Katrina hated the turquoise paint that coated the walls of the kitchen. Maybe hate was too strong of a word for her feelings towards an inanimate object that did not choose its coloring to personally offend her. Frustration would be a better term but it was not the paint itself, just the spot directly above the stove. It was a slightly darker shade than the rest, unnoticed by the casual eye yet the minuscule detail taunted her. Was it a mistake or intentionally done by the painter to convey a deeper meaning?

A normal person would pay such a matter little attention, finding it the least interesting aspect of the vast space, but they had not been trapped in their homes for nearly fifteen years. Perhaps it was being in the kitchen day after day that made her ponder such philosophical questions about paint, being lost in her thoughts with nowhere else to go except other rooms around the manor. Over the years, Katrina had gotten used to the strict rules set by her guardian, knowing it was all for her safety.

Kane Carlisle had a reputation for being a stoic, formidable man. He graced the front page of countless newspapers during his career as an auror, defeating some of the most dangerous wizards in the world, and anyone who knew him will would not consider him the paternal type. It was exactly what led to the arrangement between him and Albus Dumbledore to care for Katrina. Moments after her birth, she was whisked away to his Manhattan manor concealed between a pair of decrepit apartment buildings. The retired auror had been chosen for his high security, not warmth and friendliness.

As Katrina grew older, so did her curiosity over her odd, sheltered life and at the tender age of ten, she learned the truth about her real family. She was not Katrina Stewart, the name she had given the elderly man who arrived at her home to provide her with a wand and whose memory was subsequently altered to forget meeting her. Her real name was Katrina Potter, twin sister of Harry Potter, a name she had seen many times when reading in the library Kane constructed for her, famous for destroying the dark wizard Lord Voldemort as an infant. Though she had read passages about that fateful night, she had no memory of her brother or her birth parents.

To the wizarding world, she was a tragic tale, a mere footnote in the very passages that praised her brother and his theorized future as a great wizard the likes of Merlin. The world and even her own parents believed her to be dead, having succumbed to unforeseen complications, but in actuality, a double was put in her place to fool the healers while Kane, disguised as a healer himself, left with a sleeping Katrina. The plan had been concocted by Dumbledore, who requested Kane's help in the deception. It was not done of malicious intent, but to protect her from a Lord Voldemort growing steadily in power.

Allied with her parents in the fight against the dark wizard, Dumbledore had been among those awaiting the arrival of the twins. When Katrina was born, he sensed a great power within her and feared that Voldemort would seek to capture her for his own wicked means. That great power revealed itself within minutes of Katrina being in her new home, Kane nearly dropping her due to a sudden pain in his wrist. Contacting Dumbledore, the two men discovered that she was gifted with a rare and dangerous ability to siphon magic from objects and people.

With the world believing her to be dead, Katrina was forbidden from traveling outside the manor. Her isolation meant that her interactions were limited to Kane and the few people aware of her existence. She knew that Kane cared for her in his own way but as the years passed, she craved what lied beyond the walls of the manor, even something as small as crossing the street. It did not help that she could hear and see the people out in the streets, oblivious to the teenage girl staring at them from her bedroom window.

At the sound of a roaring fire, Katrina lowered the piping bag of pink frosting from the tray of cupcakes. Kane entered the kitchen seconds later, bits of his beard and right cheek stained with blood. Knowing it was better to not ask questions, used to seeing him with blood that was typically not his, she handed him a rag from the counter and watched him wipe off his face.

"All set with the—oh, those smell good." A muscular boy around eighteen ambled through the doorway, his eyes on the decorated cupcakes. "You better have saved me one, tiger."

Katrina turned away, both to transfer the cupcakes onto a circular tray and hide her smile. It was a miracle that Kane put up with Jace, their personalities as opposite as night and day. Though Kane had long retired from heading the aurors at MACUSA, a decision that had been protested heavily by President Kowalski and the general public, it was more out of a desire to hunt down 'wizard scum' without limits rather than the purported excuse of his health. He maintained his connections within the department by overseeing auror training, allowing him to observe potential talent for his own task force.

