Snow fell down, riding gusts of wind, as I marched up the steps to my brownstone. With the wind billowing at my back, I clutched my collar close around my neck and tucked my gloved hand into my pocket. I pulled my wand out and tapped it against the doorknob as the January breeze tickled the back of my neck. Shivering, I let myself into the house once I had unlocked the door with my magic.

Despite locking the cold weather outside once I closed the door, I was still cold inside the foyer of the brownstone. I looked around the dark interior of my home and frowned deeply. Gabriel was on watch that evening. He wouldn't be home until the morning.

I had just finished returning Carrigan, Benjamin, Henry, Harry and their peers to Hogwarts. Remus, Tonks and I had escorted them via the Knight Bus back to Hogsmeade, where we stood at the gate of Hogwarts and watched them all return to the castle. It was not an easy trip, let alone an easy holiday. Staying at Number Twelve had been the hardest decision to make and I still wasn't sure, despite it being after the fact, if it had been right the one.

Of course, I was happy that Carrigan got to spend the holiday with her friends and father; and that I got to spend the holiday with both Carrigan and Harry, but I was anxious to trust Henry Thrett. Ever since Penelope Talon had betrayed me last year, I was terrified to let anyone, even a teenager, into our world of secrets. In our world, if the right secret was revealed to the wrong person, people would die.

Dumbledore had put faith in Henry, but it was Snape who delivered that message to me when he came to Number Twelve to speak to Harry about his Occlumency lessons. Dumbledore wanted me to know that he trusted Henry because he had trusted his father. I was not so quick to trust though, even if Dumbledore was.

The holiday had not ended very well, with Sirius and I getting into arguments over Carrigan's training and Harry's Occlumency lessons. Carrigan was still regressing in her training and Sirius didn't seem to understand that he couldn't force her to participate and get better. It was something she had to want. She had to have the motivation to get better, no one could force her. Sirius then began to blame Benjamin for Carrigan's regression. Until he came along, he argued, Carrigan had been doing fine. But she hadn't. He wasn't around enough to know how she had been doing with her physical powers before Benjamin showed up. Of course, that statement lead into a whole other argument that has been argued so many times it isn't worth mention anymore.

Sirius was also furious that Harry had to take lessons from Snape instead of Dumbledore, me or even Gabriel. He seemed to calm down when Dumbledore explained that it would alert Dolores Umbridge if Gabriel or I were to make constant trips out to Hogwarts to help Harry with his mental lessons, especially when they were meant to be kept secret. Dumbledore was also afraid that if he were around Harry too often it would trigger responses from Voldemort that would alert him to the connection he shared with Harry.

I released a long sigh of exhaustion in the foyer as I removed my coat. It was nice to be home, but I desperately wanted to see Gabriel. He hadn't stayed at Number Twelve very much over the holiday. He had been working on assignments for Dumbledore and took up guarding the Department of Mysteries for everyone so they could have a happy Christmas. It didn't bother me that Gabriel hadn't been there to celebrate the holiday. I understood that he was protecting something that in the future could save us all; essentially, he was making sure that it would be possible for everyone to have future holidays with their families.

I hung my coat on the rack and slowly made my way down the hall to the kitchen, where I lit a candle. I began to boil a kettle of water to make some tea in hopes that it would help warm my bones that were still shivering with chills from the cold. I turned to lean against the counter as I waited for the water to boil.

When I peered across the shadowy kitchen, my heart plummeted into my stomach. My eyes fell on a dark figure in the far corner of the room, just far enough away to still be shielded by darkness, but revealed by the burning red eyes that stared back at me. My hand reached to my side, but in vain. I had left my wand in my coat pocket which was now hanging on the coat rack at the front of the house.

