A/N: Hi everyone!
Surprise, I am not actually dead! I just haven't updated for a very long time. I'm sorry please forgive me.
School kicked it up a notch, so I didn't have a lot of free time to writing up this next chapter.
For those of you that haven't checked out my other story, have a geez.
Other than that, for what happens in this chapter, please don't castrate me. Please.
Anyway, onwards with the story.
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Harry landed in the middle of the beachfront apartment, spinning around madly to find all three of his compatriots. He spied both Remus and Sirius, who both seemed ok, thank goodness, but didn't see Daphne.
"Oh God. What have I done? Where have I left her?" he asked himself. Crack. Harry jumped violently, straight into the arms of the newly appeared Daphne. She smirked at him.
"Enjoying the view, Harry?" she asked sweetly, with a hint of mischievousness.
"Omhherghh" he replied, voice muffled by her shirt. He attempted to scrabble away from Daphne, ultimately failing as she grasped his head, well, his black locks anyway.
Remus and Sirius both cracked up at the scene in front of them. They looked at each other.
"Teenagers" they said in unison.
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"So what went well in the mission?" Remus inquired once they had settled down.
They were seated comfortably in the living room, all arranged into a semi-circle so they could talk and debrief about the mission they completed. Harry lounged about, feet dangling over the side of one lounge, while Daphne occupied the chair next to him.
"Well," began Harry, "I think that the prior planning for the ambush was ok."
Daphne looked at him incredulously. "I for one, completely disagree. We relied too much on stealth, and that they would come at us as one group. That didn't happen. AND, we didn't have an escape plan," she stated, glaring at Harry. He cringed, shying away from her. If looks could kill he'd be six feet under, right about now.
Sirius piped up. "Maybe we concentrate on what we did wrong, and we try to improve on our mistakes from there?"
His statement was met with silence.
"I don't believe it. A legitimate statement from Sirius. An actual, useful suggestion" crowed Harry. The others cracked up, minus Sirius who wore a look of haughtiness, mixed with some wounded pride.
They continued their discussion, giving useful suggestions. Daphne still ranted against Harry for "Negligence, I say!" she screeched at him.
Harry curled up, much to the amusement of the adults, attempting to weather the storm that was Daphne Greengrass.
They went to bed that day, still chuckling from the children's antics, completely forgetting about the horrors that they witnessed in the morning.
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Green lights flashed between two groups of people. Less common was the blood red jets of light that also frequented the battle. Woods surrounded the two groups, cast in shadows, it was hard to tell the true numbers of each group. In a gigantic last push, much of one group was eliminated, with the survivors disapparating away from the bloodbath. The winners stepped out from the shadows cast by the trees, to inspect the area. Four of them prowled around the death and destruction left in their wake, inspecting the damage.
"Good stuff, pup" growled out a voice.
"Thanks Padfoot" an answering voice called out.
All four of the combatants, once completed their check, also disapparated with a muted *pop* back to their apartment.
Almost in unison they reappeared in the living room of their opulent apartment, all facing the beach. With one sweep, they took off their masks to reveal Harry, Daphne, Remus and Sirius. Casting their masks and cloaks aside, they whirled around to enter the kitchen (in Remus and Sirius' case), or their respective bedrooms (in the case of Harry and Daphne).
Making their way to the kitchen, Sirius and Remus engaged each other in a small assessment of their charges, their mercenary status and the mission they just completed.
"Its fine Moony," Sirius was saying, "Although we let a few go, nothing is going to happen in retaliation. We are just too strong to go against. Besides, with these wards, they won't know where we are anyway."
The confidence in his voice still wasn't strong enough to sway the mind of the werewolf though, who shook his head stubbornly.
They were interrupted from their talk by the form of the fourteen year old Harry, staring at them seriously.
"What's up pup?" Sirius asked, eyes dancing with mischief. "Planning a prank on Daphne, by any chance?" He smiled at the (relatively) small child facing him. Said child shook his head emphatically, while Remus shot Sirius a look.
