disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, just Arabella and her story. I am so sorry for this extremely late update. I couldn't really find the right flow in the beginning and ended rewriting it several times, leaving it, coming back to it, and rewriting it until I was happy with it. I will try to get better at updating this story, but I want to give you guys the best version of 'The Order of the Phoenix' with Arabella in it.

Nevertheless, I do quite like the middle and ending of this chapter and I hope you guys do to as well!

Moony and Alala

Arabella had gotten the sense that Remus was not happy with her. When she showed him her Animagus, he let out a scream and broke a plate in the process. He had berated her for doing something so illegal and dangerous before turning towards Sirius and giving him the same lecture. Through all the yelling and finger wagging, she could tell that he was just short of saying, "Why didn't you tell me?"

She wanted it to be a surprise. She wanted to surprise him and join him on a full moon. But she hurt him by not telling him. She used to tell him everything. He was her constant, her rock, her compass that guided her North towards him. He was everything to her and he still is. There is nothing in the world that will ever change that. She understood why he was so upset and she wished that she could make it up to him, to somehow go back and tell him the truth from the beginning. But what was done was done and she made a promise to never keep another secret from him ever again.

A couple days after, during breakfast, Remus made an off-hand comment that he was slightly impressed that it didn't take her three years to become an Animagus. It was a small victory, but one she was willing to take. The bigger victory was when he announced that the Weasleys and Hermione were coming over to stay for the rest of the summer.

"So if Hermione and the Weasleys are arriving tomorrow, then when is Harry getting here?" asked Arabella, looking at Remus and Sirius. "I haven't seen him since the end of term. I haven't been able to write to him. Will – will I see him?"

Remus and Sirius looked at each other. Remus then cleared his throat and said, "Eventually he'll be here. It's a delicate timing, of course, with what's happening right now. Right now, we want to make sure he's safe and healthy."

Arabella scrunched up her eyebrows and said, "Isn't he more safe here than with his Muggle family? The Order is here practically every other night. You both are here. Shouldn't he be here too?"

"He will be," Remus said firmly. "Just… not now. We have to make sure we move him at the right time."

"When exactly is the right time?"

"When Dumbledore tells us."

Arabella did not like the sound of that. "And if Dumbledore does not find the right time?"

Neither of them had an answer for her.

A week later, Arabella was sitting in her room, patiently waiting for the Weasleys and Hermione Granger to arrive. Remus, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymph had been sent to pick them up this morning and it was near dawn at the moment. Arabella was bored out of her mind, expecting them to be done hours ago. She had transformed into her Animagus form plenty of times and even tried making her feet transform by itself. The shock of being able to transform was wearing off and she spent most of her time try to memorize her coyote form. It was completely brilliant and she couldn't wait to test it out.

The doorbell rang and she groaned very loudly. Had they not learned their lesson yet?

Arabella flung open her door and ran towards the stairs as her grandmother's screams began to fill the house. Instantly, she transformed into her Animagus form and made a big leap. Sirius's hand was stretched out towards the portrait, but Arabella got there first.

"Filthy scum! Dirt on my foot! How dare you step foot in the house of my father! How dare you show me your face! Mudbloods! Abominations! Shame of my – ahhhhh!"

Arabella bared her teeth, snarled and scratched the wall behind the portrait with her claws. Walburga let off a high pitched scream and the curtains closed instantly. Arabella stood on the stairs, stared at the portrait and let out a growl. She waited patiently and angrily to see if Walburga was going to show her face, as if she was that brave.

"You should have known better than to ring the doorbell," Sirius told the group towards the front door. "I'm looking at you, Tonks."

Arabella, still in her Animagus form, turned her head and glared at the perpetrator. Nymphadora Tonks.

"I told her," Remus muttered under her breath.

Nymph gave a sheepish smile in the front and mumbled an apology under her breath. Her hair turned into a light shade of blue, one of Arabella's favourites. Arabella sighed, shook her head, and scratched behind her ear.

Kingsley Shacklebolt moved forward and stared at Arabella for a moment. He then looked back at Sirius and said, "I'm going to pretend I never saw this and get a quick drink."

Arabella wanted to laugh. She wondered if they made him question his integrity and loyalty towards the law any times since he joined the Order, which consisted of a wanted criminal and now an illegal Animagus.

Sirius then turned towards the others and cleared his throat. "Well, welcome to our humble abode. We are happy to have you all here."

The look on Mrs. Weasley's face said otherwise. She looked around the house in horror, unable to believe the amount of cobwebs and mold covering the surface of the walls. Arabella did not want to see her reaction when she sees the rest of the house or the mounted elf heads.

"What – what is this place?" asked Ginny, looking around in disgust.

"Our amazing house," said Sirius, smiling widely. "Please, come in. Would you like something to eat or drink? The kitchen is right through this door."

"But when did you become an Animagus?" Hermione blurted out, rushing towards Arabella and staring at her. "That's very advanced and dangerous and why didn't you tell me?"

Arabella blinked at her, moved forward, and licked her cheek. Hermione yelped in surprise and jumped backwards. Laughter filled the halls as Ron, Ginny, Fred, George and Bill clearly found it hilarious. Mr. Weasley, on the other hand, did not. He didn't say anything, but Arabella could tell that he was not pleased as well.

"Come now, Arthur," said Remus, sensing his mood as well, "let's get a drink. We can figure out where everyone will be sleeping tonight, Molly."

"Yes… yes, all right…" muttered Mrs. Weasley, taking a little time to adjust.

Mrs. Weasley moved forward slowly, almost as though she was in a state. Mr. Weasley and Bill led the way, already used to the house by now. The others followed after them, still staring at the terrible house. Arabella hopped down the staircase and made her way downstairs behind George. Behind her, she could hear Sirius locked the front doors. By the time she reached the kitchen, Kingsley had finished his drink and left through the fireplace with a last "goodbye."

