A/N: Just in case you're interested, this would technically be my fiftieth chapter, which makes this story now technically one chapter longer than Family Life. Just a little bit of trivia there for you.

Also, please note this is another A and B chapter. And that Q&A is at the end of Chapter A.

And as always,

Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Go back and read the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before the one before this one.

CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE A: ANOTHER FINE MESS

Trudging through the woods, Orion brought the group to a sudden halt. Looking up, the others quickly noted their path was blocked once again by the small petite woman who seemed to be always one step ahead of them.

"Oh great magic." Orion sighed. "Not again."

"Why are you persisting?" The woman called out, still several yards ahead of them on the path. "Has my master not been more than lenient with you?"

"Lenient!?" Voldemort stated. "Is that what you call nearly roasting us on that bridge? Or nearly suffocating us? Being 'lenient'?"

"And yet here you are." Becca replied, holding her arms out. "Alive and unharmed."

"And forward is how we intend to go." Voldemort replied. "Until we find this 'master' of yours and deal with him as he should be."

Becca turned her attention to the man speaking to her. "You fool." She stated. "You think my master fears you? You think he can not deal with you if he so desired?"

"He has yet to do so."

"Because he is being generous. Far more than you deserve. Turn back now and no further harm will come to you." Becca turned her attention to Harry. "Harry, please listen to me." She pleaded. "You must understand that what you are doing is wrong. Please do not let others misdirect you. Don't let others choose your path. Don't lead them any further. Go back now."

Voldemort turned to Harry over his shoulder. "Harry, what direction?" He ask.

Harry paused for a moment, his stare fixed on the woman in front of them. But finally he started to point when Orion suddenly grabbed his arm and forced it back down. "Becca, can I ask you a question?" He said.

The woman turned to him. She didn't answer, but she regarded him past an inquisitive stare, cocking her head slightly to one side.

"Do you enjoy what you do?" Orion ask quickly in a calm, unthreatening voice.

"Enjoy?" The woman ask, as though the concept itself was foreign to her.

"Yes. Serving your master. Do you enjoy it?"

The woman regarded him now past what could have been called an amused stare. "What sort of question is this?" She ask. "I serve my master. It is what I do."

Abruptly a tower of dark robes appeared next to Orion, hovering close to his side. The woman took instant note of the boggart's appearance, pointing to him. "Does your servant enjoy serving you?" She ask.

Orion crossed his arms in front of him. "Bo isn't my servant." He replied. "He's my friend."

The boggart responded with a soft thrill, then reached out and patted the man next to him on the head.

"He serves you." Becca countered in a firmer voice. "He does as he is told."

"No." Orion shook his head. "He does what I ask...if he wants to. I never force him."

The woman fell silent as she watched the two in front of her, her expression showing nothing but confusion.

"Is that what is done to you, Becca?" Orion ask softly. "Are you forced to do what you do? Did your master force you to try to kill us in that box?"

At the phrase the woman came alive again with a vengeance. "How dare you!" She spat at them. "My master is a kind man. He forces me to do nothing. I do what I do because he has the right to protect himself and others from those who mean them harm. Harm you have more than shown from your first dealings with him, and how you have dealt with his loyal followers, cutting them down like dogs. Now leave, and do not come back here!"

Pulling back her arm, Becca threw a ball of light at the ground still separating them. Hitting the leaf covered forest floor, it erupted into a shower of debris.

Instantly Bo raised his robe covered hands and a clear shield rose against the onslaught of the blast, forming a barrier between the group and the destruction caused by the blast.

When the dust settled, the group found themselves again standing alone on the path.

Stepping up to the Unspeakable, Voldemort studied the large crater left in the ground from Becca's parting gift.

"Ouch." He commented dryly. "That was one sore nerve you touched."

Orion narrowed his eyes slightly. "Yes. The question is 'why'.

"I don't think we're going to be given much of a chance to ponder that one, Mr. Black."

Orion turned to where Voldemort was now indicating. In what was before a clear open area in the trees ahead of them now stood a small, stone castle.

"Another trap?" Orion ventured.

"Possibly. Harry?" Voldemort turned back to the teenager behind him. "Which direction?"

Harry paused for a second as he got his bearings back, then slowly pointed to the structure in front of them.

"Maybe this is his lair." Harry suggested hopefully.

But Orion shook his head. "Too easy and too convenient." He pointed out, turning to the rest of the group. "Best to keep on our toes for any sign of a trap."

As the group approached the castle the doors swung slowly open with an ominous creaking sound.

"Well, we can eliminate the element of surprise." Lupin stated.

Orion considered the open doors for a moment, then slowly proceeded inside, followed by the others.

Once inside, the group found themselves standing in a large open area that belied the exterior's suggestion of the building's size. The room was easily five times the size of the outside walls, let alone giving any extra space for the many rooms leading off to the sides evidenced by the doors placed along the walls.

But except for the five of them, the castle seemed empty. No sound except for their own breathing echoed in the large hall.

