On the morning of the twelfth there was a tense edge to the air in the kitchen when I arrived. I frowned as I looked at Harry. He was sitting at the kitchen table with a bowl of porridge and plate of toast in front of him, but wasn't eating a bite. He looked pale white and nervous. I didn't blame him. I had been on trail before. Mind you, it was for being a Death Eater, but I had faced that crowd of counselors just the same and nervously waited for them to decide my fate when they didn't know a single thing about me or my character. Harry would be fine. There was really no case against him. He had defended himself and his cousin in a situation that could have resulted in their death—or worse. I just hoped that Minister pulled his head from his ass long enough to realize that Harry was telling the truth.

"Harry, why don't you eat," Mrs. Weasley encouraged.

"I'm not hungry," he said shaking his head.

"I don't like to eat when I'm nervous either," I said sitting down next to him.

"You should eat something," Sirius said softly, despite his chilling demeanor that morning. "Before you go to the doctors."

He had seemed to accept my news and turned his negative attitude around. While it was obvious that he was not happy about me being pregnant, or being able to attend Harry's trail, he was at least attempting to be supportive and polite. Gabriel put down his paper and looked at me from across the table.

"He's right," he said nodding at Sirius.

"I hate it when you two gang up on me," I said as I picked up a piece of toast from Harry's plate and began to eat it.

"Why are you nervous about the doctors?" Harry asked.

I shrugged. "A lot of things could come of it," I replied. "I'm just nervous about being uncertain."

"Me too," Harry nodded. "What if I get expelled?"

"First of all," Sirius said. "You won't. But secondly, if you do, we'll worry about it then."

"Thanks," Harry muttered. Sirius frowned as he leaned back in his chair. I glanced between him and Gabriel with a weak smile.

"Good morning," Carrigan said sullenly as she entered the kitchen. Her midnight blue eyes immediately fell on Harry who was slouching in his chair. She made her way to him and hugged him from behind as he sat in his chair. Her head rested on his shoulder as she squeezed him tightly. "You look sharp. That suit alone will convince the counsel."

Harry forced a smile. "Thanks, Carri."

"No problem," she said standing up. "You don't want your toast?"

"No," Harry shook his head. "You can have it."

Carrigan leaned over him and picked up the piece of toast still sitting on the plate.

"Well, Harry, I think we'd best be off," Arthur said standing up. "We'll be a early but I think you'll be better off waiting there then here."

Harry nodded. "Alright."

Carrigan stepped back to let him stand up from his chair. He turned around and she hugged him again before he made to leave. He patted her back and kissed her cheek politely.

"Good bye everyone," he said before following Arthur out of the basement. Molly set a pot of tea on the table and looked around before excusing herself. She wanted to finish some laundry before the other children woke up. I figured she really didn't want to be in the same room as Sirius. Since their disagreement when Harry arrived, Molly scarcely remained in the same room as Sirius for long.

"What are you doing up this early?" I asked looking at Carrigan. She looked directly at me with a frank smile.

"Are you going to tell me why you're going to the doctors?"

I rolled my eyes. "Who is the parent in this relationship?" I motioned between her and myself. She smirked as she leaned on the chair, making it apparent that she wasn't going to answer my question. She didn't have to though. Benjamin entered the kitchen within moments of my speaking. If they were both up that early they were going to be training. I was puzzled that Carrigan was still in her pajamas of a tee shirt and shorts. Usually for training she was dressed in athletic clothing.

"Good morning everyone," Benjamin said pleasantly. He stopped next to Carrigan and looked her over. "Why aren't you sitting?"

"Am I not allowed to stand?" She stood up straight and looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, it's going to be a fantastic day," he said moving behind her to sit down next to Gabriel. "You're not dressed for jogging and you're not sitting and eating. Are you not happy with our plans for today?"

"I came down to wish Harry good luck and good bye before I changed," Carrigan responded with a snotty tone.

Benjamin looked to the clock on the wall. "If I do recall correctly, you wanted to be training by six thirty this morning," he fired back. "It is a quarter after six."

