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Dear Mrs. Potter,

I thank you for your interest to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making ahead of going to Hogwarts. Usually I do not tutor children ahead of their magical education as it typically is a waste of time due to their lacking mental capabilities for this complex subject.

However, on Mr. Malfoy's recommendation and to examine your peculiar claim to have 'read all books on potion making from year one to seven and additional literature' I am willing to give it a try. Please note that reading about potion making and actual potion making is not the same thing.

Therefore, I suggest a trial lesson next Saturday at 10:00, together with young Draco Malfoy. If I find your knowledge as well, as you claim, then the lessons, might continue. Should I find your knowledge insufficient, then I will not continue to waste any more time on you.

Yours sincerely,

Severus Snape

Harriet sighed folding the letter while still being locked in her room in which her family had grounded her after returning from Cardiff. The confrontations between her parents and the Palmer's had been interesting, to say the least. But she couldn't help it but wish for loving and intelligent parents like the Palmers. They both had fantastic jobs, were marvellously brilliant individuals and it was no wonder that her friend was that brilliant to. And they had been kind to her and encouraged Raymond and her to question the status quo and to aim do whatever they wanted to do. Before she had followed her parents through the front door of the Palmer's home. Mrs. Palmer had slipped her an old mobile phone with a full prepaid card and a note to call them at least once a day to tell them how she was doing. As all her stuff was still in privet drive she had soon been extremely bored. Well just after an hour with nothing to do. Her brain needed stimulation and staring at the dark ceiling had been mindlessly boring. Therefore, she had picked her lock with a hair clip and sneaked into the library stealing a few potions books, sneaked into her brother's room to steal some empty college blocks and she also had sneaked away to the local library to get further chemistry books and encyclopaedias. Stealing her brother's owl, she even had contacted the Malfoys and asked for suggestions on potion books, which had surprised them, but they had answered swiftly, yet not in a way she had hoped for. They had suggested to contact Professor Snape for tutoring, which she had done as well. Furthermore, the school governor had even agreed to set up meetings with other teachers for her if she would want that. But he had urged her to not tell her parents just yet. Well, it seemed that she had found allies against her parents and she would not mess it up. Portions and Chemistry were probably two seemingly different subjects and the creation of potions described in her mother's school books was not scientifically backed. It was more a descriptive manual on how to make potions, but not what happened on a molecular base. Was it possible to create potions in larger quantities? Could this help cure or slow down muggle ailments? It was worth exploring. She would certainly ask him about it at that lesson. Her family wouldn't realize her absence anyway. They had never even checked on her. Well, she would make sure to spend as little time as possible in Hogwarts, but still get her OWLs and NEWTs. She wanted to stay in the Muggle world and help to make it an even better place.

They had just come out of hyperspace, the specific shudder of the ship had given it away. She didn't have much time. After her short, yet much needed nap over the workstation. She had visited her two trooper patients and had wanted to speak with Baila but had not been allowed to see her. Afterwards she had gone to the recreation deck and jogged for some time imagining herself to run along her favourite coastline at home. She loved jogging as it helped her getting rid of the tension that had built up over the last few rotations or rather since she was in the service of that bloody empire. Then she had visited the hairdresser again and finally learned his name, but she planned on pestering him in the future after he had casually let slip that he had directly served under a Jedi Master during the Clone Wars and she hoped that he might have some clearer and undistorted idea what had really happened. Not the official version told by the empire. They would soon reach their destination of their current journey and she dreaded what would happen to her then. But she had prepared and put on a fresh overall marking her as midshipman in case she would be called. She had some feeling that she would answer for what she had done.

She stepped out of the turbo lift into an almost empty storage bay and quickly sneaked behind some crates where Longbottom was already waiting for her ducked down behind it. His brows were furrowed, and he looked rather tense.

"I came. So, what know?" she whispered crouching down next to him, with the crate behind her back.

He wordlessly handed her a small squared mirror and she gasped heavy with emotion and put her hand in front of her mouth to keep her from shouting out. She could see her aunt's and Dudley's faces next to each other. Her lovely aunt was barely holding back tears, mimicking Harry's own face. Dudley was happily waving at her, but even his eyes seemed to be slightly glistening.