"I think the cub wants to talk seriously, Sirius" he stated, glaring at Sirius daring the man to crack a joke at his own name.
Harry cleared his throat nervously before talking to the two adults.
"I've been thinking,"
"Always a dangerous past-time" Sirius interjected.
"Shut-up Sirius" Remus shot back.
"As I was saying, I want to create a backup plan in case things go pear shaped here. With this mercenary business, people are wanting our services, but also to stop us reselling our services."
Both adults nodded, agreeing with the statement.
Harry continued.
"I propose that we do this. If Sirius dies, Remus takes Daphne to Hogwarts and enrols her there. You can create a cover story later, making sure you don't mention her abilities or training. I need her to have some sort of protection, and the best is at Hogwarts. Remus can be taken on as a tutor or even a professor. Living quarters can be Potter Cottage or a black residence. If Remus dies, Sirius, you take Daphne to Hogwarts, then leave Britain."
Here, Harry had to stop as Sirius started protesting. Remus soon shut him up and gestured to Harry to continue.
"Go to France or something Sirius, you have enough money to set yourself up over there, but do not go chasing Pettigrew."
Both Marauders' faces grew stony at the mention of the rat traitor.
Remus spoke up. "And what will you be doing Harry?"
"I'll disappear."
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Sirius woke during the night. He lay in his bed for a few moments, before settling the sheet over himself and turning on his side. He quickly glanced at the clock, 3.42am. His eyes drooped closed as he was gently falling back to slumber.
They reopened blazing. Sirius reached for his wand and ducked out of bed. He opened the door slowly, exiting his room wand first. Now that he was aware of it, he could feel the displacement of several wards, and the fraying of the last few that covered the apartment. He padded down the hall to Remus' room, where he awoke the werewolf and advised him of the situation.
Sirius collapsed, pain etched across his face as a muffled boom registered to the apartment's occupants. Remus rushed to Harry's, then Daphne's rooms to wake them. Sirius staggered to his feet and greeted Harry, who was still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, outside his room.
"Pup, listen to me. Most of the wards have fallen. One remains. It will take roughly a minute from now for the attackers to breach it. Get to Moony and Daphne and get ready to leave."
Due to Sirius' serious behaviour, Harry obeyed at once, not even thinking about what he was asked to do. Sirius moved down the hallway towards the front door. He quickly levitated a couch, to provide some sort of protection against spells, in front of him. He crouched behind it and lobbed a few packages.
The door blew open and a barrage of red and orange lights flashed into the room, some hitting Sirius' packages which promptly blew outwards. The wall next to Sirius exploded sending plaster everywhere. Sirius coughed, eyes widening as he saw Moony, Harry and Daphne standing in the kitchen, behind where the wall once was. He stood and sent several curses towards the attackers.
He nodded at Moony, who readied the untraceable Portkey. The couch got shredded by spell fire, leaving Sirius without protection. He shot a cocky grin to the group before readying himself to jump towards them.
Remus shouted out to his fellow marauder, "5 seconds!"
Sirius hesitated, then jumped.
Just as a wave of fiendfyre intercepted his body mid-air.
His eyes latched onto Harry, the onyx eyes captivating the emerald orbs. Sirius spoke, his voice humming with power, and none of the pain from the curse.
"You will be great someday, Harry James Potter. Mark my words, you will be great."
The portkey whisked Moony, Harry and Daphne away, their last thoughts on Sirius and curse that swallowed him.
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Remus approached the wrought iron gates, Daphne trudging along behind him. He still hadn't come to grips with Sirius' death a few weeks ago.
Harry had disappeared the same day with no goodbyes. Both Remus and Daphne had collapsed at the safehouse in France after the untraceable Portkey had traversed 6 destinations in 4 different countries. They had awoken later to find the absence of Harry glaringly obvious.
