Shifts

Chapter 9

Blue Christmas

As promised, Sailor Saturn returned to the Riddle House before sunrise. Before Sailor Saturn could talk about her success, Voldemort called on Greyback for a report. "Moody was with him, as was this boy." Greyback nodded at Oliver. "They both fought back but we stopped them."

"What happened to Moody?" Voldemort asked.

"Dead," said Greyback. "I admit, I thought I'd have to do it for her at first."

"So you killed one of the Order?" Voldemort looked at Sailor Saturn.

"Yes," Sailor Saturn answered.

He smiled and stepped toward her. "How?"

"I cut him with my glaive," Sailor Saturn told him. "Across the chest."

"Did it take long for him to die?"

"I don't know," Sailor Saturn answered. "I didn't wait to watch."

"So how do you know he's dead?"

"He couldn't survive that," said Sailor Saturn. "I wield the glaive of silence. It kills whoever it cuts."

"Interesting," Voldemort said, looking at her weapon. "What a dangerous, powerful weapon you hold. I' expect you to use it to its full advantage."

Sailor Saturn frowned.

"Oh, you do not like the idea of that, do you?" Voldemort inquired. "You are the soldier of death, are you not? Taking the life from others is who you are. You're just like us. I cannot count the murders I've done."

"I'm not a murderer," Sailor Saturn told him.

"No?" Voldemort inquired. "Then what was it you did to Moody? You did kill him, correct?"

"I did," Sailor Saturn admitted. "But it's not the same."

"Isn't it?"
Sailor Saturn paused. "I didn't intend on killing him, but I could not let him live."

"You weren't alone," said Voldemort. "You could have one of my followers kill Moody if did not wish to. Or if you really didn't want him dead, they could have modified his memory. So why did you kill him?"

Sailor Saturn lowered her head, tightening her hand around her glaive. "I…I just did what I had to do. I am not used to fighting in a group. Used to doing it all on my own. Didn't want anyone to…have that burden."

"Burden?" said a short Death Eater.

"I'm not an assassin like all of you," said Sailor Saturn. "I'm a soldier. I don't go killing people just for the fun of it."

There was a pause, then, "Too bad." Greyback said.

"You have much to learn if you wish to become a Death Eater," said Voldemort, slight disappointment in his voice.

"You can start by teaching me the Dark Arts and how to use my wand," Sailor Saturn told the group.

"But the weapon you already have is more powerful," Voldemort said.

"Perhaps, but it wouldn't be wise for me to continue using my sailor powers," Sailor Saturn explained. "The other scouts could trace them. You don't want that, do you?"

"And you wish for me to teach you?" Voldemort demanded. "When I have business of my own? All my Death Eaters are too busy to become your tutor. I've taught one of my Death Eaters…Bellatrix. If she were alive, she could probably teach you."

"I think she still can," Sailor Saturn smiled and raised her glaive.

"But she's dead," Voldemort said. "And you cannot raise the dead…can you?"

"Not exactly," said Sailor Saturn.

She raised her glaive and used the power of Saturn to summon the spirit of Bellatrix LeStrange. For a moment she looked surprised that she was no longer in the Department of Mysteries until her black eyes fell upon Voldemort. She flew toward him.

"Master!" she cried. "Forgive me; I failed. I tried to get the prophecy. I tried to kill Sirius Black but he killed me….I don't know how…"

"I know how," said Sailor Saturn. "You underestimated the sailor scouts."

Hearing her voice, Bellatrix turned. "Who is this?"

"I'm Sailor Saturn, the soldier of Death and Destruction," Sailor Saturn explained. "I'm the one who summoned you here."

"I don't understand," Bellatrix looked at Voldemort. "Why is she here?"

"I thought that she could be an asset," Voldemort said.

"She's a Sailor Scout. You can't!"

"You were a good servant, Bella," said Voldemort. "But there isn't anything you can do for me now."

"I can be a spy for you! I can haunt the living for you!"

Voldemort remained silent.

"He's not your master anymore," said Sailor Saturn. "I am."

Both Voldemort and Bellatrix looked at Sailor Saturn.

"You may have served the Dark Lord in life, Bellatrix," Sailor Saturn said, "but in Death, you will serve me. I need someone to teach me the Dark Arts and you will be my teacher."

"I refuse!" exclaimed Bellatrix.

"Then perhaps you are ready to crossover?" Sailor Saturn flashed her glaive at her. "You can spend eternity in hell for all I care."

