September 10 - 11, 1988

"What in Godric's name are you doing here!?" Callie demanded, raising her wand to his throat again.

He stood his ground like a Black, but his eyes betrayed his nervousness. "Sirius said I can trust you," he reported quickly. When she didn't respond, he added, "I want to help you." She wasn't exactly comforted by the sleeves of his robes falling to his elbows, revealing the cruel, ugly Mark on the inside of his arm.

"How did you get in here?"

"Sirius gave me his key."

Callie's eyes narrowed. "Did he now? Show me."

Regulus hesitated. "It's in the pocket of my robes."

"Accio key!" The small, intricate key flew from his pocket and into her free hand. She looked down at it, keeping Regulus in her peripheral vision. It was definitely the right key. Hers had been enchanted against replicating magic. "How did you get this?" She took a step forward, the tip of her wand digging into the skin of his neck. "Did you kill him!?"

Regulus smiled a very little bit. "He said you'd say that," he replied a little sheepishly. "No, I didn't kill him. He gave it to me. The charm prevents anyone from possessing it unless it's willingly given, right?"

Yes, it did. She lowered her wand again. "Sirius really gave this to you?"

Regulus nodded. His arms were still raised.

Callie sighed deeply and rolled her eyes. "I'm going to kill him," she vowed, pocketing the key. For good measure, she pointed her wand at him again and said, "Revelio." Nothing happened. It really was Regulus Black. It didn't make her any less confused. "What are you doing here?"

"Sirius said I could trust you," he repeated. "I have information about the Dark Lord. He said to come to you."

"What information?"

"It's about his plans. He's trying to become immortal."

"That's impossible." She noticed his arms were still raised. "You can put your hands down."

He dropped his arms gratefully. "It's not impossible." Someone knocked on her door. She hesitated. "It's probably Sirius, unless you're expecting someone else. He said he'd come."

Sighing again, she walked to her front door and peered through the peephole. Sure enough, it was Sirius. She hesitated a moment longer before opening the door. Sirius walked right in, Marlene McKinnon at his heels.

"Warn me next time you plan a party in my home," Callie said testily.

"I'm so sorry about this," Marlene said. "I told Sirius to warn you, but you know he likes being dramatic-"

"Reg!" Sirius said, shaking his brother's hand. "Fancy seeing you here." He glanced over his shoulder at Callie and grinned. "Fraternizing with the enemy, Potter? How very Romeo and Juliet."

Callie glared at him, unamused. She twitched her wand in his direction. A slimy sardine slid out of Sirius' nose. With a sound of disgust, Sirius reeled back. Marlene burst out laughing. Callie allowed herself a satisfied smirk. Even Regulus cracked a smile.

Sirius glared at her and said the counter curse. The sardine slipping out his other nostril vanished along with the one on the floor. His eyebrow rose threateningly.

Marlene grinned and patted his shoulder. "Oh, she's good," she complimented. She took a seat on Callie's couch and crossed her legs. "But let's down to business. I'm sure Regulus needs to report soon."

Regulus nodded and said he did.

Sirius ducked into the kitchen and began rummaging through the cupboard. "Have you got any Firewhiskey?"

Callie sighed. "Same place it always is. And next time you decide to throw a party in my house, let me know first!"

"Yeah, you said that already!" Sirius came out with four bottles of Firewhiskey. He tossed one to each of them and took the seat on the couch next to Marlene. "But I know how you love surprises." He smirked and took a swig from the bottle. "Reg, have a seat. If Callie hasn't bitten yet, I don't think you have to worry."

Regulus looked at Callie, silently asking for permission. Callie sighed and nodded. After a moment, she opened her bottle, took a sip, and sat in a chair facing them. "So what is this about? This feels like some Fourth year club ridiculousness."

Sirius laughed. "Ridiculousness? There are no preschool wizards here, Potter; you can swear."

"Are you sure about that?" Callie shot back. "Because I think I'm looking right at one."

"You must be looking in a mirror, then."

"Hm, no, don't think so."

"When you two are done flirting," Marlene cut in.

Sirius smirked and slung an arm over her shoulders. Marlene rolled her eyes but leaned into his touch. He jabbed her in the side and she smacked his hand away with a laugh.

Callie and Regulus glanced at each other, twin expressions of annoyance on their faces. Callie could feel a connection forming already.

Regulus cleared his throat. "The Dark Lord is splitting his soul to make himself immortal."

The room stilled. Callie stared at him, mouth open in surprise. She repeated her former argument. "That's impossible."

"No, it isn't." She turned to look at Sirius. The smirk was gone from his face, eyes stern.

"Can he do that?" Callie asked. "Can anyone do that?"

"Yes," Regulus affirmed. "He can, and he has, using Horcruxes."

"What on earth are Horcruxes?"

"A Horcrux is an object that contains part of a human soul," Marlene explained. "It keeps that part safe so even if the mortal body dies, the soul can't depart because it's linked to that object."

Callie let the information sink in. It seemed so impossible, so inhuman. It was insane.