It consisted of wizards and witches from around the world, chosen for their advanced abilities. Their training was ten times as grueling and the task force was given missions deemed too dangerous for the aurors, though the team was only known to President Kowalski. Through their efforts, the crime rate in the United States had dropped to an all time low. Jace was a recent addition to the team, his father being Kane's right-hand man, and while he was more than capable in a duel, his amicable nature was in direct contrast to the other members who were as wooden as Kane. He was the closest thing Katrina had to a friend, brightening up the dull manor with his presence.

Kane tossed aside the blood-stained rag. "This is a time sensitive operation, Moore," he told the dark-skinned boy, retrieving his wand from his back pocket. "We need to be in sync down to the millisecond. Are you ready, Katrina?"

Untying the polka dot apron around her waist, she nodded her head. Her hands involuntarily flinched when he reached for the pale blue fingerless gloves, relaxing at his assurances that it was a temporary measure. As Jace tucked the gloves into the pocket of his black trench coat, slipping her a subtle wink, she brushed back her wavy dark red hair and shut her eyes, preparing for the worst. Her fingers curled around the white marble countertop behind her, to keep her steady against the barrage of hexes that struck her in rapid succession. She could feel a painful stinging in her eyes and cuts like a sharp knife dragging across her porcelain skin.

An arm wrapped around her waist and with her heightened senses, she caught the scent of Jace's cologne. Kane outlined the plan step by step, down to the tiniest detail. At Jace's insistence, she leaned into his chest and a gust of wind swept around them, followed by loud, perplexed chattering.

Katrina was guided to an empty chair, doing her best to keep her hands at her sides. Her vision slowly returned as a cooling sensation passed over her face. Instead of the manor, she was inside an open cubicle covered with wanted posters and newspaper clippings, surrounded by Jace and a dozen strangers, all gawking at her like she was an animal in a zoo.

Kane had instructed her to act terrified but in this moment, there was no need for acting, her fear completely genuine. How could she not be when her first time in the outside world was under these circumstances? An older man with shoulder-length greying tawny hair limped to the front of the small group, narrowing his yellow eyes at Jace.

"Apologies for the intrusion, Scrimgeour. I was pursuing a case and it brought me to your territory." He conjured a manila folder. "Crispin Lee. A former auror in your Ministry—"
"We know who he is," interrupted another man, viciously.

"Well, he hasn't turned over a new leaf, as he claimed. He was in the middle of moving to a new safe house in Kent…to be closer to his former master, if the rumors are to be believed." The aurors tensed at his words. "I managed to get the drop on him and I found this young girl chained up in the basement. She's not much of a talker so I used a strand of her hair to get an idea of her identity. This is Katrina Potter."

Katrina's anxiety spiked up as they simultaneously whipped their heads in her direction. None of them looked convinced, except for a woman who acknowledged her striking resemblance to her mother. Another auror suggested using veritaserum but Scrimgeour, the man in charge, argued that it was not reliable. Bending down to eye level, he questioned Katrina about her whereabouts. Behind his back, Jace inclined his head and she began to recite the story she practiced with Kane for the past week, word for word. She tearfully claimed that Lee had masqueraded as a trainee healer in the newborn unit and kidnapped her for Voldemort, a form of revenge against her parents. When his master was defeated, Lee fled with her, keeping her locked up in the basement of his home, and with the news of Voldemort's return, he planned to return to Britain.

She winced when Scrimgeour ripped out a strand of her hair and placed it on a piece of parchment. Flicking his wand, a ball of golden light struck the hair and words appeared underneath the glowing strand. He scribbled on another piece of parchment, which vanished into thin air, and minutes later, she heard rapid knocking on the door. Scrimgeour met the visitors halfway: a portly man with rumpled grey hair, a short, squat woman, and a tall redheaded boy. Snatching the parchment from Scrimgeour, the portly man scanned it several times, as if expecting the words to change into something more satisfactory, while the toad-faced woman looked her over appraisingly.