Bellatrix licked her lips and looked at Voldemort. "Do you desire me to teach her the Dark Arts, milord?"

"Teach her all that you know," Voldemort ordered.

"Master…I…yes….very well," Bellatrix sighed.

"Take the prisoners to the dungeon," said Voldemort. "I'll question the wandmaker."

Harry had to remain at Headquarters while the Order and Sailor Mercury and Mars had gone to answer Moody's plea for help. Yasahiko, Ami's father, was trying to keep Harry calm while the others were away. They were sitting in the kitchen having tea when Sirius walked in, followed by Raye and Ami.

"What happened?" Harry asked, jumping to his feet.

"We were too late," said Ami. "Moody…he's gone."

Yasahiko embraced Ami. "You did what you could."

"The Death Eaters left a mess," Sirius said as he sat down next to Harry, his hand on his shoulder. "In Ollivander's wandshop and in the Quidditch store."

Harry frowned. "The Quidditch store?"

"I suspect there was a witness to the attack," explained Sirius. "And they ran there to hide. There was a struggle and the Death Eaters must have taken the bloke when they captured Ollivander."

"Indigo and Remus are still at Diagon Alley figuring things out," stated Raye and she made an unhappy noise with her tongue. "I should have seen this coming!"

Harry ran a hand through his unruly hair. "I've got to write a letter to Dudley," he said. "I promised I'll let him know if anyone died."

"Your cousin?" Raye snapped. "He's a muggle and he never cared about you before."

"Wouldn't spreading the word of Moody's death to a muggle be a risk?" Ami added. "Before the rest of the wizarding community knows?"

"I made him a promise," Harry said.

"Ami's right, Harry," agreed Sirius. "You can still write to your cousin, but wait until after the wizarding community finds out about Moody."

"Shouldn't we tell Serena and the others?" Ami wondered.

"I'm not going to do it!" Raye exclaimed, jerking her thumb into her chest. "Lita's being a pill, Mina's a basket case and Serena's a twit!"

"Hey! Harry barked. "Don't say that about Serena!"

"Well, if you want to be her partner in Defense, be my guest," said Raye. "Her focus is lousy and she has no technique! And she thinks she can teach the subject someday?"

"Raye!" Ami exclaimed.

Raye turned to her. "What?" Raye said.

Ami gave her a stern look.

There was a short pause as Raye and Ami locked eyes

"Tch!" Raye turned away. "Do what you want."

Raye retreated up the stairs.

Ami reached for her communicator, but her father shook his head.

"Wait, princess," said Yasahiko. "Let the others enjoy their Christmas before you tell them the news."

"…Yes, father."

"Try to get some sleep before the sun gets up," Sirius told Ami and Harry. "Let me talk to Yasahiko."

"Yeah, right…" Harry muttered.

When Harry came down stairs for breakfast, he found Sirius looking through some dusty books. He was taking notes on a cloth napkin with what looked like a something Sirius confiscated in an antique shop. It appeared to be some kind of decorative hair stick.

"What're those?" Harry asked as he took a piece of toast off the tray next to Sirius.

"Chopsticks. They were a gift to the family some fifty or so years ago. Mum used to polish them every first weekend of the month. When I got stuck with this house, my curiosity got the better of me. But, alas… I never could eat with the damn things, so I use them as quills. Just… don't tell you girlfriend. She would probably roll me into moon dust, or whatever. That, or turn Raye loose on me."

Harry chuckled. "Eh, he, heh, funny?" Harry glanced over his shoulder. He saw Ami passing in the hallway. Serena had a funny way of knowing about things he said, even if she wasn't around.

"So, what're you reading?" he said quickly.

"Old books from the Black family library. This green one here is about transfiguration, and this smelly one is about conjuration. I figure that with all the Death Eaters running around, you need to know how to use this stuff in the heat of battle."

Harry sat across from him. "How will that stuff help me fight Death Eaters?"

Sirius looked up. "Well, let me answer your question with another question- how do you block an Unforgivable spell?"

"You don't," Harry said. "You gotta jump out of the way. I've already looked for a shield spell that reflects them. But, as far as I know, not even Dumbledore can block an Unforgivable."

"Exactly!" Sirius banged his impromptu writing instrument on the table. "So, what did Dumbledore do when he fought Voldemort?"

"He transfigured a statue."

"And?"