I exhaled with disappointment as Voldemort slide forward into the faint candle light that stretched to the kitchen table less then twenty feet away from me. He looked no different then he had eight months ago when he had returned; the last time I had seen him. His pale, almost transparent, white skin was pulled tightly over his bones making him look like a skeleton that reflected the candle light as it danced on his flesh. His red snake eyes didn't blink as he advanced towards me; and his smile, evil and thin, curved like a spider's. He had caught his prey easily this time, and he was going to enjoy killing me.

"How did you find this place?"

"A father can always find his daughter, Kieran," he responded in his high-pitched voice that remind me of chalk screeching across a board.

There was no warning. He lunged forward, extending his boney arm forward over the counter top, and brandished his wand in my direction.

"Crucio!"

I had no time to duck, let alone fight back. My wand was in my coat in the front of the house; there was no time to conjure a weapon. The spell hit me too fast. I was knocked off my feet to the floor as the water in the kettle began to boil. I screamed in agony and thrashed around the floor as if I was being poked and prodded with an electric charge. My body surged as the force caused my bones to quake and grind against each other. My teeth chattered, eyes rolled back in my head, muscles spasm—and then it stopped.

Bells rang in my eyes and my vision was blurred. My body shook as the Cruciatus Curse lingered in me making my body shiver and twitch. I rolled my head to the side to see Voldemort approaching me.

He crotched down close by my side before reaching out his pale white hand to me. His icy cold fingertips touched my cheek delicately, like a lover would have extended his hand to me. I frowned as I blinked up at him; trying to clear my vision so I could glare at him more fiercely.

"Good bye my daughter," he hissed, like the snake he was, in my ear. His fingers continued to stroke my cheek. I closed my eyes, preparing myself for what was about to come. There was a flashing green light—I jolted straight up off the kitchen floor with a gasping scream—

"Mom!"

Carrigan jumped back from the bed when I hurtled forward. I turned to lean over the side of the bed and vomited profusely on the wooden floor of the bedroom. I felt Carrigan's small hands pulling my hair back as I leaned over the bedside, tears welling in my eyes from the pain of sick being forced back up and out of my throat.

"It was one of those dreams, again, wasn't it?" Carrigan asked weakly.

I didn't say anything as I sat up on the bed, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand. I didn't look at her right away, but I could feel her midnight blue eyes on me, studying me and taking in my vulnerability.

"I'm going to write to Gabriel," she said as she moved away from the edge of the bed.

"No!" I grabbed her wrist tightly in my hand before she could get away. "No. I'm fine. Hand me my wand."

She raised her eyebrows high at me while reaching for my wand that sat on the bedside table. Once I had it, I waved it at the puddle of sick on the floor. When it was cleaned, Carrigan took a seat on the edge of the bed. I realized as I looked at her that she was dressed to travel.

She wore jeans and black combat boots that laced up to the middle of her shins. She had on a black leather poncho cloak that Sirius had given her for Christmas. It had been his when he was much younger. He thought she might like it because of the leather and style. Of course, she had loved it.

"What time is it?"

"Nine," she replied. "We're ready to leave for school."

"You haven't left yet?" I questioned confused as I rubbed my head.

"No," Carrigan replied very slowly as she studied me with worried eyes. "We're leaving now. Dad told me to come wake you so you could be part of the guard to Hogwarts."

I nodded my head to acknowledge her statement as I rubbed the back of my neck. It had all been a dream. Carrigan was still safe at Number Twelve. Voldemort was not waiting for me in my kitchen, and if he was…now I would be ready for him.

"Mom, are you sure you're okay? I can tell Remus you're not coming with us. We will be fine."

"I'm fine," I replied with a sharp look at her. "I will be down in a moment. I just need to change and freshen up."

Carrigan shrugged and stood up from the bed. "Very well."

I watched as my twelve year old moved out of the bedroom. I frowned as she walked away from me, she looked older then twelve. The way she dressed and carried herself suggested that she was older then she really was. Carrigan had grown up fast and I wasn't quite sure when it had happened. But, at the same time, she was also still immature about some things, like her training.

