It was enjoyable to her to be teaching the children. They all seemed like kind kids. She hoped to show them the truth of right and wrong, how the world was a lot of different shades of gray.

Each class was ready and excited to learn about the subject she was teaching. Some of the idiotic seventh year boys tried to hit on her and she shot them down. She got responses such as this because she was the youngest teacher on staff and quite beautiful.

She spent her time outside the classroom wandering the halls she had once explored in her childhood. However, this place of magic and wonder had become much more foreboding than she remembered. Doom was written on the walls, a storm was coming. She knew this because she was the creator.

Being one of the younger, cooler teachers, students would come and ask her for advice. One afternoon in between classes, Jennifer Robinson ran into her room crying. She was a third year Slytherin who couldn't make good decisions. She was particularly talented at jinxes.

Clare couldn't help but speak to her. "Jennifer? What's wrong dear?"

The young girl was blubbering unintelligible sentences.

Clare walked over to her at the edge of the classroom and invited her to sit down. "Would you like some tea to calm down?"

She nodded and continued to cry as the Professor poured some tea for them. They sat and drank tea together. She slowly calmed down and her words were understandable. As they talked, Jennifer revealed that she had a crush on a Gryffindor boy and her friends were angry at her about it because of the House Cup competition. She went on to explain the animosity between their houses and how it could never work.

"Well, just because you're in opposite houses, doesn't mean that things won't work out."

"Professor I know you don't understand the Hogwarts system because you're from America, but our house rivalry goes back to the founders of the school."

Clare laughed. "I know you don't think I know, but I understand more than you think. You're friends are just giving you a hard time. People date across house lines all the time, even Gryffindors and Slytherins. Now, go clean yourself up, the next class hour starts in five minutes."

As she was walking out the door Clare stopped her. "Wait, who's this boy?"

She looked back and blushed. "Tommy Brighton."

Clare also continued the dueling club which was open to all ages. The first meeting was held in late October, after all the kids had gotten used to school.

Plenty of kids from all houses showed up. Dueling club was extremely popular and that was her "in". Once the clock chimed at four, she began.

"Hello students. You all know me as Professor Johnson. I assume all of you are here to learn about the ancient wizard tradition of dueling. We are here to first and foremost have fun." The kids all cheered. "But, I am also here to teach you the most valuable lesson you could ever learn, to always be prepared to defend yourself."

Someone yelled out. "To fight deatheaters?!" The kids cheered again.

She laughed to brush off the comment. "Haha not exactly, I want you to be able to defend yourself from any corrupted force that attempts to control you and to fight for what you believe is right."

After that little speech, she demonstrated with an older student a very basic duel then took volunteers setting them up against each other. An hour later dinner was called and they adjourned the first session of the club.

Although she was planting her propaganda into the minds of her students, none of them questioned it. She was their favorite teacher and the most interesting. Clare was less popular among the other staff, most of the house ghosts would swear on their afterlives that she was familiar to them. She also naturally butted heads with those in authority.

However, she continued to work at Hogwarts, the first time a Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had stayed for the next year in a very long time. But the next year held much more fear for her than her first. For, the next year they hired a new Herbology professor, one whom Clare knew very personally.

Over the summer, she met privately with some of the older students who had understood what she had been talking about during her class. Some joined her ranks to overthrow the ministry. She and Edmond also caught up again. He spoke of all the things they had accomplished over the course of the year. They had infiltrated the ministry, or rather gotten many of their employees on his side. She told him of the children who were beginning to see the world like they did. So after they had achieved their goals, the next generation would accept the change.

When fall came around again, they said their goodbyes and she returned to Hogwarts early to prepare her classroom. She went around trying to make friends instead of enemies and squash some of the suspicions going around. But, she came into contact with an unexpected obstacle when she went into the Herbology class.

Clare knocked on the door of the classroom and walked in. "Hello! You're the new professor right?"

The blonde-haired professor turned around from his desk and looked at her. Neville Longbottom she knew his face despite what age had done for him.

She smiled at him. "So you're the new Herbology Professor?"

He looked at her, then returned her smile. "Yes. I'm Neville Longbottom. Have we met before?"

She walked over to him. "Jessica Johnson. Unless you've been stateside recently, I don't think so."

"No I haven't. But you do look oddly familiar."

"Well I have heard of you before, you're the Neville from the Battle of Hogwarts right? You killed the snake that was the last horcrux for Voldemort right?"

He blushed. "Yeah back when I was a kid, things were crazy with You-Know-Who. But since when he died, everything calmed down. I was a little nervous when the big Azkaban breakout happened and his daughter escaped with all the deatheaters, but nothing has come of that."

"Wait, he had a daughter?"

