Disclaimer-Harry Potter is a franchise owned by J. . I do not, in any way, own the characters, places, movies, books, etc….. The Ocs, however, are my characters. There are families whose surname is Maurya, but I'm not using any of them as a character. So all Oc characters and NAMES would be my own creation. Any character resembling any person living or dead is entirely a coincidence.

***~~WIWATTD~~***

CHAPTER VII

They had been practicing Occlumency for almost two weeks now. Harry's water shields became stronger as he thought of various ways of using water as his wall of defense. Anusha was very impressed with his methods.

"Oh, very good Potter! Now you're actually becoming quite proficient with this!" Anusha said as she canceled the spell. Harry sighed and smiled as he sagged against his armchair, closing his eyes.

"Let's take a small break, shall we?"

Harry nodded, eyes still closed. She smirked and leaned back against the armchair, resting her head against the headrest and breathing deeply. She stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

Harry looked at her thoughtfully for a few seconds, wondering if he should ask her the question, wondering if it would offend her if he asked her that. He breathed in deeply, readying himself.

"Anusha?"

"Yup?"

"What was your mother like?"

Anusha looked down at him sharply. He had a curious expression on his face. She hesitated, gulping to clear her throat as she thought of her Ma. She smiled a little, lost in thought.

"Ma… was an extraordinary woman. She was… I don't know how to explain this to you, Harry, but you could just feel the energy, the confidence, and her power just radiating off her whenever she was there. It's like if she's there then everything is going to be okay," Anusha said, her eyes shining with happiness and awe as she thought about her mother. He smiled at her expression, feeling the familiar pang in his heart as he thought of his mother, wishing, not for the first time, that she were there for him.

"She was one of the best mothers anyone could ever have you know- neither too strict, nor too chummy. We knew we could share things with her, but we also knew that we shouldn't ever cross her.

"She was a Quidditch fanatic, Harry. We get our obsession from her. I could remember the first Quidditch match I went to. I think I and Anya were three, or four, maybe? But yes, that is one of the best memories that I've ever had. She played professional Quidditch occasionally, and almost got into the national team."

"Really?" He asked, sitting up slightly, listening with rapt attention. Anusha chuckled.

"Yes, but she refused to join because she had the family business to look after and was expecting us too. She was a fire mage, just like the rest of the family, but she could control the element like no one else in our family. She could be called a true prodigy and was on par with the few other wizards and witches out there. I and Anya are trying our hardest to master controlling the fire like she used to."

"What's it like now? Controlling fire?" Harry asked, his green eyes shining with curiosity and excitement. Anusha smirked at him.

"Well, I'll show you," She said, standing up and going to the fireplace, where a fire was roaring. He stood up and went to stand by her side, watching curiously.

She concentrated hard as she reached out to the magic inside of her, calling out to the magic in the flames. After a few moments, she pulled her hand back slowly, letting it hover in the air. A tendril of fire followed her hand, curling around her hand and rotating in circles before it reduced to a ball above her palm. Harry watched with awe and amazement, his mouth agape.

"Wow," He murmured. His eyes shifted to her face, which was glowing with the light of the fire. Her eyes were shining brightly as she concentrated on it.

Slowly, she sent back the fire from the path it came from. She sighed, dropping her arm back to her side as she looked at him, to see his emerald eyes staring back at her. She sucked in a breath and ignored the sudden weird feeling in her stomach as she looked into the beautiful green irises.

Those eyes would never fail to surprise me…

"That was bloody brilliant! Do you think I can do that?"

She blinked at him and smiled.

"Yes, of course you can! If you practice hard enough!

"Your mother must have been brilliant at it, right?"

"Yes. I don't think anyone could beat her at that. You know, learning this sort of magic also made it easier for her to learn wandless magic. I think, by the time we were six or seven, she and Papa were both adept at wandless magic."

"She must have been formidable then," Harry commented. Anusha snorted.

"Dude, she did her mastery in Defense against the dark arts, Arithmancy and almost considered Charms before she brushed it off. Her weak point was Potions, ancient runes and a bit of Transfiguration, but she still understood the basic aspects of those branches. She was trained in martial arts, alongside Papa and our uncle and she almost took them down on her own. She was not someone to be trifled with," Anusha said, smirking as she thought of all the times she and Anya were allowed to sit in some of the sessions that included their Papa and Raman Mama.

"Wow, I would definitely pay to see that," Harry said, smirking impishly, as he thought of the Potions master getting beaten up. Anusha looked into his mind and gasped.

"Harry!" She exclaimed, hitting him on the arm. He flinched, wincing as he touched the spot where she hit him.

"Oww! Blimey, what was that for?"

"Being a berk," Anusha answered, crossing her arms and huffing, smirking despite the situation. He smirked back, rubbing his now sore arm.

"I and Anya used to look up to her. She was our hero, our role model, which made it harder for us to cope when she was murdered," Anusha said, her expression changing immediately as she thought of the day, five years ago.

Harry sobered, looking at her, feeling guilty for bringing it up.

"I'm sorry, Anusha. I didn't mean to-"

"It's alright, Harry. No sweat," Anusha said, winking at him. He smiled back hesitatingly.