I tried not to dwell on the perceptive age of my daughter. I got out of the bed and began to dress. My hands were shaking as I put on new clothing to travel in. The dream had shaken me up roughly. I hadn't dreamt about my father killing me in weeks, the sudden return of the reoccurring dream bothered me.

When I arrived downstairs, Sirius was the only one standing in the foyer. He looked at me with mild relief.

"They're all outside already, loading the bus," he said pulling me into a hug, which caught me off guard. "Be safe, Cadence."

"Of course, Sirius," I replied as I pulled back. "We'll all be fine."

"I know I don't have much time, but Carrigan said that you were having a nightmare—"

"You're right, we don't have much time," I said sharply. "I am fine. I will see you later."

I pulled away from him as his eyes gave me a stern, rather perturbed, look. His expression surprised me. When we were together, I always thought Sirius didn't know me well, but as he stared at me in the foyer of Number Twelve, he had an all-knowing expression. I sighed and tapped his chest gently with my hand. He caught it with his and kissed my fingers delicately.

"I'm here if you need me," he said seriously with a tenderness that reminded me of our past. I squeezed his hands before pulling away completely and making my way to the front door. He lingered behind me, watching me as I left the house, and joined the children on the street. Tonks was standing on the curb in front of a double-decker purple bus. She was helping Ginny with her bags.

"Let's move along," she said quickly. "The quicker we're on the bus, the better."

"Hello Tonks," I said calmly as I looked at Harry, Carrigan, Hermione and Henry who were still standing on the street.

"Hiya Cadence," Tonks said with a frail smile on her heart-shaped face. Her hair was short, spiked and purple today. Her cheeks were rosy pink from the frigid air that was delicately blowing against us. "Remus is already on board with the others. Should be a fast trip."

"Should be," I agreed with a nod.

Once all the children were on the bus and Tonks and I had loaded, we set off for Hogsmeade. The ride on the Knight Bus was brutal with constant sudden stops and fast speeds. I felt a little sick most of the trip as I clung to the armchair I was sitting in.

About half way through the trip, Harry stood up from his chair at the back of the bus and came to sit next to me. He pulled another chair up next to mine just in time to sit down in it before the bus driver slammed on the brakes and we all slid forward slightly in our chairs. If Harry hadn't sat down, he would have gone flying forward over the twin bed that I was resting my feet on.

"Hello, Harry," I said with a weak smile.

"Are you alright?"

I looked up at him and nodded my head. "Are you?"

Harry frowned as he shifted in his seat. "I'm worried," he said slowly.

"About?" I asked with raised eyebrows.

"Sirius."

I nodded my head with understanding. Everyone was worried about Sirius in some capacity. All of the Order was worried that he would lose it and bust out into the world to do something reckless that would put his life and those of everyone in the Order at risk.

"He gave me this," Harry said pulling a small package, wrapped hastily in clothe and ribbon, out of his pocket. "I haven't opened it yet, but he said it was a way for him to communicate with me if I needed it."

I nodded to encourage Harry to continue. "But I don't want to use it. What if he gets caught because he's trying to contact me?"

"Harry, you have to remember that above all else Sirius is an adult," I replied calmly. "He is an active and energetic man. He will do what he wants, no matter who tells him otherwise."

"I always thought Carri got her stubbornness from you."

I laughed lightly. "Unfortunately, it's a character flaw that both Sirius and I carry. Carrigan is far more stubborn then us."

Harry smiled weakly as he glanced at Carrigan, who was sitting next to Henry.

"What's the matter?"

"It's just something Hermione said," Harry said with an edge as he glanced at me with nervous eyes.

"About Henry?"

Harry nodded. He turned to face me directly and whispered, "Hermione said a guy his age would only hang around a girl Carrigan's age for one reason…" Harry's voice trailed off for a moment as he glanced over his shoulder discretely towards Carrigan. When he looked back at me, he frowned deeply. "Never mind, I don't think Hermione's right anyways…"

I smiled lightly. I imagined that Hermione was referring to Henry's physical interest in Carrigan. She had a point, but it was an assumption that I trusted Carrigan to call out. If Henry was only interested Carrigan for a physical relationship, Carrigan would have made it clear that she wasn't. I frowned suddenly. What if she did want a relationship like that though?

