"Anyone know a Stan Shunpike?" Judy asked.

"Yeah, he works the Night Bus," said Marlene, biting into a piece of toast and jam. "Why? He's not dead, is he?"

Judy shook her head and lowered her copy of the Daily Prophet so she could see her friends from across the breakfast table. "No, but he's been arrested," she said.

"Arrested? For what?" Marlene asked.

Judy scanned the article, her eyes leaping from one word to the next as she tried to find a reason. "Uh, oh, here we are," she said, pressing a finger to the page. "Suspicion of Death Eater activity."

Marlene burst out laughing.

"What's so funny?" Teddie asked, arriving with Theo, Daphne, and Blaise.

"Stan Shunpike has been arrested on suspicion of Death Eater activity," said Marlene. "I just find it amusing that they they Stan, of all people, is a Death Eater. The guy is as thick as a Broomstick handle."

"And as thin as one, too," said Susan.

Teddie helped herself to some bacon and eggs. "Who's Stan Shunpike?" she asked.

"He's the conductor on the Night Bus," Judy answered. "Twenty-One years old, lives in Clapham. He failed out of Hogwarts after his O. W. Ls which is why his job is so basic."

Teddie looked thoughtful and then shook her head. "Nope. Never heard of him," she said, "Does it say who arrested him?"

"The Auror's, no doubt."

"Which Auror?"

Judy blinked. "Oh, you want to know if Mo Flint is involved?" she asked. "Just a sec." She disappeared behind the paper again, only to emerge minutes later, shaking her head. "No, sorry, Ted, but it doesn't say."

Teddie shrugged. "It's okay," she replied, swallowing her bacon with a gulp of juice.

"If Shunpike was the last person to be a Death Eater, he could've been under the Imperius Curse," said Blaise.

"Doesn't look like it," said Judy. "It says he was arrested after he was overheard talking about the Death Eaters' secret plans in a pub. If he was under the Imperius Curse, he'd hardly stand around gossiping about their plans, would he?"

"Unless that was the plan," said Teddie.

Her friends stared at her.

"Think about it, what better way to get someone off your tail other than to set another person up to take the fall?" Teddie asked. "The Death Eaters' could've put Shunpike under their control, told him to go talk about their presumed plans, and get him arrested while they carry out their actual plans. It takes the pressure off them and puts the Auror's in direct conflict with someone else."

"Is that what you would do?"

Teddie shrugged. "To an extent, yeah," she answered.

"Personally, it sounds like Stan was trying to make out that he knew more than he actually did," said Marlene. "Trust me, I've met him. Like I said, he's not the brightest bulb on the tree."

"I've been saying since the start of term," said Teddie. "People are scared. Robin Ronan's little sister was supposed to start Hogwarts this year, her parents are home-schooling her instead, they also wanted Robin to drop out because they feel no where is safe right now."

"But Hogwarts is the safest place on the planet," said Susan. "We've got half the Auror department stationed around the perimeter, extra protective spells and enchantments, plus we've got Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore can't be everywhere all the time," said Teddie. "Plus, most parents are afraid that the danger is already inside Hogwarts."

"You mean you," said Marlene.

Teddie nodded. "We can't deny and deny all we want, but the fact of the matter is, there are actual people who believe I am on Voldemort's side. People who believe that I am masquerading as Teddie now just to get others to sign up for Voldemort's cause, or to hold their families at ransom by getting close to their children. I'm the biggest threat inside Hogwarts, while Avery and Voldemort are causing a scene outside."

"But, and I don't mean this offensively," said Judy, "you're only a child yourself. How could you possibly get people to stand up for You-Know-Who?"

"Fear is a good motivator when used correctly," said Teddie. "Parents will do absolutely anything to protect their children, even take them as far away from protective enchantments and Auror's if they feel they need, too. Hell, my own parents always used to say that the safest place you'll ever be is in your own home with your family."

Theo nodded. "Mum used to say the same," he agreed. "Although, life in my house was more scarier than anywhere else in the world. But, I was always safe with Mum."

"That's why home isn't a place," said Teddie. "It's the person you feel the most comfortable with. Mason is my home, and so are all of you. I'm safe with you because I know you're on my side."

"Same," said Marlene, squeezing Teddie's shoulder.

Teddie smiled.

The group finished breakfast in silence.

Once the plates and goblets had cleared, Marlene turned to Teddie again. "What you doing now?" she asked. "We're going to the library, get started on this weeks homework list. You want to tag along?"