"The consequences are obvious," Marlene continued. "You-Know-Who can't be killed. His body can be destroyed, but he'll remain wandering the earth like a ghost. He can always come back."

"Does anyone at the Ministry know about this?" Callie asked.

Sirius scoffed. "They've pushed it right out of their minds. They're politicians, Cal."

"They only care about their legacy," Marlene affirmed. "They'll stop him this time and leave the next round of officers to clean up when he comes back."

So it was up to them, then, Callie realized. "Do we have proof? Have you ever seen one?"

Sirius and Regulus glanced at each other. "Reg contacted me back in '79," Sirius answered. "He told me he knew where one of them was. It took a lot on convincing, but I went with him to this cave. There was a locket that belonged to Salazar Slytherin. It was inside this basin, guarded by a potion that had to be drunk before you could take the locket out, and a lake of Inferi. We didn't have the locket long after taking it, but it was obvious it held a very dark power."

"Did you destroy it?" Callie asked.

"No. We took it straight to Dumbledore," Regulus replied.

"He confirmed Regulus' information. He suspected the Horcruxes were being made when You-Know-Who was still in Hogwarts."

"Horcruxes plural," Marlene said. "Dumbledore thinks there are seven total."

"All seven of which need to be destroyed before his body is," Regulus said. "Or there will be a shred of disembodied soul drifting until it finds something to latch onto."

"Probably a weak-willed servant," Marlene added.

Callie sat back and regarded the bottle in her hand for a moment. All the Firewhiskey in the world wouldn't dull the blow of this news, but she took a swig anyway. Even if they won, even if they beat him… he'd just come back. It was impossible to take in. She wanted nothing more than to disbelieve it, to prove the theory was just that: an abstract idea instead of concrete fact. But she could tell by the look on all of their faces that they were telling nothing but the ugly truth.

"Do we know where the others are?" Callie asked. Her voice sounded dry, even to her own ears.

"No," Regulus replied heavily. "The Dark Lord keeps the locations of each strictly confidential. No one Death Eater knows the location of more than one. I've tried to find out, but it's difficult with paranoid people. I'm sorry."

"Don't worry about it, Reg," Sirius said. "Godric knows you're risking enough as is." He looked at Callie. "If we don't find them all before Harry goes to Hogwarts..."

Feeling like an idiot for missing what was obviously a huge point, Callie's brow furrowed. "Why Harry in particular?"

Something like a cloud passed over Sirius' face. His eyes darkened. "There was a prophecy. Harry's destined to fight him."

Crushing silence descended. Marlene glanced between them, then at Regulus. Regulus felt the inside of his arm burn as his chest ached with guilt. Sirius looked right into Callie's eyes, pushing the weight of the reality on her. Callie stared back at Sirius, trying to detect a joke.

"You're joking," she begged, voice barely a whisper.

Sirius shook his head. "I wish. Dumbledore asked us to keep our mouths shut about it, but you need to know. The prophecy that convinced James and Lily to go into hiding… it also says that either Harry or He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will have to kill the other."

Callie stared at him, mouth agape in horror. Her blood ran like ice. The thought of little Harry, with James' happy features and Lily's gleaming eyes, facing down Voldemort was enough to make her sick. Her stomach churned. She ran a hand over her face, stopping at her mouth, and bit into her lower lip until she tasted blood.

"Did it say who wins?" she finally asked.

"No. But Harry needs the best shot we can give him. And the whole world needs the bastard gone as soon as possible."

Callie thought of little Harry again. Holding a wand, a pale, noseless face with gleaming red eyes laughing at him. She saw a burst of green light and Harry fall. Dead.

"How can I help?" She nearly blurted it, as if Harry would drop dead in a moment if she didn't do something now.

Marlene smiled, the first to answer. "You can help us convince the Ministry this is real threat."

"Impossible," Regulus stated.

"No, it isn't," Marlene argued. "If we can get enough people on board, we can convince the Ministry. Right, Sirius?"

Sirius didn't look confident. He stared at the floor in thought. "The Ministry is more likely to laugh us off, Mar. You've seen it before."

"But with something this important-"

Regulus stood up, wincing slightly as his arm burned hotter. "I'm being summoned."

Sirius looked up tensely. "Think they know?"

"I can't tell!" Regulus snapped. The fear in his eyes was now reflected on his pale face and the quiver in his voice. "The Dark Mark burns, Sirius, it doesn't give complex messages." He looked at Callie. "I'll be in touch." He walked to the door and disappeared into the night without so much as a "goodbye."

Callie looked between Sirius and Marlene. Sirius was visibly tenser as his brother left. Marlene set a hand on his knee in a comforting gesture. Callie took another drink.

"How long has this been going on, exactly?" she asked.

"Nine years," Sirius replied. "Well, Reg's been a spy for nine years." He chuckled dryly. "The little idiot was going to get the Horcrux by himself; can you believe that? He was going to take Kreature." He rolled her eyes as if it was the most idiotic thing he'd ever heard.

But not even the annoyance in his voice could mask his obvious sense of pride.