"Now, if you don't mind, we've been here for six hours straight! I think it is time to call it a day!"

Harry blinked, looking out the window. Sure enough, the day was just about to end. He heard a growl from beside him and turned to see Anusha touching her stomach, her face heating up. He chuckled as her stomach growled again.

"Merlin, this is embarrassing," She groaned, hiding her face in her hands.

"It's alright. I'm hungry too. Let's see if supper is ready or not," He said, steering her gently as she face-palmed and led her out of the room.

Life went on in 12 Grimmauld Place. The teens were progressing with Sirius and Remus as their trainers. They were more adept with the spells and hexes than before. Anusha and Harry were able to attend as many times as possible, cutting short their time for Occlumency now that Harry was becoming more and more adept at it. Nearly three weeks after Harry had started with Occlumency, he was quite adept at it. He was able to control himself and there were hardly any bursts of explosive anger.

Training with Sirius and Remus was absolutely awesome. They both were somehow in sync with each other. If Sirius was a bit of a joking around with the others sometimes type of guy, then Remus was the more let's-be-serious-you-signed-up-for-this-shit-yourself sort of guy who would keep all of them on their toes and have fun at the same time.

Harry was starting to practice controlling elemental magic. It was during breakfast one day that he just pushed his empty plate away and brought his glass of water to sit in front of him. He concentrated on the water with all his might, calling out to the magic in it. The water spasm a bit, before it started rising in the air a little. Harry felt a grin on his face.

"Good enough Harry. Now get it back into the glass as slowly as possible," Anusha murmured from beside him. Harry nodded, his attention solely on the glassful of water and slowly motioned it back into the glass. He sighed as the water went into the glass again. Harry sighed, slumping against the chair, grinning madly.

"Well done, Harry!" Anya said, smirking as everyone applauded.

"Blimey mate! That was really good!" Ron exclaimed.

"Was that elemental magic?" Ginny asked him.

"That's so frickin' awesome!" Fred and George said collectively.

"Atta boy, Prongslet!" Sirius said, slapping a friendly hand on his back.

"That's just the start. You keep on working like this you'll be able to do more," Anusha said, smirking at him. Harry smirked back.

The twins were too wrapped up in this bubble to notice that they were actually nearing the end of their holidays. It was only when their father had stopped after an Order meeting and told them that he was getting Raman to issue a portkey back home next week just before their birthday that they actually felt the pang in their hearts about leaving their father here. But he was adamant that they should be in India by the end of next week. But while they wanted to shirk the rules, they also knew that it was the right thing to get back to their normal lives. Their Nani wouldn't let them stay with him anyway.

Little did they know…

Raman sat in his armchair, frowning as he thought of what had occurred earlier that day. He sipped his Firewhiskey from the glass that he was holding as he thought of the conversation he had with his 'guest'.

Flashback-

Raman sat languidly, sipping his coffee and letting the smell and taste of it sooth his slightly fraying nerves. He wasn't sure what the 'guest' needed from Vikram, going as far as taking an appointment for an urgent meeting at the earliest convenience. Vikram had immediately become suspicious and discussed this with him and Sarakshi in detail. Raman was able to convince them somehow that he would be able to handle this meeting. Vikram had finally agreed on letting him go alone, sending a letter to the visitor, informing him about the place and time of the meeting. So, here he was, sipping what was an excellent coffee and looking out for signs of any danger.

"Mr. Maurya?" A smooth, yet authoritative drawl sounded from behind him. He looked behind him to see the 'guest' standing there. His robes looked too extravagant and showy for this kind of public restaurant. But Raman had to admit, this guy did justice to his description.

"Mr. Malfoy. Good afternoon," Raman said, standing up and offering his hand. The blond albino shook his hand firmly but quickly as Raman nodded at him.

"Please, take a seat," Raman said, gesturing him to the seat across from him while going back to sit in his. Malfoy sat down, looking at him enquiringly.

"I'm afraid Lord Maurya wouldn't be able to make it to this meeting today. Instead, I'll be conducting this meeting on his behalf."

The blond looked at him, frowning in confusion.

"Might I ask why he won't be able to attend this meeting?"

"Oh, of course. It… it is quite a delicate time for the Mauryas right now, especially for Lord Maurya. There were attacks made by some unidentified group on the Head of Mauryas, as well as their Granddaughters. As of now, I can only group them as radicals with no structure, no planning or a proper leader. But the family's protection is my complete priority. So, as of now, all the meetings are being handled by me."

Malfoy hummed, nodding slowly as he stared at him, sizing him up.

"Forgive me, but as a Lord and Head of a large business, I don't think I would ever give my assistant the duty of handling my business meetings, especially one as important as this one," Malfoy said haughtily, looking at him blandly.

Raman made a very conscious effort to not roll his eyes at him.

Oh, Merlin, Severus has to deal with this every day? I can hardly bear to sit with this asshat, and this meeting has barely begun… truly, brother, you are awesome… I'll be sure to give him a bottle of Lugdi to him the next time…

"Oh, I'm not only his assistant; I'm his son," Raman said, looking at him and giving him a very polite smile when all he wanted to do was just get out of there. He settled more comfortably in his chair, folding his left leg on his right and staring at Malfoy as he stuttered and stumbled for a response.