"Complete nonsense, rubbish, all of it. Tear this up, Weasley," said portly man, shoving the parchment into the boy's chest. "What game is Dumbledore playing here, Moore?"

Jace raised his brow. "Perhaps you've forgotten but I work for MACUSA, not your Ministry or for a school headmaster. I would think you'd be delighted by this discovery, Minister. A tragic tale has turned into a heartwarming family reunion. I'm sure if her name wasn't Potter, you'd be reacting much differently."

"You expect me to believe that a girl declared dead minutes after birth is now sitting in front of us?" Some of the aurors shifted uncomfortably at his harsh laughter. "You must think me a fool."

"Oh, I definitely do." His eyes bulged at Jace's joke. "If it were one of your aurors, I'd question the legitimacy of such a find. They let a death eater infiltrate their ranks and steal a young girl from her family right under their noses. It would never happen under the watch of MACUSA. Just as I've done, Scrimgeour verified her identity yet you're too blind to see sense. I brought her here out of hope that you'd put politics aside but clearly that won't happen. I'll be taking Katrina to her relatives in Surrey. The only reason I will be contacting Headmaster Dumbledore is to enroll her at Hogwarts. I believe we're done here."

"Now see here, Moore, you cannot just take her," said Scrimgeour, firmly. "If her story is true, she's a witness to Lee's crimes."

"Katrina will gladly give a statement and then we will be leaving," Jace replied. "Feel free to sit in if you'd like more proof, Minister. I do suggest you send your men out to retrieve Lee before he escapes again. They'll find him tied up in the drawing room."

Katrina spent what felt like an eternity in the auror office. She repeated her statement over and over, being bombarded with questions from the British Minister. He continued to doubt her story, randomly throwing in accusations of being one of Dumbledore's allies under polyjuice potion or a criminal masquerading as 'the dead Potter' in exchange for immunity for her misdeeds. Having read articles in the New York Ghost about the British Ministry's response to Voldemort's alleged return, choosing to smear both Dumbledore and Harry as deluded, she expected the Minister to react unfavorably but he seemed determined to treat her like a mental patient, not an innocent teenage girl.

After an hour of grating questions, along with mistrustful looks from his assistant Weasley, she was led out of the office by Jace. He shielded her from view with his coat though it did little to hide the curious stares of passing Ministry employees.

Once they were alone, he handed back her gloves. "I know that was rough, Kat. Fudge isn't usually so…"

"Mean?" she asked, putting it nicely. "He still doesn't believe me."

"Didn't think he would, neither did Kane. All this animosity with Dumbledore has driven him a little crazy," he explained, as he healed her cuts. "I wish your first time out of the house wasn't having to deal with angry old men but we needed the distraction. Not everyone is going to react like that, I promise. Bet the newshounds at the Daily Prophet are already writing about your miraculous return so we should get going. Hold on tight."

Clutching her waist again, he apparated out of the Ministry and onto a patch of wet grass. They were standing across from a series of grimy houses, with broken windows, paint peeling from the doors, and piles of trash on the front steps. Jace extinguished the nearby street lamps before retrieving a strip of paper from his pocket. The headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix may be found at number twelve, Grimmauld Place, London was scrawled in narrow handwriting. As the paper turned to ash in her hand, she lifted her head to see another house, just as grimy and shabby, had formed between two others and Jace walked up the stone steps with her, tapping the battered door with his wand.

After a sequence of loud, metallic clicks, the door creaked open and he hurried her inside, shutting the door behind them. It was similar to the enchantments guarding Kane's manor but the inside was not as well-kept, a damp, rotting smell lingering in the air. The house looked like it had been abandoned, the flickering lights from gas lamps revealing cobwebs, moth-eaten curtains, torn portraits, and heavy layers of dust.