"Now what?" Voldemort ask quietly.

Behind them the doors suddenly slammed shut, causing the group to turn abruptly back to them. But instead of an empty room, they now found themselves facing no more than thirty of the wizard's own robed people, all holding wands pointed directly at the group.

"You just had to ask that, didn't you?" Orion answered him.

Orion quickly grabbed hold of Harry and pulled him after him as he bolted for the only open door he could see, which was directly ahead of them. Arabella, Lupin, and Voldemort followed close behind, trying to ward off the others as they went.

But before they reached the opening, several wizards emerged from it first, all with their wands already drawn.

Orion skidded to a halt, with Arabella, Lupin, and Voldemort practically running headlong into his back.

The day just wasn't going very well at all.

Q&A

Skahducky:

It's possible that the wizard in the north had begun to plan way back when he was fifteen. After all, Voldemort had shed the name he was born with by the time he was sixteen. He could also just look younger than he is, either in real life or by some charm. Regardless, how does the wizard in the north know so much? How could he possibly know enough about Orion's bond with Bo to be able to cut it off? Anyway, this is a great chapter. Please update soon!

OK, you're a two parter this time. First this review, then the next one.

As one of my favorite sayings goes, Dear, 'anything is possible'. And oh, you have such good questions this time. Why are they good? Because I can actually answer them without having to go into speculation. True, the wizard could have been planning all this from the time he was fifteen since Voldemort began to reinvent himself at sixteen. However, Voldemort was motivated..., and just a little nutty. But I have always advocated that the line between genius and insanity is a very thin one. Insane people also tend to be very intelligent. Good for them, bad for the gene pool.

So again, anything is possible. Yes, he could have been planning all this fromt he time he was fifteen, and if it makes you happy, Dear, you go right on believing that.

Now on to the part I love so much. How does the wizard in the North know so much about Orion? I have actually wanted to address this for some time, but here is the perfect opportunity that I am not going to pass up.

People, aren't we forgetting a little something here? How could the man know so much about Orion? Possibly because Orion's best friend is one of the wizard's best spies? Remember Charly, folks? The man might as well have an autobiography on Orion for all it matters.

Now, why would Charly betray his best friend that way? No one says he has. Remember that Charly's only incentive here has been to keep Orion alive when all the wizard in the North has wanted to do from day one is kill him. Why? Well, that's a large part of the story. And technically, the wizard has never said he wanted Orion dead. All he ever instructed Charly on was that Orion was never to have children. Something Orion's own father advocated.

Different reasons? Maybe. Maybe not. Again, large part of the story, so I can't tell you that.

Now, my second favorite comment in your review is actually part of the first. And I'm willing to bet here that you stumbled onto something without even knowing it.

How did the wizard know enough about Orion to be able to cut off his connection to Bo? Interesting information, wouldn't you say? And that's all I'm saying on that topic.

Next review!

Do Voldemort and Orion have any plans to make sure Becca is the focal point of the wizards' power before they attack her/persuade her to join them? Voldemort's conclusion seemed pretty logical, but I think it's just one possbility of many. Anyway, this was a wonderful chapter. Please update soon!

Oh, Dear, Voldemort always has plans. His current ones concerning Becca are to either kill her or start dating her. The woman obviously has power and knows how to use it. The problem is, she only does so at someone else's direction. Voldemort would love to have her under his control on those terms.

And you'll note (and it is important) the person conversing with Becca and trying to learn something about her is not Voldemort. It's Orion. Trust me, the Unspeakable is starting to put things together. But unlike Voldemort, he isn't as vocal about it. I always said Orion wasn't the fastest horse on the track, but he is most definitely the most methodical. Once he has an idea about something, he'll work until he has an answer. But unlike Voldemort, Orion doesn't jump into things headfirst and hope they come out all right. He goes about it slowly, covering every base along the way. And his questions when directed at Becca are not random chit-chat. He's trying to find something out. But he has to do it in such a way that the wizard that is controlling Becca doesn't catch on to what he's trying to learn about her.

Again, Orion's questions aren't necessarily as straight forward as they seem. He's not directly trying to sway Becca's loyalties. He already has an idea that that isn't going to be possible. The questions he's asking are more to try and learn something particular about her that he's suspicious of, he just has no proof.

Voldemort has a lot of the pieces of his puzzle already and is able to make some pretty generalized guesses. The problem is, the really big piece that goes right int he middle is the piece he is missing. And while Voldemort is working so hard trying to assemble all the smaller pieces, that really big one is the one Orion is working on finding.

MasterLupin:

Well then I guess I could ask you a series of yes or no questions to see what ones are right and what wrong, but that would take all the fun out of it. Admittedly I love a good riddle that keeps me thinking about it for days.

Anyway, I guess the next logical number to choose for the number of wizards that compose our nemesis for now would be seven. Good old seven, again it has literarily meaning, historical meaning, practical meaning, and biblical meaning. The next best number to choose after the ever popular tirade.