"Well, Dumbledore attacked with a flame whip, but Voldemort conjured a really cool looking shield… overpowered, showoff, prick."

Sirius snorted. "Yes, Harry. No one's ever contested that Riddle was good… but the point is that transfiguration and conjuration are great tools to have." Sirius waved his chopstick like a conductor's baton. A few drops of ink landed on the table.

"So, Harry, can you tell me the difference between transfiguration and conjuration? They both give you stuff you didn't have before, right?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "But, um…"

Sirius made encouraging gestures with his pen.

"So, conjuration is making new stuff from no stuff, yah?"

"Right again, Harry," Sirius smiled. "Ten points to Gryffindor. Aww, hell, make it twenty."

Harry smiled. He couldn't remember the last time he'd legitimately earned points for academics. But the thought was nice.

Ami came in the room and sat next to Harry.

"Please, continue the lecture," Ami said.

Sirius inclined his head. "Thank you, Ami. So, conjuration is making new matter just from your magic. Transfiguration in turning matter into other matter. Er, pardon me if I start to sound like professor Kittycat, but this is important."

Ami coughed. Sirius winked at Harry.

"Right, so, transfiguration takes much less energy, but more concentration. You have to devote some of your attention to maintain the magic of whatever you are transforming or animating. With conjuration, it takes much more magical energy to form the object. It's pure conversion of energy into mass. Muggles can also do this, but the way they do it, they need massive power generators and giant pipes to smash particles into each other."

Harry looks at Sirius. "Uh, Sirius,… to quote Ron; how they bloody hell do you know about Muggle technology?"

"The Large Hadron Collider is not a 'big pipe,'" Ami muttered with a glare. The corners of her mouth twitched up, though.

Sirius ignored her. "Eh, it was just another way of getting back at my parents. Anyway, Conjuration is probably more important for you to learn, because of Unforgivables. If you are caught off guard, it is always faster to conjure a rock than to summon one from the ground or transfigure a nearby object into some barrier."

"Ohhhhh," said Harry. "That actually makes sense. You should be a teacher."

"Thank you, Harry. So, to finally answer your question, would you two like to step into the back yard with me and learn some new tricks?"

"Oh, yeah!" Harry grinned.

"Yes, please," Ami said.

"C'mon, then. You can conjure some Frisbees for Snuffles to jump after as. We can work our way up from there."

The lessons Sirius was giving Harry and Ami became loud and woke Raye up. She walked to the window, opened up and as just as she was about to yell at them to be quiet, Harry said, "no, leave Raye alone. She'll just mess things up."

"Oh, really," Raye muttered and she slammed her window shut. Apparently she'd begun to bug her friends. They didn't want her around. Additionally, her frustration was messing with her ability to foresee the future and it was costing people their lives.

Raye groaned and realizing she wasn't going to get anymore sleep, decided that she might as well get the day started. She got dressed, ate a hurried breakfast and went to the drawing room. As the door slammed shut, words appeared in flame that revealed a message:

MEDITATING

DO NOT DISTURB

Raye settled on a pillow. Whenever she had trouble seeing, she meditated in front of the fireplace. She was prepared to spend as much time as needed to unblock her ability to have visions.

After an hour of meditating, Serena's face poked through the flames. "MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

"Gah!" Raye fell backward and leaned forward to sneer at Serena. "Serena! What's your problem?"

The fire crackled and rose through the chimney.

"Don't be such a Grinch, Raye," Serena said. She was wearing a dorky Christmas hat. "I just wanted to talk to Harry. Where is he?"

"Last I saw, he was outside with Ami and Sirius," Raye answered.

"What're they doing outside?" Serena asked. "It's not safe for him to be wandering about."

"They're just in the back yard," Raye said, rolling her eyes a little. "Sirius was teaching them some lessons or something."

"Oh, that's cool," said Serena. "So, can you get Harry for me?"

"What for?"

"I wanted to thank him for my Christmas present," Serena beamed. "Look at the cute earrings he gave me!"

Serena tilted her head so that her earlobes were more visible. Her earrings were shaped like bunnies. Every few seconds they wiggled their noses like real rabbits.

"Yeah…cute," Raye mumbled. "Maybe later. I was kind of in the middle of something."

"Were you going to floo someplace?" Serena asked.

"No," said Raye. "I was meditating."

"On Christmas?" Serena said. "Oh, you can meditate later. You should go and celebrate. I bet you didn't even open your presents yet, did you?"

