Disclaimer: I'm starting to see why I normally do the minimum with these… Okay, well, this is Magi, not Joann. I don't own the sandbox or even the sand. I just make the castle within the sandbox and who would buy a sandcastle?

This chapter is brought to you by sewing needles. Without these clever tetchy instruments of mass destruction, my daughters' stuff animals would have had to have been retired ages ago. Don't know how to sew? Google a tutorial today! It's a priceless skill.

Lily stood in the doorway of the tiny office that belonged to Frank Longbottom, uncertainly. She had never visited him at work before though she had been to the Auror Department many times to visit James or Sirius. Frank's office, for all that it was smaller than the joint one shared by her husband and his best friend, was easily twice as cluttered. Books covered almost every available surface- -including some that boggled her muggle-raised mind. Seriously, who stacks books on top of a ficus? The stack had been there long enough that the poor thing had grown around the magic that supported it. The walls were covered in sketches of varies runes and rune arrays that Frank had dealt with over his tenure as the Auror Department's Rune Master. Lily could only see the wood paneling of the wall in three small places. Slightly off center was a mahogany desk almost too large for the space. Surprisingly, the only books on it were open and in use.

Frank looked very similar to James. They both had the same nose and cheekbones. If Lily remembered James' mother's lessons about family lines correctly, the two men were something like second cousins on their fathers' side, which explained the similarities. While James had dark sable hair that refused to behave, Frank had light brown hair that he kept short enough that he didn't have to mess with it in the mornings. They young lord had a pair of glasses perched upon his aquiline nose as he switched between reading one of the tomes open before him and scribbling notes on the roll of parchment at his left elbow. His quill, a short eagle feather, brushed his cheek causing him to rub at it, haphazardly smearing ink in the process.

Harry chose that moment to gurgle in his sleep.

Lily found herself facing down a wand for a moment before Frank's startled brown eyes warmed with recognition. He grinned in welcome before flicking the wand towards the stack of books filling the chair in front of the desk. Magically, the stack danced through the air to join the smaller stack upon the ficus. Honestly, she had half a mind to let Alice know that her husband was abusing the poor thing.

"Sorry for the mess," Frank said as Lily settled into the chair. Little Harry moved his head restlessly against her chest as she did so. Already habitually, Lily rubbed his tiny back soothingly. Frank cleared his throat as he gave a little motion with his want that Lily recognized as the silence ward that was preferred by the Order. Therefore she was not surprised when he asked about a sensitive topic. "Are you sure you should be out alone? Harry fit the timing better than Neville did. You-Know-Who is certain to want him more."

"I floo'ed directly here and plan to return the same way. He won't get a chance. Look, I need your help with an array. I can't get it to stick to the object." Everything in her rebelled at calling Harry an object, but if there was a way to get the information without letting Frank in on the secret, then she had to try. The less people who knew, the better. "Also I need to know if there's anything you think I could change to possibly make it smaller- -it won't fit on the object and I can't enlarge it due to delicacy." She removed the detailed diagram from the baby bag she had set on the floor beside her seat. Wordlessly, he took it began looking it over.

"Hmm," he muttered before adjusting his glasses a bit. "What are you trying to do exactly? I mean, obviously protect something from…well, pretty much everything short of friendly fire- -I've never thought of using a luck rune that way, by the road." He looked up at her over the glasses, not quite meeting her eyes. His tone stayed faintly inquiring and utterly undemanding. "I particularly like this set here- -turn any contact with the object with the intent to destroy it into a painful burn. Best defense is a good offense, after all. I think I know a few runes that when used in conjunction should make it harvestable by the object. As for the size problem, perhaps it would be best to wait a bit." This time his eyes met hers. His expression was calm, accepting in a way that Lily was only used to from Alice. "He should be big enough in about six months. Eostar would be a good time for this type of magic anyway."

"Alice told you," Lily stated, equally calm despite her inner panic. If both Frank and Sirius knew, it was only a matter of time before James found out about her plan. It felt wrong, this reluctance to involve him in this project, but she knew his stance on anything resembling the Dark Arts. Hellfire, she was surprised the Potters even had a Dark section in their library, let alone one so extensive. Harry snuffled against his fist as if sensing her worry.

"About a month ago," Frank confirmed. He took off his glasses and set both them and her diagram on the book in front of him. Leaning back in his chair and folding his hands together, he looked every inch a scholar rather than a warrior. Even knowing just how deadly he could be with that wand of his, Lily was not intimidated. Frank would never hurt a woman. "Lily, I know I don't have to tell you that what you are planning is risky. You could die empowering those runes. By all that's sacred, what do you think that would do to Alice? Or James? Little Harry? Do you want your son to grow up without his mother?"

"Of course not! But as long as he grows up, I will do anything."