"Pardon me, but I wasn't aware that Mr.-"Raman gave him a look, which was rewarded by an annoyed gush of breath as he corrected himself, "Lord Maurya had a son. As far as I was aware, he only had one child. A daughter, who's deceased now."

Raman blinked as he thought of Amisha.

I miss you, sis… If you were here, you'd have been conducting this meeting with me and delivering some snarky comments at him…

Raman blinked back to nod at him.

"Yes. My sister, Amisha was the eldest daughter and Heiress of our family. It was a dark time for us when we heard of her demise."

Malfoy nodded and looked almost sympathetically at him.

"I offer my condolences for your family's loss. It must have been quite hard for you to bear your sister's death."

Raman nodded solemnly.

"Is her husband still alive?" Malfoy asked, sounding inquisitive, but Raman knew what he was doing- digging for information as to who the 'husband' is.

"Yes, he's still alive. Her death hit him hard. He hasn't really moved on. He likes to keep busy to get his mind off it, but he visits us whenever he can."

"The late Heiress is survived by her children, isn't she?"

Raman stared at him with a scrutinizing expression for a few moments, before he finally decided to answer.

"Yes. Twin girls. They are the heiresses to the businesses and the fortune."

Malfoy nodded. Raman decided to return the gesture.

"And do you have a successor?"

Malfoy blinked in surprise at his question, before he got a glint of slight happiness, mixed with pride in his eyes.

"Yes. I'm succeeded by my only son, Draco, presumably your nieces' age. He's a talented boy," Malfoy spoke with a hint of pride in his voice. Raman nodded.

"I'm sure of that, Lord Malfoy."

"I presume you're married?"

Raman instantly thought of the light brown eyes that had stared at him with hurt and pain as she rejected him because of what he had done. Five years and he still felt a dull pain when he thought of that conversation…

He blinked back and said, "No. I just didn't find any inclination towards anyone."

"I've heard the news that you assumed guardianship of Harsh Acharya."

Raman made a conscious effort of not simply taking out his wand and obliviating him on the spot. Instead, he said, "Yes, he's my cousin's son. An only child."

"Yes, he's not completely pureblood, is he? Father a pureblood and mother a half-blood."

Raman's fists clenched as he heard the undertone in the man's voice. He fingered his wand silently.

If this fucker speaks like this again, I'll definitely slit his throat…

"I know a half-blood as well. He's quite intelligent, if not a bit snarky and sour around people. I would've brought him, but his job doesn't let him out most of the time. You must know of him, the youngest Potions Master of Magical Britain, Severus Snape?" Malfoy asked very deliberately.

Raman resisted the urge to smirk.

Oh dude, you've got no idea…

"He sort of has an in with me. I kind of funded him in school. He's very talented, but he's a half-blood nonetheless. I must admit, I feel the number of half-bloods is increasing day by day, which brings me to the reason I wanted to conduct this meeting with Lord Maurya. But, as he's… indisposed, I presume I can put forth my proposal to you?" Malfoy asked. Raman looked at him for a few seconds, all the while thinking 'Finally he's going to start…'

"By all means, sir," Raman answered, looking at him with feigned curiosity.

Malfoy relaxed in his seat and took a deep breath.

"As we see nowadays, the wizarding world is changing. There are different views, different people who scoff at tradition and old laws. The number of pureblood families is decreasing every day. This decrease is due to the families who make the mistake of mixing their pure, unadulterated blood with members of non-magical blood, with those who do not deserve this gift of magic, this power in their hands. This mixing of blood, in turn, is yielding them children who have no purity of blood, who have absolutely no history, no sense of tradition attached to them. It's extremely repulsive!"

Raman was barely able to stop himself from just standing up and walking away from the place. He sighed inwardly.

Oh, Merlin, it's that argument… I seriously need more than a cup of coffee for this kind of conversation… I wish they sold Firewhiskey or some good old muggle scotch here…

"Our world is increasingly filled by half-bloods and Mudbloods who have no right to live in the place that is ours and ours alone. They do not have the privilege of stepping into it. As a young man, I wanted to do something about this…. I wanted to rid our world of this dirt, this… this filth. Then I got my chance of doing just that. I got the chance of cleaning our world so that we purebloods are the only ones in it. I must admit, that idea backfired."

Raman came very, very close to rolling his eyes and snorting really hard. But he controlled himself somehow, because if he did snort, then he would change Malfoy's hairstyle with the force of his snort.

"But I still wanted to do something the right way! It is our world, built by our ancestors! We will take back what is ours!" Malfoy said, nearly standing up, sounding completely passionate.

Raman looked up at the blond, mouth slightly agape as he blinked.

Damn… if he actually used his brains for once and concentrated on his business, then he would've actually been Vikram's rival! Ugh well, talents wasted…

"So I along with a group of people who share my ideas have come together and formed a group to eliminate those folks who are of impure blood and hence undeserving of a place in the Wizarding world. So, I ask you and your family on the behalf of our benevolent leader to grace us with your presence and join us. With your family's support, we'll be able to conclude this war against the unworthy."

Raman stayed silent for a few long moments, looking as though he was accessing and thinking about the offer. Then, he looked up at Malfoy and smirked at him.