Arabella jumped into one of the chairs and transformed back into herself. She let out a small chuckle, watching Ginny jumped back at the suddenness. Mrs. Weasley smiled and gave Arabella a big smile.

"It's good to see you again, dear," she said. She then brought Arabella in for a tight hug before letting go and touching her cheeks. "You look a bit peaky. Have you been eating properly?"

"Of course," said Arabella instantly. "Remus and Sirius make sure I don't go to bed starving."

"Hilarious," Remus said dryly.

"And you will be careful, won't you?" Mr. Weasley asked quickly.

Mrs. Weasley's face turned from happiness to worry instantly. "Yes, becoming an Animagus at such a young age is dangerous. Did you register at the Ministry?"

Arabella opened her mouth and closed it quickly. She didn't have to say anything. They already knew the answer before they even asked it.

"The Ministry have never been friendly towards us, Molly," Remus said quickly, "and could you imagine the headlines once the Daily Prophet get whiff of the fact that Arabella, daughter of a mass murderer, became an Animagus?"

Sirius rolled his eyes at the "mass murderer" comment, but Mr. and Mrs. Weasley seemed to understand.

"Yes, we do remember the article," Mr. Weasley said uncomfortably. "Be that as it may, you must be careful, Arabella. If you get caught, they will throw you into Azkaban for the rest of your life. They've been waiting for a reason to do so as it is. This could be it."

Arabella sighed and nodded her head. She gave them a sheepish smile and said, "I'll be fine, I always am." She then looked around the room and scrunched her forehead. "Where's Per –?"

"You know what I could use?" Bill asked loudly, looking around the room. He clapped his hands together and said, "Some good old butterbeer. Do you have some, Arabella?"

"Um… yeah," said Arabella, confused. "I'll go get some for us while you guys settle down and… could you help me, Ron?" she added, looking pointedly at him.

Ron looked slightly taken back, but followed Arabella down a flight of stairs where the cellar was hidden. An assortment of drinks were kept hidden down here from butterbeer to firewhiskey to wine. They even had some French and Italian Muggle wine as well. It was easily the coldest part of the room and the perfect place to have a conversation with her oldest friend.

"So, what happened to Percy?" Arabella asked as she handed Ron a bottle of butterbeer.

A dark look overshadowed Ron's face immediately. Arabella almost wanted to take the question back.

"Don't mention him in front of Mum and Dad," Ron told her in a tense voice.

Arabella raised her eyebrows. "What – what happened?"

"Dad and Percy had a row," Ron said quietly, accepting another bottle of butterbeer. "It's usually Mum who shouts. I've never seen Dad have a row like that. He was practically echoing off the walls."

"What they fight about?"

"It was the first week back after term ended. Percy came home and told us he'd been promoted."

"What?" asked Arabella, amazed. "Really? They promoted him? He doesn't have a lot of experience…"

"That's what we thought," said Ron, agreeing with her. "He came home really happy and told Dad that he got an offer in Fudge's own office. A really good one for someone only a year out of Hogwarts – Junior Assistant to the Minister. He expected Dad to be all impressed, I think."

"But he wasn't," mumbled Arabella, sensing where this was going.

"No, he wasn't," said Ron, shaking his head. "Fudge's been going around the Ministry checking that nobody's having any contact with Dumbledore. He's reputation has been nearly tarnished with the Ministry these days. They think he's been causing trouble with You-Know-Who coming back. Dad says Fudge's made it clear that anyone who's in league with Dumbledore can clear out their desks. Thing is, Fudge suspects Dad."

Arabella sighed. She should have seen this coming. Of course, Fudge was going to suspect Mr. Weasley.

"He's always been friendly with Dumbledore," continued Ron, almost reading her mind, "and he's always thought Dad was a weirdo with his obsession with Muggles."

Arabella smiled, fondly remembering Mr. Weasley's Ford Anglia and asking Harry about the function of rubber ducks. But there was something bugging her mind with all this.

"But what's Percy got to do with this?" she asked. "She knows who your father is. I doubt he's embarrassed by Mr. Weasley's fascination with Muggle products at this point in his life."

Ron looked every more uncomfortable than before. "Yes… well… Dad reckons Fudge only wants Percy in his office because he wants to use him to spy on the family and Dumbledore."

Arabella's eyes widened. She had a feeling where this was going.

"Percy went completely mental. He said loads of terrible stuff. He said he's been having to struggle against Dad's lousy reputation ever since he joined the Ministry and that Dad's got no ambition and that's why we've always been – well, you know – not having a lot of money, I mean – "

Arabella let out a startling huff. "He – what – he said that?"

"It got worse," whispered Ron.

"How much worse can it get?" exclaimed Arabella.

"He said Dad was an idiot, running around with Dumbledore, and that Dumbledore was heading for trouble and Dad was going to go down with him, and that he – Percy – knew where his loyalties lay and it was with the Ministry. And if Mum and Dad were going to become traitors to the Ministry he was going to make sure everyone knew he didn't belong to our family anymore. He packed his bags the same night and left. He's living here in London now."

Arabella swore under her breath. Of all the Weasleys, Percy was certainly not her favourite. She's met Charlie once before during the Quidditch World Cup and she liked him more than Percy. He treated her coldly, barely acknowledging her, and got into an argument with him during the World Cup. But, despite her feelings towards the man, she never thought he was capable of disowning his family and throwing their money situation back at their faces.

"I'm sensing that he doesn't believe that Voldemort is back, does he?"

"No," said Ron, shaking his head. "He takes the Prophet seriously. Harry's name has been in the mud and he practically threw that article of you at Mum and Dad's faces."