"Will you listen to yourself! You're as bad as Alice- -"

"I seem to recall a new series of wards that was placed upon a certain manor, Mr. Pot," Lily said dryly. It had a bit more bite than she usually used with the man that married the witch that might as well be her sister, but Lily felt no need to apologize to him or justify her decision. The auror let his head fall forward to his hands with a groan. Harry gave a little sigh and lily felt him get a little heavier in the snugglie that kept him against her chest as he sank deeper into sleep. Frank echoed the sound a moment later.

"Your array looks fine," Frank finally continued, choosing to accept the truce. The fact that he had spent a month in bed from magical exhaustion after powering all the warder arrays by himself would remain unsaid for now so long as he ceased complaining about Lily and Alice's obsessions with protecting their young. He picked up his glasses and placing them back on his nose, began to look over her array once more. "It will need a spate run to act as an anchor for the entire thing." His eyes met hers over his glasses again. "It would need to be scratched into the skin- -nothing deep, but it will need to scar to help to anchor it further. If the anchor rune is at a core point, it will make for a more powerful array. The more prominent the anchor, the harder it will be to hide it though. Lily, are you certain you wish to do this?"

Lily closed her eyes in contemplation. Frank knew she had been praying with Alice for the last several months. She knew what he was really asking: did she truly feel that this was the method she was being led towards? Lily knew how crazy the question would seem to anyone else. How could claiming divine inspiration not see crazy, after all? She felt Harry's steady breathing beneath her hand and the soft tap that was his mighty little heartbeat. The same certainty that had guided her creation of the array filled her. She reopened her eyes and met his firm gaze.

"Yes," she answered with all the conviction she could muster.

The single word hung in the air between the two friends, a promise of greatness and a blessing of unending love.

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"Next week's Halloween," Ron announced as the trio started on breakfast. Harry didn't look up from the book he was reading about runic arrays used to make permanent effects. He had a good feeling about this book as it had several pages dog-eared and notes in a tidy feminine hand that he was calling his mother's, though he had no proof either way. Feeling Hermione's gaze upon the top of his head, he took a bite of his eggs followed by a bite of his tomatoes. It wouldn't do to make the witch angry with him. The lack of enthusiasm for his announcement did not deter Ron in the slightest. "I miss the feast at Hogwarts. The pumpkin pastries weren't as good as my mother's, but they were pretty good. Do you think Kreacher knows how to make pumpkin pastries?"

"Only you, Ron, could think about giving that poor elf more work," Hermione started, though Harry could still feel her gaze on him. He frowned in thought before taking a few more bites of his breakfast followed by a long swallow of tea. Harry felt a hand pulling gently on his book. "Harry, tell him that Kreacher does enough around here without having to worry about Halloween."

"Well, it would be up to Kreacher, wouldn't it? I don't know if he knows how to make pumpkin pastries, though if he does, I'm sure they're smashing because everything he makes is great. Much better than I would make, at any rate," Harry replied, annoyed, before addressing the shadows of the doorway where he could sense the bright speck of magic that was a house elf. "Isn't that right, Kreacher?"

"Master is very smart for a halfblood," Kreacher replied with a grin that would have fit better on Dobby's face. "Kreacher's mistress loved pumpkin pasties. Kreacher's pumpkin pasties are much better than those of any blood traitor scum."

"Kreacher, remember what we discussed about being mean? You're doing it again. You're getting better though. It's been a whole week since you talked like that. Now would you be willing to make pumpkin pastries for Halloween next week?" Harry diligently ignored both the "pasties" image that popped into his head and Ron's reddening face. He kept his green eyes focused on Kreacher. He was not disappointed by the little elf's enthusiastic nod.

"Kreacher would be happy to make a Samhain feast for Master and his friends. What would Master like? Kreacher makes great moon cakes and Dark Goddess cake- -Hunter stew? Oh, Kreacher is so pleased that Master is going to honor his great ancestors like a proud pureblood. Kreacher was worried, whats with the company Master keeps- -" The house elf's large eyes flickered towards Hermione before focusing on Harry once more. "But I's pleased. Master's studies are coming along nicely."

"Er, just make whatever it is that you usually make for a sow-in feast, Kreacher," Harry answered nervously when the elf paused expectantly. "I'm sure it will be fine."

"Master is very wise. I's much to plan!" And the little being disappeared with a pop that was more felt than heard.

"Um, any idea what we're going to be eating next week? Because I've no clue what I just agreed to," Harry queried more to Hermione than to Ron. Hermione was usually the one with the answers anyway. Therefore he was a bit surprised when it was Ron that answered.

