So here, I bring you a valentine's gift: a New Chapter! Yay!

I apologize for not updating sooner, but life is busy busy busy. I'll try harder next time.

Please see end for Author's note. Thanks!

Dawn

Chapter 2: In Which Things Burn, and Aurors Call In Sirius Black

The slum burned, the red flames lighting up the smog filled air. Fire raced down the halls, like water in a flood, pouring through doorways and into apartments. It was met with the screams of the trapped. The fire jumped alleys, spreading to nearby buildings. Soon the entire district would be burning to the ground.

Tom Riddle was slumped on the floor of the apartment, blood trickling from his head. The apartment building might be afire, but he was not. "Tom!" a small, terrified voice called, feminine in nature. He raised his head slightly and saw a small girl, hanging on the doorknob of a closet; her eyes were wide and terrified. He beckoned with his fingers, a path forming through the fire. She sprinted across, diving for the space next to him.

Tabby curled up to her brother, trying to stay as far away from the fire as possible. Soon, though, Tom's breathing slowed to an almost imperceptible amount, his eyelashes fluttering. The fires slowed, and died. Tabby looked around, blinked twice, sleepily, and snuggled in. The siblings were fast asleep within minutes.

Alastor 'Mad-eye' Moody's office, Auror department, Ministry of Magic, London

Alastor Moody was not in a good mood. This was slightly redundant to say in the case of this man, he was often grumpy, was hardly cheerful, and barely anyone had seen his 'good side'. Today, however, was worse. All of his magic detecting charms had gone off at exactly the time he was preparing to leave for the night. He huffed, gruffed, and turned to attend to them.

Fully intending to send one of the 'lousy, good-for-nothing' interns to see to the task, he was taken aback by the readings the charms were giving him. The magic was clearly young, underdeveloped and untrained, but immense. Alastar took out his right eye, gave the 'ole blue spinner a good spit-shine, and looked again. "Feh!" he declared as he stumped away, his fake leg making an odd, hollow sound against the cherry wood floor.

"Hello, Mad-eye. Leaving for the night?" Nymphadora Tonks, known affectionately as Tonks, asked, her fuchsia hair curling down her back. She rummaged at her untidy desk; hunting for the files she needed that night. Tonks was an auror in training. Alastor liked the girl more than the other dimwit training aurors. That girl, he would think to himself silently, has a good head on her shoulders, despite the strawberry bubblegum pink hair.

"Tonks, got a call." He said. The young woman said nothing, simply raising an eyebrow and waiting for him to continue. If Alastor wished to elaborate, he would, without any prompting from her. "7th district. Some kid went crazy. Gonna need some help." Mad-eye was not one to ask for help, and did so grudgingly, but he had the sense to ask for it when it was needed.

"Right-o. Should I call anyone else?" Tonks said, cheerfully collecting her robe. She had been in the office and department all day long, and was looking forward for a bit of action. Mad-eye nodded, then turned to the atrium, Tonks soon hurrying after.

Number 12, Grimauld Place

It was late when someone banged on the door. Sirius Black rose from the tangled bed sheets and kissed his waking wife on the cheek. "I'll get it. It's probably for me." Hestia had not been feeling well since the baby's birth.

He shook that from his mind. He would not think about the death of his son or the stress it had placed on their marriage. He would focus at the matter at hand, the one of the knocking that increasingly grew louder.

The dark haired man stumbled past the curtains that hid the horrendous picture of his 'dearly departed' mother, to the door where the locks were rattling with each knock. He recognized the thumps, oddly. "Coming, Mad-eye, coming." He mumbled under his breath as he flipped each lock and latch. The sight that greeted Sirius was an odd one. He had never expected Mad-eye to ever carry a child, especially the scrawny one who clung to his neck in sleep. The long, dark curls that were untangling from a braid lead Sirius to conclude that the child was female in nature.

"Sirius, there's been an accident." Mad-eye said, his voice a growling whisper. His eyes widened at the child. "We found Merope Gaunt. What's left of her anyways. Tom and Tabby are still alive." Mad-eye held the child out to Sirius. With shaking arms, he took the girl he perceived to be Tabatha Vulpecula Riddle, Merope's daughter. She was much lighter than she should be.

"Mad-eye, what happened?" Sirius said, beckoning his mentor through the door. The man stomped after, closing the door with a thud. They traveled to the kitchen, where Sirius called Kreatcher. "Kreatcher, please take Tabby to the room to the left of mine. And wake Hestia." The house-elf sneered at the man, and begrudgingly took the child, her form nearly as big as his. He disappeared with a crack.

"Merope's dead, Sirius. We think she married a muggle and had been living with him for some time and had two kids. But it was Tom who set fire to the slum. Something must have happened. Merope was dead before the fire started. He's in a bad way, Sirius." Mad-eye put his head in his hands. "We all wondered what happened to her."

Sirius examined the knife-scarred table. "I take it Tom's at Mungo's? I haven't seen him since the christening. I sent him a birthday card this year. Dunno why." The man ran his fingers through dark curls, tipping his chair ever precariously back.

Hestia Black, née Jones, appeared in the doorway, a silken dressing gown clutched to her thin frame. Sirius frowned at her, and returned all four legs of his chair to the ground, getting up to great her at the door. "You need to eat more." He whispered in her ear, drawing arms around her waist.

"And you shouldn't worry so much. What's going on, Mad-eye? Who was the little girl?" Hestia addressed to the man slouching at the table. Sirius whispered to Hestia again, the hush of his voice washing over the room.

So I have a question.

Hestia: Yay or Nay? Do I kill her off or let her live? But first you should know, if Hestia dies, then there would be Sirius/Remus. So give me your opinions.

REMEMBER: Reviews are like small marshmallows for my heart. So please review.

Love, Dawn