"Harry, it's so good to see you!" she exclaimed with wobbly voice and Harry quickly looked around if anyone else was in the storage room because it sounded so loudly in the empty room. "Are you alright?" Harry lost her fight holding back her tears as some escaped her eyes and slid down her cheeks. She was so glad to see her two family members. All she wanted right now was to stand in their presence, hug them to her heart and never let them go. She cleared her throat, nodded enthusiastically and forced a smile on her face.

"I'm now." She choked out. "I miss you so much."

"We miss you too, Harry." Dudley answered back huskily while Petunia nodded eagerly wiping away an escaped tear.

"We were so worried. There were so many people who just got a note, that their family members were killed in action and we figured that not hearing anything probably meant that you were still alive. When Mrs. Longbottom told us that you were imprisoned we feared the worst."

Harry just waved it off and shook her head. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine. My station is a bit in the limbo, but I'm alright." She told them finally getting her emotions under control when Neville Longbottom nudged her shoulder and pointed at a smaller crate which she had accidently shoved with her slipping magic.

"Are you alright? Is the empire giving you much trouble? How is uncle Vernon?" she asked realizing that her grumpy uncle wasn't with them, but her heart skipped a beat, when she saw her family's uneasy expressions."

"No." she ground out getting hit with a fresh set of raw emotions and tears streaming down her cheeks. Petunia and Dudley seemed to have gone through several stages of grief already as they were more composed than her. Tremors were raking her body as the emotions drew on her heavy heart and she could feel her magic slip again. No, shit! don't slip! Her hope to see everyone safe and sound once again was gone. She would never see her grumpy, yet loving uncle alive again. She took two steadying breaths and jumped as something wet was falling on her shoulders. Longbottom grabbed both of her shoulders and turned her towards him and urgently shook her.

"Look, I get that you are feeling like this, but you need to make it stop. Now! You're making it rain INSIDE a bloody star destroyer! In THRAWN's Star destroyer no less. You need to get a grip of yourself. Fast." She could sense his terror. Not from her but what could happen if they were discovered.

She took another few deep breaths to calm her nerves and looked for her point between emotion and serenity, just lake her martial arts teacher from Dudley's Dojo at home had taught her. She had not heeded his lessons lately. Perhaps it was time to start meditation again in secret. She could feel the calming light in her vast mind again and imagined letting it wash over her and calm her and the raindrops vanished, leaving her and the entire storage room lightly drenched.

"Thanks." Longbottom sighed, and she raised the mirror again. "How did it happen?" she asked with taut voice.

"It was a year ago. He was working in one of the empire's factories and mentioned a pull in his arm, pressure in his chest and he had problems breathing. When he came home he was pale, was breathing heavily and had cold sweat." Dudley explained.

"We knew that we had to get him to the hospital before curfew, but it was already to late. Too much of his coronary vessels had died already. We lost him shortly before dawn. He thought about you as well and begged us to tell you that he was grateful that you took my place in the conscription and thus saving my life, but there wasn't a day where he didn't worry about you. Just like us. He saw you as his daughter but never was able to tell you personally." He stopped and smiled at her, while tears were streaming down her cheeks and she sniffed heavily.

"Harry, sis. Please come back to us safely." Her cousin implored her. He had always called her little sis jokingly over the years, but this admission meant a lot to Harry and she smiled at him.

"I'm terribly sorry to disrupt your much-needed conversation." A new, slightly muffled voice could be heard from the mirror, which Harry easily identified as Longbottom's strict grandmother. "But unfortunately, now that we finally have established contact with Harriet there are some legal things that need to be discussed."

"Augusta, I don't give a damn about what the Ministry of Magic has to say." She rebuked angrily "All I care is my family here."

"Yes, I understand that but your family in the Wizarding world needs an answer whether you choose to stay in the muggle world or come back to the Wizarding world. There has been a vote in favour of helping the Muggle World or in favour of closing itself off from it. The outcome was…"

"The outcome of that stupid wizarding society was to cower in fear, hoping that they could stay hidden. I'm not surprized Augusta. They are so rearward that their clocks are running backwards instead of forward. And I broke with the Potters. They are not my family any more. As I said I will not bow to their demands and certainly not let them block my birth right of using magic. I thought I made that quite clear when I duelled my brother to the ground and left." Harry interrupted the elder female enraged careful to keep her fury under control but repeat her rant.