"I have fifteen minutes. I swear Ben, if you're going to be harping on me like this I take back my idea to have you come to Hogwarts."

Carrigan turned on her heel at the end of the comment and walked to the stairs to return to her room two floors above us. Benjamin followed her with his eyes and shook his head viciously. He made to yell after her, but I interrupted him.

"There is no point, Benjamin," I advised. "She will always have the last word."

He sighed and nodded at me. "She is impossible. One moment she is scared to death to fight because she does not want to take the responsibility that comes with taking a person's life, the next moment she is sure and confident, ready to meet a fight head-on. She is a walking contradiction of emotions and thoughts."

"At least she's turned her attitude around," said Gabriel as he folded up the paper. He threw it down on the table and picked up his cup of coffee. His eyes fell on me for a few moments before he continued speaking. "You said she's been doing better, Benjamin."

"Yes," he nodded. "She snapped out of whatever spell she was under. She's been kicking my ass constantly. I think she's trying to prove she doesn't need me to go to Hogwarts with her. If her distaste for me is what motivates her to be better, then that is what is necessary."

Benjamin's last comment was grim. He looked disappointed, but strong, as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He was willing to take the burden of Carrigan's hatred if it meant her becoming stronger. Only a Guardian could remain in a relationship that was so ambivalent and distasteful.

"You'll need patients, Benjamin," Gabriel said soundly. "Carrigan, is like both of her parents."

"What does that mean?" Sirius questioned.

"You and Cadence are head-strong, stubborn and intolerable," Gabriel shrugged. As he looked away from Sirius he gave me a charming, half-cocked smile. His grin made my legs shake with sexual desire. I bit my bottom lip and sighed slightly. "Do you want me to go with you?"

"No, I'll be fine," I replied.

"She is still having those dreams, Cadence," Benjamin said as if Gabriel had not changed the subject for a split second. "She still won't talk about them, though."

"I don't blame her," Sirius shrugged. He rubbed his face and shook it with fatigue. As he yawned, he stretched to stand up from his chair. "I'm heading back to bed. Let me know what the doctor says, Cadence. I'm betting it's a girl—"

"Sirius!" I snapped with exasperation as my eyes fell on Benjamin who did not looked surprised by the comment.

"Sorry," Sirius sighed. "Didn't realize it was a secret…"

He trailed out of the kitchen without another word. My green eyed glare followed him until he completely disappeared from sight. If I didn't know better, I'd say he intended to say such a thing in front of Benjamin.

"I already knew," Benjamin said to break the silence.

"Excuse me?" I immediately looked at Gabriel with a dirty look.

"I didn't say a thing," he shook his head.

"He didn't," Benjamin insisted. "Carrigan told me."

"How the hell does Carrigan know?"

Benjamin shrugged. "She expressed concern three nights ago when we were working on Occlumency. She asked me if I knew anything about why relationships between Guardians and their students are forbidden. She wondered if the pregnancy will lead to your death, rather then Voldemort murdering you."

"That's ridiculous—" Gabriel started to say.

"It's not," I interjected quickly.

Before Gabriel could argue my comment, Carrigan appeared in the kitchen again. Benjamin took one look at her and sighed heavily. She was wearing tight red pants, black combat boots, a white tank top and black bomber jacket.

"Benjamin," she said turning to him. "I'm going with Mom to the doctors."

"What?" I said surprised.

Carrigan focused her attention on me. "If it's alright with you, I'd like to go to the doctors with you. I just want to be there for you."

I studied Carrigan soundly with intense eyes. She threw her brown hair out of her face, much like I did, and gazed straight back at me with purpose in her stare. Her hands were placed on her hips as she stood with her weight displaced onto the left hip. She looked older then thirteen. It was moments like this that made me question my parenting. It was not the first time that Carrigan had dressed like a dangerous creature that would terrify most people. If she did come with me, people would stare at her as we walked down the street, not just because of the rebellious style of dress, but because of the daggers sticking out of her boots. She did not look like an innocent thirteen year old girl. She looked like a deviant juvenile who needed to be watched closely. Had I done her wrong? Had I taken away her innocence? I wondered this often, but it didn't seem like we lived in a time for innocence.

