Bridge Snaps Clean in Middle of London.

Hurricane Causes Havoc in West Country.

Another Wizarding Family found Dead as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Searches for Missing Heir.

Sutherland Family Believed To Be Extinct Suddenly Resurrected.

Caroline Sutherland Spotted in Muggle World.

Avery Sutherland Searches For Missing Daughter.

Muggle Family Found Murdered: Blood Boiled from Inside Bodies.

Justified Death or Disastrous: Did Muggle Parents Rose and Robert Green Die in Vain?

Fourteen-Years-Ago, when two-year-old Faye Sutherland disappeared; Muggleborn witch, Teddie Green appeared at number 15, Spinner's End. Her parents, Rose, and Robert Green were workers at the old mill and hotel at the end of their street. Two diligent muggles that didn't deserve their lives to be turned upside down.

Were Caroline Sutherland's decisions to hide her own niece with a Muggle family justified, or did she and Faye get the two killed last year?

Teddie felt her body shake as she snatched the newspaper from the table, rolled it into a crumpled ball, and threw it into the fireplace. It hit the back of the grate and bounced forward into the flames, the parchment blackening and curled as the fire licked at its corners, bending them inward as it disintegrated

The Ministry were trying to blame her for her parents' death. As if she would've had anything to do with Rose and Robert Green had she been old enough to decide. But she had been two when she had come to live with them and could barely remember the day herself. If what Snape and Caroline had said was true, then her memories of that day had been wiped to enforce the illusion that she was a Muggleborn witch and a not a Halfblood run away.

It was the spells that had contributed to the episodes Teddie had experienced as a child. The blackouts she would have whenever she was angry or scared, but mostly anger. She could remember several occasions where one minute she was fine, and the next she had done something 'freaky' as the other kids called it, and something had either blown up, changed form or colour, or someone had got hurt.

None of her doctors had ever been able to diagnose her, and they had searched for all the usual issues - bipolar, schizophrenia, psychosis, but all test results had come back negative. In the end she was diagnosed with irrational anger issues and sentenced to Anger Management with her school. When that had failed, she was expelled for reasons unknown - although Teddie was sure it was because of the shouting match she had got into with the school psychologist - and she'd been moved to another school.

She had attended three schools by the time she was eleven years old, and the secondary school that would take her was the one furthest away from her home in Spinners End. Of course, her parents had no idea that what was happening to her was due to magic, being Muggles, they didn't even know about the Wizarding World until Severus Snape, her next-door neighbour, turned up on her doorstep one day in late August, with a letter and an explanation.

After that, everything sort of fell into place.

She was a witch. She wasn't 'different,' 'weird,' or 'freaky.' She had a legitimate reason for why all these strange things were happening to her or happening to people around her.

At times, Teddie wished that her knowledge of the Wizarding World had stopped when she received her letter. There was times that she wished that she could just be a normal Muggleborn witch at Hogwarts, a normal girl that attended a secret school and learned about magic and all things that made her little brother Mason so excited about.

But her life was not sunshine and rainbows. While yes, her life was full of happy times, friends, and family, it was also full of death, despair, doom, and gloom, and she was saddened to say that her parents - her kind-hearted, family-orientated, loving parents - had suffered at the hands of a past she knew nothing about.

There was a knock on the dining hall door.

Teddie looked around as it creaked open, and Mason stuck his head inside. His eyes lighted up as he spotted his sister and made his way over to her. "You, okay?" she asked, hugging him. His eyes were rimmed red, and indication that he had been crying again, and she felt her heart clench at the mere thought.

Mason was still finding it hard to deal with his parents' death. While she, Teddie may have been adopted into the Green family, Mason wasn't. He was a born Green, and the last remaining survivor of his family. He was not her biological brother, but she still treated him as such, and she was as protective over him as ever before, even a little bit more since his - their - parents had been killed.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Mason asked. He eyed the newspapers on the table and looked back at Teddie. "Why are you in here? You know all these headlines do is torture you."