"Well…no," Raye said.

"Go and open your presents," chided Serena. "Don't forget to grab Harry on your way."

"Tch!" Raye groaned. She stomped off muttering

"Hey Harry!" Raye exclaimed once she was out of the room. "Serena's head is in the drawing room fireplace!"

Harry ran passed her, shouting, "Thanks!" and he disappeared in the room to he could speak with his girlfriend. Raye groaned and shook her head.

"[Stupid, sickening, inconsiderate lovebirds,]" she said in her native tongue. She went to the living room and checked under the tree for her presents. Her grandfather was the only one to send her something.

"Thanks, Grandpa," she sighed, she ripped through the package to claim her gift, finding…

"Flame resistant underwear?" she read aloud, not understanding…then,

"GRANPA!"

If the underwear had not been flame resist, it would have burst right in flames.

After thanking each other for their gifts, Harry told Serena about the lessons Sirius was giving him.

"Wow, that's cool, Harry," said Serena. "He'd make a great Defense teacher….but just to be safe…he ought to try out after Voldemort's taken care of."

"Yeah, good point," said Harry. "The Order's had enough deaths already."

Something in Harry's voice made Serena pause. She tilted her head. "What do you mean, Harry? Did something happen?"

Harry sighed. "We weren't going to tell anyone this until after Christmas. We didn't want to ruin anyone's holiday." He looked at the floor and raised his eyes at Serena. "Moody was killed last night," he said.

Serena gasped. "That's horrible! What happened?"

"Death Eaters attacked Ollivander's," Harry explained. "Moody sent a message by Patronus but by the time the Order got there it was too late. Moody was dead and Ollivander was gone. The Order found the Quidditch shop a mess. They reckon somebody witnessed the attack and tried to stop the Death Eaters. They didn't' find any other bodies so that person must've been taken also."

"I can't believe this," said Serena. "I never thought that Moody…of all people…he's just so…"

"Vigilant," finished Harry.

"Yeah," Serena moaned.

"Serena! Get your head out of that fireplace!" shrieked Serena's mother. "You're making me nervous!"

"Coming!" Serena called and she rolled her eyes, sighing. "I told her I can't get burned when I do this."

"Don't tell the others yet," said Harry. "Ami will take care of that tomorrow. Try to enjoy the rest of your day." He gave her a kiss on the lips before she withdrew from the fire.

"Look Mom, I still have my face!" Serena said cheerfully, pointing at her face. "And I didn't burn any hair!"

Ikkaku shook her head. "I still feel funny about you doing that."

Serena stuck her hands in her pockets and ascended to her room. Just as Harry had asked, she didn't tell her family about Moody. She'll tell them later, when she gets back to Hogwarts. They didn't receive The Daily Prophet. Serena sat on her bed and buried her face in her pillow.

"What's wrong, Serena?" Luna asked. "Harry not like your present?"

"No, he liked it," Serena answered. "It's just that…he told me bad news."

"What's happened?" Luna inquired, bounding onto the bed.

"Moody's dead. Death Eaters killed him and they kidnapped Ollivander."

"Does Dumbledore have a plan?" Luna asked.

"I don't know," said Serena. "The Order's working on it. Harry didn't want to tell me because it's Christmas. Ami will tell the others tomorrow."

Luna nodded. "We'll get to the bottom of this."

"But I'm still worried," Serena sat up. "All this bad stuff happening and I can't do anything about it."

"People are on it. Don't worry, Serena," Luna said.

"I wonder what Darien would say," Serena said.

"What makes you say that?" Luna inquired. "You haven't mentioned him in a long time."

"Well, with all this death going on…makes me wonder. In case something happens to me, I want to just make sure things aren't bad between us. The last words I said to him weren't very positive."

"Now, Serena, just because you gave up your sailor powers doesn't mean you're going to die anytime soon," Luna said firmly. "You are still a capable witch."

"Moody was a capable wizard and looked what happened to him," said Serena.

She got up and sat at her desk. "Don't worry; I'm not going back to Japan or anything. I just want to put things right, in case something happens to me. I almost died last year."

"All right," said Luna. "You do have a point."

Serena pulled her tablet of paper toward her and began her letter.

Lita opened her last present from the Diggorys. It was an inscribed plaque.

"Lita's room," she read aloud. She looked at the couple.

"What is this?"

"Lita, dear," said Sidney softly. "We're so happy to have you here. Amos and I have been talking and we want you to stay with us…like our daughter."