"Some families keep the old traditions," Ron answered, his earlier angry seemingly disappeared, "even if only for Halloween, or Samhain as they call it. Samhain is a time to reconnect with the lessons that our dead have taught us. The Lovegoods did a full ritual every High Holiday, but Mum and Dad didn't hold with that. Well, I should say Mum didn't- -I saw Dad do some stuff behind her back growing up; stuff that might have been the same things that Mrs. Lovegood did before she- -you know."

"So it's like Wicca?"

Harry had an image in his head of a group of naked people dancing around a fire that he had seen on the telly once before Uncle Vernon had made Dudley change the channel. That was about the extent of his information about the religion Wicca- -was it a religion, even? Maybe it was like Confucianism? His knowledge of religion was sketchy at best. The Dursleys didn't even go to church on a regular basis.

"Is that a muggle term?"

"Um," Hermione said, blinking. She and Harry looked at each other, equally confused now. Harry for his part was kind of pleased that Ron had managed to confuse the brilliant witch for once even if it meant that he was staying in the dark. Ron looked faintly shocked at his success. That shock grew as the silence did.

"The old traditions are a way of doing magic without a wand. It's not always as showy as what we can do, and is nowhere near as easy, but tends to be more potent in short bursts."

"So it's wandless magic?"

"Well, not exactly…"

Harry went back to his book, his curiosity fading just a bit. He kept half an ear on the conversation as the two went back and forth on how to classify these "old traditions" with Hermione becoming more and more frustrated as Ron seemed to contradict himself. Harry had memories of a girl with strange dice back in the last year of primary and another confusing explanation of magic. Of course, Dudley had put paid to the idea of a friend (even an odd one) almost as soon as the girl had started explaining the game's magic system.

"Divine magic?" Harry put in suddenly, not really paying attention to the fact that he was talking at all. Both his friends turned towards him, though Hermione gave a little huff as she was cut off mid-rant. "Calling on a divine figure to have a magical effect?"

"Yes, exactly! See? Harry gets it," Ron told Hermione smugly. He crossed his arms in front of his chest and smirked. Harry frowned again.

"Who would it call upon though? I don't know of any churches in the Wizarding world and I thought I read that wizards looked down on Christians due to the burnings?"

"I actually don't know," Ron answered deflating a little. "Where did you read that?"

"It was our History of Magic for the summer after second year, Ronald!"

"If you two are going to argue, I'm going to go read in the study- -"

"Blimey, mate, is that all you do lately? You're worse than Hermione!"

"The oaf- -"

"Hey!"

"- -does have a point, Harry. You're not still brooding about what Lupin told us, are you? That was a month ago."

"I am not brooding. I am trying to find a way to destroy the Horcrux that we have since we don't have any leads on where Hufflepuff's Cup might be."

"Tis in a Black Vault, Master," Kreacher said popping back into the room with a book. The little elf set the book on the table. He looked at Harry's half-eaten plate and back at Harry. If Kreacher had had eyebrows, one would have been raised in silent query. Harry sighed and resumed his seat to finish his meal. Seriously, the elf was worse than Hermione and Mrs. Weasley combined. Only after the Gryffindor had taken a couple of bites did the elf continue. "Missy Bella's vault to be exact. Shall I fetch it for Master?"

"Oh, yes, please, Kreacher- -if you would," Harry said after swallowing a Ron-sized bite of tomato and egg. He couldn't stop the grin that crossed his face. Kreacher looked just as pleased with himself as Harry was with the elf's news. "That would be great!" The house elf gave a low bow and disappeared before he was fully risen from it. Harry turned his grin towards his two friends. "Two destroyed, two in possession, two at large, and one unknown. Now if we could only destroy the ones we had and could find Ravenclaw's Diadem or even knew what it looked like- -"

"There's a picture of it in Hogwarts, a History. Honestly, will you two never read it?"

Ron and Harry looked at each other, a brief meeting of blue and green. Then they burst out laughing at what they had come to call Hermione's usual quirks. It felt good to laugh again. Hermione must have thought the same, because after a moment, she joined them in the laughter.

For a priceless moment, they were three teens enjoying a morning together. All thoughts of war, Dark Lords, and accidents involving wands were forgotten. It was a good moment.

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Author's Note: Okay, the chapter seems random, I know. How does this relate to furthering the plot? Good question! You just need to trust your Doctor- -which would be that man over there with the blue box named "Sexy", not me. I'm just a data entry clerk.

This is really morphing into something much longer than I originally anticipated. I truly was figuring this to be five chapters at most, but here we are at chapter four and the end is not in sight. Though I'm running out of people for Lily to talk to other than James. I wonder who will be featured next chapter.

P.S. I loved my snugglie with my youngest. Julia was, and still is, a cuddler. She was particularly bad as a baby and would not sleep unless she was close to Mommy. It drove my husband quite mad until we were able to train her to sleep in her crib for the whole night. So I would like to dedicate the snugglie mention to her.