eaters had required all of her attention.

But the uneasy feeling lingered even this many hours later.

"Setsuna?"

"Hmm?" She looked up. Ami was holding a blue hat out to her.

"Don't you want one too?"

"I…" She did feel cold, but it was the uneasy feeling that was making her shiver. "In a bit," she said, extracting herself from Hotaru and Megumi's hug. "I've just got to check something."

"What?" they all asked.

"I'll only be a minute," she said, raising her wand and summoning the Time Doors back. She stepped through them before Haruka or Michiru could follow and sighed, turning back to the sands.

"What?" she muttered, transforming so she could more easily pin point the disturbance. "What's changed between this morning and now?"

That was too broad a question for the sands of time. Pluto grimaced as they whirled up all around her in a cyclone.

"Alright, Alright," she murmured as they settled. She raised her Garnet Rod. "Let me see Voldemort's plans."

Just the same: designating new Death Eaters to fill the positions of the seven currently stewing in the Aurors holding cells, reviewing which assassinations he desired a personal hand in, checking on his Horcruxes…

Setsuna frowned. The last plot appeared in the sands as she watched, it was his decision in the present time. Surprising. Unplanned. She tried to see what had prompted it, but all the sands did was swirl unhelpfully.

Why does he need to check on them? Setsuna thought and swallowed a lump in her throat. Unless he has intelligence that some of his Horcruxes have been compromised.

"Zoisite," she pleaded the time sands. "Show me Zoisite."

~SMH~

Everyone at Grimmauld was gathered on the roof, with several sets of omnioculars trained towards the Thames and the London Eye. Harry sat shoulder to shoulder with Ron and Ginny, and Neville and Hermione on either side of them. He could hear several of the Order, and Sirius and Remus laughing farther up on the roof.

"Now wait," Ron said, zooming in his Omnioculars as Harry shifted on the roof, suddenly unable to sit still. Absently, his hand up moved to rub his scar. "There's no people inside that wheel when they light these off right?"

"Of course not," Hermione scoffed. "That would have serious..."

Harry did not hear the rest of her reply though. For a burst of pain exploded from his scar. He hissed, pressing his palm harder against his forehead.

"Harry!" Remus shouted first as Harry got to his feet. He pushed past Ron and Hermione, bolting for the door to the stairs. He stumbled down them, heart hammering as he registered the feeling he was receiving from Voldemort – the one burning in his veins.

Voldemort felt absolutely furious. Terrified. Outraged.

Harry moved down two floors to the nearest lit fireplace, in the drawing room, barely hearing the many pairs of feet that had raced down from the roof after him. His knees slammed hard into the carpet as he gasped, left hand still pressed over his scar.

He used the fire as Rei'd taught him last year, concentrating on Voldemort's emotions, entering his mind purposefully.

"Avada Kedavra!" The green light shot out of his wand, striking that idiot Rowle between the eyes. The head cracked against the marble floor as the body landed next to the other failure, Aldermaston.

"ANYONE ELSE!" he thundered. "Want to report their incompetence overseeing their districts?"

The room of his faithful was absolutely silent. "Go." He hissed at them. They all (the cowards) scrambled from the room.

All save the best of them: her dark hair did not hide her smirk as she knelt before his throne. He raised his hand. "Bella," he whispered. "Come here."

She giggled and crawled up to him, kissing the hand he held out to her. "My Lord," she crooned. "I'm sorry for having displeased you with such bad news."

"Enough of that," he snapped. "You were the one loyal enough to alert me to their incompetence – and to recover that which is most precious to me." He combed her hair. "You are the only one I can trust."

"Trusted enough to rule beside you?" Bellatrix asked.

He withdrew his hand. He would not offer such yet. "We shall see," He lifted something from his lap. "Your trustworthiness though is to be rewarded." Bellatrix gasped as he held the precious artefact up by its chain, draping it around her neck. "I'm sure you and our associate can keep this safe..."

"Harry!"

Harry gasped, heart racing. He scrambled to sit up on the carpet and right his glasses, knocked askew when he'd scrambled back from the fire. How was it possible? He'd seen Sirius lock it up in the library himself.