"How did you know about the outcome?" Augusta asked perplexed. "Did Neville tell you?"

"No, he didn't. People are predictable and wizards in Britain, which are a relatively small community, are especially foreseeable. More so due to their lack of proper education. So, it was a logical consequence. Tell them that I will fight to stay alive for my family, the Dursleys, my friends and should the opportunity arise I will also fight for my people on our planet. Because they are worth fighting for. The Wizarding world isn't." Harry panted at the end of her rant, but she felt the strengthening of her resolve. She could do this.

She heard Augusta sigh heavily. "Oh my. That was well said, Harriet. Guess I owe Xenophilius fifty Galleons. He was right. Would you mind me quoting you in the Quibbler?"

"Since when are you working for the Quibbler, Augusta?" Harry enquired rolling her eyes.

"I'm not, but the Quibbler is still the only free magazine that is free from the control of the Ministry and has therefore a wide range. If we use your quote, we could inspire young people to secretly help the Muggle-borns and the Muggles."

"Don't play dumb with me, Augusta. You are going to quote me whether I agree or not. You are recording this conversation anyway."

"How do you know that?" Augusta enquired flabbergasted with higher pitched voice and her face finally appeared in the mirror.

"Logic." Harry answered coldly. "And you asked a bit too casually to quote me. Which tells me that you are doing this more often."

She saw the elder lady exhale soundlessly, with her lips pressed tightly together. "I forgot how sharp you are." She remarked. "You catch even the little nuances. I'll inform the minister of your decision today, shortly after the funeral service."

Harry frowned raising her eyebrows in confusion. "Wait. What funeral? Who died?" If the Minister of Magic was going to a funeral it had to be someone important. Perhaps her brother? No, Ginny had him too much under her thumb for that and her mother would never have allowed him to do something reckless.

"Well, if somebody from an old Wizarding Family dies due to an unidentified reactivated curse it is juicy gossip for some. I may not have liked them, but her death is tragic for her family. Nobody should grow up without a mother." Augusta answered, and Harry froze, cold shivers running down her back. What were the chances of her knowing? How could she tell? Did she know? If she was right, then how could she know it? What if the little boy was more than just an apparition or a fragment of her overactive mind.

"Potter are you alright?" Neville Longbottom asked with slight worry in his voice. "You look a bit pale all of a sudden."

"Is the funeral for Astoria Greengrass, ahm, I mean Malfoy?" she enquired with uneasy voice.

"Ye…Yes." Augusta answered astonished. "How do you know that. And don't you dare say logic. Do you know anything about this?" Her tone conveyed suspicion of her involvement somehow.

"What curse? No, I don't." Harry answered nervously brushing her hand over her cap instead of her hair.

"It doesn't make sense." She was fretting over that information. Her breath and heartbeat started racing again. What were the odds? She just needed to ask. "Does she have a son? I mean. Do the Malfoys have a son? Small, grey-silvery eyes, Malfoy blond, yet unruly hair, probably a sharp mind?"

"You are not making any sense, child." Augusta berated her, but answered the questions:" I've never seen him personally, because Malfoy Junior is very protective of his son, Lucius brags about him and rumour has it, that he already has a tutor at his young age. Harriet Potter, what do you know about the curse?!"

"You have no authority over me Augusta and I don't know anything! I thought I was going crazy from work overload or lack of sleep. Now, I'm not so sure anymore. Ok. Ahm. This is going to sound unbelievable, but I had apparitions of a small boy waving at me at the most unfortune moments, and a rotation ago that very same boy told me in that his father was so sad, because his mother was terribly ill. He told me that his father's name was Draco and asked me if I could help his mother. I mean he was never physically here, but I could always see him, as clearly as I can see Neville next to me and he could see me and talk to me. I thought I was going mental. So, if I'm not mad, then why and how do I keep seeing that little boy?" She was breathing heavily again and yet it felt as if a bit of weight was lifted from her heart after that admission.

Neville Longbottom and his grandmother stared at her with open mouths and she could sense his astonishment.

"Sorry for listening in on your conversation. But what if the blond albinos are somehow responsible for your accident in which you lost Angelus?" Dudley's voice cut in.