"So basically, you want me and my family to join your Dark Lord Voldemort."

The look on Malfoy's face would've been hilarious in any other situation.

"I beg your-"

"Cut the crap, please. I know he's alive, and that he's hiding somewhere. It's not particularly difficult to not receive that kind of Intel when you are a man like me."

Malfoy's expression changed as he looked at him with a sneer.

"Well, don't you know a lot, boy? So, if you really value your family's life, then you'll be taking this proposition of mine to Lord Maurya like a good little assistant. He can either join the right side of history or the wrong side, because, after this, our Lord isn't giving your family another chance," Malfoy said softly, looking at him smugly as if Raman would instantly accept the offer.

Raman looked at him with an unreadable expression, trying his hardest not to kill him right there on that spot; instead, he took a deep breath to keep himself focused.

"Go fuck yourself."

Malfoy's face changed into one of rage.

"What, do you think I'm an idiot or a novice who would instantly get scared when a megalomaniac's servant comes and threatens me? I have been working in this business for almost nineteen years. And did you really think that my family would say yes instantly just because a group of radicals come and try to manipulate us? Especially considering when my nieces have been attacked by the same group. You're threatening the Mauryas here, Malfoy. Trust me; you're not the first to do so and neither would you be the last. They didn't succeed and nor would you, ever. So, take this offer of yours and shove it up your ass. We don't need it."

"You're taking the wrong decision, boy," Malfoy muttered threateningly.

"The wrong decision would be joining the murderer who destroys life because he thinks he has the right to do so. You can take my answer to the Lord of yours," Raman shot back, clearly done with the conversation.

Malfoy stood up, looking down at him with the most poisonous look he could muster as he took out his wand from his cane. Raman stood up in a flash, pinning the blond against the wall and pointing his knife at his throat. Malfoy tried overpowering him but in vain. Raman tightened his grip on the man.

"I could kill you right this instant. I have no qualms about it, and if I remember correctly, neither do you. But, unlike your Lord, I don't get my kicks targeting innocent people, nor would I ever do it on the orders of a monster. I am ready to kill because I swore to protect my family in any way possible and if this is what I have to do, then so be it," Raman whispered, pressing his knife to the man's throat and looking into his eyes. They looked back at him with fear.

"But I am only sparing you because you have a family to take care of. So, I'm letting you go this time. But, after this meeting, get your ass back to England. I don't know about you, but I really am a very busy person, what with handling the business and security of the Mauryas. I don't want to babysit a pampered middle-aged man who thinks he can pull his weight just because he has a title before his name."

Raman loosened his grip on Malfoy, who reluctantly put his wand back into the holster and looking at him with both fear and rage in equal parts.

"You'll be paying for that, kid."

"Well, I am paying for your coffee sir. Please, that's the only kind gesture you are getting from me. Now, get lost."

Malfoy gave him a nasty look and sauntered off. Raman made a face at him and flicked his wand silently at the man's back. Instantly, the words, 'Point me my ass' appeared on the black coat.

Raman smirked as one of the waitresses looked at Malfoy's back and giggled silently.

It's going to be quite some time before he realizes what an utter moron he's been made…

-END FLASHBACK

Raman sighed as he took another sip of his Firewhiskey. He knew that after this meeting, the Death Eaters would be more pumped to attacking them. He wasn't worried about Vikram and Sarakshi's protection, but he was worried about the Twins' safety. They'll be attending their classes the moment they come back. He could either be very obvious- get them some personal bodyguards or, he could have some of them trail the girls at all times.

But either of those ideas won't be taken positively by the twins. Sooner than later, they would somehow rid themselves of the bodyguard and just go off on their own. And that would then be the greatest catastrophe ever. He had observed men trailing Vikram and Sarakshi one day as they were walking around in the shopping center of Delhi. They were clearly waiting for any sign of vulnerability from him or the Elder Mauryas.

Damn it, things are going to get pear-shaped really fast if I don't do something about it… Now, apart from the twins, Malfoy would make sure to get information on me as well… I'll have to get Harsh to a safe place as fast as possible… At least Vikram and Sarakshi agreed to what I'm about to do… Now it's only Severus and Harsh that I have to convince… Somehow, I'm getting the feeling that that is going to be an even greater feat than with the Elder Mauryas…

Albus Dumbledore sat in his seat behind his desk in his office at Hogwarts. His hands were pressed together as he observed his guests for a little while. He was secretly glad that Umbridge decided to go to the Ministry for some meetings and would be there for the whole day. If she were here, then Severus wouldn't have been a part of the meeting. A tray filled with a pot of tea, cups and little pastries and biscuits sat on one side of his table. His phoenix, Fawkes, sat in his usual place beside him, looking at him inquisitively.

His guests were the Anusha and Anya's Grandparents, Vikram and Sarakshi Maurya themselves, along with their adoptive son, Raman Acharya (He had no idea that they had adopted a kid. So he had been very surprised when Severus had told him about that…). The elder Mauryas were seated in front of him, while Severus and Raman stood behind them.

The elder Mauryas owned to their status, wearing robes which looked quite extravagant and in colors which complemented each other. But unlike the Malfoys and the other pureblood families here, they knew how to hold themselves and not appear to be proud or stupid.