"Maybe later," said Teddie. "I'm going to go find Mason. I haven't seen him all week."

"Okay. Catch you later," said Marlene getting up. Judy and Susan followed her and the trio left the Great Hall.

Turning back to the others, Teddie rolled her shoulders. "Are you heading back to the common room?" she asked.

"I am," said Blaise. "Between classes, homework, and prefect duties, I haven't had a chance to finish anything, and I know if I don't then I won't. I have two essays due in on Monday, and I still haven't started the allocated reading for History of Magic."

Teddie nodded. "Daph, what about you?" she asked.

"I'm coming with you," said Daphne. "I want to check in on Astoria."

Teddie nodded and finally turned to Theo.

"I'm going to go to with Blaise," said Theo. "I have my Defence paper to finish, and I need to look over the names that Professor Snape gave me last night for Quidditch."

"When are tryouts?" Blaise asked.

Theo shrugged. "I thought I would sift through the names first and then decide," he said. "Gryffindor have the field this morning, Hufflepuff tomorrow, and Ravenclaw have it Friday."

"You could do Saturday night," said Teddie. "We could all come down and cheer you on."

"I'll consider it," Theo said.

The quartet stood and left the Hall. Blaise and Theo headed through the door leading to the Dungeons, while Daphne and Teddie headed outside in search of their siblings.

~X~

"Have you seen Slughorn yet?" Mason asked.

Teddie shook her head.

"Just a head's up," said Mason. "He's offering some of his favourite students to join him for some supper tonight in his chambers. He's already asked me, and I said I would think about it."

"I don't think I'm on his guest list after the outburst on the train."

"I think he's forgotten, to be fair," said Mason. " He did mention something about hoping I would join because he intends on asking you. He's determined to get you, Ted, I don't know what he wants, but he wants you badly."

"He's a collector," said Teddie, sniffing. "He wants rare and exciting students to add to his collection. That's why me and Harry were invited to Compartment C. You're smart, really smart, and he wants you for your brain; he invited Blaise because of who his mother is, and he invited Theo because of his Dad."

"He mentioned something earlier about not extending invitations to Death Eater families after the train," said Mason. "I don't think Theo will be asked to join tonight."

Teddie shrugged. "Then I guess Slughorn can forget me going," she said. "Theo and I are a joint package, you take one, you take the other. Same as you and me, squirt." She ruffled Mason's hair, making him smile and laugh.

The pair lay back under the oak tree, staring at the sky. It was miserable looking. Grey rain clouds gathered overhead, looking like they may burst at any second.

"I miss Mum and Dad," said Mason, suddenly.

Teddie sighed and reached for his hand. "Me too," she answered. "Remember when I blew up the coat room at school? Mum and Dad were both working, and had to leave earlier to come get me?"

"They got me, too," said Mason.

"Then we all went for ice cream," Teddie smiled.

Mason chuckled. Rather than punish their children for their misbehaviours, Rose and Robert Green had simply sat them down, talked it through, and then, depending on the sevrity of the situation, they handed out a punishment. When Teddie had supposedly blown up the coat room' - how she could've done it without dynamite, Robert had said - they had given her a talking to and then taken her for ice cream.

Another time, she had snuck out of the house late at night to go investigate the old abandoned house parallel to the factory Robert worked at, with her friend John, and had been caught by the police. They had hauled her home and Robert and Rose had grounded her for sneaking out. Not so much breaking and entry, but leaving the house in the dark without telling them.

"Do you think they knew?" Teddie asked.

"Knew what?" Mason asked. "About you?"

Teddie nodded.

Mason shook his head. "From what you've told me, the spells and enchantments that Professor Snape and Caroline put on them were so complexed that it wiped all memory of their Muggle lives - at least any life they had before us - from existence. Even if they took the magic away, to make them forget you, it wouldn't have worked."

"Why not?"

"Because in forgetting you they'd forget me," said Mason. "Mum didn't have kids when the spells were put upon her, and within a year of it happening, I was born. You take away that magic, and you take away all memories of anything that occurred when that magic was in place. They'd go back to being regular Muggles without kids, and we'd be orphans anyway."

Teddie sighed and turned to her brother. "I'm sorry for doing this to you, Mason," she said. "I took your parents away."