I couldn't help but notice that they have now completed three trials on their way to the conglomerate of wizards in the north. First the group that attacked them at the start of the path, then the box with no way out, (nice one that I don't think I paid you complement on in my last review) now the burning bridge. All of which can be found in various works of famous literature. This leads me to think that in the next chapter they will have a major confrontation.

This can be derived from the significance of the burning bridge and the tirade. Can't wait for the next chapter.

Oh! Good heavens, please do! I love yes and no questions the best!

Now come on, what's a good riddle if you don't play 'twenty questions' to get some parts of it to fit together? Come on, give me some good, old fashion yes and no questions.

I like seven too. Go solid number. But still wrong.

Again, nice try, but no. And I'll help you out here just a bit. You're looking to connect dots that don't exist, Dear. If nothing else, I try to be original in my stories. So it is unlikely you will find any connection between it and any other story base. I didn't write the story with anything specific in mind gathered from a communal database of story plots. I simply laid out a path that would get me from point A to point B. No specific symbolism involved.

Hope that helps a little.

And there is a major confrontation coming, but just not the kind you're probably thinking of or between the characters your lining up for it.

In fact, I'll lay large sums of money on that one.

CelticHeiressFiona:

Awesome chapter! And this little, well, revelation I guess? Idea? About this "wizard" actually being more than one person is very interesting and extremely clever. I love it. See you next chapter!

Ooooooohhhhhhhh! I rarely get reviews that describe my story plots as 'clever'. Thank you, Dear.

Actually, regarding the suggestion that the wizard is more than one person, and I'd like to point out it is still just a 'suggestion'. Has anyone confirmed it? Even Becca has only referred to her 'master'. Singular, folks.

Am I saying that assumption is wrong? No. But I'm also not saying it's right.

Silverfox:

Hm ... Lupin is looking surprisingly useless so far and what was that with the chain that came off so easily? There must be more behind the presence of both of them in this story ... Orion on the other hand is very much proving his worth and what about Waldi? Could he be playing helpless to see more of Orion's ability or would he really have run out of ideas/spells this soon, if he'd gone without the auror? Not a good show so far, mighty Dark Lord.
Yep, Talon could have Voldemort dancing on his strings, if only he sacrificed his son's beloved bogart. Could seem a good idea from his POV, I fear.

Trust me, Lupin will have his uses. I didn't include him in the group just to appease the 'R.J. Lupin Fan Club' (but hey, it didn't hurt either).

Actually, the chain being able to be opened as easily as it was was very telling. I'm surprised more people didn't question it. And since that seemed to slip by so many people, I will say this about that scene: Doesn't it seem that maybe (just maybe) that the wizard wanted them to be able to get it off? Hmmmmm?

Both of them have a place in this story? Absolutely. I always have said I never include anything that doesn't contribute to the story directly. Or if it doesn't, I tell you straight out. Hence my little 'this was just for fun' chapters every now and then.

Orion proving his worth? I would hope so. Pointless to have him along otherwise except that he controls Bo...sort of. (I mean, how much does anyone really control a hyper three year old, ya' know?).

On that next part, what do you think, Dear? You think a wizard as old and experienced as Voldemort has really depleted the old trick bag this soon? And I have said all along, or at least eluded to, that Voldemort is trying to put the pieces of his puzzle together. And a large part of that puzzle (though not all of it) is the relationship between Orion Black and his enigmatic boggart.

Why would Talon's having control over Voldemort rely on sacrificing Bo? You lost me there, Dear. But it sounds like an intriguing idea. Please expand on that.

As for Talon ever doing anything that would directly hurt Bo, let me preach on that for a minute. Talon doesn't, deep down, hate Bo. In fact, he doesn't hate him on the surface either. He simply doesn't trust him. And in all fairness, with good reason. Remember, and lets not have any misunderstanding on this, what Bo did to Orion when he was just a child was out and out manipulation. His reasons, be it because he was genuinely lonely or he genuinely wanted out of the cellar, are yours to decide. But it makes no difference in the end. Bo planned what he did very carefully and worked to make it happen just as he wanted it to. As much as he may appear that way (sometimes literally), Bo isn't a family's pet dog. He is a sentient creature and he can think very well for himself, thank you very much.

Talon's relationship to the boggart, and how he treats him, is based very solidly on Talon's belief that the only way Bo is harmless is to keep him on a tight leash. You can't do that with something you are intimately involved with. This is why he disapproves of Orion's relationship with Bo. He feels Orion treats Bo far too much like a playmate. And that should Orion one day have to make some very hard choices regarding Bo or the safety of the community at large, Orion won't be able to make the right choice, fearing losing his friend.

pstibbions:

Why doesnt Hermione ever get any credit for helping Harry rescue Sirius in Third Year? Actually, Harry helped her - neither could have done it without the other. Give credit where credit is due, for chrissake.

Dear, no offense, but what does that have to do with the price of tea in China, or this story for that matter?

All reviews are as of 02/03/2007.

And remember;

Fighting for peace is like screwing for virginity.