"I think it's a good idea to let her go, Cadence," Gabriel said. I blinked and looked at him, turning away from Carrigan.

"Of course," I smiled. "Yes, Carrigan, you can come. But how did you know?"

"I overheard you and Gabriel in your room before I knocked on the door," she shrugged casually, as if it weren't a big deal. "I'm a little hurt that you didn't tell me."

"I didn't want to get your hopes up."

"I understand," Carrigan nodded her head. "They aren't up."

I began to stand up from the table, glancing at the clock. It was a little after six thirty. My appointment was at a quarter after seven.

"We had better get going."

"Carrigan," Benjamin said as he remained in his chair. "We will have to train this afternoon, once you're back."

"I know," she said with a nod. "Thank you for understanding, Ben."

"Like I could have stopped you, even if I didn't understand," he said with a smile to her. Carrigan beamed and leaned over him, kissing his cheek. Gabriel raised his eyebrows at the sign of affection as he moved to me. He was dressed smartly today, in a black suit with matching waistcoat over a sapphire blue button up that matched his eyes.

"I will walk you out," he said nodding his head towards the stairs. There was no point in arguing with him. He was going to be heading to work anyways. Gabriel wrapped his arm around me as we made our way for the stairs. He let me up them first, following close behind. In the foyer, before Carrigan arrived, he pulled me tightly to his chest from behind and kissed my neck seductively. He buried his face in my hair, close to my ear, as his hands rubbed my stomach gently.

"I love you," he whispered in my ear.

I pulled out of his arms and turned to look up at him. "I know," I smiled. I cupped his cheeks before standing on my toes and kissing his lips. "It will be fine," I said mostly to comfort myself. He nodded in agreement as I pulled away to retrieve my cloak from the coat stand. He helped me into it, like a gentleman, as Carrigan appeared in the foyer.

"Ready?" she asked while zipping her coat.

"Yes," I nodded. Gabriel bent over and picked up his brief case before opening the door.

"You're sure you want to walk?"

"I want to enjoy the fresh air," I said with a nod. "Will you tell Scrimgeour I'll be in this afternoon?"

"Of course. Athena will be thrilled…"

I smiled. "I am too."

We exited the house into the quiet square. Gabriel looked around with paranoid eyes as he led us down the porch steps and through the square to the streets leading into the heart of London. He took my hand as we walked into the city with Carrigan in front of us. The streets were full of Muggle cars making their morning commute to work, and the sidewalks full of people moving about for coffee, newspapers, and the metro station.

I was not expecting Gabriel to walk Carrigan and I all the way to St. Mungo's, but when he did I wasn't truly surprised. Judging by the way he acted a year ago when I was pregnant, I knew he was going to be over-protective this time around. I'm sure he was thinking that if he protected me better, perhaps we wouldn't loose this baby. He still didn't seem to understand the risk of the pregnancy simply because he was a Guardian and I was his student.

"Be good girls," he advised. He kissed me on the lips and then Carrigan on the forehead. "Watch out for you Mom."

"Can do," Carrigan beamed with a slight bounce as she stood up straight. "Have a good day at work."

Gabriel winked at us before turning and walking away down the street. Carrigan looked up at me and I motioned for her to enter St. Mungo's first, through the abandoned Muggle shopping complex. She climbed into the display window and took the mannequin's hand, announcing that there were visitors outside the entrance. We began to walk forward and straight through the wall of the display into the busy waiting room of St. Mungo's. When I turned to look behind us, I saw the magical wall was decorated with windows that looked out onto London's busy street.

I made my way to the check-in desk, with Carrigan following me.

"Excuse me," I said to the receptionist. She looked up at me with batty blue eyes. "Where should I be going if I have an appointment with Healer O'Brien?"