"No, our parents were taken from us," said Mason. "Mum and Dad were as much your parents as they were mine, and nothing will ever change that. So, whatever happens, don't blame yourself. If anything happens to me, it's not your fault. Okay?"

"Nothing is going to happen to you," Teddie promised. "I won't let it."

"I know you'll do your best to protect me. But if anything does happen, just know that I love being your brother, and you're my hero, despite what other people say."

Teddie smiled and drew her brother in for a hug. "I love you, Squirt," she whispered, kissing the top of his head.

"I love you, too," Mason replied.

~X~

As Mason warned, Slughorn tracked Teddie down before dinner that evening. She was walking to the Slytherin common room, after leaving Mason in the Entrance Hall. Most of the school were heading into the Great Hall, but after a quick check of the Slytherin table, Teddie had realised her friends were not there.

Theo and Blaise could've still been in the Slytherin common room doing their work, while Daphne had disappeared after she and Teddie had found Mason and Astoria by the lake. The two sisters had gone to send a letter home, leaving Mason and Teddie to hang out at the lake's edge.

"Teddie!" Slughorn boomed, coming around the corner from the Potions classroom. He cut across her path and beamed down at her. "Teddie, my dear! Just the woman I was looking for. I was hoping to catch you before dinner. What do you say to a bit of supper tonight in my room instead? We're having a little party, just a few rising stars, I've got McLaggen coming, your friend Zabini also said he would be interested, and of course, you dear younger brother has said he would be there."

Teddie resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Mason had said no such thing. He had said he would think about it, but if she wasn't going then he would not go either. Besides, Mason would've rather sat in the Ravenclaw common room with a book near the fire, that attend an event in the outside world. Unless, of course, there would be someone at this event that he could dissolve into conversation with.

"Melinda Bobbin, will also be there, and the lovely Miss Granger," Slughorn continued, oblivious to Teddie's lack of interest. "So, what do you say?"

"Oh, I don't know, Professor," said Teddie, awkwardly. "I have a ton of homework waiting for me tonight, and I promised Theo I'd help him work through the Quidditch list. We have a lot of potential players this year that he needs help dwindling down to the more promising candidates. You know how big Slytherin is on perfection, especially when it comes to their House team."

Slughorn twirled his moustache. "Yes, indeed," he said. "Well, if you change your mind, the offer still stands. I hope to see you tonight, Miss Green."

Teddie watched him head upstairs, probably in search of another student that he wanted for his collection, and then returned her attention to the Slytherin common room. She reached the portrait soon, gave the password and scrambled through.

"What are you guys still doing here?" Teddie asked, spotting her friends near the fireplace. "Dinner starts in ten minutes, and I don't know about you, but I'm starved.."

"We're almost done," said Blaise. "How's Mason?"

"Homesick," said Teddie.

Daphne looked up from her Muggle studies book. "Really? He looked fine when I saw him," she said.

"He's like his sister," said Teddie. "Good at hiding behind a mask. But I know Mason better than most, he can't hide behind his mask forever with me, his real self comes out sooner rather than later. He mentioned our parents today, said he misses them."

"It hasn't been a year yet," said Daphne. "It's understandable that he misses them. He's still grieving."

"Doesn't matter if it's been a year or four," said Theo. "He'll always miss them."

"Do you still miss your mum?" Blaise asked.

Theo shrugged and nodded. "I've learned to cope and deal with the loss now," he admitted. "But yeah, I still miss her from time-to-time. What about you, do you miss your biological dad?"

"I never knew him, to be fair," said Blaise. "He died before I was born."

"Sorry to hear that, Blaise," said Teddie.

Blaise waved her off. "It's fine. Can't miss someone I never knew, right?" he asked.

"Why not? I mean, he was still a huge part of your life," said Teddie. "Even if you don't remember him." She turned to Daphne. "What about you? Anyone in your life that you miss?"

"My grandfather," said Daphne. "You've met my grandmother. But her husband died two years before I started Hogwarts - he had an illness that they couldn't diagnose. But it affected his lungs and in the end he suffocated to death."

Teddie winced.

"He was my rock, you know?" Daphne asked. "Always there when I needed him. Always reassuring, and huggable."

Teddie smiled. "Wish I could've met him," she said.

"He'd have loved you, Ted," said Daphne. "And you can guarantee that he would play holy hell with the people that are giving you a hard time for being who you are. He was nothing like my grandmother; he didn't care about Pureblood supremacy or Muggleborns and Muggles. I think that's where my dad gets it from."