"We should be going," Marlene said, standing. "We've got a lot of work to catch up on. Are you coming in tomorrow, Callie?"

"To work? Yes, of course." She gave Sirius a pointed look. "Are you?"

Sirius ignored her meaning. "Yep. 8:30." He stood and stretched. "Thanks for the whiskey. You're on board, right?"

"If it will save Harry, I'll do anything."

He smirked wolfishly. "Anything? I do so love it when they say that."

She crossed her arms, unamused. "You look just like your cousin."

He let out a bark of a laugh. "You've got to be a bit mad to survive in this world, love."

Callie looked at Marlene. "Is he drunk?"

Marlene made a face. "You don't want to see him really drunk. He's a mess." She tossed her and Sirius' empty bottles into a bin and took Sirius' hand. "Thanks for having us, Callie. You have a lovely home." She smiled as Callie opened the door for them.

"Wait!" Sirius interrupted. "My key."

Callie took it out of her pocket and tossed it to him. "Try not to give it to more Death Eaters?"

He made no promise. They said goodbye, and vanished together. Moments after closing the door, Callie heard the roar of a motorbike's engine.

She didn't bother cleaning up. She went straight to bed, but didn't sleep. The images of little Harry battling Voldemort kept her awake.

She rose early, dressed, and went for a walk before work. The cool, morning air helped clear her head. She enjoyed it so much that she was very nearly late to work. When she arrived, the office was full of an unusual amount of tension. Eyes kept glancing at her. She located Sirius sitting outside the new chief's office. He didn't look good.

"What's wrong?" Callie asked.

He looked up at her, eyes gleaming angrily. "You've been reassigned."

She stopped. "What? What do you mean?"

"Mar told them about the Horcruxes," he growled. "They didn't believe her, obviously."

"Why does that mean I'm reassigned?"

His mouth twisted in disgust. "Because they think you're most disposable."

The office door opened. Lockwood, the new Head of Office, blocked the doorway. He was tall and fairly massive, but moved quick and had a very keen eye. He sized Callie up and gestured to his office. "Potter," he said.

Sirius stood. "All due respect, Sir-"

"No, Black, you wait out here," Lockwood snapped. "Potter. Now."

Callie and Sirius shared a look. She took a breath and followed Lockwood inside. He closed the door with a wave of his wand and sat behind his desk. "McKinnon told me something interesting," he began. "According to her, You-Know-Who is creating Horcruxes. Do you believe this?"

Callie hesitated. "I do, Sir."

"Yes, so do I." He glanced down a piece of parchment, then back up at her. "Don't look so surprised, Potter; your eyes will pop out." He focused back on the sheet of parchment. "I've been studying your recent cases. You're a good Auror in the making, Potter. One of the best I've seen. That's why I'm moving you up to work solo and giving you the most vital mission of the war. You're going to find and destroy these Horcruxes."

Callie stopped. She saw through the flattery immediately. This wasn't about her skill. This was a political move. Putting the weakest link on a wild goose chase to prove the Aurors were following up every lead. Each Horcrux would be hidden impossibly well, and finding them would likely take years. Sirius was right; they thought she was disposable.

"I'll be working this case alone, Sir?" she asked.

"What; you think you can't handle it?"

She cleared her throat. "No, Sir, it's not that." She paused. She thought of Harry again. She saw the fear behind Regulus' eyes and all he was risking. She thought of her theory about the Death Eaters.

This wasn't a suicide mission. It didn't have to be.

This was an opportunity to work alone, play by her own rules.

"Yes, Sir. I'll take the case. When do I start?"

"As soon as possible, Potter. Today. I'll expect regular reports of your progress, but there will be no need for you to come into the office. You're on your own. Consider this a golden opportunity."

"I am, Sir. Thank you." She saluted and walked out.

The door closed behind her. She took a deep breath, stilling her trembling knees and calming her pounding heart. Sirius looked at her like she would keel over any second.

Callie smiled a little. "Sirius, I'll be fine," she promised. "I'm a Potter."

"That's why I'm worried. James will skin me alive if I let anything happen-"

"This isn't your choice, okay? I will be fine."

Sirius sighed deeply. He ran a hand through his hair absently before looking at her again. She couldn't tell what exactly he was feeling now. Fear? Pride? Relief?

He held out his hand, and she took it. His grip was firm and reassuring. He let go of her hand and gripped her arms, stepping in close. So close she could feel the heat from his skin as he whispered in hear ear, "I know you can do this. If you need anything, you know where to find me."

Callie took a deep breath to steady herself, and nodded. "Yeah, I know. Thanks." She gave him a tight, reassuring smile as he pulled away. "You'll be the first person I call."

He nodded. She could tell he wasn't nearly satisfied, but he'd have to content himself with that. "Thanks, Sirius, for all your help."

"Don't mention it." He smiled. "See you around."

Callie turned and walked out. Her steps became lighter the farther she went, but she couldn't shake the feeling that her world had just changed forever. The Ministry may think the Horcruxes were a joke, but she didn't. She was going to find every single one of them. She was going to kill Lord Voldemort.