The first Saturday that Gabriel and I were in Hogsmeade I asked Dumbledore if it'd be alright to take Carrigan out for the day, if she didn't have too much homework. Dumbledore agreed and Carrigan was more then thrilled to get out of the castle and off the grounds. She like the other students had been growing restless being locked up in the castle since Halloween.

"Are you excited for the Quidditch match next weekend?" I asked as we walked through Hogsmeade looking at the different shops. Both of us were bundled tightly in winter cloaks, scarves and gloves. Carrigan had a hat on to cover her ears also, it was knitted from rainbow yarn; something she had made herself.

"I suppose," Carrigan shrugged as she stopped in front of a shop that had dresses and tops on manikins in the front window. "I've never really cared for the sport, but don't tell anyone. It's sac-religious here to not like Quidditch."

I laughed lightly and touched her shoulders, pushing her along to the next shop. "Yes, I know that. I learned that the hard way. I didn't know how to even fly a broom when I arrived here. James and your Father had to show me."

Carrigan frowned when I mentioned Sirius Black. I did also as pain grew in my stomach. Sometimes, it was so easy to forget what he was; as if he was still the good man I had spent nearly six years loving.

"Mom, Dad wasn't always a Death Eater was he?"

I rubbed my temples as I looked at the damp cobblestone in the square. "I'm not sure, Carrigan. I like to think that he wasn't…that for sometime what he and I shared was real, and that he was good. In my head I've developed the story that something changed. He was good, we were in love, and something changed him. It's like my Father tricked him to joining his side. Once you join Voldemort you don't come back, not easily. At the time of the Potter's death, your Father's betrayal, there was a lot going on with him and I."

Carrigan looked at me with curious eyes as we pasted by the post office. Hundreds of owls sat on the roof of the old white building, as others flew off towards the distant trees to find dinner.

"Mom, you don't blame yourself, do you?"

I didn't answer her right away.

"Sometimes," I whispered honestly with a nod.

"But why?" Carrigan asked confused. "Even if Dad left you because you didn't want to marry him, he made the decision to join Granddad and kill people. That's not on you and you're not being fair on yourself if you take responsibility for it."

I smiled at Carrigan as she looked up at me with worried midnight blue eyes. "Thank you," I whispered. "I thought I was the supposed to be the one who provides you with good advice and constant words of wisdom."

"We can share it," Carrigan shrugged with a smile as I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. She hugged me around the waist and clung to me as we walked back across the square towards the Three Broomsticks.

"Speaking of words of wisdom," I said slowly. "How has school been, do you need any advice on people harassing you?"

"Not really," she whispered. "People seem to have gotten over that I'm your daughter. They're more worried about Quidditch now. The Slytherins still give me crap; Divinity Jasper and her stupid friends…oh and Draco Malfoy who's a tool."

"Carrigan," I said with surprise. She looked at me and shrugged innocently.

"Well he is," she responded. "Him and Harry do not get along at all…If Voldemort wasn't Harry's arch enemy, Malfoy would be. He's a dirty bug."

"What started you and Divinity's feud?"

"I had heard rumors that she was powerful," Carrigan said as we took a seat in a booth at the Three Broomsticks. I ordered some butterbeers, potato soup and chicken sandwiches for us. "So, when I saw that we had potions with Slytherin, I thought I'd try to be friends with her. That didn't go over well. She looked at me with her mismatching eyes and seemed to know me. Which freaked me out a bit. She knew my name before I even said anything, told me that I shouldn't be ashamed of who my Father and Grandfather were, and then told me," Carrigan stopped and looked at the potato soup that had just been placed in front of her. I raised my eyebrows.

"Carrigan?"

"She told me you tried to kill her and her Father once," she whispered very quietly.

This caused me to frown. It was half true, but a much more complicated story then I'm sure Divinity cared to tell Carrigan. I was pleased to see that Divinity had lied—that meant that Gabriel and Dumbledore were a little wrong; she wasn't beyond good and evil. She was making choices just like any other human being. She was choosing to be evil which meant we could alter her opinion with some persuasion.

"Well I did try to kill her Father," I said. "But in my defense, he kept me tied to a chair locked in his basement and tortured me about a week."

Carrigan's eyes were wide in shock as she at her soup. I felt bad telling her the details, she was so young and innocent, she didn't need to know everything, but at the same time I felt she did deserve to know everything. I wasn't going to hide what this world was from her. I believe she needed to grow up prepared.

"What?" Carrigan stammered. "You were kidnapped?"

I laughed. "Carrigan, I've been kidnapped or held hostage too many times to count."

"How did you escape?"

"Different every time," I shrugged.

"Usually I came and saved her," Gabriel said sliding into the booth next to Carrigan.

"Hi Gabriel," Carrigan said. "He didn't really save you all the time, did he Mom?"

"He's usually the reason I got kidnapped," I said looking at Gabriel with a cold stare.

"I insist it's your frosty demeanor," Gabriel said taking half of Carrigan's sandwich and eating it.

"Hey!" Carrigan said.

