~*T*~

"It's been a week," Fudge said, "Since anyone's been killed by the Dark Lord."

"Eighty-five dead, and three names on the list are still alive," Dumbledore said. He put down the report again, folded his hands to keep from fidgeting with it.

"All three claim to deeply regret what they did to become Death Eaters, and what they did in the Dark Lord's service," Bones said, "Apparently the Dark Lord considers that punishment enough."

"Why?" Fudge asked, "Why let them live, and kill the ones who believe as he does?"

"Maybe," Dumbledore paused, shook his head, "Maybe it was because they believed in the cause, but didn't search him out in his exile, didn't come look for him?"

"So these three lived because they didn't want the Dark Lord back, so they didn't look, but the others wanted the Dark Lord back, but didn't look?" Fudge shook his head, "Crazy. Crazy as following a Dark Lord who wants to rule the world when you already do."

"What do you mean?" Bones asked.

"That's why I couldn't believe that Lucius was a Death Eater voluntarily," Fudge shook his head again, "He was rich enough to buy any vote he wanted in the Wizengamot, and could generally talk enough of them to his way of thinking that he never had to. Anything he wanted, he could have for the asking, or at worst the paying," Another shake of his head, "Why would he risk his life, his prestige, his family name, to follow a murderer on such a painful, bloody path."

"Some people like hurting others," Bones said, "Enjoy the feeling of power they get from it."

"There's three clubs down in Knockturn Alley for people like that," Fudge protested, "You go in, you find someone who enjoys it, and everyone goes home happy, maybe sore, but nothing worse than disappointed."

"Some people aren't happy unless other people are unhappy," Dumbledore said sadly.

"Crazy," Fudge said.

~*i*~

"Hello, Tom," Lisa greeted the diary, before giving it a kiss.

Amy kissed Taylor, then the almost-gone scar on her forehead.

Taylor accepted the diary from Lisa, gave it a kiss and a hug, and handed it to Amy, who gave it a pat before putting it in her cargo pocket.

Lisa rubbed her forehead on Taylor's, "Resistance is futile, Tom, you will be assimilated. You won't die, you won't be forgotten, we won't leave you. You will be part of Taylor, and we'll love you forever."

Taylor gasped, clutched Lisa tight, "He gave up," she said, her eyes watered, then she started to sob.

"What's wrong?"

Taylor just shook her head, holding Lisa and groping for Amy.

Amy cuddled them while Taylor cried.

~*i*~

"He's weakening," Lisa said, "But he's full of pain," she paused, clarified, "He's made of pain."

"He knows so much," Amy said.

"This one is only 16, and he just accidentally killed the girl he had a crush on with a giant snake before getting stuck in a book," Taylor said, "But he wasn't happy, even before that."

"If you assimilate him, it'll hurt."

"I can handle pain," Amy sighed, "I don't want to, but I'll do it."

"Assimilating the part in her scar made Taylor cry," Lisa said.

"Practice for childbirth?" Amy half-joked.

"Entirely different sort of pain," Lisa said.

Amy nodded, then kissed the diary again, "Even if it hurts, I'll assimilate you, add your magical and technological distinctiveness to my own, and you will never be alone again. You will be part of me, and Lisa and Taylor will love us forever."

The diary twitched in her hands.

~*i*~

The heron gave Taylor another hug, and a kiss on the forehead.

"Have fun at magic school," the pony said, "I'll miss you."

The whale opened his mouth, closed it again, and settled for patting Taylor on the back.

Taylor looked at all of them, silently, for a long moment before nodding and backing through the barrier onto platform 9 3/4s.

Lisa threw an arm about her waist.

"What's wrong?" Lisa asked.

"You know."

"You don't, so tell me, so you can figure it out."

"They were," she took a deep breath, "Nice. It's really creepy."

"Man, she was so nice, lord, she was lovey-dovey," Lisa sang, horribly off-key, and off-tempo too.

"But I didn't pay my rent, or tell them I would."

"What changed since you met Hermione and I?"

Taylor's hand jumped to her scar, "He got weaker, the more love he was around."

"And he couldn't hurt you directly, but all that pain? All that hate? Radiating in all directions?"

"They felt it, and reflected it back," Taylor stopped, turned in Lisa's arms, "As he got weaker, they got nicer."

"Yeah."

Amy grabbed them, lips trembling, eyes watering, "On the train, now," she said.

They bustled onto the train, one of them on either side of her, and found a compartment. Taylor sealed the door.

Amy waved her over, sobbing.

"He gave up?"

"When I saw the train. The first time he saw the Express? That's the happiest he'd ever been. The happiest he ever was."

Amy cuddled to them, crying, until she finally fell asleep.

~*i*~

A terribly large man, who's beard was nearly as wild as Amy's hair, was calling, "First Years, First Years, Over here!"

Amy, still red-eyed, let herself be led over. They walked down a steep, slightly slippery boat ramp, and the big man waved at the small fleet of coracles, "No more than four to the boat!" he called. Taylor helped her wives into one of the little round boats, and a slightly pudgy boy tumbled in after them.

"Sorry," he said, "'M Neville Longbottom."

"Harry Potter," Taylor said.

"Luna Lovegood," Lisa raised her hand, "Our distraught friend is Hermione Granger."

"Nice to meet you," Neville said.

"Likewise," Taylor answered.

The boats had started moving sometime while they were talking, and they slid easily over the smooth, ish, lake water.

The group rounded a promontory, and the castle came into view. Taylor's heart twinged, and she returned Amy's hard, desperate, hug.

"What's wrong?" Neville asked.

"It's so pretty," Amy answered.

Lisa leaned against them, her arm about their shoulders, and nodded.

~*T*~