Disclaimer: I am totally blind and writing this story on my Braille notetaker. To my knowledge, Rowling started writing the Harry Potter stories in a coffee shop on a napkin, in print. What does that mean? Well, it means I ain't JK Rowling.

Author's Note: Thank you so much for the amazing reviews. I think it's awesome that you love the relationship between the trio. I also can't wait to write about Gabriel's family in the summer chapters. I hope you'll enjoy what I do there.

I'm so glad you loved Gabriel and Sirius's conversation so much. I adore writing the interaction between those two as well. As you said, so much heartbreak and pain, but so much support for each other. I've always loved Sirius as a character; he's definitely flawed and has made a lot of mistakes, but he's consumed by guilt and wants nothing more than to make up for them. I was devastated when Rowling killed him off at the end of book 5. No wonder Harry was so angry.

Anyway, in this chapter, I introduce a character that is absolutely integral to the plot. He was mentioned briefly in chapter 5, when Dumbledore is thinking about the past. I love this character - he's the best. A lot of his characteristics are based off a real person, just as his father is in my companion story to this one, He Who Fights Monsters. Both characters are actually based off that person. It's going to be heartbreaking to continue that character arc in He Who Fights Monsters, but I feel like he will live on through his son, so this particular person's character will be in both stories. I really, really hope you like him. I'd love to know what you all think - I'd adore feedback.

Okay, here goes.

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It was one of those sunsets that held such beauty that it would make anyone lose their breath if they stopped to stare at it. It was a moment that made you ponder the true power of nature, and the wonders of the universe. A gentle breeze blew through the trees, adding even more intensity to the scene.

A young man with curly brown hair and intelligent, wise blue eyes stood in the middle of a park near where he lived, taking deep breaths of the clean, fresh air as he watched the sun slowly dip below the horizon. He had always been taught to appreciate moments like this, that he should take the time to be grateful for all the beauty life held. He'd had the best role model, someone who had loved him unconditionally and who had made him the man he was today. He might be on another plane of existence, but the young man felt that his father was never far away from him.

One memory swam to the forefront of Sam Fenwick's mind. His father sat on the edge of his bed the day before Sam had left for Hogwarts for the first time, and to this day, he had never been sure whether Benjy Fenwick knew he was awake or not. Had he wanted his son to hear his confession? There were many times throughout his life that Sam had asked himself this question, but in the end, it didn't really matter what the answer was. That night, when his father had poured out his heart to him, it shaped the person he was now.

"Once upon a time, I wasn't a good man," Benjy had whispered into the darkness as Sam had lain awake. He'd had trouble getting to sleep - he was going to Hogwarts tomorrow and he thought he'd burst from the excitement wriggling inside him. He'd stayed quiet when his father had entered the room, not wanting to confess that he couldn't sleep due to the excitement. He knew his dad was having a hard time accepting that his son was leaving the next day. To be honest, as happy as he was to be going to school, he was going to miss his dad terribly as well.

It took a second for the words to register, but when they did, Sam was in shock. What was his dad talking about? What did he mean, he once wasn't a good man? He was the best man Sam knew, who had taught him invaluable lessons that Sam would always take with him wherever he went.

There were a few seconds of silence, and then Benjy continued, the words spoken in a whisper. "Did you know that I was almost expelled from Hogwarts? I was a terrible student. I acted out, I skipped class, I got into fights, I said hurtful things to people that can never be taken back. I was lost, adrift in a world that seemed way too big for me. I managed to graduate from Hogwarts, but once I left, I stayed on the same track I'd been on. Sam ... there are parts of my life I never want to discuss, but let's just say ... I almost ended up in Azkaban. If it wasn't for a young man named Boris who saw something in me, the potential I wasn't using ... if he hadn't seen that deep down, all I wanted was to find a place to belong in this world, you probably wouldn't exist."

Boris. Sam remembered that name - of course he did. Boris had died suddenly a little over a year ago. He knew how special the man had been to Benjy, how he was like a brother to him. Sam would never forget how much that loss had affected his father. He'd locked himself away for almost twenty-four hours, unable to speak to anyone, not even Sam. That memory still haunted him - hearing his dad crying in his room and wanting nothing more than to rush to his side and comfort him, but knowing better than to do so because Benjy had explicitly requested to be alone. His dad's sobs of pure agony were the worst sounds he'd ever heard. Sam had fixed his own dinner that night, miserable and feeling helpless. His dad gave him so much - he dearly wished to be able to give him as much in return.