Arabella snorted and shook her head. Of course Percy did that. After everything she heard, she should not be that surprised.

"The Prophet certainly did not do you any favours," continued Ron, "and Percy made sure Mum and Dad knew that. He said that the only evidence was yours and Harry's word, and well… they're apparently not good enough for him. The Daily Prophet hasn't been nice to Harry either and Percy's never approved of how much Mum and Dad's accepted you into the family. He's more accepting of Harry and Hermione really rather… than… you."

Arabella shot Ron a glare as he struggled to finish his sentence.

"Hurry up down there!" Sirius voice came cracking through the air. "We're thirsty!"

Arabella and Ron quickly grabbed enough butterbeers and headed back upstairs in a hurry. They had lost time in the cellar and was greeted with puzzled faces in the kitchen. Sirius was waiting at the top of the stairs with his arms crossed. Remus was talking about the room arrangements with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and Bill, while Nymph was keeping Fred, George, Ginny and Hermione company. Arabella and Ron handed on the butterbeers to everyone.

"We have some spare rooms, of course," said Remus, accepting the bottle from Arabella. "Fred and George can share one, and so can Ginny and Hermione. We tried putting their beds into Arabella's room, but it got too crowded. Their room is right next to hers, anyhow, so it should be fine either way. Once Harry gets here he'll be with Ron right across from Fred and George. They're all on the third landing. Yours should be on the second landing."

Arabella scrunched her eyebrows and asked, "And when is Harry going to be here? You should as though you're sure of it."

Remus shot her a look and nodded his head. "We're making plans to bring Harry here. The problem is we have to be very careful. We do not want to attract the attention of Death Eaters or even Voldemort."

Bill, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley winced at the name. Arabella sighed and nodded, admitting defeat. She was going to have to be patient when it comes to Harry. The Order of the Phoenix must have a plan at this point. She had to believe in them. She had no other choice. Ron met her eyes and she could tell he was confused. She shook her head and took a seat next to Nymph and across from Hermione. They were in the middle of one of Nymph's infamous Hogwarts stories. Everyone was have a grand old time, laughing with tears in her eyes.

"– so after years and years of perfecting it, I finally managed to change into the man himself – Dumbledore! You – you should have seen all their faces! I was talking to this Slytherin newbie and I asked him how classes were going and whether or not he was writing to his mum and ironing his socks! The other Slytherins were staring at this poor kid, wondering what in the hell he was doing talking to the headmaster about socks of all things! Then – and this is the kicker! – Dumbledore showed up! The real one!" There was a round of laughter as Nymph was trying to catch her breath. "And he – and he sat down next to this kid and – and started talking – started talking about socks! Take a moment and imagine that – two Dumbledores confusing this kid with his housemates starting at him. The kid went bright red and couldn't move for like ten minutes!"

Another round of laughter filled the kitchen as Fred, George and Ginny clutched their sides at the mental image.

"Arabella," called Remus, "why don't you show the others their rooms? I'm sure they're tired."

"That's my cue," said Nymph, standing up. "Gotta get back home. Dad's making lamb chops."

Arabella let out a small whimper and turned towards Remus, pouting.

"No," he said sternly.

"But Moony –"

"No," he said even more sternly, if possible. "You know why."

Arabella slumped against her chair and crossed her arms. She was very well aware of how childish she was being. But in her defense, she was missing out on Ted's famous lamb chops. It was only famous in the family, but still famous to her.

"Moony?" Fred and George asked, looking at each other.

A look of realization dawned upon them and Fred turned towards Remus and said, "Moony?"

"Like The Moony?" said George, his jaw slack. "Creator of The Marauder's Map?"

"Purveyors of Aid to Magical Mischief-Makers?" Fred said quickly.

"The Moony to Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs," George said breathlessly.

"Did the two of you just memorize the whole thing?" asked Arabella, slightly amazed and confused.

"Of course," they both said together.

Remus let out a small laugh and his cheeks turned a faint red. "Yes. I suppose I am Mister Moony."

George narrowed his eyes and said, defiantly, "Prove it."

Remus let out another laugh before saying, "If you do not say the magic words, it begins to sprout out foul laugh at the intruder."

"And the magic words?" whispered Fred. He leaned in and stared at Remus as though he was a deity.

"Which ones?" asked Sirius casually. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good or Mischief Managed?"

Fred let out a small squeak and slapped George hard against his shoulder. "It's him. It's him –"

"It's them!" whispered George, staring at Remus and Sirius, both of whom shared a smile.

"Fred, George, stop staring!" scolded Mrs. Weasley, though rather confused.

But neither of them listened to their mother. To Arabella's complete and utter amusement, they went down on their knees and chanted, "We are not worthy, we are not worthy, we are scum, we are scum!"

Bill looked at both Remus and Sirius, trying to figure out what was so special about them. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were terribly confused while Ron, Ginny and Hermione chuckled at their tactics. Remus looked slightly embarrassed but Sirius seemed to be drinking all of it in. To Fred and George, he was practically a celebrity.

"Can we have your autographs?" George then blurted out.

Arabella shook her head and headed out of the kitchen with Hermione, Ron and Ginny, leaving the others behind. It would have been interesting to see the twins try and explain their fascination to their parents, but Arabella opted out of explaining the Map to them. No doubt Mr. Weasley would have something to say about an object that can think for itself.

Ginny had gone to unpack her belongings while Arabella showed Ron and Hermione her room. She had debated showing them Kassandra's letter, but decided against it at the moment. It was getting late and she could tell that they were both tired. Also, she knew Hermione would want to talk about it and that would eventually lead into what happened at the graveyard. She wasn't ready for that. Not now at the very least. It was… it was too early, too fresh, too painful. She didn't want to discuss it with anyone. What good was opening up those wounds? She got that trait from her family.