"I know," Teddie said, nodding. "But I like to be up-to-date on the situation out there. Voldemort and Avery aren't going to stop searching for me, and I want to know where they've been and, possibly, where they are heading. That way I can remain two steps ahead of them and protect you and the others from meeting the same fate as Mum, Dad, and Cerberus."

Mason squeezed Teddie around the waist, burying his face in her chest. "I know you want to protect us," he said, his voice muffled. "But sometimes you can't. Sometimes you must let nature run its course, and wherever it ends up, we're meant to be there."

Teddie shook her head and took his face in her hands. "I'm not letting natural selection anywhere near my friends or family," she said. "If Voldemort and Avery want to cause havoc in the West Country by letting the Death Eaters lose, they can. But that Bridge coming down, or those high winds ripping up crops and tearing rooves off buildings, is just the tip of what they're capable of."

Mason blinked as Teddie gazed into his eyes. She reached out with her thumbs, wiping away the remaining tears on his cheeks.

"I lost Mum, Dad, and Cerberus, Mason, I'm not losing you, too," said Teddie, shaking her head. "No matter the cost. You have to survive, you hear me?"

Mason nodded mutely.

Teddie smiled, pressed a kiss to his forehead, and then hugged him again. The siblings stood in complete silence until the door opened for a second time, and a small house-elf wearing a purple tunic, trotted inside.

"Master Mo would like to see you, Miss Green," he squeaked. "He's in the study."

"Thank you, Twinkie," said Teddie. "I'll go at once."

Twinkie nodded and left the room.

Teddie turned back to Mason. "You should make sure you have everything packed," she said. "Hogwarts starts in two days."

"But we haven't had our letters yet," said Mason. "How can I pack without my school list?"

"Make sure the basics are packed," said Teddie. "That your toad is ready for travel, and to be honest, Mason, I wouldn't set your heart on going to Diagon Alley this year. With Voldemort and Avery searching for me at every turn, we may have to get our things ordered."

Mason pouted and Teddie ruffled his head.

"I'll make it up to you," Teddie promised. "Somehow."

"Okay. You better see what Mo wants with you," said Mason. "I'll come find you later."

Teddie nodded and the pair left the dining hall. As Mason headed back upstairs, Teddie passed the kitchens and heard voices; she paused outside the door and listened.

"They could've at least invited her!" Marcus was saying, feverishly. "Langarm cared about Teddie, and vice versa."

"I know, but they wanted a small gathering," said Derrick.

"Besides, there are some at the Ministry that believe Teddie participated in Langarm's death."

Teddie grit her teeth. How could any suspect her of Cerberus' death? If anything, she felt guilty and a little angry at him for putting his life in harm's way for her. She understood that it was his job, but he had a damned family waiting for him at home, a wife, a daughter, and a new-born grandson, and he had thrown it all away to protect her.

"- We don't believe she was involved," said Derrick, quickly, and Teddie realised that the conversation had moved on. She had missed most of it and cursed herself for getting lost in her thoughts.

"But Langarm's daughter didn't want Teddie there," said Adrian. "Dad said that she is frustrated and angry. Angry at her dad for leaving her mother, and angry at Teddie for taking him away."

"But -"

"She has every right to be," said Teddie. She couldn't help herself. She couldn't stand there just listening anymore, especially since Marcus seemed hell bent on defending her.

The three boys looked up. They weren't much different to the seventeen-year-olds that she could remember them to be, but it had been almost three years since they had left school. Marcus was a professional Quidditch player now. He was no longer with Amsterdam but had returned home to England and joined the National English team.

Adrian worked in store in Diagon Alley. His Uncle owned a bookstore, and he had been supplying Mason with books all summer. At first Teddie had been hesitant, because now that her parents were gone, not that she was able to do so when they had been alive, but she couldn't afford to pay for everything Mason wanted.