Raman Acharya, on the other hand, was a dashing young man who was almost as tall as Severus, but not lean or neglecting his body.

Or exercise for that matter… Gellert was a lot like him as well…

Meanwhile, Severus gave an inquisitive look to Raman, who just shook his head at him and mouthed 'wait'. Severus just raised an eyebrow at him and looked ahead again, impatient for the meeting to begin.

"Good afternoon! I'm Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts! To what do I owe this pleasure, Lord Maurya?" Albus began, smiling benignly.

Vikram shared a long look with Sarakshi, who sighed and nodded reluctantly. He then turned to look at Raman.

"Go on. Tell them about your idea, Raman," Vikram said, turning his head back to stare at his lap.

Raman nodded and stood straighter. He turned to look at Severus apologetically and was rewarded with a look of utter confusion.

"I have a suggestion for you Severus."

The Potions Master nodded, waiting for his brother to speak.

"I think the twins should stay here with you," Raman stated, his voice sure and confident.

The reaction was instantaneous. Severus turned sharply to look at Raman. Albus, on the other hand, felt his hopes rise up suddenly. But he schooled his expression to one of polite curiosity. He didn't want to make anyone of these four suspicious.

"What?! Are you joking?" Severus exclaimed, looking at Raman incredulously. Raman shook his head.

"No, I mean it, for real. They need to stay here."

Severus' expression turned from confusion to mild anger.

"Why?! You know what's going on here! If I let them stay then they would be under greater threat!" Severus said, his voice up an octave as he stepped closer to Raman. Raman huffed.

"Severus, they would be under greater threat if they're sent back to India!" He shot back. Severus scoffed.

"Are you kidding me?! They have their family there! They'll be kept safe no matter what!"

"Their family is here! And it's you! And no matter how hard we try, we can't keep them safe there! Especially after the meeting I've had with Lucius Malfoy!"

Severus stopped short.

"Excuse me?"

Raman nodded tiredly, rubbing his face.

"Yes, he had been sending letters, hinting about wanting a meeting arranged with Vikram. And then he finally straightaway asked for a meeting with him," Raman said, his voice sounding tired.

"And you agreed?" Severus asked, looking at him for clarification.

Raman nodded.

"Yes, because rejecting his proposal would've been dangerous, especially after the half-hearted attacks on them both. So, we agreed and I somehow convinced Vikram that I would go in his place."

"Thank Merlin," Severus murmured. Raman chuckled at seeing Vikram's indignant expression, who muttered something which sounded like 'I can take care of myself!'.

"Yeah, that was my reaction too. We had decided to arrange the meeting in one of those public coffee shops. He agreed readily, but he was quite disgruntled that Vikram hadn't been the one attending the meeting."

Severus and Albus looked on at Raman as he continued.

"He did seem quite smooth at first, but it was clear what he was there for. He clearly wanted the Mauryas to become a part of the Death Eaters. And I was right. He had brought a proposition from Voldemort- to join him," Raman said, clenching his fists. Severus grimaced.

"Ugh. I think this is what is going to be discussed at the next meeting. How did you answer him?"

"I simply told him to shove his proposition up his arse and to get lost."

Severus sighed tiredly and ran a hand through his hair.

"Look, I would've loved to have a chance to say those words to Lucius, but Raman, you could've thought just a little bit more about the response."

"Sev, I know. But if I had given a half-hearted response, then he would've taken it as a 'maybe'! However hard I would've tried, I couldn't have tamed my response in any way! He had to be made clear about our answer!"

Severus sighed and nodded, knowing that Raman was right in his point of view as well.

"So now, there is a greater threat on both these two, the girls and you and that kid, Harsh," Severus summarized, shaking his head at the situation they had found themselves into. Raman sighed and nodded, running a hand through his hair.

Albus looked at Severus as he took another new name on the list.

"Yes. Now that we've made our position clear to Voldemort, they'll not hesitate to attack us. I can take care of these two and myself in India. But I am wary of those times when the kids would go for their classes. I fear they may get intercepted or even get caught in the middle of an incursion. And right now, Harsh doesn't need anything like that. He's just got out from his trauma," Raman said, clenching his jaws.

"Trauma?" Albus interjected suddenly. Raman looked at him after sharing a look with Severus.

"I've actually assumed guardianship of my cousin's son, Harsh. He was caught in the middle of an attack by a group of radicals along with his parents. Sadly, they didn't survive. He was quite shaken up after that incident."

Albus nodded in understanding.

"My condolences," He murmured, inclining his head towards him. He nodded back.

"Back to the matter at hand, what exactly do you suggest we do? Get them here in Hogwarts? Because, believe me, they'll be watched by students here! Half of the population of this school and nearly all the kids in my house have parents who work under HIM!" Severus said, instantly understanding what Raman's plan was.

"Yes, I know. But they're just teenagers, alright? The girls would be able to handle them all, because, let's face it, those two are far above all of them! They're far too smart for these little brats! You know that!"

"Yes, but this isn't some sort of foreign exchange program, Raman! In a year's time, this part of the Wizarding world would go to war against HIM and HIS followers! I don't want them to be caught in the middle of it! And, once the war starts, it's both inside and outside the school! There would be kids who would try and 'recruit' for HIM! And if they somehow succeed with that this time as well, then they'll be putting spies in every corner of the school! And those two would be under greater scrutiny!"