"To the elevators and up to the tenth floor," the receptionist said as her blond hair bobbed and her freckles crinkled with her nose. "You must be having a baby! Congratulations!"

"Uh yea, thanks," I forced a smile. Carrigan giggled as we walked away from the desk towards the elevator.

"I'm sorry you're not more excited about the baby," she whispered as I pressed the button for the lift to arrive.

"It's not that I'm not excited," I replied. "I'm just overwhelmed with worry about it all. Especially after what happened last time."

"You had an accident last time," Carrigan said matter-of-factly. "You'll be more careful this time. We all will."

"Carrigan," I sighed with exhaustion. We stepped into the elevator once it arrived, thankfully it was empty and we were left alone. "I would have lost the baby even if I didn't fall down the stairs. Because of everything my body has been through there is a great deal of scar tissue on my uterus that limits pregnancy. It's a miracle I'm pregnant, but there is a very slim chance I will carry the child to term."

"Well you can't have that negative attitude," Carrigan said wisely while we waited for the lift to arrive at the tenth floor. "You have to be positive that this baby will be here. And when he or she arrives Gabriel, you and me will do an excellent job protecting them."

"Oh yea?" I smiled. "You're going to help us protect the baby?"

"It's my baby sister or brother you're talking about," Carrigan responded quickly. She looked at me like I was crazy. "Of course, I'm going to protect them!"

I beamed with happiness. Carrigan had a way of reminding me of the simple joys in life. Perhaps everything was going to be okay…

The lift opened and we stepped out into a peacefully quiet waiting room that was decorated in pastel baby colors. My stomach rolled with discomfort because the colors made me sick. I was never one to care for pinks and purples, baby toys or clothes. I weaved through the chairs in the waiting room and went to the check-in desk.

"Hello," the bubbly receptionist said with a grin. She was a young red-head with dark brown eyes and pale skin. Her lips were ruby red, and her robes were pastel rose pink. "How are you today?"

"I'm fine," I said easily. "I'm Cadence Coleman. I have an appointment with Healer O'Brien."

"Alrighty," the receptionist opened her date book and dragged her finger down the list of names. She stopped next to my name. "Right on time!" She stood up. "Come this way, we have an exam room ready for you. Healer O'Brien will be with you in a few moments."

She lead us down a long hallway with doors on either side. All of the doors were closed, but I imagined they were to perfectly clean little exam rooms, like the one I was about to be in. The receptionist opened the last door on the right for me and waved me in. Carrigan followed suit.

"It will just be a few," the reception said.

"Thanks."

She closed the door, leaving Carrigan and I alone. Carrigan plopped down in a chair in the corner of the exam room and looked around. "I didn't know that St. Mungo's had a maternity wing."

"Where do you think all the babies are born?" I asked as I took off my coat. I threw it on Carrigan's lap, then sat down on the exam table.

"Well, you didn't come here last time," she responded. "I thought you went to a Muggle doctor."

"I did. But, I decided this time I should probably get some magical input."

Carrigan raised her eyebrows quizzically, but before she could ask the question that was on her mind, there was a knock on the exam room door. The door opened and a plump, short woman in white healer robes entered the room. She gave Carrigan and I a cheerful smile and moved to me at the table. Her hair was long, straight and black, and her eyes were a mysterious shade of grey-blue.

"Hello," she said cheerfully. "I'm Healer O'Brien."

She extended her hand to me, which I took and shook thankfully. "Cadence Coleman," I said. O'Brien looked at Carrigan and said hello. "My daughter, Carrigan."

"Hello," Carrigan said with a small wave.

"A pleasure," O'Brien said. "I understand that you're here because you believe you're pregnant."

"Yes," I nodded.

"Well, let's draw some blood and take a look," O'Brien smiled.

She pulled her wand from her cloak pocket and waved it at the empty space next to me on the table. A tray appeared with a rubber gloves, a vile, some needles and syringes. She put down her wand and pulled on the rubber gloves, while asking, "Can you please roll up your sleeve?"