But Adrian, and his Uncle, were more than happy to supply Mason with whatever he felt like reading. Often, Mason used them like a library. He borrowed a book, read it, and then sent it back, sometimes with a review of his own which Adrian's father catalogued and kept for future reference should another young witch or wizard wonder what it was like.

Derrick, meanwhile, was working at the Ministry. He had started training to become an Auror, and was working under Marcus' father, Mo. He had described his training as a 'piece of cake' and then later changed it to 'challenging, invigorating, and difficult,' but Mo had said he showed potential, so Derrick was excited to continue the regime.

"Teddie, how long have you been standing there?" Marcus asked.

"Long enough to know that the Langarms are hurting," said Teddie. "I don't blame them for hating me."

"But it's not your fault about what happened to Cerberus," said Marcus.

"May not," said Teddie. "But if I hadn't had been at the Ministry of Magic that night, then he wouldn't have needed to come save me. He wouldn't have been in the line of fire, and he wouldn't have engaged in battle with Avery to protect me." She shook her head as Marcus tried to protest. "I didn't actually kill him, but I contributed to it by being there. You can't deny the truth, Marcus, you just have to accept it, like I have."

Marcus sighed and resigned himself to silence. He had learned a long time ago that Teddie was stubborn, and you couldn't talk her out of something once her mind had been made up.

"I also understand their desire for a small ceremony in his memory," Teddie continued. "Am I sad I didn't get to say goodbye? Yes, I am. But Cerberus knew how I felt about him. He was a good man, and I will miss him for the rest of my life. But the ceremony was about him and his family." She shook her head. "I can respect them enough to not want to share him during this difficult time."

Adrian and Derrick shared a look.

"Are you sure you're, okay?" Marcus asked, concerned.

Teddie shrugged. "People are dying every day as Voldemort -" she rolled her eyes as Adrian and Derrick shuddered, "and Avery continue their search for me. I guess I'm just feeling sympathetic to the families out there that are losing people, right, left, and centre. I understand their anger. When I lost my parents, I felt it too."

"But their anger is directed at the wrong person."

"Is it, though?" Teddie asked.

"Yes! You are not to blame for Avery and his actions," said Marcus.

Teddie sighed. "Maybe," she said, quietly.

The room grew silent.

"I wish I could stay here and hash it out with you, but your father is waiting for me. If you're all around later, maybe we can do it then."

"Why is dad looking for you?" Marcus asked.

"I dunno. Twinkie just told me that he was," said Teddie. She stepped backward, out of the kitchen. "I'll let you know what happens."

"Remember, Teddie, whatever happens, it's not your fault," Marcus said.

Teddie offered him a small smile and continued down the hallway toward the study.

~X~

The study door was closed when Teddie reached it. She could hear muffled voices behind the thick wood and raised her hand to knock. Silence fell almost immediately, and then Mo's voice called out, telling her to enter.

"Ah, Teddie, there you are," said Mo, smiling.

"Sorry for the delay," said Teddie, stepping into the room. She glanced around, her eyes narrowing as she spotted Cornelius Fudge, Minister for Magic sitting in one chair beside Mo's desk. In the other was someone she didn't recognise. He had a mane of tawny hair and bushy eyebrows; behind which were keen yellowish eyes that were hidden by a pair of wire-rimmed spectacles.

Mo waved her off. "It's quite alright," he said. "You're here now. That is what matters." He gestured to the two men before him. "You remember Cornelius Fudge, I presume."

"Yes," said Teddie. She stared at the man without so much as a smile or nod. She wasn't trying to be disrespectful, but this man had made life hell for everyone at Hogwarts last year, particularly her friend, Harry Potter. He had slandered Harry every chance he could get in the Daily Prophet, Dumbledore, too, calling them liars and then spreading his own lies within the same newspaper. How he was still running a country was beyond her, especially since most of his lies had been proven to be just that - lies.

Fudge cleared his throat.