But the next day, he'd emerged from his isolation, smiling softly at his son and reassuring him that he would be okay. Sam had truly never known such a resilient person. It had been absolutely gut-wrenching to see the man he idolized in such obvious pain, and he'd still felt entirely useless, not knowing how to help him. As he'd embraced the man who still looked exhausted but somehow had the strength to be back on his feet, he'd told him so.

"You are NOT useless. Don't speak such nonsense, Sam." Benjy had spoken in a stern tone but was still smiling at Sam - a small smile, not his usual jovial, carefree one, but a smile nonetheless. It was obvious that he was having a hard time. "You help me just by being here. You helped yesterday when I asked to be left to handle this on my own, and you did as I asked. Sometimes, Sam, we need time to process things, to really feel what's happened. Some people are afraid of truly experiencing their emotions. They try to deny them, and they never come to terms with reality. They feel shame for letting themselves grieve the way they should. I'm telling you to not be ashamed of it, Sam. If you're sad, let yourself be sad. Give yourself the time and space to heal. I'm going to be okay, and the last thing you are is useless. I'll be dealing with Boris's death for a long time, but I know he would want me to continue giving joy to others. I will live the rest of my life in his honor."

"Was he killed by a Death Eater?" Sam had asked quietly, knowing that any sudden death these days was mostly because of them.

"He died in battle," his dad had answered, a brief flash of such heartbreak crossing his face which made Sam feel choked up himself.

It was later, several years after Benjy had been killed by Death Eaters himself, that Sam understood the nuance behind his words. He hadn't said Boris was killed by a Death Eater. He said he'd "died in battle". Sam had found out that there were some things that could be even scarier than Death Eaters. There were battles with enemies even worse than Voldemort himself. Sometimes it was your own mind that was more frightening by far.

But that night before he'd left for Hogwarts, Sam truly understood what Boris had meant to Benjy. He'd pulled him back from the edge - he'd saved him from himself. His dad was the man he was today because of Boris. It was one of the worst losses his father had ever faced, but the way he handled his grief was incredibly amazing and inspiring to the then eleven-year-old. Growing up in a time of war, Sam unfortunately understood life, death, and sadness all too well. And whether or not Benjy knew Sam had been awake to hear his confession, he felt like he truly knew his dad by the next morning when he boarded the Hogwarts Express. Benjy was in tears as they said goodbye; he was having a very difficult time letting his son go, but Sam understood. No matter Benjy's conviction that the war would end, it was still going on and there was so much uncertainty. It was about the worst time to let his son go to Hogwarts for the first time. Sam was bursting to tell him that he had heard the entire confession the night before, and if anything, it made him respect and idolize the man more than ever. People who had always been good were wonderful, but the people who made awful mistakes but then mended their ways and turned their lives around were the truly great. Maybe Benjy hadn't been a good man once, but now ... now he was a hero. He was leagues away from anyone else. He had devoted the rest of his life to helping others, pulling them away from the edge as Boris had once done for him. His earlier experiences were the reason why he had been so positive throughout the war, why he'd held onto hope that Voldemort and the Death Eaters would be defeated. Hope had gotten him through the worst of times, after all. And he didn't just say those things to make others feel better - he truly believed. And he taught Sam to believe, too.

I'll tell him at Christmas, Sam had thought as the train rounded the corner and he could no longer see his dad. I'll tell him I was awake the whole time, and I'll tell him that his confession makes me want to emulate him even more.

Little did he know that he'd never get to say that to him. In the early morning hours of Monday, September 27, 1981, almost a month after Sam had started at Hogwarts, Benjy was murdered. Murdered in his own home because he was betrayed. Murdered by the Death Eaters who took delight in ending his life.