Arabella got up slowly the next morning. Ron was shaking her away and it was getting harder and harder to ignore. She turned over and glared at her under the covers, though he couldn't tell. He mumbled something about breakfast before leaving. Arabella groaned and pulled a jumper over her before heading downstairs. Halfway down, she smacked herself over the head and ran back to her room. She had completely forgotten about the plan.

Once she had gotten all she needed, she entered the kitchen to see Fred and George patiently waiting for another serving of bacon and eggs. Arabella moved closer to Mrs. Weasley, who was finishing up her eggs.

"Good morning, Arabella," said Mrs. Weasley, smiling at her. "Could you take these to Fred and George? I've got to start on some for Ginny and Bill. Thank you, dear."

Arabella nodded and tried not to show too much glee on her face. It was be very suspicious, of course. In the corner of her eyes she could see Fred and George having a conversation with Sirius. No doubt trying to learn some of Sirius's moves and secrets from when he was at Hogwarts. All of them were distracted, too distracted to see Arabella quietly slip the potion out from her pocket and add three drops onto their eggs. The potion dissolved immediately. Arabella picked up the plates and made her way towards the end of the table, setting them down, and took the empty seat next to Sirius. She nudged his foot discreetly and he glanced at her, nodding. They planned everything down to the seconds. Sirius wanted this to work more than Arabella did.

Arabella watched the twins like hawks as they quickly ate their food. She idly drank some coffee, wondering if the potion was going to work or if it was a dud. Even Remus was glancing at them, his eyebrows scrunched together. They were getting impatient, waiting for the twins to finish up their eggs. She was about to give up when Sirius nudged her hard. She looked up and smiled widely.

George's hair started to grow slowly, but noticeably. Fred's voice wasn't deep anymore, not that it really was in the first place. Their fingers became longer, cheeks more defined, and chest expanding. It was only when their shirts started becoming tighter did the twins finally realize what was going on. They looked at their bodies in horror, spluttering uncontrollably until it was all over.

"Ahhhh!"

Arabella and Sirius began to laugh hysterically while everyone else was silent, watching them in horror. The potion was a success and Fred and George have officially transformed themselves into women.

"Arabella! Sirius!" yelled Mrs. Weasley. "Change them back!"

"Ca-ca-can't," Arabella choked out, clutching the table tightly.

Sirius said something to Mrs. Weasley, but nobody could tell what it was through his laughter.

Remus, who was still smiling, cleared his throat and said, "I think what Sirius was trying to say was that the potion only wears off after a day."

"Really?" asked Bill, looking slightly impressed.

"Fascinating," mumbled Mr. Weasley, gawking at the twins.

Ron, Ginny, and Hermione stared at the twins with their jaws open. Fred and George were staring at each other and poking their new bodies.

"Well," Fred began slowly, "I still reckon I'm more beautiful than you."

"In your dreams," said George, running his fingers through his hair. "Now we can finally prove to Mum that I'm the more beautiful sister."

After the shock had worn off and they had finished their food, Mrs. Weasley got some good photos of Fred and George. She had commented that she had once hoped that the twins turned out to be girls. Fred and George, for the most part, didn't seem to mind being women. In fact, they took it in strides.

Later that day, Arabella took Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George on a very short tour of the house. She didn't bother to show them some of the rooms and Mrs. Weasley made a couple comments to Sirius that it might be time to finally clean up the whole place. Kreacher had popped his head out a couple times, but retreated whenever he saw Arabella glare at him.

They had dinner early that night and were promptly sent up to their rooms for the Order meeting. Fred and George tried to sit in, but it was useless. Mrs. Weasley's face turned red with fury and Arabella quickly dodged out of the kitchen, not eager to be in the line of fire. Nevertheless, they all sat at the top of the stairs as Arabella pointed out various Order members to the others. They were all shocked to hear that Snape was there and that he was on their side. Fred and George tried to eavesdrop on the conversation with their latest invention, Extendable Ears, but Mrs. Weasley had put an Imperturbable Charm on the door.

"She nearly went berserk when she saw one of these at the house," said Fred. "But it was worth a shot."

Arabella sighed and said, "Shame. I've been waiting to hear what Snape's been telling them."

They waited for nearly three hours until the meeting was finally over. They were starting to lose sunlight and Arabella knew she needed to leave soon. Once the kitchen door finally opened, she raced down the staircase. Snape was the first person to leave, pointedly ignoring Arabella's presence. Many of the other Order of the Phoenix members waved at Arabella and the others before leaving. Kingsley stayed back and asked if the Weasleys and Hermione were having a good summer while Nymph jerked her towards the end of the hall.

"Are you sure about this?" Nymph whispered urgently.

"Of course," Arabella said at once. "It's why I wanted to be an Animagus in the first place. Just… you didn't tell him right? Only you and Sirius know."

"I didn't, but he should know."

"He will… tonight," Arabella said firmly.

She looked back at the others. Remus had grabbed his coat, getting ready to leave for the full moon. He caught her eye and gave her a tired smile. She returned it and gave him a thumbs up. She was not going to fail him. Not tonight.

If Harry was lucky tomorrow, there would be owls carrying letters from his friends, Ron, Hermione and Arabella, though any expectation he had had that their letters would bring him news had long since been dashed.

"We can't say much about you-know-what, obviously…"

"We've been told not to say anything important in case our letters got astray…"

"We're quite busy but I can't give you details here…"

"There's a fair amount going on, we'll tell you everything when we see you…"

But when were they going to see him? And why had Arabella never once written him during the summer? He had at least expected a birthday card or something, but instead he got a scribbled note from Hermione saying, "I expect we'll be seeing you quite soon." But how soon was soon? As far has Harry could tell from the vague hints in their letters, Hermione and Ron were in the same place, presumably at Ron's parent's house. Was Arabella with them, or was she with Remus hiding somewhere?