I cursed silently in my head. I would worry about that tomorrow. Today, I just had to worry about getting Carrigan, Harry and the other children back to Hogwarts safely.

"Well," I said carefully to mend the awkwardness that had fallen between Harry and I. "I'm sure that Carrigan can take care of herself. With that said, I am also confident that you and the rest of her friends would look out for her best interests."

"Right," Harry said quickly. "That's all it is."

I nodded with a smile at Harry. He still looked uncomfortable. His cheeks were flushed red. He quickly pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose and sighed.

"Try not to worry about Sirius," I said, hoping to change the subject. "And Harry," I added. He looked up at me with questioning eyes, curious as to what I was about to say. "I know that you have to take lessons with Snape. Please take them seriously and work hard at what he is teaching you. It is very important that you be able to block your mind from invaders."

Harry sighed and nodded his head once. "I know it's important. That is what happened before Christmas, isn't it? Voldemort invaded my mind?" He whispered the last question so no one around us would hear.

"I'm afraid so," I replied. "But Dumbledore thinks it was accidental. Voldemort may not have realized there was a connection, but if he did, we don't want him taking advantage of that."

Harry's face contorted with deep thought. "Do you mean he could force me to see things that aren't real?"

I nodded. "That is part of the power behind Legilimency. You can make people believe whatever you want them to when you can control their mind."

"How do I know what is real and what is false?" Harry said with deep worry. "How do I know when I am in a vision of Voldemort's or my reality?"

I frowned. "Harry, first of all, we don't know if Voldemort knows about the connection. Secondly, if you learn and practice what Snape teaches you, you will be able to block any false realities that Voldemort may try to plant in your head. And lastly, always follow your gut. Always. If you can't trust yourself then you're lost in this world, real or otherwise. Alright?"

"Alright," Harry nodded. "I will do my best."

"That is all I ask," I smiled. He smiled at me in return as the bus came to a throttling stop and threw our bodies forward, almost out of our chairs.

"Hogwarts Gates!" the conductor shouted at the front of the bus.

"Come on everyone," Tonks said quickly. "Let's go."

She was off the Knight Bus first. She looked around to make sure no one suspicious was waiting at the stop to attack us. A few of the students got off, then Remus, then Carrigan, Henry, Harry and Ron. I got off the bus last.

Good byes were exchanged all around. Even Henry came up and said good-bye to me. He shook my hand and thanked me for letting him stay with us over the holiday. Harry kissed my cheek and gave me a tight hug, then Carrigan came to me. I embraced her tightly and kissed her forehead.

"Be safe," I whispered in her ear as I stroked her hair. The chilly wind bit at our skin, encouraging us to exchange our words quickly. "Study hard and keep up with your lessons from Benjamin." Carrigan rolled her eyes at me. "It's important, Carrigan."

"I know," she sighed with aggravation.

"Be sure to write. Especially if anything unusual goes on with Umbridge."

"I will," Carrigan nodded as she pulled back to look me in the eye. "You be safe too. Especially with those dreams."

I pinched her cheek. "Do not worry. All will be well, Carrigan."

"We're at the beginning of a war, Mom. Nothing will be well by the end of it."

I frowned deeply as she squeezed my hands and moved away. All of the other children were already making their way up the gravel path past the gates towards Hogwarts Castle. Carrigan waved and turned before dashing off to catch up to Henry.

"Cadence," Benjamin said calmly. I turned with mild surprise. He smiled slyly and gave me a quick hug, which surprised me. "Thank you for letting me stay with you over holiday."

"Benjamin, you do not have to thank me," I replied. "You are family."