Kane was waiting at the bottom of the staircase. "Ten seconds early."

"Fudge was being worse than expected. He's skeptical but he won't be able to deny the story once Lee's brought in," said Jace, stowing his wand in his coat. "My memory altering charms are pretty damn good, if I say so myself."

"To be safe, go back to the Ministry. Shacklebolt will be on assignment for the night so you'll be able to fool them. Don't stay too long, just enough to ensure the interrogation is done correctly," warned Kane.

"I'll keep you updated, sir." Jace glanced down at an anxious Katrina. "Don't be scared. It'll go great."

With a soft pop, he apparated from the hallway. "He arrived an hour ago. No one knew he left his home with all the attention on you," said Kane, Katrina walking alongside him. "The Dark Lord's spies were already on their way to tell him the news before Scrimgeour confirmed it, according to Alaric. He's got a temper on him. Dumbledore would've been wise to let me crack him a bit but he claims to know what he's doing with the boy. Don't let it affect you."

"I won't," she replied, fiddling with her charm bracelet.

Together, they passed through a door at the end of the long hall and descended down a flight of stone steps. Behind a second door was a cavernous room with iron pots and pans hanging from the dark ceiling. At the center of the room was a long wooden table where a teenage boy and older man were seated across a pile of smoking rags. Katrina's nerves skyrocketed, leading her to hide behind Kane's burly frame. What unfolded next was a chaotic scene: a large cauldron of stew skidding across the table, a flagon of butterbeer tipped over, spilling its contents all over the floor, and a breadboard flew across the room, the knife sliding off and quivering ominously against the polished wood.

Katrina had never seen such disarray, Kane running his home like a tight ship. Even stranger was the laughter from the teenage boy, who shared her emerald green eyes, and the man, both ducking behind their chairs, though the amused sentiment was not shared by the redheaded woman who emerged from an archway to lecture a pair of redheaded twin boys sporting innocent grins.

"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" she screamed, her hands on her hips. "THERE WAS NO NEED—I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS—JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW YOU DON'T HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERY TINY LITTLE THING!"

As more people cautiously stepped into the room, both adults and teenagers, carrying plates and cutlery, Kane interrupted the lecture with a swift flick of his wrist, clearing the mess and levitating the cauldron, flagon, and breadboard to their proper places. The twins spun around at their wands flying out of their hands and into his, Kane wearing a hardened expression that Katrina knew well from spying on his training sessions.

The woman clutched her chest. "Goodness, I didn't see you there, Kane. I apologize for the mess."

"Your boys lack discipline, Arthur," he told the balding man beside her.

"Forgive them," said the man, throwing a quelling look at his sons. "Now that they're of age, they're overeager to showcase their abilities outside of a classroom."

"Perhaps your Ministry should learn from MACUSA's example," replied Kane, not caring much for the excuse of 'kids will be kids'. "We don't allow them to practice magic unsupervised until they've proven to be responsible. Magic isn't a toy."

"Thank you for imparting your unwanted wisdom," the man at the table said, sarcastically. "You should see a healer about that wand that's been lodged up your backside, Carlisle. It was an innocent mishap, not—"

The man stopped mid-sarcastic rant when he spotted the sliver of Katrina peering over Kane's shoulder. Her heart raced at the dozens of pairs of eyes on her, some in confusion and some in excitement. As the man approached her, she instinctively hid behind Kane, her guardian halting him with a single look, his eyes narrowing a fraction of an inch.

"I wasn't—right, germaphobe." It appeared to be a substitute word for her siphoning abilities. "Didn't mean to scare you. I promise none of us bite. I'm Sirius."

"Katrina," she said, softly.