"Wait. Who's Angelus?" Augusta asked confused.

"My stillborn son." Harriet answered angrily.

"I'm sorry." Augusta shook her head and frowned."I thought you had an abortion"

"I honestly don't know where you get your information from Augusta, but it's wrong! I didn't abort him. I lost him! At least that's what I was told when I woke in the hospital after being in coma for roughly two weeks. I was told that I was found unresponsive at the base of the stairs in a puddle of blood and my dead child, a baby boy, at my feet. The thing is I can't remember anything about that day and I usually recall every little detail of my life. I even remember hearing everyone's voices during my coma. The doctors, the Dursley's, the Lovegoods, even the Weasley Twins, but I don't know what happened."

"That's the first I've heard of it." Augusta said. "The Daily Prophet reported that you've become temporarily ill due to a botched late abortion because you refused to be 'tied down by anyone'. They called you a cold-blooded murderess, that should serve time in Askaban."

"WHAT!" Harry and the Dursley's exclaimed in unison and it knocked the breath out of her lungs as she slumped down and leaned against the crate. She was shocked, angry and …

Her new comm beeped and she quickly handed Longbottom his mirror and composed herself mentally cursing the caller to the next galaxy. Whoever was comming her had an unfortunate timing.

"Midshipman, Potter." She answered sounding steadier than she felt holding her breath and hoping that none of the mirror call would interrupt. "Midshipman, report to Hangar Bay Two immediately." Came Vanto's voice. "The High Command requests our presence at our earliest convenience."

"I'm on my way, Sir." She responded swiftly and cut the transmission.

"I need to go, but I won't let that go." She told Neville and shortly guided his hand so that she could see the elder Lady but ignored her. "Auntie, Dudley, I love you both. See you soon. Longbottom you will tell me about the next mirror call." He nodded in confirmation and she stood up, peaked around the grate and quickly marched towards the turbo lift.

After her brave grandson ended the mirror call Augusta turned around to the Dursleys.

"It seems there are circulating different versions of the same issue in the Wizarding world and in the Muggle World. I need you to tell me everything you know about that incident, where your niece has lost her child. Why do you suspect that the Malfoys have anything to do with her losing her son? I mean everyone knows that they were good friends at Hogwarts. It grated on her family's nerves, but was there more?"

"I accused them because Draco fucking Malfoy was together with her for years and by together I mean they were an item. But when she needed him most he dumped her like a sack of rotten potatoes." Dudley spat angrily. "He fed her fertility potion and manipulated her contraceptives . He is the father of her stillborn child. Harry was blinded by her love for him, she soakes up love like a sponge, but she was also too independent for his taste. She had no intention of leaving or slacking at work, but he wanted to tie her down. When that backfired he left.

"We knew he was trouble, his last name had to come from somewhere, but we had hoped that he would have some spine." Petunia cut in. "After she lost Angelus, we feared that we would soon loose her too. It was touch and go in the hospital and she was severely depressed afterwards because she could not make head and tails of what had happened. Angelus was healthy, every prenatal check showed that. Yet there is no explanation why she was found this way. Do you have any idea how much effort it took to get her live back on track? She wasn't eating, she wasn't really drinking, she had lost that spark that had her going all these years. It was a joint effort by us, Raymond and Anthony, her two friends, she ran her company with, extensive therapy and further separation from the Magical World. Yet she held on to her live because she didn't want to disappoint us. She knew that her company and that the kids benefitting from her charity depended on her.

Augusta exhaled sadly. Understanding for Harriet Potter's hatred towards the Wizarding world began to blossom in her chest. She had seen her grow-up in the shadow of her famous brother. She had given her parents and her brother an extremely tough time and had repeatedly clashed with Ministry officials and school teachers in Hogwarts. At least the two years she had been forced to go to the Northern Wizarding School. Rumours had circulated stating that she was the evil opposite of her brother, that she was a fraud, that she was mentally unstable and downright dangerous. Being Neville's grandmother, she had seen that the girl had received less attention by her parents due to her brother needing to be prepared, but with all the trouble she had caused she had received her fair share of attention. Now that she thought about it. Maybe she had needed this to get her parents attention at all? She had later worked closely with the Order, Augusta knew that, but everyone had called her a wild card as she had not given a damn about what Dumbledore had ordered her to do. She even had quite often gone against his well-prepared plans, because it 'had just felt right'. Yet she had been one of the most effective order members that they had had. Many people had been terrified of her when they had suddenly not been able to use magic next to her. This young woman had developed a small Muggle gadget that blocked magical powers for some time using Muggle Technology. At least Arthur had guessed this, and she had confirmed it by only nodding in one of the Order Meetings.