Benjamin smiled when he stepped back. There was a pinch in my stomach as I looked at him. All I could see in his eyes was the resemblance he shared with his mother, Savanna Snow, a.k.a. Penelope Talon. I frowned, which caused him to look at me curiously.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing you should worry about," I forced a smile. "Please keep Carrigan on task this term. She needs to be training daily."

"Of course, Sirius asked the same."

I laughed. "Is it pleasing you that we're starting to understand how much she needs to train?"

Benjamin nodded. "Yes, it is. I will do my best to keep her focused, but her personal life makes that difficult."

"Do your best, that is all I ask."

"Of course," Benjamin bowed his head and moved away from me slowly. "Good bye, Cadence."

"Everything alright, Cadence?" Remus asked as he came to stand next to me. I looked up at him with a faint smile.

"As alright as it can be," I shrugged. He smiled and nodded his head. Tonks stood next to Remus as we waited for the children to disappear into Hogwarts Castle. My stomach twisted with discomfort as I thought of the truth I was keeping from Benjamin, the conversation Harry and I had on the bus, and the concerns of Carrigan. I placed my hands on my stomach as it squirmed. I felt sick and I wasn't sure if it was from the nightmare I had before I woke that morning, or if I was worried about Harry and Carrigan.

"Come on," Remus said to Tonks and I. "Let's get out of here."

"I'll see you two," I said with a small wave. "I'm heading back to my house."

"Alright. See you at the meeting next week?" Tonks asked.

"Yep," I nodded awkwardly. My stomach rolled with discomfort. "I'll see you."

Remus and Tonks were both studying me with anxious eyes. I ignored the stares, however, and Disapparated from the gravel path without another word. I concentrated all of my energy and thoughts on the bathroom of my new home at the brownstone. If I was going to get sick again, it was going to be in a toilet, not all over my new hard wood floors.

To my horror, my feet hit the floor of the bathroom and before I could take in my surroundings, I fell straight through the floor. I let out a scream of shock as I fell and landed like a toy doll on a pile of burnt wood. The air was knocked out of me, my head spun, and my entire body ached from the pain of landing sharply on my side. My arm pinch under my side with a loud crack. The pain that shot up from my elbow to my shoulder told me that I had broken my arm from the fall.

I shook my head and looked up around me. My stomach no longer felt sick, it felt empty. My heart sank as I looked around the destroy remains of a brownstone. The cold January air was blowing over me because the walls had been destroyed; they hardly remained. The house was so destroyed I couldn't even tell what room I was in.

It took me a few moments to regain my bearings. I stood up from the debris that surrounded me, while I cradled my broken arm, and looked around the disaster sight trying to figure out where I was.

There was broken glass, wood and clothe all over. As I moved forward, through the debris, I saw broken pieces of furniture, burnt books and the remains of my large oak desk that had been in the upstairs study. I looked up and saw that most of the second floor was collapsed onto the main floor of the house. The back west corner of the house remained to the ceiling mostly, but the rest of the walls were collapsed in and stained with burn marks. I kicked the broken furniture and singed personal belongings out of the way as I moved towards where the front door of the house once stood.

Once I was down the porch and standing in front of the house, I was able to look at the mailbox and confirm that it was my destroyed brownstone that I had Apparated into. I sighed with aggravation as my mind immediately turned to worry and fear.

Gabriel. Where was Gabriel? He hadn't been in the fire, had he?

I didn't have to wonder what had happened to the house. It was no accident, I was sure. Voldemort had found me and destroyed my home to make a point. I frowned and closed my eyes tightly.

Gabriel.

I waited patiently for him to answer me. I remained on the porch steps of the brownstone, facing the destroyed building with my eyes tightly closed, just waiting. He would answer. He was supposed to be at the Ministry. He was not supposed to be home.

Gabriel.

He had always been able to hear me when I tried to connect to him. He was usually able to sense when I needed him before I even knew I needed him. It was unusual for him not to answer. Tears began to well up in my eyes and I bit my bottom lip with anxiety.

Gabriel!

But no answer came.