Sam could safely say that what had gotten him through was that frank discussion he'd had with his dad after what had happened to Boris, about how to handle loss and grief. He'd seen the way Benjy was able to pick himself up and continue even though he knew there were times he still struggled. And Sam wanted to continue the legacy Benjy had left behind. At the funeral, he'd given a eulogy that had stunned the Order - they were acting as though the war had been lost. Benjy had given them all hope - he had been the only one who still held any optimism, who was still convinced Voldemort would be vanquished. With his death, the wizarding world might as well be doomed. Sam knew that wasn't true. So he'd gone up to the podium and told them so. Later, after the service, he couldn't believe the number of Order members who thanked him and told him that just like his father, he had saved their sanity. Only being eleven at the time, he wasn't quite sure what to do with that information. How could he have saved anyone? He was only telling the truth.

And on Halloween 1981, Benjy had been proven correct. When the entire school had found out the news, Sam swore he heard his dad laughing, whispering in his ear, "I told you so. Told ya. What did I say? I was right. Of course I was right."

And now, all these years later as he stood in the park near his home where he lived alone, it was another one of those moments where he could feel his dad standing beside him. It had been a beautiful day, and the sky looked so picturesque as the sun was setting. Even a painting of the scene wouldn't have done it justice. Mother Nature was giving Britain a glorious day - and Sam knew it was literally the calm before the storm.

For several years, he had been working at the Ministry of Magic. For the past year, he had seen signs, had read the writing on the wall. There had been talk of Dumbledore saying that Voldemort wasn't gone forever. His body had never been discovered at Godric's Hollow, only his cloak. There had been the Death Eater activity at the Quidditch World Cup, and the appearance of the Dark Mark in the sky after almost thirteen years. There had been the mysterious disappearance of Bertha Jorkins. There had been things that others didn't want to see.

But Sam had warned people. He worked in the Improper Use of Magic office, and he had warned his coworkers. Every day in the Ministry cafeteria, he had warned people. They called him paranoid. They called him crazy. They said he was reading too much into things. They said he didn't know what he was talking about. There were the few he'd managed to convince, but he wished there had been more.

And he had been right. He'd known it the instant he'd seen Sunday's Daily Prophet. It wasn't that hard to figure out. Harry Potter was dead. Alastor Moody was dead. No one was saying it, but Sam knew Lord Voldemort had returned.

And it was inevitable. Another war was going to begin. Just like fourteen years ago, the world would change. People would be scared. People would be angry. People would ... people would die.

People would die just like his father had, just like so many in the Order had the last time. And people would be swallowed up by the darkness, letting it consume them. They wouldn't do what Benjy had done and allow themselves to be pulled back from the edge. They'd let themselves be taken over by despair. Some would sink to such depths of depravity that Sam couldn't possibly understand. Just like ... just like the Potters.

The Potters. Sam remembered them, remembered them attending his eleventh birthday party that Benjy had thrown for him at their house, which had been used as the Headquarters, on May 28, 1981, remembered them asking him questions and eating cake and watching him blow out the candles. He remembered Harry, what a cute little baby he had been. He remembered their faces as they watched Benjy with awe when he delivered a touching, heartfelt speech about his boy turning eleven. He remembered that Dumbledore had come when Sam was still opening his presents. He'd apologized to Sam for interrupting the party with news of a battle. Sam would never forget hugging his father goodbye, realizing there were things more important than a birthday party when you could be called into battle at any moment.

And he remembered how that battle was one of the worst in wizarding history. The Ministry of Magic had been attacked by Death Eaters, and had almost been taken over.

But they hadn't succeeded. The Aurors had held them off, and Dumbledore had dueled with Voldemort and survived. The Aurors had arrived late to the battle because there had been a spy in their midst that had given them the wrong information. The Order had tried to hold the Death Eaters at bay, but when they realized they had to retreat, Benjy was able to escape with several members to one of the offices, the office where Lily Potter had worked in the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and he'd hidden in there with them. It was only Benjy's knowledge of warding spells that had kept the Death Eaters from breaking into the office and murdering everyone inside. They'd tried to break down the wards, but they hadn't been able to. His dad's actions had been heroic that day.