He could hardly bear to think of Arabella having fun at the Burrow with Ron and Hermione while he was stuck in Privet Drive. He had hoped she was safe and well, but with each passing day and no letter from her, he had felt angry and betrayed, especially after their last encounter on Hogwarts Express. She had claimed that she was not embarrassed by him, that she cared too much about him… but she didn't contact him. Never asked if he was fine, how he was doing, whether or not she missed him or thought about him. He thought about her. He missed her. He wanted to see her. He had been so angry that he had thrown both Hermione and Ron's presents of Honeydukes chocolates away unopened, though he had regretted this after eating the wilting salad Aunt Petunia had provided for dinner that night.

And what were Ron and Hermione so busy with? Why wasn't he, Harry, busy? Hadn't he proved himself capable of handling much more than them? Had they all forgotten what he had done? Was Arabella busy as well? Was she working close with Remus and Dumbledore, trying to figure out where Voldemort was? She wasn't the only one at the graveyard that night. He was the one who entered the graveyard with Cedric and watched him being murdered and watched Arabella being tortured and nearly killed...

Don't think about that.

It was bad enough that he kept revisiting the graveyard in his nightmares, without dwelling on it in his waking moments too. He turned a corner into Magnolia Crescent. Halfway along he passed the narrow alleyway down the side of a garage where he had first clapped eyes on his godfather. Sirius, at least, seemed to understand how Harry was feeling. Admittedly his letters were just as empty of proper news as Ron and Hermione's, but at least they contained words of caution and consolation instead of tantalizing hints: "I know this must be frustrating for you…" "Keep your nose clean and everything will be okay…" "Be careful and don't do anything rash…"

Well, thought Harry, as he crossed Magnolia Crescent, turned into Magnolia Road, and headed toward the darkening play park, he had done as Sirius advised. He had at least resisted the temptation to tie his trunk to his broomstick and set off for the Burrow by himself. In fact Harry thought his behaviour had been very good, considering Sirius had not given him any detail as to how Arabella was doing and how angry and frustrated he felt at being stuck in Privet Drive this long. Nevertheless, it was quite galling to be told not to be rash by a man who had served twelve years in Azkaban, escaped, attempted to comment the murder he had been convicted for in the first place, then gone on the run with a stolen hippogriff…

Harry leaped over the locked park gate and set off across the parched grass. The park was empty as the surrounding streets. When he reached the swings he sank onto the only one Dudley and his friends had not yet managed to break, coiled one arm around the chain, and stared moodily at the ground. He had nothing to look forward to but another restless, disturbed night, because even when he escaped nightmares about Cedric, he had unsettling dreams about Arabella's screams and her body twitching on the ground. What was he supposed to do with the trapped feeling had had when he was awake? Often the old scar on his forehead would prick uncomfortably, but he did not fool himself that Ron or Hermione or Sirius would find that very interesting anymore… In the past his scar hurting had warned that Voldemort was getting stronger, but now that Voldemort was back they would probably remind him that its regular irritation was only to be expected… Nothing to worry about… old news…

The injustice of it all began to well up inside of him. He had written to Arabella one morning, asking if she was fine, if she was safe. He had just relived the graveyard and began shaking at the thought of Voldemort getting his hands on her once more. But he had gotten nothing back from her. He wanted to yell with fury and nearly lost his mind when Sirius didn't give him anything back in return. Was this his reward, being stuck in Little Whinging for weeks on end, completely cut off from the magical world, reduced to squatting among dying begonias so that he could hear about water-skiing budgerigars! How could Arabella have forgotten him so easily? How could Dumbledore have left him like this? Why had Ron and Hermione got together without inviting him along too? How much longer was he supposed to endure Sirius telling him to sit tight and be a good boy, or resist the temptation to write to the stupid Daily Prophet and point out that Voldemort had returned?

These furious thoughts whirled around in Harry's head, and his insides writhed with anger as a sultry, velvety night fell around him, the air full of the warm smell of warm, dry grass. The only sound he could hear was the low grumble of traffic beyond the railings.

Arabella had quietly snuck into the house, the same house she had lived with Remus for years. It was eerily quiet with no lights turned on. The basement door was slightly ajar, but it was not time yet. She moved around quietly and sat down at the kitchen table, staring out the window with a cup of cold water. It was a dark, cloudy night and in the distance, a cloud shifted. Her breath got stuck in her throat. The full moon was finally exposed. The garden was now covered with a bright light and Arabella shivered. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up. He was transforming at this moment. She couldn't see it, she couldn't see him, but she could tell. The last time she had seen him transform was during her third year, just after they had figured out Sirius as innocent.

Screams began to echo throughout the house. Screams of agony and pain. She could hear him throwing himself onto the wall, thuds deafening her ears. Arabella couldn't stand it, it was painful to hear. She stood up, took off her shoes, and transformed herself into her Animagus form. Slowly and carefully, she made her way downstairs into the basement. In all her years of living with Remus, he refused to let her see the basement. She had made the mistake once when she was younger, but it's been years since she's stepped foot in the room. It was… horrible. There were scratches and chunks of the wall missing. Dried up blood were splattered on the wall and the floor was thorn up. In the corner of the room was a terrible make-shift bed with holes covering the whole thing. The room smelled terrible and the air somehow was void of any warmth, of any substance.

But it was what was in the middle that made Arabella stop. It was Moony, hunched over, breathing heavily. Arabella moved forward slowly and let out a small grunt. Immediately, Moony snapped his head towards her and lunged. Arabella moved away instantly and let out a cry. He growled at her and moved towards her slowly, backing her against the wall. His sharp teeth was very close to her and his claws too sharp for her likening. Moony leaned in and then sniffed her. After a few seconds, though it seemed longer to Arabella, Moony moved away with one last snarl.