"He definitely doesn't get it from his mother, that's for sure," said Teddie.

Daphne smiled.

"There! I'm done," said Blaise. "Shall we go to Dinner?"

The others nodded and stood,

"Hey, Slughorn stopped me on my way here," said Teddie to Blaise.

"Did he ask you to his party?"

Teddie nodded. "What's it about?" she asked.

Blaise shrugged. "It'd be good if you came, though," he said. "We could find out together. Mason's been asked, too."

"I know," said Teddie. "But I'm unsure on whether I want to go or not. After the incident on the train, I don't think I'm Slughorn's biggest priority. Besides, he only wants me because he wants Faye. I can't pretend to be her for someone like him."

"Then don't be Faye," said Blaise. "Be Teddie. If he can't appreciate you for being who you are, then he doesn't deserve you."

Teddie smiled and caught sight of Theo from the corner of her eye. She could remember what Mason said about him being dropped because his father was Death Eater. "I'll think about it," she said. "I did plan on hanging out with Theo tonight, anyway."

Theo looked up, sharply. "Why?" he asked.

"Do I need a reason to hang out with my best friend?" Teddie asked. "Maybe you can tell me what you have planned for the Quidditch team this year."

Theo studied her closely and then smiled. "Okay. It's a date," he said, blushing deeply as he realised what he had said.

Teddie's face matched his.

Daphne smirked and, weaving her arm over both their shoulders, strode up the corridor. "You're both clueless," she said.

~X~

After dinner, the quartet returned to the common room.

A discarded copy of the Evening Prophet lay on the arm of the chair nearest the sofa, and Daphne scooped it up as she sat down. The chair was usually reserved for Professor Snape, but he was hardly seen in the Common Room these days, aside from the first night back.

"Anything interesting?" Theo asked.

"Not really," Daphne answered. "Article about the Weird Sister drummer, an article on new broomsticks… oh, wait a minute, there's a mention about Arthur Weasley in here. Apparently, he raided the Malfoy home the night we returned to Hogwarts. Said he was working on a confidential tip."

Teddie leaned back in her seat, her head lolling on Theo's shoulder. "Did he find anything?" she asked.

"Of course he didn't, Green!" Malfoy sneered, striding over. "What exactly could he find at mine, other than what deserves to be there?"

Teddie shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe something to do with dark magic," she offered. "I mean, given how much of a screw up your father was, I wouldn't have put it past him to leave some sort of dark object lying around."

Malfoy's face screwed up in anger and he drew his wand. "Stand and face me, Green," he sneered. "I've had enough of your comments about my father and my family. I won't stand for it any longer, you hear me?"

"Yeah, I hear you," said Teddie, standing up. "It's not nice when someone says bad things about your family, is it? Yet it never stopped you from saying that shit to me and about my family."

"Only because you deserved it!"

Teddie grit her teeth. "No one deserves to be bullied, Malfoy," she snapped. "Not even you. I don't know what Mr Weasley hoped to find at your home, but I am guessing it had something to do with Voldemort seeing as your father was part of his inner circle."

Malfoy started to protest.

"You can deny it as much as you want," said Teddie. "But I know what happened at the Ministry, I know why your father was there. I know why and how he got caught. Having your father taken away is never easy, but at least yours is still alive!"

Malfoy's eyes widened as the depth of Teddie's voice changed, as well as her eye colour and hair colour. Both turned from their usual green and red, to a deep, dark brown, almost black colour.

"Your father can, and probably will come home from Azkaban before this war is over," Teddie continued, her voice growing angrier and angrier by the second. "But mine? Mine is dead! Your master, the man you believe is all faithful and cares about you, killed him. He may not have done it personally, but it was on his orders that my parents were killed."

Malfoy started to protest.

"Shut up!" Teddie snapped, silencing him. She blinked and, within a flash, her eyes and hair colour turned back to normal. She shook her head and glared at Malfoy, unshed tears of pain, grief, and anger cresting her eyelids. "Just shut up."

Malfoy snapped his mouth closed, turned, and walked away.

Teddie heaved a heavy sigh and flopped backwards onto the sofa. She pulled her knees up to her chest, buried her head in her hands and sobbed.

Awkwardly, Blaise, Daphne, and Theo shared a look, while the latter rubbed his best friend's back soothingly. While what had just happened had been scary, at least Teddie was grieving, at last.