Sam remembered how, almost two weeks after that terrible night, Lily, James, and Harry came to stay at their house because Lily was having trouble recovering from the trauma. She'd temporarily lost the use of her magic, and Benjy had offered for them to stay there while she got better, for safety reasons. The wards were much more secure on the Headquarters than anywhere else - well, besides Hogwarts and, until May 28, the Ministry itself. That had been shattered, however, when Benjy had been murdered in September, right there at the house. But when the Potters had come to stay there in June, all had seemed safe.

Sam had liked the Potters; he'd been very comfortable with them. He and Benjy had discussed current events with them, and Benjy's wisdom had seemed to help Lily tremendously. After a few weeks of them staying at Headquarters, Lily had recovered the use of her magic and they had gone back home to Godric's Hollow.

Sam also remembered seeing the Potters at his dad's funeral. But now, knowing all the facts about those days - it hadn't been them at all. The two people they'd seen there, along with little Harry - it was all a lie. By Benjy's funeral, the Potters were already gone, having submerged themselves in the darkness and committed one of the most heinous crimes imaginable.

What had happened? Why had the Potters done what they'd done? How could he, Sam, have misjudged their characters so completely? Those were some of the thoughts racing through his mind when he read the Daily Prophet on November 2, 1994. He had only been eleven at the time the Potters had committed such an evil act, but he should have seen it. Should have seen some sign of it. The only thing that made him feel better was that his dad, who was usually so perceptive and seemed to read people so easily, hadn't seen it either. The only other time he hadn't been able to see something coming was when he'd been betrayed - and tragically, that had gotten him killed.

And now, Sam was privvy to information that he shouldn't actually know. He had a friend who was an Auror, who had been questioning the real Lily and James Potter yesterday and today. It was Tuesday, and they were still in Ministry holding cells being interrogated. Aurors weren't supposed to tell people, not even their family and friends, what criminals said under questioning unless the public were informed. But because of certain things they had said, that Auror had broken that rule and told him.

And for the first time in years, Sam felt overwhelmed with emotion. There was so much to process. Another war was going to start. The world as he knew it would change. He had no doubt, just like Benjy had none the last time, that Voldemort and his followers would be defeated. And he was full of conviction that this time, it would be for good. Someone would discover the reason why he had been able to return, and eliminate any possibility of him coming to power a third time. As Benjy used to say during the last war, this would be a time in their history that would pass, and lots of people would learn from it.

Sam looked at the sky, - the moon and stars were coming out now, and the sight was breathtaking. His chest grew tight, and his eyes filled with tears. The feelings came on so fast that they shocked Sam with their intensity. Initially, he tried to hold the tears back. But then, he heard the voice of his conscience - it was Benjy. He remembered that long-ago day, the day after Boris had died. "Don't be ashamed of it, Sam. Let yourself really experience your emotions."

And so, Sam did. He fell to his knees, sobbing without restraint in the middle of the empty park. He let himself feel the emotion clawing through him, the knowledge that this second war with Voldemort would change the world as it was now. He wept at the knowledge that amazing people would be lost in this war. He shed tears for those that would let the darkness take over, that would allow it to destroy their souls and they'd commit terrible crimes due to its influence. He cried because, for the first time in years, he felt completely lost. And he sobbed because he knew what had sent Lily and James Potter over the edge.

He didn't know how long he knelt there, crying for everything that would be lost and all that would come, but eventually, the tears ebbed and his breathing returned to normal. He felt exhausted and wrung out, and for several minutes, he didn't get up.

But then, he began to feel a resolve, a deep determination, come over him. He'd done as Benjy had said and let himself feel, let himself experience the rawness of the moment.

But now, it was time to work. It was time to help others get through the darkness that was about to ravage their world. His father, even after having a murky past, had devoted his time, his energy, his strength - he'd given all of himself to the cause; he'd wanted nothing more than to save others from the darkness. And that was exactly what Sam was going to do, too.

From his pocket, he removed a letter. He had read it several times - it had come to him this morning. He'd spent all day thinking about it, and he realized he'd needed this moment of emotion in the park this evening. It allowed him to think, to reflect, to come to his decision.

Dear Sam,

I know it has been a long time since you have heard from me. I have not seen you since the day you left Hogwarts' walls at the end of your seventh year, but I hear that you have done very well for yourself. I was very proud of you as a student, and I continue to be proud as you make your way in the world as a young adult.