"They're smart enough to keep themselves away from all this! And trust me; even I don't want to send Harsh out here alone! But, I am ready to do anything for their collective safety."

Severus looked at Sarakshi with a slightly questioning look which was bordering on desperation.

"Sarakshi, do you agree with this?"

Sarakshi sighed and willed herself to look into her son-in-law's eyes. She nodded reluctantly.

"Yes. I agree with it," She said, but everyone could see that it was difficult for her to say that. Severus looked at her with a disbelieving expression. Sarakshi shook her head at him.

"No, don't look at me like that, young man! I don't like this plan at all. Frankly, I'd rather lock them into their rooms till this whole sham is over and you come back to India, to us," Sarakshi said, looking away from all of them with a sad and a tad bit frustrated expression.

The room was quiet for a few moments as they were lost in their own thoughts.

She sighed and composed herself and turned back to them all to give them a small smile.

"But I just can't do that, can I? Knowing who their mother is, they'll break out of the room in no time!"

The three men shook their head and smiled, while Albus raised his eyebrows at that statement.

Well, from what I've heard of Severus' late wife, she sounds like a headstrong person… she must have been one extraordinary person in his life… he must have loved her a lot...

He snapped out of his daze and looked back at Severus, who looked torn with the two options in front of him. Albus somehow empathized with him.

"Sometimes you have to go with the bad choices, Severus. It's just a matter of which choice is worse," Albus said, trying to sound as helpful as possible.

Raman nodded and slapped a hand on Severus' shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly.

"This was just a suggestion, brother. They're your daughters. Ultimately, it's your decision. I understand that you know best about what's going on here, but I believe that they'll be safe enough here."

Severus looked at Raman almost resignedly.

"This is literally the epicenter of the war, Raman," He breathed out, becoming a bit desperate.

"And you are a master spy in the enemy's barracks. You know better than anyone about the intricacies of the group of Death Eaters and Voldemort. So, I know you'll be able to keep them safe."

Severus sighed resignedly.

"Alright, fine. But if I sense even a little bit of danger here, I'll be sending them back to India that very instant."

Raman nodded, knowing that it was the best deal he could get from him.

"You can send the girls back any time you think it's getting dangerous," He said, nodding as he looked ahead. Severus frowned and shook his head.

"No, I meant the girls and Harsh, Raman. No sense for him to stay here in danger as well."

Raman blinked and turned his head to look at Severus, who smirked at him. Raman smirked back and patted his shoulders in a brotherly gesture, while Severus nodded at him. He then turned to Albus, who was watching their interaction with a smile on his face.

"Headmaster, I'd like to begin with the paperwork for their admittance in Hogwarts right now, if that is alright with you," Severus said, almost resignedly. Albus sighed and shook his head at him.

"Oh Severus, don't be like that, my boy! You should be glad to have them here! That way you'll be able to see them more! Everything will be alright!"

And I'd finally have them here! Ah, it does feel nice to have your mission accomplished…

"And I'd like to commence that too, Headmaster. And I'd also love to know whether Harsh would be able to apply for an apprenticeship program," Raman asked. Albus turned his attention to the dashing man in front of him.

"Oh, of course! Please take these forms," Albus said, conjuring a small stack of forms in front of them, with a quill and pot of ink each, "And you may use that table over there. And Mr. Acharya, these are the additional forms for the apprenticeship courses, though you have to accompany him here again to talk to the particular Professor who teaches that subject."

"Oh, he wants to pursue Healing."

Albus blinked at him.

"Ah, well, then you'd have to speak to Madame Pomfrey; she is the Mediwitch here. She is willing to guide the students through their apprenticeship."

Anusha and Anya entered the dining room of the Grimmauld place. It was their last morning here; they would be back home later that afternoon.

Well, it would be back to just the two of us, waking up, going for our lessons, going back home, completing our homework assignments, studying and entertaining ourselves, sleeping and the same cycle again and again… But after the few weeks, we had here, it's going to be quite hard to go back to that life… Anusha mused as she sat down between Anya and Harry and started eating her cereal. Anusha smirked a little.

If we were frank with Papa, we don't want to leave at all… But he wouldn't let us stay here at all… he would insist us to go back and would say that we'd be safe there…

The others were quite somber that morning as well. The teens were quite subdued that morning, eating quietly instead of causing a ruckus as usual. They had given a birthday present to Harry beforehand, for his birthday was tomorrow. They had their fifteenth birthday on the day after tomorrow, but they just didn't feel like celebrating it much. They knew that their father won't be able to attend and celebrating without him always made them feel a little low.

They had told about their birthday to the teens and they had insisted that they wouldn't need anything from them at such a short notice, but Molly was still preparing a cake for them, that they'd have before leaving. Anusha shook her head at that.

Ah well, at least Papa would be there when we cut the cake… I just hope that he would be safe here…

Harry looked beside at Anusha, who was looking at her now soggy cereal with a sullen expression. He nudged her silently.

She turned her head to look at him. Once again, the bright green eyes made her stare for a few moments before she blinked.