Neville looked conflicted. "Yeah, she was in my year at Hogwarts. She didn't seem troubled when she first came. She even grew up in a good family, but she went off the deep end. It's a shame."

"Oh. I guess she got what she deserved."

"I wouldn't say it like that. How about we go get lunch and continue this conversation?"

"Sounds nice."

They went to eat in Hogsmead.

"So what house where you in?"

"I was in Gryffindor."

"No doubt. Did you always love Herbology?"

"Yeah. I found that most people were proficient with their wands, but I could work well with plants. Eventually I got better at using my wand but I still loved Herbology. It was so interesting to me."

It was oddly nice for Clare to be catching up with Neville after all this time. "Everyone has different interests, and someone has to teach the next generation Herbology."

"Yeah. Do you like being here in London?"

"I do! But, being closer to the Ministry has been disheartening."

"Why?"

"I see all the corruption."

"I worked at the ministry. In any form of government, there is going to be corruption, but it's not as bad as it used to be."

They continued to talk of politics and of life in general. They became good friends as the year began. Even as she continued to speak at the students with her intentions, her popularity only grew with time.

Clare spent years at Hogwarts, teaching, mentoring. Secretly meeting with her consort Edmond. Yet a sickness grew within her that festered in all the teachers at Hogwarts. She began to love her students. She wanted them to succeed and be happy.

The summer after her fourth year teaching at Hogwarts, Clare had returned to Edmond's company and they had a conversation that confirmed her fears. Over her time undercover, Edmond had begun to change. His demeanor, he had become more demanding than before, even more hardened.

"Clare."

She ran up to him and hugged him, he slowly hugged her back. "We have some things to discuss of utmost importance. The time has come."

"For what?"

"For our plans to finally be carried out. We are going to call the death eaters together and we are going to march on the Ministry of Magic. We are going to rule the wizarding world." He kissed her on the lips, but she stopped.

"Ed, are you intending on being the new minister?"

"Clare, you know we aren't going back to the old way of government, and who better to take over than us?"

She was troubled by what he was saying. "But, if we take over, we'll just look power hungry."

"You know this is what we've been working for." He took her hands and looked her in the eyes. He had a crazed look plaguing his soul and she could see it.

"Okay."

He called the deatheaters classically, with their tattoos. He gave a speech with Clare by her side. "Deatheaters fourteen years ago, our fight at the Battle of Hogwarts was lost and our leader was killed. But here, we have his daughter leading us against the ministry, where we will take back what is rightfully ours!" They all cheered. "It is our time to destroy the ministry. No more hiding in the shadows! Let us fight!"

They again shouted cheers and apparated to the ministry. A wave of black robes appeared in the central hub. Screams erupted throughout the halls. Clare announced out. "Leave if you want to be safe!"

A few of the witches and wizards moved, but countless others held their ground. Edmond spoke "Kill them." Clare looked at him shocked. The deatheaters began to fire off spells at the crowd in front of them. People began to drop like flies from both sides. She grabbed his arm. "Senseless slaughter is what my father did, and look where it got him. We've talked about this, it doesn't work well. We have to be smart."

He shook her off. "Pain is the only thing people really understand. Your father was right." She stopped and watched him walk off with the rest of the death eaters. She shrank to the ground. His words stabbed her like a knife in the back. They really had grown distant during their time apart.

After a moment, Clare picked herself up quickly and ran after the deatheaters. All the while she was thinking of how when they were in prison she confided in Edmond, bared her soul, explaining that she hated her father. She told him how her father saw violence as the only answer, but she wanted to be cunning, informed him on how he was so very wrong to force her onto his side.

She rejoined Edmond at his right hand. The first wave of ministry officials was easy to destroy. The two leaders disappeared during the battle as it raged on.

Barricades were set up between the two armies. A brown haired woman jumped up on the border and the death eaters stopped fighting. She yelled out at them. "Death Eaters. It is time to leave. NOW!" They all disapparated away from the dark hall.

She turned her gaze to the Aurors on the other side, all their wands were focused on her. Climbing down from the barricade, she began to assure them. "People of the ministry." She sat down on the top of a desk, held up her wand then set it down.

"If you don't already know who I am, then get do your job and find out. I am the one who escaped Azkaban, without aid, stole my things back, destroyed Azkaban and infiltrated Hogwarts as a teacher. I am also the child of Bellatrix LeStrange and Voldemort, the one who threatened to do everything I have just described to you. Edmond, my counterpart, had different views on how to change the world. You no longer have to fear him, he's gone. He's been killed. I regret the damage he did. But, you should consider, how it was so easy for me to accomplish all of this?"

Clare held out her hands for them to restrain her. There was a standoff for a moment. The Aurors twenty feet away were all frozen from what she had said. After a few seconds a man with dark hair and green eyes came out of the crowd and approached her. "Clare. Come with me." He grabbed her hands and picked up her wand.