Flashing her a kind smile, he introduced her to the people around the room. In truth, it was unnecessary, having been informed by Kane days earlier in her bedroom with the intensity of a case briefing. The house was not only the family home of Sirius Black, Harry's godfather and one of her father's best friends, but the headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix, the organization created by Dumbledore to oppose Voldemort and his forces. She knew of Sirius's unfortunate past, being wrongfully convicted of being a death eater and an accomplice to the murder of her parents. Though he had escaped two years ago, the effects of his imprisonment were still evident by his long, matted hair and partially sunken face.

Kane spoke far more favorably of Remus Lupin, another close friend of her parents and Katrina's godfather. His perpetually tired appearance was a result of being a werewolf, an affliction he dealt with from a young age, but he was not like the terrifying beasts described in her books. The numerous redheads all belonged to the Weasley family, who were one of the oldest pureblood families but looked down upon for their openminded views towards muggles and their lack of wealth. Kane had mentioned her brother's tight-knit relationship with the Weasleys, thanks to their son Ron, viewing them as a second family.

His other best friend was Hermione Granger, a studious muggleborn, and next to her was Nymphadora Tonks, a metamorphous and auror who preferred to be called by her surname. What she assumed to be a pile of rags was Mundungus Fletcher, a criminal with a loyalty to Dumbledore. Sirius had saved her brother for last, who was eyeing her curiously. With a subtle nudge to her ribs from Kane, she stepped out from her preferred hiding place.

"Harry, Katrina is your sister."

Those five words sent the room into another frenzy, the teenagers unaware of her true identity.

"I—I don't have a sister," said Harry. His eyes darted from a shy Katrina to Sirius. "You never said—why wasn't she with me at the Dursleys? Why did you never tell me?"

"I'm sure you have many questions," said Lupin, hearing the rising anger in his voice. "Katrina was not an intentional secret. We only learned of her ourselves a couple days ago. I doubt your aunt and uncle would think to tell you about her, considering the circumstances. Until recently, Katrina was thought to have died in the hospital shortly after you two were born."

"Why? Where has she been?" he asked, concerned.

"Dumbledore arranged for her to go into hiding with Kane." Sirius made a soft noise of dissent. "He was once a highly respected auror in the United States and he continues to participate in their training. Dumbledore had intel that Voldemort was going to steal Katrina for unknown reasons and faking her death was a way to ensure her safety. We believed it was true."

"And we are all very glad that isn't the case," said Mrs. Weasley, picking up a ladle. "Come sit. We have plenty of food to go around."

Katrina jumped as the twins appeared on either side of her, simultaneously lowering themselves into bows. "A pleasure to meet you, m'lady. Fred," said the one to her right.
"And George," said the other.

"At your service," they chorused.

"Anything you need," said Fred, pulling out a chair. "Do not hesitate to ask."

Bill, the oldest brother, silently shook his head. Unsure of what to say, Katrina sat in the chair, Kane scaring the polite twins off by shoving their wands into their chests. She hoped to fade into the background her first night, free to observe the people around her but fate decided a different path, with Sirius keen on knowing every little piece of her life. Spending it within the confines of her home, there was not much to tell but he showed interest despite her mundane routine. It warmed her heart when he mentioned that her mother shared her love of reading, Kane, on the rare occasion of discussing her parents, always focusing more on their magical prowess than personal interests.

One of her fears was being treated like an outcast by her peers for her abnormal upbringing but the Weasley children and Hermione were all friendly and welcoming, her brother being the exception. He had not spoken a single word, his suspicious looks reminding her of Fudge. Halfway through dinner, everyone broke into side conversations, Tonks entertaining Hermione and Ginny by transforming her nose into various shapes, Bill, Mr. Weasley, and Remus discussing goblins, and Fred, George, and Ron were in hysterics over Mundungus's story about a past 'business deal'.

Feeling a tightening in her chest, Katrina excused herself to the bathroom. She slowed her breathing, maintaining her gaze on her reflection.