"What is it, Harry?" She asked, looking curious. Harry shrugged and stayed silent for a moment. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Harry-"

"We can exchange letters right?" He asked suddenly. Anusha raised her eyebrows as the whole table went silent to watch the exchange between the two of them.

"Pardon?" Anya exclaimed from beside her. Harry shrugged again, suddenly feeling embarrassed at having all eyes on him.

"I mean, it's not as if we'd be forgetting about each other the moment you both get back to India, right?"

The girls both looked at Harry with a bit of disbelief.

"Harry, you do realize that there is a huge distance between India and Britain, don't you?" Anusha asked him, looking at him skeptically.

"Could your owl travel that far?" Anya continued, giving him that same expression.

"And even if she could, that route isn't safe to travel," Anusha finished, looking at him apologetically.

"That's right. Only the most experienced owls are ever sent that far. It would be dangerous for Hedwig to travel that kind of distance," Sirius said from a few chairs down.

Harry sighed tiredly and spoke, "Okay, then we'll visit you both. Or you can visit us! I mean, we have days where we can go out of the castle!"

"And you can come by for Christmas!" Ginny spoke up.

"And during our birthdays too!" The twins added.

"See? You can visit us anytime!" Harry said, gesturing to them all.

"That's right, dears! I'm sure your grandparents would allow you both to visit the burrow! You'll love it there!" Molly said as she entered the dining area, wiping her hands with a rag cloth and smiling at them. The twins smiled at them, feeling a little brighter than before. They inclined their heads towards her.

"Thank you. We will make sure to visit you all!" Anya said, as she and Anusha nodded at Molly, who chuckled and patted their backs.

Just then, Ron's owl, Pigwidgeon, flew into the room in a storm, nearly toppling over the pitcher of orange juice before plopping in front of Ginny, who stroked his head and gave him a piece of bacon from her plate.

"Thank you, Pigwidgeon!" Ginny cooed and took out the letters attached to it.

"Oh, these are the Hogwarts Letters!" She exclaimed, untying them and passing the letter to their respective owner.

"Fred, George, Ron, Hermione- you both have heavier letters than ours- Harry and mine."

All of them except the girls took their letters and opened them.

"I've been made prefect!" Ron and Hermione exclaimed at the same time. They looked at each other.

"Oh, another prefect in our family! I'm so proud of you Ronnie!" Molly exclaimed, going up and hugging Ron tightly, kissing his forehead, ignoring how he tried getting out of her grasp.

"Mum!" Ron groaned, pouting at her.

"All my children prefects!" Molly continued gushing. The Weasley twins looked at their mother with mock disbelief.

"What are Fred and I, next door neighbors?"* George said, feigning hurt.

"I expected Hermione being made prefect, but not ickle ronnikinns!" Fred said, smirking teasingly.

"Oh, I can see the title now- ickle ronnikinns, the perfect prefect!" George added, nudging Ron, who shoved him.

"Bugger off, George!"

"Congratulations Ronald and Hermione at being made prefects," Remus said, smiling at them. Hermione smiled back shyly and nodded her thanks.

"Well, do let them break rules, you two! Rules are meant to be broken after all!" Sirius said, smirking at them. Hermione frowned at his admission, but shook her head and smirked when he winked at her playfully.

Ginny, meanwhile, frowned at the revelation and looked at Harry, who was smirking at his best friends' antics.

"I thought that Harry…" Ginny trailed off, looking at Harry guiltily. The whole table grew silent as everyone looked at Harry, wary of his reaction.

Instead, Harry just shook his head and smiled at her.

"No. It isn't for me. I couldn't have handled it at all. It'd be best that I concentrate on my O.W.L.S," Harry said, smiling at them all.

"I'm sorry for bringing it up Harry," Ginny said, looking at him sadly. Harry just smiled at her and shook his head.

"It's alright Ginny. I don't mind not being made prefect. I could concentrate more on Quidditch and O.W.L.S this way."

Ginny still looked a little forlorn, so Hermione decided to change the subject and brought up the discussion about the contents of their letters. That spurred on the whole table of teens. The boys groaned collectively, and the two girls started on about their curriculum. The girls looked on with amusement as Hermione went on to advise Ginny about how to handle her fourth-year studies with care and it looked as though Ginny was taking it as though she were drinking water.

The twins did feel a little left out as they heard them all either discuss their books or gripe about how they had to go through another tough year, but they shrugged it off.

"I'm going to miss it this little," Anya said through their mental connection.

"Yeah, but we got to move forward, Anya," Anusha said comfortingly.

They all completed their breakfast quickly and went upstairs. The teens went to Harry and Ron's room to play some games, while the twins went to their rooms to check if they had kept all their belongings or not. It was just an excuse to be alone for just a little while too.

As they were checking their trunks, Anya suddenly had a thought in mind.

"Anusha?"

Anusha looked up at her twin to see her staring at her inquiringly.

"Yes?"

"Would Ma have made our stay here?" Anya asked curiously and a tad bit wistfully. Anusha breathed out slowly, thinking about the answer.

"Well… Technically, yes. I mean, she would've taken any chance herself to settle here with Papa."

Anya nodded, smiling at her answer.