'Who are you?' Moony demanded.

Arabella was shocked that she could hear him and that she could communicate with him. She almost didn't believe it. She knew it was coming from Moony, but the voice was nowhere near Remus's. It didn't hold the same warmth as her godfather's. It was almost cruel. She moved closer, trying to show that she was not an enemy.

'I am a friend,' she told Moony. 'I will not hurt you. I live with Remus.'

'You're the girl. The one he lives with.' Moony then circled her, looking her up and down before saying, 'I haven't had someone with me since I was young. It was those boys – Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs. Do you know when they'll be back?'

'No,' Arabella told Moony, shaking her head. She thought it was best not to tell him the truth. 'But Padfoot sent me. He wishes he could be here.'

'You know him?'

'I am his daughter.'

Moony stopped circling around her and sat in front of her for a moment. Arabella could hear her heart beating through her ears. She couldn't tell what was running through his mind, what he thought of her, if he wanted to hurt her or go to sleep. She should have asked Remus if Snape was making the potion for him or asked Dumbledore if he could make Snape. But she didn't think clearly before this night.

Moony began walking towards the stairs, about to leave the basement, but Arabella quickly moved in front of him.

'Get out of the way,' Moony demanded.

Arabella stood her ground, despite her shaking jaw, and said, 'No. Remus told us to stay in the basement. It is not safe for you out there.'

'I don't care the human wants from me! I am here! Not him! And I demand to go outside! I want to be in the Forest! He cannot just lock me in here!'

'Moony –!'

She wasn't as strong as Moony in his werewolf state, but she did her best to hold her own. Arabella tried to hold him back and bite down hard against his shoulder. Moony howled loudly before throwing her against the wall. Arabella narrowly escaped a claw against her cheeks before ducking and head-butting against his leg. Moony crashed against the wooden floor, but he got up quickly. Arabella was running out of breath, having it nearly knocked out of her earlier, but she wasn't going to give up.

'I'm not leaving,' Arabella told him, trying to catch up on her breath. 'I'm staying here with you whether you like it or not.'

Moony growled at her and lunged once more. Instead of ducking, Arabella lunched herself forward and knocked him to the ground. She stood on top of him and bared her teeth, snapped her jaw.

'Like I said – not leaving.'

She could tell Moony was not pleased with her. He shoved her off of him and made his way towards the bed in the corner. He let out another growl and threw himself against the wall. Arabella tried to move closer towards him, but he snapped his teeth at her, clearly not wanting to be around her anymore. Arabella backed away and quietly watched Moony. He kept howling and growling at the moon in anger. He threw himself against the wall multiple times and clawed at his own skin. Arabella couldn't stand watching it anymore. She didn't care if he didn't like it. She moved forward and pressed her paws against his back, covering a nasty cut on the back. She could feel Moony stiffening under her touch and she almost moved away, in fear of insulting him in this state.

'What is your name?' Moony asked her, his voice somehow softer. But it was still not Remus's voice.

'I do not have one,' Arabella replied. 'I have a human name, but not one in this form. Perhaps you could give me a name.'

'I will not do such a thing,' Moony snapped at her. 'I will not do such a silly, stupid thing like that. Humans force names upon each other. Use werewolves do not care for such feeble things.' Moony, however, paused for a moment and then said, 'But those boys I once knew called me Moony.'

'I know,' Arabella told him. 'Do you miss them, those boys?'

Moony did not answer. In fact, he did not say anything else for the rest of the night. For the most part, he seemed to have calmed down. He was different from Remus. Remus seemed more composed than Moony, who was prone to outburst and throwing himself against the wall, as though he was trapped. He hated staying in the basement. At times she could fell him growing furious and impatient. Everything she could feel that sort of heat and anger, she pressed her paws against him. Though they were completely different from each other, every time Arabella tried to calm him down, Moony did so. That was something he shared with Remus.

As the night went out, she came to realize that Moony wasn't as dangerous as he was initially. Perhaps it was because it was early on in the night and he was startled by a new presence. But now, looking at him, he seemed almost tired and worm out. He was an old man. It was almost startling to realize how much Moony reflected Remus at that moment.

Magnolia Road, like Privet Drive, was full of large, square houses with perfectly manicured lawns, all owned by large, square owners who drove very clean cars similar to Uncle Vernon's. Harry preferred Little Whinging by night, when the curtained windows made patches of jewel-bright colours in the darkness and he ran no danger of hearing disapproving mutters about his 'delinquent' appearance when he passed the householders. He walked quickly, so that halfway along Magnolia Road Dudley's gang came into view again. They were saying their farewells at the entrance to Magnolia Crescent. Harry stepped into the shadow of a large lilac tree and waited.

"…squealed like a pig, didn't he?" Malcolm was saying.

"Nice right hook, Big D," said Piers.

"Same time tomorrow?" said Dudley.

"Rounds at my place, my parents are out," said Gordon.

"See you then," said Dudley.

"Bye, Dud!"

"See ya, Big D!"

Harry waited for the rest of the gang to move on before setting off again. When their voices had faded once more he headed around the corner into Magnolia Crescent and by walking very quickly he soon came within hailing distance of Dudley, who was strolling along at his ease, humming tunelessly.

"Hey, Big D!"

Dudley turned. "Oh," he grunted. "It's you."

"How long have you been 'Big D' then?" said Harry.

"Shut it," snarled Dudley, turning away again.

"Cool name," said Harry, grinning and falling into step beside his cousin. "But you'll always be Ickle Diddykins to me."

