Amanda, for once, is still and quiet in the Great Hall, staring blankly at a letter in her hands. She get's up without a word, ignoring her friends, and walks drunkenly out of the castle, and down towards the Black Lake, where she stops at the edge, the letter clenched tightly in her fist.

Harry had seen the tears on her cheeks as she'd passed him, so had followed her, "Mandy?"

"There gone... Mom... Dad... Jonah... Will..." she cries, her shoulders shaking.

Harry walks up, and touches her shoulder lightly, and takes the letter. He stares at the words, not understanding, as his long time friend walks forward, splashing into the lake. "Mandy, stop!" he yells, splashing after her.

"There gone," she murmurs, deaf to her friend.

Harry splashes after her, and hugs her from behind, "Mandy. Stop it, Amanda!" he yells as she struggles against him, another person splashing in behind them.

The person stands in front of them, and slaps Amanda roughly across the cheek, "That's enough!"

Amanda stares blankly at the blonde, her tears flowing freely now, and she collapses back against Harry, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Malfoy?" Harry asks.

"Just get the mudblood out of here, or she'll freeze," Draco snaps, already splashing away.

Harry stares blankly, but shakes it off, and lifts his friend into his arms, and carries her bridal style back up to the school, where Madam Pomfrey is just running up. The woman drags Harry along behind her, still carrying Amanda, as she's latched onto him, and is sobbing noisily into his chest, as he carries her to the Hospital Wing, everyone staring after them, utterly confused.

Harry, unable to pry her off, crawls into the bed with her, much like when they were kids, and she'd invite him over for the night, but always crawled into the bed he was in. He strokes her hair and back, not saying anything.

A few people come in, and Harry looks curiously at them, not moving much, as his sister figure is clinging so much he's almost immobile. "Professor Dumbledore," he greets softly.

"Hello, Harry," the older man greets, smiling. "Are you aware of why miss Alberona is in this state?" he asks curiously.

"I read the letter she got earlier," Harry nods. He looks back at her, holding her closer, Amanda quite willing, "It said her family was killed in a house fire. All of them," he adds in a whisper.

"Oh, my," the old man says after a few moments. "Poppy, please allow Harry to stay with her, as she seems to have latched on to him. Harry, I will have you excused from classes tomorrow. Try to sleep," he adds, and walks out.

Harry sighs, "Not likely."

"Psst, Harry," a familiar voice whispers in his ear.

"Draco," he whispers back. "What are you doing here?" he asks, turning his head to see the blonde.

"We were supposed to talk again tonight, idiot," the blonde hisses. "How is she?" he asks, looking pointedly at the sleeping, yet still crying girl.

Harry looks down at her, "Not that great. Draco, I want to tell her what's going on. With us, I mean."

"Can we trust her?" Draco demands.

Harry nods, "She's kept all of my secrets, Draco. And, she's beyond loyal. I'd trust her with my life. I do, actually," he adds.

"Then I trust her as well," Draco agrees after a minute of silence, and sits on the bed.

Harry shakes her shoulder lightly, "Mandy. Mandy, wake up," he quietly urges.

Amanda wakes up, and looks up at her brother figure, "Harry? What...?"

"It's ok, Mandy. Can you let me go, so we can talk a bit easier?" Harry asks.

In answer, Amanda releases him, embarrassed at her actions earlier, not having forgotten anything. She sits up, and spots the blonde, rubbing her cheek lightly. "Sorry, for earlier," she murmurs.

"It's ok, Mandy," Harry soothes, sitting up. "Amanda, Draco and I are friends. We have been since last year."

*** FLASHBACK ***

Harry wakes up slightly, and can hear the Weasley's talking around him, and about him. He listens, and his surrogate family is talking badly about him, calling him a liar. He hears a growl from beneath his bed, and guesses it's Sirious, growling in anger at the Weasley's. Hermione speaks up, in his defense, and is told off for beleiving a liar like him.

After they leave, Harry sits up, and leaves the Hospital Wing, walking aimlessly through the halls, Sirious following him silently in dog form. Harry crashes into the last person he wants to see, but does the most unexpected thing, and collapses into sobs against Draco Malfoy's chest.

Draco drags the sobbing teen into an empry classroom, the dog following them, watching Harry protectively. "What's this about, Potter?" Draco snaps.

"The... Weas-leys," Harry explains, hiccuping on the name.

"What did those Weasels do?" Draco asks, crossing his arms and leaning against a desk.

"They... called me... a liar," Harry says through his sobs. "And they're... fakers. Hermione... she's still my friend though," he says happily, but still crying.

"I'm not surprised, in the least," Draco says.

"I'm sorry... Draco. Can we... be friends?" Harry asks tearfully.

"Of course," the blonde grins.

*** FLASHBACK END ***

"So... you've been friends this entire year?" Amanda asks.

"Yeah," Draco agrees. "So's Hermione," he adds.

Harry smiles, "You said her name."