I have always known you to be extremely intelligent, and your capacity for knowing things has always impressed me. Therefore, I am sure you will not be surprised to hear that Lord Voldemort has returned. Unfortunately, when I tried to explain this to Cornelius Fudge, he did not believe it. That is why you have not seen this stated in the Daily Prophet.

We need to prepare ourselves for what is to come, Sam. I am reforming the Order of the Phoenix. Obviously, you were too young to be a member last time, but you are an adult now. Therefore, I am inviting you to become a member this time. Your skills will be most valuable.

We need people like you, Sam. Your father was the hope of so many, and I will never forget your speech at his funeral. You picked everyone up and made sure we continued to fight. You brought the spirit back that we thought we had lost.

Please write back to me and let me know your answer. I will give you a week to think it over.

Sincerely yours,

Albus Dumbledore

Sam closed his eyes as he thought about Dumbledore. In the days of the First War, Sam honestly didn't know what to think of the man. He knew there was more to him than what others saw. Behind the kind, twinkly-eyed man was someone who knew how to plot, how to scheme. He knew how to get what he wanted. Even in this letter, Sam could see the subtle manipulation. Dumbledore had known how much Sam worshiped the ground his dad had walked on, and had used it. He'd complimented him on his intelligence, something else that was supposed to make Sam say yes.

Benjy had known, too, that Dumbledore wasn't all he seemed. "Why are you still a part of the Order, then?" Sam had asked him once.

"I might not completely trust him as a person, but it's the right thing to do," Benjy had responded. "I find ways to get around anything he asks me to do that I'm not comfortable with. Two can play that game, and two shall. It's worth it, Sam, to save lives, even if I know that his moral compass isn't what it should be."

And honestly, if Sam hadn't found out what the Potters had said under questioning, he would have declined. He wanted to save lives, too, but that was the one thing he disagreed with his father on. He would have done it in a different way, gone behind the scenes rather than join Dumbledore's Order. After all, he might want to be just like Benjy, but they didn't have to agree on everything.

But now, because of something he wasn't supposed to know, he realized that this was what he needed to do, but it wasn't for Dumbledore. It had nothing to do with him at all.

It was because of a young man, a young man who had had his life turned upside down by two people who Sam had once trusted. And he knew that because of past circumstances, Voldemort wouldn't stop hunting this child and his entire family down. And he knew that one of the primary things the Order would do was make sure that Gabriel Bowman was taken care of.

He didn't know how, but he somehow knew that if he joined the Order, he would not only help to fight Voldemort, but he could support and be there for Gabriel Bowman. In some sort of strange way, he felt like he was responsible for Gabriel's well-being.

He could hear his father in his head again. Son, you are not responsible for anyone else's actions but your own. If you're going to do this, it should only be because you feel it is right. You have reached a turning point in your life, a fork in the road, and it is only you who should decide which path you want to take.

"I understand, Dad," Sam said out loud, looking up at the sky again as he got to his feet. "But I have to do this. This IS right. Something's telling me that I need to help Gabriel."

His eyes were dry now - he knew he'd shed no more tears tonight. That familiar resilience Benjy had always displayed thrummed through his son as he began to walk home from the park. His moment of overwhelming sadness had passed, and it was time to get to work.

A war was starting, but it would end. Sam Fenwick would see it through, and he would help others along the way. He would pull them out of the darkness just as his father had done.

Little was he to know that his decision would change many people's lives. Little was he to know that in the future, thousands would be inspired by him. As he walked home, he had no idea of the events that would come from this decision. He had no knowledge that in several years' time, his name would be known all over the wizarding world.

Now, he was only aware that Mother Nature had blessed him with a gorgeous day, one that helped to prepare him for the darkness and uncertainty he was about to step into. But he knew with that same conviction and determination that his father had possessed that Mother Nature was also reassuring him that the day would come when the war would be over, and the wizarding world would get back up on its feet.

There would be loss, there would be devastation, there would be grief and mourning. But there would also be love, and hope, and optimism, and joy, and all those things that would let many keep their humanity.

And that was truly all that mattered.