"I can do this," she whispered. "I'm in control."

"What are you doing?" Her fingers dug into the ceramic sink at Harry's voice. "Who are you talking to?"

Puzzled by his accusation, she followed his eyes to the mirror, a barely visible glimmer to the glass. She assumed it was enchanted, the glimmer caused by unintentional siphoning. Did he think that he was some sort of spy, delivering secret information to a death eater or Voldemort himself?

"I wasn't—I—I'm not used to being around lots of people. K—Kane always kept me inside," she stuttered. The mirror returned to normal. "I didn't think I'd meet all of them at once. It's a little scary. When I get nervous, my magic acts up."

Harry frowned. "I'm sorry. I've…with everything that happened in the graveyard and the dementor attack and almost being expelled, I've been…on edge. I was stuck with the Dursleys all summer, not knowing what Voldemort's been up to and always waiting for an attack. Then I find out I've got a twin sister who was supposedly dead but she's not and it feels like I know nothing. I shouldn't have been acting that way towards you. I can't imagine what it must've been like, to never be allowed outside…"

"Katrina." Kane appeared in the doorway, immediately observing her nerves. "Have you upset her, boy?"

"I have a name," Harry replied, irritated.

"Come along," he said, ignoring him. "Moore's returned. Lee's been taken into custody and corroborated your story."

Shaking off her fears, Katrina returned to the kitchen with Kane. Her cupcakes were on the table among other desserts. Wiping the pink icing from her lips, Ginny complimented her on her baking skills. Jace was sitting in Kane's empty seat, talking to an amused Sirius and mimicking Robards.

"All good?" Sirius asked her, as she sat at the table. "Jace was just telling us about some of the aurors are clearly under Fudge's influence. Robards sided with him that the kidnapping story is a load of dung."

"Don't worry," said Jace, tearing off the top of a cupcake and flipping it upside down to make a sandwich. "They won't find any proof. I've seen them at work. No offense, Tonks."

Tonks, her nose resembling a pig's snout, turned away from a giggling Ginny. "None taken. Rumor has it that he's after Scrimgeour's position and instead of skill, he's relying on sucking up to Fudge."

Katrina's mood improved considerably with Jace's arrival. He had a way of effortlessly bringing her out of her shell.

"From all the stories Kane's told us, I half expected your brother to be wearing a crown," he whispered. She stifled a giggle. "Think I could take him?"

Mrs. Weasley circled the table to collect the empty plates. The atmosphere in the room shifted from relaxed to tense as Sirius wondered aloud why Harry had not asked questions about Voldemort. Aside from Lupin, a frisson passed through the others at the table, Katrina knowing that most people were too frightened to use his actual name and preferred to call him 'he who must not be named' or 'you know who'. A heated argument exploded between Mrs. Weasley and Sirius about Harry's right to information, citing his young age and that he was not a member of the Order.

Mr. Weasley and Remus were roped into the debate, advocating for giving Harry a general picture of what they had learned over the summer. Katrina was starting to get dizzy from how fast her head moved back and forth, from the charged remarks between Mrs. Weasley and Sirius. Seeing that it was a losing battle, Mrs. Weasley agreed to Harry's stubborn request to hear the truth, inciting her children to plead to be allowed as well instead of being sent to their rooms.

"Harry'll tell me and Hermione everything you say anyway!" said Ron hotly, after hearing Fred and George be reluctantly given the same permission. He glanced at Harry with uncertainty. "Won't—won't you?"

"Course I will," replied Harry.

"Fine!" shouted a vexed Mrs. Weasley. "Fine! Ginny, why don't you go show Katrina to her room? It's the one next to yours and—"

"Katrina's well-informed on the situation," said Kane, nonchalantly. "She knows as much as I do."

Mrs. Weasley was at a loss for words. "Why on Earth would you—Kane, she isn't—fine, fine! Ginny—BED!"