"Who else in the Wizarding World beside Draco Malfoy knew about that child before she lost it?" Augusta asked understanding why the Dursleys had refused Draco Malfoy as Harry's magical handler.

"That we don't know." Dudley scoffed balling his hands into fists.

"I will look into this matter." Augusta promised and vanished.

Petunia leaned back into the sofa and exhaled, letting her shoulders slump. "I hate it when they do that, but at least we know she's alright."

"For now." Dudley murmured.

Harry stumbled towards the hangar bay barely actively noticing what was happening around her. Her uncle was dead, and she had not been there for them. She had not been able to properly thank him for practically raising her. For being the marvellous father figure that she had desperately needed. Like the rest of the Dursley's he had been there for her. No matter what. Why was she seeing Astoria's boy? It didn't make any sense. Her emotions still were bubbling to the surface, but she could not lose focus. She needed to stay composed, calm and collected. Especially, when she had been ordered to the Hangar Bay. She dreaded what it could mean. As she stepped through the last durasteel blast doors she stopped, took another deep breath to compose herself and banished her nebulous thoughts safely behind a mental door of her mind palace.

"I'm telling you. There must be some leak. It doesn't just rain in a few decks of a star destroyer." Two troopers on patrol quarrelled passing her. Ups. Well, at least the corridors get a good scrub. She sheepishly grinned as she passed them.

As she now finally focused on her surroundings she could see the different Lambda shuttles lined up next to each other, technicians working on some of them, patrolling troopers and crates that were transported. Yet one shuttle was standing in the middle of the bay, ready to depart. In front of it stood her tall Chiss Commander with his back to her, Lieutenant Commander Vanto next to him and they were joined by another man, she did not know, but his white uniform classified him as an ISB-Agent. Great another one of that sort. He was older than the other ISB-Officers she had seen, with white hair and a matching white moustache.

They must have heard her approach as they all turned towards her when she arrived at the little group but held her distance by standing attention and locking her hands behind her back and squaring her shoulders. "Midshipman Potter reporting."

"At ease, Midshipman." Thrawn ordered her and she relaxed slightly, yet she hated the scrutinizing look of that elderly ISB-Officer. Sneaking a peak at his rank plate, she deduced that he must have been a high-ranking officer from Coruscant. They weren't here long, and this officer had come to the Destroyer? Why? Even Thrawn was scrutinizing her more than usual. Could he tell that her emotional state wasn't as stable right now and that she had cried earlier. She hoped not. That would be hard to explain.

"Colonel Yularen, May I introduce. Midshipman Potter." Thrawn introduced her while hear breath hitched and her eyes widened, and hot and cold shivers were running down her back. She may only be a lowly wheel in the vast machinations of the empire, but even she had heard about him. He was the Head of ISB! She had the strong urge to exercise a military turn and make a run for it, but she wouldn't be able to get very far. She probably resembled a deer in the headlights right now. Keep it together! Keep it together! She reminded herself.

"So, this is the young Midshipman, I've heard so much about." Yularen said in a conversational tone, taking a step closer to her. "According to your suggestions in your report, I have ordered a complete review of Agent Colburn's former stations to complete his list of potential murders. We should have conclusive results within a few hours."

Harriet was surprised that he had already read her report. "You've read my report already, Sir?" she enquired. "Will this be enough to convict him?"

"I've skimmed through it, yes, but the evidence against Agent Colburn is overwhelming. Well, done." He praised her smiling at her, but she only hesitantly returned it. Getting high praise from an imperial was not something she liked that much. She felt a bit like a traitor to her own people.

"Thank you, Sir." She thanked him. "But I can't help but worry that Agent Colburn is too well connected and will go free. It is my word against his and in the unofficial hierarchy of the empire he is ranked above me, and political alliances are unfortunately rather strong in the Imperial Navy." Keep your mouth shut! You're a raven, not a brash lion. Harry thought to herself. Her mouth had already blabbed her worry out before she could stop herself. It would probably the end of her one day.