"And no too."

Anya shot her a grumpy look. She chuckled.

"I mean, come on, she wasn't as protective as Papa is, but she was protective of us. Who knows? Maybe she would've dragged us back to India after a week or two of staying here."

Just then, a knock sounded on the door. They shared a puzzled look with each other and turned to look at the doors quizzically.

"Yes?" Anusha called out.

"Oh, Dears! It's me!" Mrs. Weasley's voice sounded from outside. She sounded almost… ecstatic, but was trying to hide it.

"Yes, Mrs. Weasley?" Anya asked.

"Your father is calling you downstairs in the living room!" She said.

The girls shared another look.

"We're coming, ma'am!" Anusha said as she and Anya closed their trunks.

"Alright!" Molly called out and they heard her receding footsteps.

Both the girls walked down the stairs slowly, trying to figure out what their father wanted to tell them. Maybe he just wanted to give them some last minute instructions and their birthday wishes. They went down together and entered the room together to find their father sitting in one of the armchairs.

He looked up to see them and smirked in greeting, which they returned weakly. He sighed and stood up and came to them and kissed their foreheads.

"Now, both of you need to sit down for this," He said, gesturing them to the couch.

The twins looked up at him, frowning confusedly.

"But why?" Anusha asked, looking at him quizzically. Their father sighed.

"Just sit down," He ordered, pointing them to the couch. They sighed and sat together on the couch as he resumed his seat from across them.

"Alright, before we delve into the instructions for your journey today, I'd like to give you both my wishes for your fifteenth birthday," He began, almost smiling at them. They smiled back at him.

"I can hardly believe that you are both turning fifteen. I couldn't be prouder of you both than I am right now. You both have come a long way from the mischievous little toerags you both were during your childhood. Not that you aren't now," He said, smirking at them as they gasped indignantly, "But your mischievous nature has certainly mellowed down, if just a little bit."

"Gee, thanks for your compliment, Papa," Anusha grumbled.

"We certainly appreciate it," Anya added, nodding and looking at him grumpily.

Their father chuckled and shook his head at them.

"Your mother would've been just as proud as I am right now," Severus said, smiling wistfully. The twins smiled back at him. He then gulped to clear the slight lump in his throat.

"Anyways, I may or may not be present for the celebrations. I apologize for that, but I have too much work here and I just can't afford to leave suddenly, even for a few hours. So, I'm giving you both my present beforehand."

The girls' expression turned curious as he simply took out two letters from his pocket and gave it to them, without saying a word. His expression was unreadable as well. Frowning, the girls took the letters from him and read their names and addresses on them. It was written in green ink and the handwriting seemed terribly familiar. The twins looked at each other confusedly.

"Do you know what this is about?" Anya asked.

"Nah! I don't have any idea of what's going on!"

Frowning, Anya looked back at the letter and turned it and gasped. Her eyebrows touched her hairline as she saw the Hogwarts crest. Beside her, Anusha's reaction was the same as well. They turned to look at each other with shock and hope, before turning to look at their father, who was smirking at their reaction.

Anusha held up the letter and started, "Papa, what the hell-"

"Language, Anusha!" He said admonishingly. Anusha nearly rolled her eye, but corrected herself.

"Sorry Papa, but what on Earth is this?!"

Your Hogwarts acceptance letter, obviously."

The girls looked on at him disbelievingly as their father continued.

"Remember that I'm going to be stricter with you both as your professor. And you better prepare yourselves properly for your O.W.L.S. I don't want you both to be anywhere else than the top. And I want you both to have a relatively spotless record. No detentions from anyone, is that clear?"

The twins looked at each other and stood up. They stared down at him with faces that held a mixture of anger and heightened disbelief. They collectively suppressed the hope and ecstasy that had bloomed in their minds.

"Are you playing some kind of joke here or are you being serious?" Anusha asked very quietly, knowing that raising her voice would get them nowhere. She controlled her breathing somehow. Their father looked at them confusedly and stood up.

"Does this look like it? And moreover, do I look like the kind of man who would joke about this?"

The girls looked at him, shocked into silence.

"Seriously, you're actually letting us stay here with you?" Anya asked, a smile blooming on her face. Severus rolled his eyes at that.

"As you can see your names on the letters with the Hogwarts crest, I am," he said, smirking at them, before shrugging and standing up and going towards the doors, saying, "Unless you really want to go back to India, which is fine by me. I could speak to the Headmaster-"

He didn't finish his sentence, as he was thrown off his feet and banged against the door. He winced at the pain that shot up in his neck and looked down to find himself pressed between the door and the girls, who were embracing him tightly and chanting 'Thankyouthankyouthankyou' constantly in his ears.

He groaned and rubbed his sore neck and said, "For Merlin's sake, could any of you warn me next time before doing that?! You both nearly broke my neck with that force!"

But the girls ignored his remark, instead tightening their embrace. He sighed and stroked their heads gently, lightly pressing his face against their heads, thinking about all of the safety measures he'd have to take up for them.

I have to keep them safe here… I'd lose my spy status rather than lose these two… if something happens to either of my little girls, then I don't know what I'd do…

He looked at the top of their heads and nodded to himself.

I would keep them safe no matter what…