Ginny's raging towards her protective mother could be heard all the way up the stone steps. Lupin left the kitchen at the sound of earsplitting shrieks, accompanying Ginny's shouting, and returned minutes later, muffling the younger girl and Mrs. Weasley's voices by closing the door. Harry wasted no time, wanting to know everything about Voldemort's schemes. Katrina had heard all of it from Kane, often being woken in the middle of the night and struggling not to fall asleep. The dark wizard was choosing to lay low, careful not to arouse any suspicion with his actions. Harry ruined that by not only surviving the attack during the third task of the Triwizard Tournament but alerting Dumbledore of his resurrection.

"After he reconvened the old members of the Order, he reached out to Kane, who was an important ally during the first war," said Lupin, lowering his goblet of wine. "During his time as an auror, he became quite connected throughout the wizarding world with powerful people he and as an extension, the Order could use to have an ear to the ground around those we may not typically associate with in our daily lives."

"Arrogant, high-society purebloods," Sirius told a puzzled Harry. "It's no secret that a lot of them were on board with Voldemort's ideas. You've probably heard their own children parroting their beliefs about blood purity at school. As far as they're concerned, Carlisle is a neutral bystander, though they want him on their side. He may be an insufferable ass but the aurors at MACUSA, like Jace, are considered the best in the wizarding world."

"Precisely why Kane coordinated with us on retrieving you from Privet Drive." Lupin nodded towards Katrina. "It's no coincidence that Katrina arrived on the same night. While we were getting you, Jace brought her to the Ministry, pretending that he found her in the residence of a formerly accused death eater. It provided a cover with the Ministry dealing with her reappearance instead of spying on you, the same for Voldemort. No doubt his spies in the Ministry informed him without hesitation."

"But what if they figure out it's a lie?" asked Harry.

Jace chuckled. "The Scottish national team will beat the US team before they even find a flaw. You give them too much credit. No offense again, Tonks."

They continued to explain the Ministry's staunch belief that Dumbledore and Harry were spreading lies to destroy the peace built in the years after Voldemort's defeat, refusing to listen to reason. In Fudge's blinkered mind, it was an attempt by the elderly wizard to steal his position as Minister, resorting to having the Daily Prophet print false stories about him and Harry to ruin their credibility. Dumbledore, unfazed by Fudge's scorn, did not relent, leading to him being removed from Wizengamot and the International Confederation of Wizards, blaming it on his proposed mental instability.

"But if Voldemort's trying to recruit more death eaters, it's bound to get out that he's come back, isn't it?" asked Harry, desperately.

"He doesn't do it out in the open," said Katrina, surprising the others. She had read about the previous wizarding war and Voldemort's preferred methods. "He blackmails them or puts them under the imperius curse. It's why some of his followers lied that they weren't in control…to evade prison."

She blushed at Sirius's grin. "Katrina's right. In any case, gathering followers is only one thing he's interested in. He's got other plans too, plans he can put into operation very quietly indeed, and he's concentrating on them at the moment."

When Harry questioned what Voldemort was after, Katrina noticed the adults exchange fleeting glances and Kane tightened the grip on his goblet. Jace was purposely avoiding direct eye contact with her, meaning their conversation had drifted into top secret territory.

"Stuff he can only get by stealth," said Sirius, cautiously. "Like a weapon. Something he didn't have last time."

The conversation was cut short by Mrs. Weasley, who believed that the teenagers heard more than enough and wanted them in bed. Harry's eagerness to join the Order was promptly shot down by Lupin, the organization comprised of overage wizards out of school. Along with Mrs. Weasley and Jace, he led Katrina and the other children out of the kitchen.

Jace stopped at the bottom of the staircase. "I have to meet my father and Elizabeth back home." Bundling her sleeves over her hands, Katrina hugged him. "Get some rest and I'll bring Purrsephone with me when I come back. She's safe with me."