Remus, recalling Harry's request had told Daphne of the plan, which she had refused at first, but had caved in. Over the last few weeks, they had travelled to Wizarding Areas to create Identification for them both, to re-integrate themselves to the Magical World.
They had stocked up on a new wardrobe, outfitting the safehouse for a next time, buying a new house and getting Daphne equipment for Hogwarts.
Today, they marched to the ancient castle, to register Daphne as a student for the coming years, and hopefully Remus as a professor. Their first task, circumventing the gate. Remus knocked on the gate as well as one would expect against metal bars.
No response.
Remus hollered for the groundskeeper, with no avail.
Daphne stepped forward.
"Castle Hogwarts, as a future student and potential professor, I humbly ask you to allow us passage into your hallowed grounds."
The gates opened by themselves, as if to welcome the two people.
Remus shot the girl an incredulous look. They continued their walk to the front doors of the castle.
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Fifteen minutes later found the pair sitting in a spacious office, in front of a grand looking mahogany desk, behind which, the wizened Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, sat with his eyes twinkling merrily.
Twenty minutes later found the pair happy with the arrangements for the new year. Daphne was going to be joining the third year classes, with Remus joining the staff as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts (DADA) professor.
Another 5 minutes after that found Professor Lupin making his way to his new office and classroom, Daphne in tow.
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Remus hurled the half full glass of fire whiskey at the wall, where it smashed into tiny pieces. He felt so frustrated right now, especially having to put up with Severus' shit all the time. What really got to him, is the annoying twinkle that Dumbledore got in his eyes whenever he heard the werewolf treat the ex-Death Eater with courtesy. The only reason Remus did so, is because the Potions Master was making him Wolfsbane potion.
On another note, classes were going well, but apart from the 5th years and above, the students lacked knowledge about the class itself. He was a little frustrated with the Headmaster for letting DADA be taught by incompetents for years, shown by the poor knowledge of the students. His equally most hated and loved class would have to be his 3rd year Gryffindor and Slytherin class. Hated because of the shenanigans that were accomplished in that class due to the house rivalry, and loved because he got to teach Daphne.
She was, without a doubt, his favourite student, regardless that she was sorted into Slytherin, with Cedric Diggory of Hufflepuff a distant second favourite. He kept telling himself that it wasn't because he knew her before Hogwarts, but he couldn't shake the feeling that it was the reason. Either way, she was a joy to teach.
They had continued with an accelerated training programme for her, as was planned before the death of Sirius. Moony, the last true Marauder, felt quite lonely without the company that his mates once offered him. Of course, he didn't count Pettigrew as a Marauder anymore, from his betrayal.
Just thinking of the rat caused him to growl, repair the shot glass, fill it, down it, and then hurl it at the wall again. A giggle at his door roused him from his hate filled thoughts.
"Shall I come back at a later date, Remus?" Daphne asked, "Obviously a little preoccupied to forget our training session tonight."
She backed out of his office, escaping back down to the Slytherin Dormitory, before the stunned wolf could even react to her presence.
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The school year ended with the Boy-Who-Lived and his faithful sidekicks, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, successfully capturing Peter Pettigrew who attempted to sneak into the castle to kill the Longbottom Scion.
Of course, to both the House of Snakes and Remus, Dumbledore had to award 300 points to Gryffindor House, for "Bravery in successfully apprehending a wanted criminal, who has been the cause of numerous crimes." Even Snape cracked his composure to offer an unSnape-like snort at that.
"Brats" the overgrown bat of the dungeon offered, in way of appeasing his food.
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The eventual outcome of Pettigrew standing for trial, was that Sirius Black was struck from the Most Wanted list, as the confession of the rat animagus showed that the Head of House Black was in no way implicated in the fates of the Potters.
The traitor, Moony was glad to see, got the veil, due to the swift justice of Amelia Bones, the Head of the DMLE, and the bumbling incompetence of the Minister of Magic, Cornelius Fudge.