"If I'm so frosty, why'd you come and save me?"

"Maybe I regret it everyday," Gabriel retorted. I stuck my tongue out at him and he laughed.

"Wow, can you guys please just have sex and get it over with," Carrigan said. I looked at her flabbergasted. "I'm just saying...new topic! So why'd you try to kill Divinity and her Father?"

"I didn't try to kill Divinity, I was trying to save her," I said excepting the change in subject. "I was trying to save her when I got caught by," I stopped and looked at Gabriel who was frowning deeply. "Marcus Jasper, so he detained me in his basement."

Gabriel had a sad expression on his face. He was the one who had caught me. He had pretended to betray me. We fought, beat the shit out of each other and he won to make the Jaspers and my Father trust him. I didn't trust him for a long time after that. How could I?

"Why were you trying to save Divinity?" Carrigan asked curiously. I could see in her eyes that she was truly puzzled by this notion. Why would I try to save a bratty little girl who loved Dark Magic?

I sighed and looked at Gabriel who was looking at me with careful eyes.

Be careful, he said to me with Legilimency. I glared at him and looked back to Carrigan.

"I had a half brother, Carrigan," I said slowly. "His name was Braven Drake and he was a Seer. He had a daughter named Haiden and when she was two she was kidnapped and shortly after Braven died. Divinity Jasper is Haiden Drake, my half niece, your half cousin."

Carrigan stared at me for a few moments with a puzzled look on her face. She didn't believe me. She was silent because she was waiting for me to say "Just kidding!" But I didn't, because I wasn't.

"You mean," Carrigan swallowed and looked down at her food. "You mean that wretch is my cousin?"

"Yes," I said. "But she's not Haiden anymore. She's been completely consumed by her new persona Divinity. Haiden is lost."

"What do you mean her new persona?" Carrigan asked confused.

"Divinity is a very powerful witch," Gabriel said. "She's a Seer like her Father, and her Mother was a mythical goddess. She is mostly magic, very little of her is human. While she was growing up Voldemort experimented on her—"

"But he's been dead for thirteen years and she's a year older then me," Carrigan interrupted. "She was born the year Harry defeated him."

I frowned deeply and looked at Gabriel.

"She's eighteen," whispered Gabriel. "She's ageless. Voldemort was trying to find a way that he could live forever by putting aging charms and spells on Divinity."

"Are you saying that Divinity is the reincarnate of Voldemort?"

"No," I said quickly to Carrigan's extreme idea. "No. We're saying that Divinity is not a normal little girl. She is special, magical, and lost."

"Are you still trying to save her?"

"I'm afraid we can't—" Gabriel started, but I interrupted him.

"We just don't know how to," I said to Carrigan with reassuring eyes.

"Carrigan, you have to keep this to yourself," Gabriel said giving me a serious look, as if I told her too much. "We don't know how much Divinity knows of her own history. For all we know she's been abused so much that her mind has been erased of her past…of her knowledge that she had thirteen years ago. In her mind, she is just a twelve year old girl who doesn't know her full potential."

"I don't know," Carrigan whispered. "Gabriel, she knew who I was. And she told me I shouldn't be ashamed of my Grandfather or my Father. She knows things…"

"That's her gift of Sight," Gabriel said. "She may not know how to use it well anymore."

"What do you mean?"

"For a short time I was Divinity's teacher," said Gabriel. "She was a magnificent student, but she…was lost."

Carrigan frowned and nodded her head. "You taught her because you're a Guardian right?"

I smiled at Carrigan who knew her mythology rather well. Guardians were mythical keepers who guided witches and wizards with extraordinary magical powers. Usually, Guardians had two to three students in their lifetime: I was Gabriel's first student, his daughter Jennifer was to be his second but she was killed because Gabriel and I fell in love, which was forbidden, and Divinity was Gabriel's third student. Gabriel and I had been worried that Carrigan was meant to be Gabriel's next student, because technically he never taught Jennifer. We were both afraid of what might happen if she was his student. Would there be punishment for that? Would Carrigan be in danger if she was Gabriel's student because of the "unnatural" relationship they shared?

"Yes," he whispered. "I've only had one successful student." He smiled at me and I couldn't help but grin.

"But you two broke the rules," Carrigan said quickly. "You fell in love. Maybe that's why you haven't had any other successful students Gabriel. Fate is punishing you for loving Mom."

"Thank you," I said giving Carrigan a harsh look. "For your bluntness."

She smiled as her cheeks flushed and shrugged. "Don't you think I could be your student?"

"I don't know Carri," Gabriel said. "I think our father-daughter like relationship counts as 'unnatural'."

Carrigan frowned. "That's stupid."

"We'll see," Gabriel said wrapping his arm around her and pulling her into his side. "If you're meant to be my student it will happen."

"Right," she nodded.

"Are you done eating?" I asked.

"Yea," Carrigan nodded. "Because Gabriel ate my entire sandwich!"

"You weren't eating it!" Gabriel responded. I laughed as I stood up from the booth.