I did as I was asked, rolling up my right sleeve so not to reveal the long scar on my left forearm. She smiled as she picked up her wand and tapped it against the inside of my elbow. I felt magic tingle through my arm, drawing my veins closer to the surface of my skin so they were easier to find. When she had found a vein, she put down her wand and picked up the needle. Within seconds I was poked and she was taking a blood sample. I had to turn my head away from a moment. Seeing my own blood run from my body into a syringe always made me squeamish.

Carrigan sat quietly in the corner, watching the healer with curious eyes. She had never seen a healer at work before and was intrigued by the work.

After the blood was drawn, and O'Brien had taken it down the hall to have some magical test run on it, she returned to do a check-up. She carefully touched my stomach, moving her fingers along my belly and hips, tapping and feeling if it was tender or firm. She frowned carefully, but when she caught me looking at her, gave me a calm smile.

"What is it?" I asked as she stepped back to retrieve her wand off the table.

"Nothing," she said with a cool voice. "Just normal check-up procedure."

"Your face says otherwise," I responded with some aggravation.

She ignored me and tapped her wand against my belly as she leaned forward, as if she were trying to listen. This seemed ridiculous to me because there was no way the fetus was large enough yet to hear, even with magic.

"Will you lay down please," O'Brien motioned for me to lay down on the exam table. I laid back and lifted my feet onto the table, then stretched across it. She leaned over me and drew the tip of her wand in a long rectangle on my torso, then tapped the center of the rectangle with her wand. I felt a cold chill rise through my body.

"I'm just making your abdomen transparent so I can take a look inside," she said. "It will feel cold, but I am only taking a look. I'm not doing anything invasive."

"Alright," I replied to acknowledge her.

"Alrighty," O'Brien stood up straight and tucked her wand away. "I will go get your test results and we'll see what we have…"

I frowned deeply as she retreated out of the room. Carrigan raised her eyebrows at me as I looked at her. I sat up straight on the table and swung my legs back over the sides as I lowered my shirt to cover my torso.

"Something isn't right," I whispered. She stood up and came to me next to the table, holding my cloak over her arm.

"I'm sure everything is fine," she replied touching my shoulder. "You're just being paranoid."

"This is why I went to a Muggle doctor last time," I snipped. "They're more talkative and tell you like it is. They don't dance around anything, saying 'it's just procedure.'"

I was so aggravated the jars of cotton balls and boxes of cleaning clothes started to vibrate on the counter across from the exam table. Carrigan gave me a surprised look. I hadn't caused anything to shake from anger with my powers in ages.

"Sorry," I whispered.

"You need to relax."

"I'm so happy I raised you right," I replied. "I don't know how I raised you to be a calm and responsible individual, but thank Merlin I did."

"It was Gabriel really," Carrigan said with a smirk. I laughed and rolled my eyes.

Within a few moments, healer O'Brien returned. I was surprised by how quickly she had results of my blood tests. It never ceased to amaze me how quickly and effectively magic worked.

"Ms. Coleman," she said seriously once she closed the door. "I'm very sorry to inform you, but you are not pregnant."

There was a horrid silence in the room following her statement. My skin crawled with goose bumps from discomfort and I shivered as Carrigan pulled her hand away to cover her mouth in shock. O'Brien was looking at me with sad, but purposefully, eyes. There was no doubt in her expression about what she was reporting.

"I don't understand," I whispered as I rubbed my temples with my eyes squeezed tightly shut. "I took two tests. The first was negative, but I completely missed my period, so I took another. It was positive. Now you're telling me that I'm not pregnant?"

"I'm afraid not Ms. Coleman," the healer said. "Those take-home test aren't always exact, especially the Muggle ones. Your period can be effected by many things, especially stress, which you appear to be under a great deal of."

"You're sure?" I asked with mild disappointment in my voice. I was slightly relieved to hear the words that she was telling me. Carrigan stepped close to me and took my hand in hers again. She squeezed it tightly while peering at the healer.