Dragging her through the crowd, he stopped them at his office. He forced her through the doorway.

"Harry Potter." Clare run her eyes over him. How could she forget his face, his scar.

"I know what you're trying to do, you're trying to scare everyone again. Just like you did fourteen years ago. But it's not going to work."

She sat down in the chair near his desk. "Harry. I promise you, I wasn't the ringleader of the attack today. I met a man in prison who… tricked me into trusting him. Believing he was different than my father, but that was all lies. He's gone now."

"You expect me to believe you?"

"I'm telling the truth Harry. I've grown a lot since our time at Hogwarts. I've healed from the pain my father caused me. I've had a lot of time to think. You have to trust me on this."

Harry palmed his face in frustration. He was conflicted over what to do. She didn't deserve a second chance in his mind; she had been given a way out and she chose the path to destruction.

"Harry, when have I ever lied to you? Even when I was agreeing with my father, I told you the truth. So I'm asking you to believe me now." Clare was a thirty-two year old grown woman, but she felt as if she was a child again, attempting to explain her actions. "The past four years, I have been working at Hogwarts as the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Three out of the four, I've been working with Neville. At first, I was afraid to be around him, but then I realized I missed having real friends, people who loved for who I was, not what I could give them. I desired the life I had when I was young with you all as my friends. If you'll have me, I will prove myself to you."

He sighed heavily. "They are letting you teach at Hogwarts?"

"Well, at first I was undercover, but this year's end, I revealed the truth to Headmistress McGonagall. She told me that she would allow me to continue teaching only if I proved my trustworthiness, which I did today by ending the fight. I thrived teaching, it's something I'm good at. I couldn't help but love the kids, even the muggle-borns. I despise who I once was and I'm working to be someone worthy of trust."

"Okay Clare. I believe you. You're going to have to get pardoned by the Minister of Magic."

She smiled. "Kingsley?"

"Yes. Come on."

Harry led her down the hallway and they talked. She asked him about his family and he told her about Ginny and their children. He also told her about Hermione and Ron, how they were very happy together.

They reached the minister's office and it was surrounded by people. Harry asked to be let by and they parted for them to pass. When they entered the room, Kingsley stood up and greeted Harry.

"Hello Harry! Has the situation been handled?"

"Yes. We need to discuss something."

Clare's face was hostile when Kingsley look at her. She wasn't trusting for a minute that they would allow her to leave without consequences. He stiffened, alarmed from her presence.

"So you were behind this monstrosity?"

Clare opened her mouth to answer, but Harry jumped in front of her. "Actually, she is the reason that this day wasn't one of mass bloodshed. She commanded the death eaters to leave after killing the man commanding them to destroy the ministry."

She stood there staring right into the minister's eyes as he looked back and forth from her to Harry. Clare spoke to him.

"The bottom line is, my time in Azkaban changed me and my time spent teaching has reformed me. I want to be able to live a life that my father wouldn't be proud of, something that would make him turn over in his grave." There was a twinkle in her eye as she spoke.

Kingsley kept eye-contact with her as he considered what she had said for a moment. "Give me the names of your deatheaters and I will pardon you of all charges. I will also have you publicly venerated in order to allow your teaching career to continue without issue."

"You know about that?"

He chuckled. "Minerva and I are close friends. She let me know soon after you told her."

Clare wrote out a list of names of the deatheaters. Then she and Harry left the minister's office. They headed out and grabbed a meal in Diagon Alley. They caught up on life and she told him about how his godson was in school. Harry also told her what Hermione and Ron had been up to of late; he was going to invite her to dinner with them all, but she excused herself.

Clare apparated to Malfoy Manor and knocked on the door. Her cousin, Draco, came to the doorway.

"Draco."

He looked surprised, but happy to see her. He smiled. "Clare, I heard all the good news. I can't believe the Ministry pardoned you!"

She hugged him. "I know. I'm a professor at Hogwarts now. I just wanted to inform you that you're no longer in danger because of me."

Clare turned around, but he grabbed her by the arm. "Wait, you don't think you're getting away that easily, do you? My son needs to meet his professor before he goes to school."

She laughed. "I'm not going to go easy on him just because he's your son. And he won't be at Hogwarts for another five years, he has time to get on my good side."

Draco laughed with her. "Well, won't you come inside for my sake?"

"Okay, you're lucky that I enjoy your company."

Clare came inside and visited with his family. She and Astoria put aside their previous arguments for the sake of the whole. Lucius and Narcissa also came out to greet her. She had a peaceful conversation with her uncle which was a nice change for the both of them.

Draco offered for her to stay the night, which she graciously accepted, but she left early in the morning before any of them had woken up. She was going on a journey to visit someone she had hurt deeply.