"Come on, Carrigan," I said. "I'll walk you back to school and Gabriel will pay the tab."

Gabriel stood up and grabbed me around the waist, pulling me against him. I sighed with some shock and discomfort until I felt his strong muscles pressed against me. The look in his eyes was of pure love, making my heart melt.

"That's not fair," he said softly with a smile.

"It's not fair you ate my sandwich," Carrigan said. "Karma's a bit—"

She stopped speaking when I gave her a sharp look. "Witch…karma's a witch…"

"Yea," I nodded. "It is isn't it?"

Carrigan and I laughed as I pulled out of Gabriel's arms. His fingers lingered on me, and hand held mine tight as I walked away. I looked at him with some confusion as he held onto my hand. Carrigan was practically out the door of the Three Broomsticks as Gabriel held onto me. He pulled me to him and stole a kiss from my lips.

"I love you," he whispered.

I smiled at him. "I know."

I pulled out of his arms, squeezing his hand as I walked away from him. Carrigan was waiting for me outside.

"What was that about?"

"He was just reminding me that I'm a horrible woman and I take him for granted."

Carrigan looked at me confused. I shook my head and pushed her forehead down the cobblestone street. "Don't worry about it."

"Hey, Mom, can we stop by to see Hector?" she asked.

"Yes," I nodded. "Of course. Do you see him often?"

"Not since we've been restricted to the school," she sighed. "But since you're here now, I can come see him more right?"

"Maybe," I said. "I'm here working, Carrigan. I can't make promises that I see you all the time."

"Right, I know," she said. "But at least you'd be here. You don't have to be with me when I go see Hector."

Carrigan and I walked across the grassy cold grounds heading for Hagrid's hut. We could see him outside in his large fur jacket in the pumpkin patch. When we got closer to the hut I could see a large animal standing in the pumpkin patch next to Hagrid.

"Is that a hippogriff?" I questioned in surprise.

"Yea," Carrigan said. "On the first day of class when the third years were down here learning about the hippogriff it attacked Draco Malfoy because he didn't bow before approaching it."

"Sounds like he deserved it," I responded.

"He did," Carrigan nodded. "But his Father is making a big case about it. They're taking Hagrid and Buckbeak to trial."

I frowned. "That's too bad."

"Yea, especially because Hector and Buckbeak get along so well."

There was a loud cawing sound as we approached the hut and then a large lion sized griffin came plowing around the corner of the hut. Carrigan dashed off away from me.

"Hector!" she bellowed. She jumped onto the griffin's back as he bounded around the grass. He sailed up into the air, flying over the grounds, doing loops and flips. I bit my bottom lip and put my hand to my throat with a nervous sigh.

"She's fine," said a voice. I turned and smiled at Remus Lupin who had approached me in a worn cloak and red knit scarf. His hands were deep in his pockets and he looked thin and pale. I embraced him warmly and rubbed his arms.

"Hello Remus," I said. "How are you?"

"Just getting over a cold," he said with a shrug. What Remus meant by "a cold" was that he was recovering from the full moon that had occurred earlier that week. I smiled and rubbed Remus' arm.

"Hector just misses her," Remus said motion to Hector and Carrigan who were now cuddling on the grassy hill.

"I don't like him flipping over like that," I said shaking my head.

"I don't think you have much control over that," Remus said with a soft laugh.

"No," I frowned. "I guess not."

"How are you doing?" Remus asked touching my elbow. I looked back at him with a forced smile.

"I'm doing alright," I said with lying eyes.

"Despite everything that has happened in the last couple of weeks, and being sent here for work?"

"I'm closer to Carrigan now," I shrugged looking back at my daughter who was happily playing with her pet griffin now. I couldn't believe how bid Hector had gotten. He was nearly full grown, in only a matter of two months. I bit my bottom lip as I prayed that he wouldn't get larger. I looked at Remus with the same fake smile as before. "That's the most important thing, especially if Sirius is around like the Ministry thinks."

Remus nodded and bit his bottom lip. I studied him closely, reaching out and touching his arm to get his attention. He was avoiding eye contact with me, which concerned me. Had Gabriel been right when he suggested that Remus be checked for helping Sirius into the castle?

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"I just find it hard to believe that he betrayed us," Remus said shaking his head. "I've been thinking about all of it since you came to see me over the summer, Cadence. Too many things just don't add up."

"I know," I whispered nodding my head. "But what are we supposed to do Remus? We only know the evidence that has been provided for us. What else is there to know? And it's only Sirius' word, what good is that?" We both looked out at Carrigan who was still wrestling with Hector. "I've lived for twelve years thinking he was a liar and betrayer, and now I'm supposed to change that because he says he isn't? No…that's not how it works." I sighed and rubbed my hands over my face and into my hair. "The truth is part of me wasn't surprised when it happened. Sirius and I had fallen to pieces and it didn't make sense to me at all. When he went off and joined my Father, killed the Potters," I paused and shook my head. "It just made things make sense."

Remus frowned and nodded his head. "It still hurts."

"Every damn day," I whispered agreeing.