Yularen's eyes grew showing his surprise. Vanto gaped at her and Thrawn had one of his barely noticeable lopsided smiles on his blue face. At least someone finds this amusing. She thought sarcastically. I just should have kept my mouth shut!

"Your bold directness is appreciated, Midshipman." Yularen remarked with. "Yet, I suggest phrasing this differently in front of the High Command later, as they might take issue with this."

Her breath hitched again when she heard that she would have to stand before the High Command and she hastily nodded. At least it had sounded as if she would be forced to face them. She had often experienced stage fright but had learned to managed it due to training. Falling back into old habits would be horrible right now.

"The High Command is currently working itself through your extensive report and will probably be ready within the next hour." Yularen stated turning towards the Lamda Class Shuttle he continued. "We should not keep them waiting."

She cautiously followed the three higher ranking officers onto the shuttle. A few troopers were standing attention around the ramp as they walked passed them and she fell back two steps to put some distance between the three superior officers and her. She had no idea how she had to handle herself. Was there a required seating protocol? Should she sit next to them? Leave a few seats between them? Sit opposite of them? Or was she required to stand all the way to their destination? Thrawn, leading the group sat in one of the middle seats of the Port Bench Seating at the left side of the shuttle. Yularen sat himself towards his left and Vanto to his right. Was she allowed to sit next to Vanto? Should she sit on the opposite side of the shuttle at the Starboard Bench seating. Well, she preferred sitting there. As the ramp closed the four troopers lowered their blasters and steered towards the Starboard Bench seating. The confusion must have shown on her face because Vanto shook his head and pointed to the seat next to him, onto which she hastily sat down and stared at the four troopers sitting at the opposite benches.

The shuttle lifted into the air and she could feel the turn and departure from the bay. Although she had never been this close to the centre of the galaxy, she had heard much about the planet that consisted of one single town and which had lost its last natural park due to an imperial research centre. It was a pity, that she couldn't see the approach to the planet. Thrawn and Yularen were discussing her long report about the situation how suicides were handled in the empire and how they could be prevented. Yularen seemed partially intrigued by the idea that those numbers could be lessened, but he doubted that the High Command would even be open to her recommendations. Harry perked up when he mentioned, that during the Clone Wars they had had people overseeing the officer's mental stage. But the most effective in finding those mentally suffering people had been the Jedi. Perhaps she should not have been that forward in looking into the suicides. The last thing she needed was to be confused with Jedi. The extinct order sounded intriguing, but she dared not ask the Colonel about them. Something told her that the Jedi weren't the traitors the Empire made everyone believe. Baila had told her that they had been guardians of the republic. So, they would probably have been against this autocracy, the empire.

The loud noise of the endless Coruscanti traffic was dulled as she was almost silently following Thrawn and Vanto through the seemingly never-ending labyrinth of the large complex hosting the High Command. Colonel Yularen had left them shortly after their landing on Coruscant to investigate the newly acquired information. It seemed that Harry's prediction that Agent Colburn was well connected had become true. Someone in the High Command had not taken Agent Colburn's arrest well and had leaked it to his family, who had now raised charges against her and requested his immediate release and her immediate transfer to a 'place worth her station'.

Therefore, their plans had changed, and she now had to stand trial before the Imperial Navy Judicial Panel. Shouldn't I be panicking right now? Why am I not? It seemed that she had already gone through enough emotional upheavals for one day and she simply was too drained. Still there was some lingering dread, but she mentally collected ideas what they could throw at her and how she could properly rebuke their accusations. Yularen had said that there was enough evidence against Agent Colburn, there had been enough witnesses and Thrawn and Vanto had to appear before the panel as well.

They finally reached two large double doors, big as the door to the Grand Hall with two troopers on guard duty in front of it.

Harry exhaled silently when she was ordered to wait until she was called while Thrawn and Vanto entered without her.

I've read your critizism about the flashbacks and I understand, but I can't help but write what comes into my mind. I get an itch which does not stop until it is written down. So, if you have no interest in the side story or the flashbacks you are perfectly welcome to skip these parts.