"R-really?" said Lita. "In Cedric's room?

Sidney nodded.

Lita didn't know what to say. She was happy they wanted to take her in but it sounded like they were letting go of their son. They couldn't use her to replace him. She had his Quidditch equipment, school books and other supplies. They probably would have given her his clothes if she were a boy.

"I—I can't replace Cedric," she said.

"You think that's what this is about?" Sidney said, eyes widening.

"I don't know what to think," Lita admitted.

"We know you can't replace him," Sidney admitted. "But we still want you here. We know it's what Cedric would want."

"How?" Lita asked. "I may have been in Hufflepuff but I didn't really know him. It was my first year in Hogwarts and everything. We didn't have time to get to know each other."

Sidney and Amos exchanged glances. Amos sighed. "We know because Cedric told us about you."

"What do you mean?"

"He sent us letters," Amos explained. "He told us about the dinner you made him and asked him to the Yule Ball."

"Can…can I see them?" Lita asked.

"Of course, dear," said Sidney and she waved her wand. "Accio letters!"

A box came swarming to Sidney and she handed it to Lita. It had YEAR SIX written on top of it. Lita took the top off and looked inside to find dozens of letters. She picked up one and nearly broke into tears when she saw Cedric's handwriting.

"I'll need some time to think on it," said Lita, standing so abruptly she knocked her hot cocoa over. "Sorry!"

Lita went to Cedric's old room and shut the door behind her.

Lita heard Amos and Sidney's raised voices, but couldn't make out what they were arguing about.

Lita sighed and looked at the walls, Cedric's old belongings staring at her. She couldn't just take over the Diggory's lives. This was Cedric's room. His home. His parents. If they found out who she really was, they might reject her or be over protective of her. Lita saw Cedric's Cleansweep Twelve in the corner. The broom the Diggory's let her have when she decided to try out for the Quidditch team. It was hers now. She walked up to the broomstick and touched it.

"Would you really want me to do this, Cedric?" Lita said. "Is it right for them to give me all your stuff?"

Lita looked out the window. A little white powder was falling. The one place she felt the closest to Cedric was his grave. She set down the box.

Once she was dressed fit for the weather, she picked up the box and went to the window. She zoomed out in the falling snow until she arrived at Land's End, the wizard graveyard in Cornwall.

When she arrived, she leaned back against Cedric's gravestone and opened the box. Inside were letters Cedric sent to his parents every week for his last year at Hogwarts. She took a breath and began reading the letters.

Mum and Dad,

The first task is dragons! Somehow Harry saw them and he told me. He said it would be fair if we all knew. I don't know what we're supposed to do about that. I guess get passed them, for something.

Remember Dad's stories about his work colleagues' burns? I don't know if I can do this but I'm going to have to research everything I can on dragons. Dad, can you send me whatever you can on dragons? Those new girls in Hufflepuff, Mina and Lita are going to help me research. They are very nice. They're both from Japan. We've been looking at different breeds of dragons since Harry told me what the task was.

If the first task is going to be dragons, I'd hate to know what the last one is.

Cedric

Mum and Dad,

I asked Cho Chang to the ball yesterday. You remember me mentioning her, right? I've had a thing for her since last year. She's very smart and a great Quidditch player. She was very pleased that I asked her and I think she was hoping to go with me.

Lita Kino asked me to the ball too, the same day. She was just a few hours late. I felt so bad. She made me an authentic Japanese dinner with all the trimmings and decorations. I think she spent all day on it. I felt so horrible. I truly would have taken her up on it if I hadn't already been going with Cho. I decided I could make it up to her by saving the last dance for her. That's fair, right? I spoke with Cho and she was a little disappointed but she seemed okay with it. She said it was nice of me to offer that to Lita.

Lita told me that she wants to own an international restaurant. Once she does, I'm taking you guys to it. You have to try her cooking. It's amazing!

Cedric

Mum and Dad,

Thanks for the presents. I needed a new book set. I know you're dying to know how the Yule Ball went. It was a very fun time. You know The Weird Sisters provided the music? I haven't seen them play live for two years. They have gotten better. Cho looked beautiful and I was a perfect gentleman, I promise. The Great Hall looked so different without the house tables in it. It looked so much bigger. The food was great too, better than our suppers as usual.

Lita was a great dancer. I have to say that she was even more graceful than Cho was. I guess Cho has more form in Quidditch than the dance floor. I mean Cho never stepped on my feet or anything like that, but Lita was different. I liked dancing with her.