The old house hadn't changed in all the time she had been gone. Clare was panicking as she knocked on the door. An aged man opened the door slowly, his suspicious eyes examined her head to toe.

"Do I know you?"

"Yes. Dad, it's Clare."

His tired eyes widened and glistened as he looked her in the eyes. He looked surprisingly peaceful at her arrival.

"Clare? I read about what happened to you in the Daily Prophet."

"I've finally done something right."

He grunted. "Why don't you come inside?"

She was going to reject him, but she decided to accept his invitation. They went inside together and shared a cup of tea. They sat making small talk about their lives and what had been going on lately.

Clare couldn't avoid the subject on her heart much longer. "I'm sorry."

"I know."

"Truly, I am. I should have stood up to him and stopped him from killing mom."

Her adopted father sighed. "I forgave you a long time ago for the wrongs you have committed. I know it wasn't a reflection on our parenting, but just of your parentage."

"Thank you. Do you know where Joe lives?"

"Yes, but it might be best for you to visit him at work. He's not home very often from what I gather."

Clare stood up to leave.

"You going so soon?"

"Yes. I have a lot to take care of before the school year begins again, but don't worry. I'll visit you again."

Francis saw her out and told her where to find her brother, which led her to the Ministry again. This time she used the front entrance, looking through the directory to find which department he was a part of.

Joe was an Auror, working closely with Harry, who was the head of the department. Harry was beginning to put some trust in Clare to test her and see if she was truly trustworthy, so he allowed her to come to the department and see her brother.

Joe had his own office, but spent most of his time outside of it. Lucky for Clare, he had a lot of paperwork to finish that day. When she entered his office, only his eyes were visible due to the stacks of paper surrounding him. She didn't know what to expect. It had been fourteen years since she'd seen him.

What she saw, nothing could have prepared her for. Joe was sitting at his desk, his brown eyes concentrated. His black hair was slicked back and there was a trace of gray just above his ears. Bags sat under his eyes. An expression of urgency was covering his normally happy face. Adulthood had changed him more than her other friends.

He heard her walk in. Not taking his eyes off his work, he addressed her. "How can I help you?"

"Joe, we need to talk."

He immediately recognized her, no one called him "Joe" anymore. He was always addressed as Joseph. He looked up at her, unprepared for this meeting. She went and sat down at the chairs in front of his desk. He sent the papers off his desk and into a file then folded his hands over the desk. He looked at her with utter contempt.

"I have a lot of paperwork to do, so we don't have much time."

"That's okay. I just need to talk to you. It took me ten years in Azkaban, four years teaching at Hogwarts and countless lives to learn that my destiny was what I decided, not what was fated for me. I lost sight of who I was. I've been given a second chance to live outside of the walls of a prison. Since I was given that chance, I've been trying to reconcile myself with everyone I've hurt. I'm sorry for what I did. There is no excuse. But I would hope you could forgive me."

He answered with hard eyes. "Personally I think you should be back in prison for everything you've done. However, that's not my decision. I can't believe that you think I would forgive and forget when you're the reason my mother was killed. So many people have died because of you."

"Joe, I had no choice in the beginning, to join them. They had threatened to kill you all."

"Okay, so the beginning it was against your will. But you think someone protecting us wouldn't have watched him kill her mother in cold blood."

"I know. But I've changed. It wasn't in cold blood. Every night I have to relive what happened. Every night I see the light leave her eyes. Not only her, none of them leave me. I have to live with them for the rest of my life."

"I forgive you. But, I don't want to see you outside group events and I definitely don't trust you. I don't want to be best pals like before. Just stay away from me and we won't have an issue."

There was an uncharacteristic bitterness in him that surprised Clare. He had always been like their mother: sweet and forgiving. But that day she saw something completely opposite from that. Surprised, she accepted his judgment and left the office. She continued on through the ministry to the hall of records where she discovered where Hermione and Ron were living and working.

They, like Harry, accepted her apology with some reservations but were open to the idea of trusting her. Clare's life was falling back into place.

Clare returned to Hogwarts, where she was greeted by the Headmistress. Minerva welcomed her back with open arms, happy to keep a consistent Defense teacher. She was glad to be allowed to stay.

Her time spent at Hogwarts was to pour into students' lives. She was appointed as the head of the Slytherin House. They all knew her story, who she was and how she lived. She kept no secrets from her students and they respected her for it.

The life she had lived before wasn't one she was too proud of, but it was hers anyways, free to live the way she now pleased with no one telling her what to do. She accepted the nightmares and her friends began to slowly trust and accept her. Her husband was the most supportive. She loved her friends and was grateful to have a family that loved her too.

She would keep them all safe at any cost. But that story is for another time.