"I said, SHUT IT!" shouted Dudley, his fists curled.

"Don't the boys know that's what your mum calls you?"

"Shut your face."

"You don't tell her to shut her face. What about 'popkin' and 'Dinky Diddydums,' can I use them then?"

Dudley said nothing. The effort of keeping himself from hitting Harry seemed to be demanding all his self-control.

"So who've you been beating up tonight?" Harry asked, his grin fading. "Another ten-year-old? I know you did Mark Evans two nights ago –"

"He was asking for it," snarled Dudley.

"Oh yeah?"

"He cheeked me."

"Yeah? Did he say you look like a pig that's been taught to walk on its hind legs? Cause that's not cheek, Dud, that's true…"

A muscle was twitching in Dudley's jaw. It gave Harry enormous satisfaction to know how furious he was making Dudley. He felt as though he was siphoning off his own frustration into his cousin, the only outlet he had.

They turned right down the narrow alleyway where Harry had first seen Sirius and which formed a shortcut between Magnolia Crescent and Wisteria Walk. It was empty and much darker than the streets it linked because there were no streetlamps. Their footsteps were muffled between garage walls on one side and a high fence on the other.

"Think you're a big man carrying that thing, don't you?" Dudley said after a few seconds.

"What thing?"

"That – that thing you're hiding."

Harry grinned again. "Not as stupid as you look, are you, Dud? But I suppose if you were, you wouldn't be able to walk and talk at the same time…"

Harry pulled out his wand. He saw Dudley look sideways at it.

"You're not allowed," Dudley said at once, his voice slightly fearful. "I know you're not. You'd get expelled from that freak school you go to."

"How d'you know they haven't changed the rules, Big D?"

"They haven't," said Dudley, though he didn't sound completely convinced.

Harry laughed softly.

"You haven't got the guts to take me on without that thing, have you?" Dudley snarled.

"Whereas you just need four mates behind you before you can beat up a ten-year-old. You know that boxing title you keep banging on about? How old was your opponent? Seven? Eight?"

"He was sixteen for your information," snarled Dudley, "and he was out cold for twenty minutes after I'd finished with him and he was twice as heavy as you. You just wait till I tell Dad you had that thing out —"

"Running to Daddy now, are you? Is his Ickle boxing champ frightened of nasty Harry's wand?"

"Not this brave at night, are you?" sneered Dudley.

"This is night, Diddykins. That's what we call it when it goes all dark like this."

"I mean when you're in bed!"

Dudley had stopped walking and Harry did so as well, staring at his cousin. From the little he could see of Dudley's large face, he was wearing a strangely triumphant look.

"What d'you mean, I'm not brave in bed?" said Harry, completely mystified. "What – am I supposed to be frightened of pillows or something?"

"I heard you last night," said Dudley breathlessly. "Talking in your sleep. Moaning."

"What d'you mean?" Harry said again, but there was a cold, plunging sensation in his stomach. He had revisited the graveyard last night in his dreams.

Dudley gave a harsh bark of laughter then adopted a high-pitched, whimpering voice. "'Don't kill Cedric! Don't kill Cedric!' Who's Cedric – your boyfriend?"

"I – you're lying – " said Harry automatically. But his mouth had gone dry. He knew Dudley wasn't lying – how else would he know about Cedric?

"'Dad! Help me, Dad! He's going to kill me, Dad! Save Arabella, save Arabella!' Boo-hoo!'"

"Shut up," said Harry quietly. "Shut up, Dudley, I'm warning you!"

"'Come and help me, Dad! Mum, come and help me! Arabella's going to die!' Who's Arabella then? Another one of your freak friends? She your girlfriend? Did she die? 'Mum, come and help me! He's hurting her, Dad! He's – ' Don't you point that thing at me!"

Dudley backed into the alley wall. Harry was pointing the wand directly at Dudley's head. Harry could feel fourteen years' hatred of Dudley pounding in his veins – what wouldn't he give to strike now, to jinx Dudley so thoroughly he'd have to crawl home like an insect, struck dumb, sprouting feelers –

"Don't you ever talk about her ever again," Harry snarled. "Do you understand me?"

"Point that thing somewhere else!"

"I said, do you understand me?"

"Point it somewhere else!"

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?"

"GET THAT THING AWAY FROM –"

Dudley gave an odd, shuddering gasp, as though he had been doused in icy water. Something had happened to the night. The star-strewn sky was suddenly pitch-black and lightless – the stars, the moon, the streetlamps had vanished. The grumble of cars had gone and the evening was suddenly piercingly cold. They were surrounded by total, impenetrable, silent darkness, as though some giant hand had dropped a thick, icy mantle over the entire alleyway, blinding them. For a split second, Harry thought he had done magic without meaning to, but he didn't have the power to turn off the stars or the moon. He turned his head this way and that, trying to see something, but the darkness pressed on his eyes like a veil.

"W-what are you d-doing? St-stop it!"

"I'm not doing anything! Shut up and don't move!"

"I c-can't see! I've g-gone blind! I –"

"I said shut up!"

Harry stood stock-still, turning his sightless eyes left and right. The cold was so intense that he was shivering all over. Goosebumps had erupted up his arms and the hairs on the back of his neck were standing up. He opened his eyes to their fullest extent, staring blankly around, unseeing… It was impossible… They couldn't be here… Not in Little Whinging… He strained his ears… He would hear them before he saw them…

"I'll t-tell Dad!" Dudley whimpered. "W-where are you? What are you d-do –?"

"Will you shut up?" Harry hissed, "I'm trying to lis –"

But he fell silent. He had heard just the thing he had been dreading. There was something in the alleyway apart from themselves, something that was drawing long, hoarse, rattling breaths. Harry felt a horrible jolt of dread as he stood trembling in the freezing air.