"Shut up, Potter," Draco snaps. He looks at Amanda, "So, we have a plan, and being you two are like siblings, we've wanted to tell you for awhile now."

"Amanda, we're not going home at the end of the year," Harry states. "We're leaving. And Hermine's coming along. I didn't want to ask you, because of everything back in Surrey, but now..."

"Now I'm an orphan, I have nothing holding me," she finishes, looking down at her hands sadly.

"Will you come with us?" Draco asks.

Amanda wipes her eyes, and gives them a smile, "Where are we going?"

They smile, breathing a sigh of releif. "Well, we don't actually have it planned that far yet," Harry admits.

"But, we are leaving at the end of the school year," Draco adds. "We can lay low, and figure things out."

"Where are we going to be laying low?" Hermione asks, having slipped into the room a few moments ago, smiling at Amanda.

"I was thinking at Sirius'," Harry says.

"But, Harry, that's where the Order is," Hermione sighs, her hand to her brow. "And besides, Dumbledore's the Secret Keeper."

"But, I know a spell that will remove him as the S.K., and make it someone else," Draco says.

"Seriously?" Hermione asks, gaping at him.

"Well, Harry, who's the new S.K.?" Draco asks, smirking at Hermione.

"But the place isn't mine," Harry says.

"Harry, Sirius is your godfather, and by rights, your his heir, if he's killed, by law, everything he owns, is yours," Hermione says.

"Is it possible to talk to Sirius?" Amanda asks.

"Yeah, but one problem. Umbridge has the fires watched in the school," Draco says.

"I can get him here," Harry says. "Besides, he's been itching to get out of the house since he went in."

"Just tell him to be careful," Hermione begs.

Amanda is sitting in the forest, in her wolf form, her ears twitching back and forth, waiting for the other animagus to get there. She thinks back to her friends' reaction to the fact she's an animagus, and then they were scared when they saw her form.

She laughs lightly, and gets to her feet, and pads lightly to the other animagi as he comes into view. The pair of K9's sniff noses, and Amanda transforms back into her human self. "Hi, I'm Amanda Alberona," she greets.

The large black dog she just sniffed noses with rears back, and the fur melts into skin, revealing a slightly bedraggled man. "Sirius Black. Harry said your one of his friends, even before coming here."

"Yeah," she smiles. "We met back in pre-school, and I had to have him as a friend. Mom and dad... really liked him as well... Come on, they're waiting," she says brightly, changing again into her large wolf form. She trots off, the large black dog following her.

She leads him, with the help of the Marauders Map, through the school undetected, to the seventh floor, where she walks past the Room of Requirement three times, before the door appears, and she opens the door, Sirius trotting in before she shuts the door.

"Took you long enough, Mandy," Draco snaps, having quickly adopted the name as well. "So this is Sirius? It's an honour to meet you," he says.

"You as well, Draco," Sirius says, human again, and shakes the blonde's hand, but quickly hugs Harry tightly. "Good to see you again, Harry."

"You as well," Harry murmurs. He stands back, and the group takes seats, Amanda taking the floor, leaning against Harry's shins.

"So, what kind of plan are you hatching?" Sirius asks, a grin on his face.

"We're leaving Hogwarts, and never coming back," Harry states. "I heard what the Weasley's said after the Tournament. I took Draco's advice, and got myself tested at Gringott's."

"Dumbledore's been giving him potions to keep him docile, and to keep him under his control," Hermione says, her arms crossed over her chest.

Sirious straightens, "What do you mean potions?"

"Exactly as it sounds," Draco says.

"He even tried giving me a potion that would make me hate Harry," Amanda says. "He didn't want Harry to have any friends from the Muggle world."

"I even had the test, and he tried doing the same thing to me," Hermione says.

"That bastard!" Sirius yells, pacing around the room.

"Sirious, we'd like to make HQ our home until we figure things out," Harry says.

"But Dumbledore's the S.K., Harry. We can't just take that away from him," Sirius says.

"Draco knows a spell," Amanda says, currently laying infront of the fire.

"It's true," Draco says. "We don't even need Dumbledore here to do it. We just need your permission, being it is your house."

"You have my permission," Sirius says, and takes a seat again. "Who'll be the new S.K.?"

"I was thinking we could make it Mandy," Harry says. "She knows all of my secrets, and hasn't said anything, to anyone. Even when she was furious, and not talking to me, she didn't say anything."

"Could you withstand something like the Cruciatus curse, in order to keep the secret?" Sirius asks seriously.

"I have a high pain tolerance," Amanda says, sitting up.

"You have total trust in her, and Draco?" Sirius asks.

"I do," Harry states.

"Then let's do it," Sirius grins.

"That's the Sirius I know," Harry smiles. "Ready, Draco?"

"Yepp," the blonde sighs. "Mandy, I need you to kneel infront of me, facing them. Sirius, I need to you stand infront of her," he orders. When their in position, Draco takes out his wand, Sirius following his instructions, and taking out his as well.