"No way!" Lita exclaimed out loud, covering her mouth. She looked at Cedric's gravestone. "Are you serious?"

Lita reached the last letter. It was a week before the final task.

Mum and Dad,

The last task is next week. We're supposed to go through a maze and find the Cup. It'll be in the center. They're going to put all sorts of obstacles inside. I don't know what they will be though. I'm kind of nervous about it.

When you come to pick me up at the station, I think I'll introduce you to Lita. She's a very nice girl. I feel kind of bad for her. You see, her parents died in a plane crash. Planes are machines muggles build to fly in. She thinks that maybe the plane was attacked by a dragon. Lita has no other family and she lives on her own. Maybe there's something we can do for her. She likes me a lot, I can tell but I don't know if I feel the same way. I'm still dating Cho. I've liked her for a while but now I'm all confused. I know I like Lita but I like Cho too. Lita's been a really good friend to me, kind of like the sister I've never had.

Cedric

Lita felt tears brimming in her eyes she wiped them hastily, even though she knew she was alone. Cedric liked her back and she never knew. He never got the chance to tell her. She put the letters back in the box, put her arms around her and rested her forehead in her knees. Somehow, she drifted to sleep. She didn't know if it was a dream or real, but she thought she felt a hand on her shoulder and a voice that sounded like Cedric's.

"It's okay whatever you choose. But I'd be happy if you stay with my parents. I don't want them to be all alone."

The hand squeezed her shoulder and then let go. Lita pulled her head up and jumped to her feet.

"Sempai?"

She looked around the graveyard. There was no one there but she still felt as though Cedric had visited her. He wanted her to stay at his family's home. If that's what he wanted, then that was what she'll do. But, she decided, for the time being she would not tell them she was a sailor scout.

Grandpa Hino was on his way for the Christmas feast when he found Draco loitering around on the ground floor

"You look confused, Draco," He told him. "The feast is back that way." He pointed behind him.

"I, uh, already ate," Draco said.

"Really?" said Hino, looking him over. "Well, you look like you could use some seconds. Besides, I'd like to talk to you."

"What?" Draco mumbled.

Hino jerked on his hand, wheeling him toward the Great Hall. "So how are you? I couldn't help noticing that you're behind in class. Finding the subject matter too difficult?"

"Not really," said Draco.

"Do you study?"

"Not really," Draco answered.

"Might I ask why?"

"I, um, don't have time," Draco told him.

"Are you back together with Raye?" Hino asked. "Is she taking up your time?"

"What gave you that idea?" Draco inquired.

"Saw you 'flirting,' with her before the Christmas holidays started," Hino explained. "I assumed you worked things out."

"No, we didn't," Draco sighed. "I just think she's cute when she's angry…so I tease her a bit."

"I've never seen you exchange words with her before," said Professor Hino. "So why now?"

He shrugged. "I guess I just felt like it, all right?"

"Ah, I see," said professor Hino. "Can you tell me why you broke up?"

"She didn't tell you?" said Draco.

"No."

"Then maybe you ought to ask her," said Draco.

"I just want what's best for her. You are one of few that knows who she really is. If you cannot work things out with her, then I hope you can at least keep her secret."

"I have kept her secret," Draco said firmly.

"Oh, good," said Hino and he paused by the door frame. "Oh Draco, you probably already know this but you are a person of interest in the situation involving our Headmaster."

"What do you mean?" Draco demanded.

"That someone is trying to kill him," Hino explained.

"I've got nothing to do with it."

"You don't have to tell me if you are or not," said Hino. "But should you need to talk to someone, you can talk to Professor Dumbledore."

Draco made a derisive smile. "Dumbledore doesn't care. He isn't even here."

"Very well, but I suggest you have a talk with him the next time he is here," said Hino. "I am certain my class isn't the only one you are falling behind in? And Mr. Filch has told me he found you out of bed several times? Best be careful. Someone would think you are up to something."

"Heh." Draco said. "Even if I was, it isn't like I would tell you."

"What's going on here?" demanded a low voice.

Professor Snape turned the corner, scowling at Hino.

"Just having a chat with Draco here," said Hino. "On our way to dinner."

"Sounds more like you're reprimanding him," Professor Snape strode to the pair. "Should I remind you that Draco is in my house?"