"And this," Mo continued, gesturing to the second man. "Is Rufus Scrimgeour. He is our new Minister for Magic."

Teddie gave a start. Her gaze tore away from Fudge, and she looked at Mo. "Did you say new Minister for Magic?" she asked.

Scrimgeour chuckled. "Yes, Miss Green," he said, standing and offering her his hand. "New Minister for Magic. Everything has been pretty hush hush for the most part. After last year, the Ministry deemed it necessary that a change was needed, and I was voted in this past summer."

"I really hope you're good at cleaning house, Minister," said Teddie. "You have one hell of a job ahead of you."

"Indeed, little one," Scrimgeour agreed.

Teddie ignored the flare of anger at his words. Could he sound anymore condescending or patronising?

Looking around the new Minister, Teddie peered up at Mo. "Twinkie said you wished to see me," she said.

"Yes, we do," said Scrimgeour.

Teddie looked from Mo to him and back again.

"It may not have escaped your notice, Miss Green, but we are at war," said Scrimgeour.

"You were at war two years ago," said Teddie. "Your people chose to ignore all the signs and silence the only two people that knew. Whatever has happened, or will happen in the future, is your fault. If you had just listened -"

"Yes, yes, we are aware of our errors," said Scrimgeour, offhandedly.

His demeanour was enough to make Teddie's fists clench. How could he just brush aside everything that had happened like it was old news, like the deaths that had been caused weren't as important as the people that remained?

"I am sure you have seen the papers this week?" Scrimgeour asked. "Blockdale Bridge? The hurricane? All the deaths."

"Deaths that could've been avoided if you had just listened!"

Scrimgeour sighed and turned to Mo.

"Teddie," said Mo, patting the air. A silent gesture that she needed to calm down and let Scrimgeour explain why he was there.

Teddie scowled and folded her arms.

"Thank you," said Scrimgeour, nodding at Mo. He turned his attention back to Teddie. "I understand that you are upset, Miss Green, and rightfully so, but the fact of the matter is that several mistakes were made."

"Deaths," Teddie corrected. "The fact of the matter is that several deaths were made."

Scrimgeour cleared his throat and Teddie glared at him. "I am a remarkably busy man, Miss Green, unless you allow me to continue then we are going to be here all night, and, as you have stated several times, I have a clean-up job to be getting on with. The matter I have asked Mo to call you here for is to discuss your protection for the upcoming year."

"My protection?" Teddie repeated.

"With Cerberus Langarms' untimely death," Scrimgeour said, holding up a hand to silence Teddie as she started to protest. "Your protection at Hogwarts this year has moved to the top priority pile. The Ministry is already taking precautions to protect Hogwarts and it's students, but your case is… sensitive, I guess you could say."

"Sensitive?" Teddie repeated, her temper flaring rapidly. "Sensitive?! You mean the fact that I am the Daughter of Darkness? That's not a sensitive case, Minister. Anyone you assign to protect me is putting their lives in the firing zone, and I won't have another Langarm. I can't afford it."

"I am not asking you to afford it," said Scrimgeour. "We have a special elite team that is specifically trained to manage these types of cases."

Teddie shook her head. "I don't care," she said. "I don't want a protection detail."

"I'm sure you understand, Miss Green, that this is not up for discussion," said Scrimgeour. "Your new protection detail will be here first thing in the morning to escort you to Diagon Alley."

"But -"

"Teddie," Mo interrupted.

Teddie turned her glare onto him. Cerberus had been his friend, his partner. How could he assign another Auror team to her so soon after his death? Did he even care? Did any of them?

"Do I even get a say in this?" Teddie asked.

"No," the three men said.

Biting her tongue, Teddie glared at the trio. "Fine!" she grit out. "But if something happens to them like it did Cerberus, it will be your fault!"

Turning on the spot, Teddie stormed from the room, slamming the door behind her.

Welcome to Year Six!

Happy Halloween!

Happy Birthday, Teddie!

What did you think?

~Twix