"Harry?!"

"V-voldemort," Harry panted. "He and B-bellatrix have the…"

~SMH~

At a minute-to-midnight, when she should have gorging on her mothers famous pudding, Tonks was, instead, apparating straight into the Order Headquarters. She whipped her wand out as she did.

It was a rare occasion that Amelia Bones sent her mourning dove patronus directly to Tonks parents home.

"Meet me in Morgue," the bird had said before vanishing. "Tell no one."

Now she scanned the office. There were a few aurors here, filling out paperwork. The rest were likely out guarding the holiday celebrations.

She jumped as a pop sounded from the Apparition point across from her, but it was just her partner. "Kingsley," she sighed, lowering her wand.

"A birdie tell you to be here too?" he asked, drawing his own wand.

She nodded, moving with him towards the stairs. They kept their wands hidden as they moved through the main office, greeting those aurors and staff working at the desks as casually as they could.

When bad things happened. Bones held office meetings with everyone present. Even nowadays, when questions lingered about everyone's true allegiance, the whole office remained in the know.

But it appeared the mourning dove had come to she and Kingsley alone…

Her partner held open the door to the stairs and they descended, passed the level of the holding cells, all the way down to the Morgue.

Amelia Bones had her back to them as they slipped through the final, iron door. She was standing over the exam table, one that had a body on it, covered in a white sheet.

"Mme. Bones," Kingsley said as they joined her.

"Apologies for calling you in on a night off," Amelia whispered. "But this is a matter of some importance." She gestured to the covered body. "This man was found in East London by a muggle three hours ago. Wand missing, all traces of magic wiped off him. Very professional."

"How did you find him?" Tonks asked.

"I received an owl," Amelia said. She waved her wand. A note appeared, bearing only a set of coordinates and, Tonks shivered, dark mark painted on the paper in heavy green ink. "Something from the last war?" she asked

"These are new," Kingsley said.

Amelia nodded. "Someone's enjoying taunting us."

Deep in the walls, the old pipes rattled and clanged.

"It was a very professional dump," Amelia said. "Only trace of magic on the body was a compulsion charm, cast by a house elf, and traces of grade four dark magic on his hands, neck, and chest."

"Couldn't be removed by Deleres," Kingsley surmised.

"I processed the case myself," Amelia said. "Victim's male, thirties or forties. Whoever dumped the body ensured the diagnostic spells would turn up nothing, but the C.O.D. was clear anyways, and unusual – strangulation."

"Lestrange," Tonks whispered in a hoarse voice.

"Exactly my guess," And then Amelia lifted one of her fists. "This was found on him, it's not going in the evidence report." Tonks heart stuttered in her chest as Amelia opened her hand, revealing the phoenix pin in her palm. Tonks hair turned white as she darted her eyes down to the covered body on the table. Too thin to be Mad-Eye, to short to be Remus…

"As this is same sort of pin you gave me," Amelia said in a soft voice. "I am… hoping you can ID him." And at Tonks and Kingsley's nod, she pulled back the white sheet.

Tonks fists clenched on the table. Kingsley swore.

"Do we know what strangled him?" Tonks asked.

Amelia nodded. "Jewellery, I presume. It was something that was stolen before he was discovered, and he was found with several valuable things on him, so I believe the missing murder weapon was also the reason he was targeted. I was able to construct a rudimentary model." She waved her wand. The image of a chain appeared above the body, one that matched the marks around his neck. It was silver with an unusually sturdy chain. Tonks and Kingsley locked eyes over the table. They were very familiar with that sort of chain, designed to support a heavy piece of jewellery.

"You know what it was then. Tell me," Amelia demanded. "It's high time this resistance was paired with the resources I have at the Ministry." She looked between the two of them. "Tell me what we're dealing with."

Kingsley swore again. "You're not going to like it." He conjured his patronus, sending the Lynx racing off towards Grimmauld. His voice rumbled as he whispered the words the Lynx would, in a few seconds, relay to those at Headquarters and Hogwarts. "The Horcrux has been stolen. Mundungus Fletcher is dead."

~I Solemnly Swear That I Am Up To No Good~