"That may be, Severus," said Hino, "but he's my student too…unless you wish him to fail Defense Against the Dark Arts. In these times, I don't think it would be wise."

"Come on, Draco," Severus said, "I want a word with you."

"Well, Severus, when you are done with him, be sure he goes to dinner. He is looking quite lanky," Hino said. "Oh, and Draco, if you ever want to hear any embarrassing stories about my granddaughter, come visit me sometime, all right? Ask me about the time she accidently paid for her own first date."

'What the duce?" Draco thought.

"Uh, yes sir," was all he said.

Mina woke up early to look at the presents under the tree. She kept checking the "To and From" stickers on each box to see if any had come from Pierre. The light switched on and her parents walked into the room.

"I can't remember the last time you were up before us, Mina," her mother said.

"I'm pretty sure it was last Christmas," Haruki Aino.

"I wanted to see if Pierre's gift was here," said Mina. "I thought if it got here all right then he'd…he'd be okay."

"Did you find it?" Susan asked.

"No," Mina put down another box and sighed. "I counted them over and over. It's not here. He would have sent it…before it…"

"Don't worry too much about that," said Susan. "If Pierre got you something then it would be on its way. Let's just open your presents. Maybe you will get his present later. Christmas isn't over."

"Okay," Mina whispered.

Mina opened all her presents but didn't care what they were or who sent them. She waited all day long for word from Pierre, but nothing came.. Pierre wrote her regularly every week. His presents were always on time, if not early.

Mina tried to work out the possible conclusions. His parents had been murdered; it was possible that Pierre was too much in shock to write about it. He could have run away. Maybe he was hiding somewhere, trying to decide what to do. Perhaps the loss of his parents scared him into losing anyone close to him, so he decided to keep him distant from his loved ones? No, that didn't make sense. Would he do that to Mina without an explanation?

Perhaps the French Ministry of Magic placed Pierre in protective custody and he was forbidden to talk to anyone.

It was also very possible that the Death Eaters had found him and were torturing him. Perhaps they were forcing him to become their private tailor and equip them with the best wizarding gear.

"No, no, no!" Mina said out loud, shaking her head. "No, that can't be it."

But without any word from Pierre, what was Mina supposed to think?

Pierre may have passed his apparition test, but he wasn't about to try apparating to England all the way from France. He didn't own a broom and that would have been too much of a broom ride. He thought carefully how he was going to make his way there. Portkeys were difficult to make and they could be tracked. Before heading out to England he would have to have a plan. He didn't like going anywhere unless he had a plan.

He was hiding out in his late grandfather's cabin. He didn't want the Ministry to find him. He didn't know if he could trust them. Someone in the ministry could be involved with the Death Eaters.

In life, Pierre's grandfather investigated muggle disappearances. He used magic to help his chances and he used the cabin as his base since most disappearances happened in the woods. Only Pierre and his parents had known of it.

An owl flew into the cabin, carrying a small parcel. It collapsed on top of his table while he was going through his grandfather's old books.

Pierre jumped up, withdrew his wand and ran outside, checking for anyone that may have followed the bird. Seeing no one, he sighed and went back inside.

He took the parcel from the bird and opened it. He sighed and shook his head, recognizing Mina's handwriting. She had a few photos of herself in an outfit he designed for the Menton Lemon Festival. France had a yearly festival celebrating citrus fruits with sculptures of oranges and lemons. To make Mina feel a part of the celebration, he had sent her an outfit that looked and smelled like a lemon. He glanced on the back of the photo to read her caption: "Don't I look good enough to eat?"

He chuckled at her sense of humor and reached for a piece of fudge. Since trying a bit of fudge from Honeydukes when he visited Hogwarts for the Triwizard Tournament, he fell in love with it and asked Mina to send him some every now and then.

He read her letter while he nibbled on the fudge. He couldn't remember the last time he tried it.

Pierre,

Merry Christmas! I got you extra fudge this time. I know how much you like it. It is the best fudge around, isn't it? I'll send you more the next time I visit Hogsmeade.

The lemon dress is so cute! I had Colin Creevey from Gryffindor take pictures of me so I can send them to you. He does good work. Perhaps we can make a magazine together!

I'm so excited for Christmas. I need a break! I thought fifth year was tough preparing for the OWLs but sixth year is a killer. You said that Beaxbaton's testing system was different, is it too late for me to transfer?