"Absolutely," she nodded. "Your blood work is negative and your hormone levels are normal. You are not pregnant, and I'm afraid it isn't possible for you to get pregnant. There is far too much damage to your uterus. If you are set on having a child, may I suggest adopting? Or there, is an operation we can look into to remove the scar tissue, but it is no guarantee that you'll be able to get pregnant afterwards."

"No," I whispered shaking my head. "Thank you, but I'm not interested in adopting a baby or an operation."

The healer tapped my hand in a comforting manner. "I'm very sorry, Ms. Coleman. I'll leave you be. The nurse will come in with some papers for you to sign then you'll be on your way."

I nodded my head as I stared blankly at the floor. When the healer exited the room, Carrigan squeezed my hand tightly again. I looked up at her as she made to speak.

"I'm sorry, Mom," she sighed.

"It's alright," I replied. "It's for the best."

"But you wanted—"

"I only wanted another child because Gabriel did," I whispered sadly. "You're the only child I need, Carrigan. You have all my heart." I squeezed her hand in return and forced a beaming smile at her. She was looking at me with sad midnight eyes. She bit her bottom lip as she nodded her head, sadly understanding my position. "I'm fine. Are you?"

"Yes," she shrugged. "I mean, my hopes were up…but being upset isn't going to change the facts. How are you going to tell Gabriel?"

"I don't know," I sighed tiredly. "He's going to be disappointed."

"Can you blame him?"

I sighed and shook my head. I just wanted to go home and crawl into bed. I didn't want to go into the office anymore. I didn't want to face Gabriel and tell him it had all been a mistake; I couldn't face him after the fight we had, the decisions…the hope…I ran my fingers through my hair and dread filled my system as the door opened and a woman, dressed in similar robes as Healer O'Brien, came in with a clipboard. She explained the files I had to sign, but I was only half listening. I signed the papers and took my cloak from Carrigan before hopping off the table.

"We need to get out of here," I said breathlessly. "Please don't look so sad. I can barely keep myself composed with the thought of having to tell Gabriel. I can handle everything else but you being sad, Carrigan."

"Alright," she nodded.

The trip through St. Mungo's, back to the London street, was bone chillingly quiet. I could tell that Carrigan wanted to say something, but didn't know how to say it. When we were out on the street, leaving St. Mungo's in the distance, I stopped on a street corner to wait for the traffic light to change before we crossed the street. Carrigan stood next to me, with her bomber jacket zipped all the way up, looking sad.

"It's for the best," I whispered with a nod. I don't know if I was trying to reassure myself or Carrigan, but I couldn't take the silence anymore. "There is a war to be fought and having a baby would be foolish. It's for the best…"

"Is that how you're going to tell Gabriel?" Carrigan questioned as the traffic light changed. We stepped forward and crossed the street with a handful of other people once traffic stopped.

"Yea," I retorted sarcastically. "Something like that."

Carrigan rolled her eyes as we moved down the sidewalk. I felt a shiver crawl through my body, and out of instinct, I glanced over my shoulder. A face behind us stood out in the crowd to me. It was a tall man with slicked back black hair and matching goatee. He was dressed completely in black. He stood out, not just because I recognized him from the Leaky Caldron the night the bomb went off, but because his dark eyes were staring straight at me as he remained standing on the street corner that Carrigan and I had just left. People and traffic were moving around and in front of him, but he never flinched. He never seemed to blink or lose sit of us. I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk and completely turned back to face the man in black. People cursed and snapped at me for stopping in the middle of the walk, but I blocked them out. The only thing that mattered was the man who was staring straight at me.

"Mom?" Carrigan questioned. She followed my stare and grabbed onto my arm.

"Go," I said quickly turning her around. "Go!"

As we broke out into a run, I looked over my shoulder and saw the man in black dashing after us. I grabbed onto Carrigan's hand and lead her around the next corner, heading into the heart of London. We weaved through the crowded streets, knocked shoulders and ran straight into people; it didn't matter, we had to move.