After giving her back a light squeeze, he headed towards the front door. "Is he your boyfriend?"

On the second to last step, Hermione nudged Harry's side. Katrina was taken aback by the question, her brother seemingly not the only one interested in her answer.

"N—no," she replied.

"Up to bed," said Mrs. Weasley, giving the twins (Katrina thought they looked relieved) a tiny shove.

At the first landing, they separated, with Ginny and Hermione entering the second door on the right and Lupin opening the next door. Inside was a high-ceilinged room with a single bed and a dusty chandelier.

"Kane did mention your love of reading before you arrived. I think you'll find some quite interesting books in that cupboard," he said, with a small smile. "I have something else you might like."

Reaching into the pocket of his shabby robes, he held up a silver necklace. A pendant hung in the middle, a doe etched into the silver with emeralds for eyes. It was a gift from her father to her mother during their seventh year at Hogwarts. After the death of her parents, he found the necklace in her jewelry box when assisting Order members to sift through the wreckage of their home.

Lupin placed the necklace in her hand. "I thought you'd appreciate having something to remember them by. Losing you was the hardest thing they ever dealt with and I know they'd be overjoyed to see you alive and well."

"Thank you," she replied, grateful for the personal gift.

Opening the suitcase on her bed, Katrina changed into her black silk nightgown and took out a white wool blanket, her name stitched in pink yarn. Before receiving her mother's necklace, the blanket was the sole item tying her to her parents.

Just as she drifted off to sleep, she was woken up by a firm hand on her shoulder. She blinked twice, seeing Kane at the side of her bed. His voice sounded distant, though she was able to hear mutterings of getting dressed, and as he shut the door, she sleepily grabbed a sweatshirt and cotton shorts from her suitcase. Kane brought her to a spacious room on a floor below the kitchens. He was unconcerned with making noise, fortifying the room with enchantments.

"Your training doesn't stop, no matter where you are," he said, handing her a pair of escrima fighting sticks. "Don't go soft because of your brother. What did I tell you this morning?"

"No distractions." She blocked his attack. "You were right about his temper. He's paranoid…anxious…headstrong…

"A poor combination," he advised. "Black likely sees it as bravery but there's a thin line between that and stupidity."

From the age of three, Kane taught her how to defend herself, starting with simple drills. Very few people knew that he had put her through his rigorous training program, where she learned how to fight with and without spells. It was what made his team a considerable force, its members well-equipped to handle a situation where magic may not be a viable or safe option. He never showed her any mercy, for her age or size, training with her many hours of the day. Despite the fact that she was unable to leave his manor, he wanted her prepared for any possible attack.

"What's the weapon?" she asked, almost striking his forearm.

"Taking a sudden interest in matters of the Order?" he countered. "Is that boy rubbing off on you already?"

She dodged the swing of his stick that neared her cheek. "Do you plan on keep calling him that?" He smirked, their sticks connecting with each block. "If the Order doesn't tell him, he seems like the type that'll try to find out himself. He's my only family so I'd rather he not get killed because of some half-baked plan. I want to protect him."

"How noble but from what Albus tells me, it will be a futile effort," said Kane. "Voldemort won't merely have one of his men kill him. He'll want it to be a spectacle, which makes you the higher value target. You need to focus on yourself, not your bullheaded brother."

Katrina staggered backwards as he elbowed her in the face. With a swipe of her leg, he knocked her down to the floor, his stick inches from her chin.

"You need to be ready." She wiped the blood under her nose. "You stay alert at Hogwarts and trust no one. Understood?"

Tugging hard on the stick, she simultaneously kicked at his knee. He ever so slightly lost his footing and just as he regained it, she swiped at his other leg. The motion sent him onto his back and her knee pressed into his chest, restricting his movements.

"Good," he said, both of them rising from the floor. "Get your wand out. Don't hold back. No hesitations…"

"No distractions," she whispered, taking out her wand.