Tell your parents Merry Christmas for me. I hope I get to meet them soon, that is if my mother will let me leave the country! Of course, I can always just borrow Harry's invisibility cloak and sneak through the Thames tunnel! That'll show her!

I hope things are better for you there than it is here. The Daily Prophet only has bad news these days. So many people are getting killed or tortured or enslaved with the Imperious Curse. We got a new minister and I know he's trying, but I think he's locking everybody up in Azkaban. The Dementors aren't guarding Azkaban anymore. The ministry is using Aurors now. Cornelius Fudge was a blithering idiot and now we have a paranoid moron.

It's like these English say, 'A bird in the hand is the better part of valor.'

Love,

Mina

Pierre frowned at the mention of his parents. She'll never get to meet them now. They would have loved her. He set her letter down to ponder her words. Usually her letters are about the rift between herself and her mother; her studies. She hardly talked about what was going in London. He was thankful that she put some useful information. He now had a way to get to London and a plan to find the Death Eaters. He was going to use the Thames Tunnel and talk to some of the Death Eaters. Being locked up in there should loosen their tongues.

Without the Dementors guarding the prison, he won't have to worry about feeling cold and dead inside. He was already depressed enough that if the time came, he wouldn't be able to perform a Patronus.

Pierre got up and poked the owl that had brought his letter. "I think I'll take you back to England personally. You've earned the ride."

Pierre belted a wand holster to his forearm and slipped his main wand inside. He shrugged off his casual robes and slipped into an underarm holster. He placed both his parents wands in his chest holster. Finally, Pierre donned some prototype dueling robes- his own design. Either the new robes would deflect all cutting curses, even if cast by Voldemort himself, or they would burst into flames and explode when hit with the smallest hex.

Pierre shrugged and stowed short knife in an inner pocket.

Finally, he stuffed an invisibility cloak in his pack and left the cabin

Although he was paralyzed from the waist down, Darien was released weeks after he woke up. He had rehab regularly but he never regained feeling in that portion of his body. He was given a work-from-home opportunity from the job he worked at. He was Andrew's best man at his wedding and "danced" with Lizzy, Andrew's younger sister, with her sitting on his lap as he wheeled around in circles in his wheelchair. It became clear to Darien that Lizzy had a crush on him. When he was recuperating in the hospital, she visited him often every day. When he was released from the hospital, she cut her volunteering hours there so she could check in on him when he was home. She asked him to visit her at her work. Andrew had told her that she took a liking to him, but he figured it out on his own.

Darien was at Andrew and Rita's place for Christmas. They had just finished and Lizzy was helping Rita cleaning up. Darien was looking at Rita's bug collection with Andrew.

"What kind of bug is this?" Darien said, picking up a jar with small black insect.

"Water beetle I think," Andrew said. "Serena sent her that."

"Serena…" Darien remembered that Lizzy had told him he used to date Serena, but he had a hard time remembering her.

"It's creepy," said Andrew. "I feel that it's watching me all the time. I wish Rita kill it but she won't do it. She thinks it's too…unique."

Darien wheeled around from Rita's study back to the kitchen. "How you ladies doing? Need any help?"

"No, we're just about done," replied Lizzy, handing the last glass to Rita to dry and put away. Lizzy smiled and walked to Darien. Her foot caught the rug and she tripped. As she was falling, Darien somehow was able to stand out of his wheelchair so he could catch her.

"Darien…you're…standing up!" she exclaimed.

"I am?" Darien gasped. He looked down to see his feet on the carpet. He felt his legs go numb again. "Crap!" He fell back into his wheelchair.

"That was amazing!" he said. "How do you feel?"

"I don't know," said Darien. "It's just…I moved on my own but now I can't get up anymore."

"Sure, try again."

Darien grasped his handles and pushed himself, but he couldn't move his legs. "No…I can't."

"We'll take you to the doctor," said Lizzy. "We'll see what we can find out."

Darien nodded.

"Is this the first time you've got feeling in your legs, Darien?" Lizzy asked.

"Yeah," said Darien. "I just wanted to catch you…and it's like my legs moved by themselves."

Andrew smiled at Rita. "Open that bottle of wine. We ought to celebrate. None for you though. Sorry Lizzy."

As conversation filled the room, Darien's head was full of thoughts. A couple nights ago, he was having dreams about standing and walking. He heard familiar man's voice speaking to him but Darien couldn't find the man anywhere. He wondered if his dream and suddenly being able to stand were connected somehow.

TO BE CONTINUED