Draco performs the spell perfectly, waving his wand, and touching first Sirius' chest, then Amanda's head. He repeats the process, a silver line forming between Amanda's chest and extending out of the room, attaching to Dumbledore's chest. As Draco performs the spell, the thread snaps, and turns pink, moving from the old man, who is confused, to wrap around Amanda.

Sirius touches Amanda's chest with his wand, and says the remaining part of the spell, finishing it, and making the girl the official Secret Keeper of Grimmauld Place.

Amanda get's to her feet when the glow fades, and grins, "How is it I know the address, yet I've never been told it?"

"That's what happens when you're the S.K.," Sirius says, clapping her shoulder happily. "So, now you have a place to plan, what's next?"

"We figure out what our plan is," Hermione says.

"We need to finish this year of school," Amanda states. "Not only for the tests, but I promised mom and dad," she says a bit sadly.

Sirius squeezes her shoulder, "Well, you can't leave the school until you've finished the year anyways. But we can start planning now," he adds.

"Alright, so where are we going?" Hermione asks.

"I have some family in the States," Amanda offers, returning to her spot at the fire, and laying on her stomach.

"It's not the Polkiss' is it?" Harry asks.

Amanda arches her brow at him, "What makes you think I have only one aunt and uncle, Harry? No, it's not the Polkiss'," she says, rolling onto her back. "My dad's older brother, my uncle Charlie. I haven't seen him in years, but we talk when I'm at home."

"Out of curiosity, is Sirius still guilty over in the States?" Hermione asks.

"No, he was cleared," Amanda says. "Let's see... I was talking to uncle Charlie and I asked about Sirius. Uncle said that he'd been cleared, due to some evidence that was found, but ignored in the court system here. He also said that he'd been clear for quite a while, actually."

"Then the States it is," Harry says.

"Wait, I'm coming with you?" Sirius asks incredulously.

"Well, a bunch of kids can't live alone together," Draco states. "So you're coming with us, naturally."

"Well, I like the sound of that," Sirius grins. "But what about Remus, and Snivellus?"

"Why do you care about Snape?" Harry asks curiously.

"Well..." he smiles bashfully, scratching the back of his neck, "We're, uh... romantically involved... with each other," he blushes deeply.

"When did this happen?" Amanda asks, the two Gryffindors gaping at the older man.

"It's been for a little while, actually," Sirios admits. "I've uh... liked them both for a while," he admits.

"Well, can we trust Remus and Professor Snape?" Amanda asks, not knowing who the first man is.

"Ya, we can trust them," Hermione states. "They're both in the Order, and are more loyal to Harry then Dumbledore."

"Should I go get Snape, then?" Amanda asks, now bouncing on her knees slightly.

"Draco, it'll be less suspicious if you go get him," Hermione says.

"Right," the blonde stands. "I'll be back in a little while. But who's Remus?"

"He was Professor Lupin," Harry grins.

Draco nods, and takes his temporary leave, shutting the door behind himself. Amanda stands up, and starts dancing around the room, Harry and Hermione ignoring her actions, while Sirius gapes curiously at her.

"Um, Harry, why's she dancing?" Sirius asks.

"She's hyper active, and can't ever sit still," Hermione says. "She was on potions, but started hating Harry, and was actually getting depressed."

"I started making her a different potion," Snape states, coming into the room after Draco. "I had her stop taking the potions Pomfrey was giving her, and had her start drinking the potions I was making for her."

"And they work really well, Professor," Amanda grins, spinning past him in a twirl.

"Glad to hear it," the man sighs, rubbing his brow. "So, what's this about?"

"The four of us are leaving, and never coming back here," Harry states. "Sirius is coming as well, and mentioned you and Remus, and your..."

"Relationship," Amanda supplies, still spinning.

"Yeah," Harry nods. "So, we were wondering if you'd like to come along with us?"

"Leave Dumbledore and the students?" Snape clarifies.

"Yepp," Draco smirks. "Leave it all behind, You Know Who, dark parents."

"Controlling bastards," Amanda puts in, her voice sounding happy as she continues dancing around the room.

"Well, I understand Potter and Malfoy, even you, Alberona. But why you, Granger?" Snape asks.

Amanda stops dancing, and leans on the back of Sirius' chair, "I don't even know why you're leaving willingly, Hermione."

The other girl blushes, looking at her lap, and playing with her fingers lightly. "The truth is, I found out my parents hate me. They asked me not to ever return home," she sniffles. Amanda walks over and hugs the girl, patting her hair. Hermione wraps her arms around her friends waist, and sobs into her shoulder.

"Now that's cleared up," Harry says awkwardly. "Will you come with us, Prof. Snape?"

"Most willingly," he smiles. "Where are we going?"

"The States," Draco says. "Mandy's got an uncle that says Sirious is an innocent man over there."

"Works for me," Snape smiles. He looks at Sirius, "So, they know about us and Remus?"

Sirius nods, getting to his feet, and the two men hug, sharing a little kiss.