"C-cut it out! Stop doing it! I'll h-hit you, I swear I will!"

"Dudley, shut –"

WHAM!

A fist contacted the side of Harry's head, lifting Harry off his feet. Small white lights popped in front of Harry's eyes. For the second time in an hour he felt as though his head had been cleaved in two. The next moment he had landed hard on the ground, and his wand had flown out of his hand.

"You moron, Dudley!"

Harry scrambled to his hands and knees, his eyes watering with pain. He was now feeling around frantically in the blackness. He heard Dudley blundering away, hitting the alley fence, stumbling.

"DUDLEY, COME BACK! YOU'RE RUNNING RIGHT AT IT!"

There was a horrible squealing yell, and Dudley's footsteps stopped. At the same moment, Harry felt a creeping chill behind him that could only mean one thing – there was more than one.

"DUDLEY, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! WHATEVER YOU DO, KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT! Wand!" Harry muttered frantically, his hands flying over the ground like spiders. "Where's – wand – come on – Lumos!"

To his relief, light flared inches from his right hand. The wand tip had ignited. Harry snatched it up, scrambled to his feet, and turned over. His stomach turned over. A towering, hooded figure was gliding smoothly toward him, hovering over the ground, no feet or face visible beneath its robes, sucking on the night as it came.

Stumbling backward, Harry raised his wand and roared, "Expecto Patronum!"

A silvery wisp of vapour shot from the tip of the wand and the dementor slowed, but the spell hadn't worked properly. Tripping over his feet, Harry retreated farther as the dementor bore down upon him, panic fogging his brain – concentrate. A pair of grey, slimy, scabbed hands slid from inside the dementor's robes, reaching for him. A rushing noise filled Harry's ears.

"Expecto Patronum!"

His voice sounded dim and distant… Another wisp of silver smoke, feebler than the last, drifted from the wand – he couldn't do it anymore, he couldn't work the spell –

There was laughter inside his own head, shrill, high-pitched laughter… He could smell the dementor's death-cold breath, filling his own lungs, drowning him – Think… something happy… But there was no happiness in him… The dementor's icy fingers were closing on his throat – the high-pitched laughter was growing louder and louder, and a voice spoke inside his head – "Bow to death, Harry… it might even be painless… I wouldn't know… I have never died…"

He was never going to see Arabella again –

And her face and smile burst clearly into his mind as he fought for breath –

"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Through the small little window near the ceiling, Arabella could tell that morning was slowly approaching. Moony will soon disappear back into Remus. She had gotten used to Moony and a small part of her felt a little sad to see him leave.

'My name is Arabella,' she told him at long last. 'That's my human name. If I come back again, call me Alala.'

Moony didn't look at her. He stared out the window for a long time and then said, 'Thank you for tonight. It's been a long time since I had anyone with me. I have… those boys… one day they stopped showing up. I never knew what happened to them. Never asked for their real names.'

Arabella nodded and moved around next to him. 'I'm sure they miss you, too.'

'I do not miss them,' Moony said quickly and proudly. 'I just… wondered what happened to them. Did they die?'

'It's best not to talk about that now,' said Arabella. 'Rest. The sun is coming.'

Moony leaned against the wall and then said, 'Will I see you again, Alala?'

'Perhaps. I cannot promise if Remus does not approve.'

'Let him know that I do.'

Arabella was surprised by his words. If she didn't know any better, she would say that perhaps Moony cared for her. He must have if he wanted to see her again. She felt happy and proud of herself. They weren't really that different after all.

Moony closed his eyes and Arabella quickly left the basement. She headed up to the top level and grabbed Remus's blanket from his room. When she headed back to the basement, Moony was gone, replaced by a worn out Remus. His clothes were gone and he was shivering on the bed. Arabella quickly threw the blanket over his body and wiped his pale, sweaty face with the sleeve of her sweater. His eyes momentarily flickered open and he groaned.

"Ara – Arabella?" he whispered.

"Shush, Remus, I got you," she whispered, making sure he was completely covered by the blanket. "I'll explain everything later, just get some rest, all right?"

He gave no indication that he heard her. But he did close his eyes and within seconds he was passed out. Arabella gave him a lopsided smile and left the basement. She headed towards the kitchen and began putting together some breakfast for them. There were only a few things left in the fridge that wasn't spoiled. Arabella took out some eggs, bread and jam. Arabella opened the carton of milk and gagged when a horrible smell filled the kitchen. She quickly threw it outside and washed her hands thoroughly. Once she was done, she got started on the eggs.

Just as she was about done and about to grab Remus, there as a small tap on the kitchen window. Arabella turned to see a rather familiar owl at her window. Hedwig, Harry's beautiful snowy owl, was flying and tapping on the window. Arabella smiled and opened the window. Hedwig soared into the room and placed a small roll of parchment on the kitchen table.

"Well, I haven't seen you in a while," Arabella said happily. "Here's some toast."

Arabella broke off a little and placed it in front of her. Hedwig seemed very happy at this and began nipping at the toast. Arabella smiled and scratched the top of her head. She then reached for Harry's parchment and rolled it open. Her smile died immediately.

I've just been attacked by dementors and I might be expelled from Hogwarts. I want to know what's going on and when I'm going to get out of here.

Thank you so much for reading! Tell me what you guys think of this chapter, and certainly what you think of Harry and Arabella going forward with this chapter in mind.

Ever since I decided to rewrite this series, I've been waiting to include this chapter and the scene with Moony and Arabella/Alala. It was certainly interesting to write Remus, but in a completely different way and to see him interact with Arabella. As for Harry in this chapter, what do you guys think of him here, especially with him being stuck with his family and not hearing from Arabella? I felt bad doing such a thing to him, but all will be explained in the next chapter.