I wasn't sure who the man in black was, but obviously he had been after Mitchell Scott—who was now dead—and I had a strong feeling in my gut that he was responsible for the bomb that went off in the Leaky Caldron. If this man was following Carrigan and I, he could be an agent for my father who was tracking us. He could be after Carrigan. My stomach lurched in fear and discomfort.

"The alley!" Carrigan yelled pointing at an open alley between a restaurant and Starbucks coffee shop. She broke free from my grasping hand and dashed into the stopped traffic on the street. I screamed after her, and followed, furious that she had let go of my hand.

Cars honked wildly at us as we darted through them while they stood waiting for the light to change. Carrigan stepped onto a tire and leapt on the hood of a blue checkered taxi because there was not enough space for her to squeeze between the bumpers of the cars. The taxi driver laid on the horn, leaned out his window and screamed, but Carrigan ignored him. I followed around the back of the taxi as she dashed across the street into the alley. Before I turned down the alley after her, I looked over my shoulder to see the man in block still following after us.

I turned the corner, seeing Carrigan only a few feet in front of me. She was heading straight for the seven foot fence at the end of the alley. Once we jumped it, there would probably be enough space between us and the man in black to Apparate. We had to be careful where we Apparated though; we couldn't be seen by any Muggles disappearing into thin air.

Carrigan was close to the fence when there was a loud crack in the alley that echoed off the brick walls around us. I skidded to a stop a different man, dressed in ragged old grey clothing, appeared and reached forward to grab onto Carrigan. She heard him appear behind her, and as he dived forward, she turned and lifted her foot straight into his stomach. I watched with mild pride as my thirteen year old daughter grabbed the arm of her attacker and flipped him straight over onto his back. Before I could pull my wand and stop her from kicking out the attacker's teeth, my body went flying to the right into the brick wall of the alley. I released a moan of pain as my body slammed against the wall. My ribs cracked in agony and the breath was knocked out of my lungs before I crumpled to trash-bins below me.

I jumped up feet first and brandished my wand towards the entrance of the alley where the man in black was stalking towards me. He flicked his wand, disarming me quickly. As my wand sailed away from me, I pulled the knife from my boot and threw it straight at the man's throat. To my horror, he snatched it out of the air, catching the tip and sent it flying straight back at me. I ducked down and the knife slammed into the wall behind me, then fell uselessly into the disheveled trash-bins.

Carrigan screamed, causing me to turn and see that her attacker had thrown her back into the fence. I advanced towards him, but the man in black caught me with his wand. He pulled me to the ground and dragged me across the pavement to his feet. He dropped his wand hand to his side as I rolled onto my back to look up at him. Before I could grab at him or move away he slammed his booted foot onto my stomach. I groaned as pain spread through my entire torso. Thank Merlin I wasn't pregnant, I thought.

The man dropped to one knee next to me, grabbed my hair and pulled my head back.

"What did Scott tell you about Cepheus?"

"What?" I stammered with confusion. The man in black pressed his wand against my throat. His dark eyes were a sharp contrast against his pale white skin. He looked waxy, half dead, now that I saw him close up.

Before another word could be said there was a horrid scream that echoed in the alley. The walls around us shook and blue light flashed, blinded me violently. I rolled to my side and covered my head as the man in black was blown away from me by the shock wave. When the shaking had stopped and the light ceased, I uncovered my face and rolled over as I sat up. Carrigan was on her knees, gasping for breath in front of the fence down the alley and the man that had been attacking her was gone. My eyes opened wide in terrified surprise.

I jumped up, looking over my shoulder to see the man in black on the ground still, and ran down to Carrigan. I grabbed her collar and pulled her to her feet with a beaming smile on my face.

"Good job," I said clapping her back as I wrapped her in my arms. She embraced me tightly as she continued to gasp for breath.

"Do you think I can skip training today?" she questioned looking up at me. I laughed as I looked down the alley. The man in black was still not moving.

"Let's get out of here," I said squeezing her tightly in my arms and thinking of the porch in front of Number Twelve Grimmauld place.