This is a fast moving chapter, for the last 5 or 6 chapters I've published I've been trying to move this story forward because there is still a lot to come in a short-ish amount of time. There's a bit of a play on Dumbledore's speech from the Goblet of Fire movie in this chapter.

Thanks for the reviews, javalon14, BlueBubbleRainbowBoat, thewrittenword87, and Weasleytwinslover87! :D

If you like tacos, I think you should review. ;D

DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANY OF THIS, EXCEPT FOR ANY CHARACTERS YOU DON'T RECOGNIZE. JK ROWLING IS JESUS!

CHAPTER 73

September…

"This is our last train ride to Hogwarts…EV-ER." Sarah exclaimed.

"Don't remind me!" Lily whined, looking out the window and watching the landscape roll by.

"It's surreal, isn't it?" Remus said, in thought.

"Incredibly." Sirius breathed.

"Did you see all of the first years?" James asked.

Some of the group shook their heads.

"I did." said Remus. "They looked absolutely petrified."

"I don't blame them." Audrey said, looking out the compartment window for a moment, making sure that no one was listening. "People are still talking about what happened last June."

"Poor Annie." Marlene lamented. "Did they ever say what happened?"

"No." Remus spat. "The Prophet covered it up. They said it was an accident."

"Dumbledore must be enraged." Audrey said, looking out the window. The sky became greyer and greyer as the train moved on.

The atmosphere in the Great Hall was so different that year, the tension was thick like smoke.

"Now that we are all sorted and settled, I'd like to address something." said the Headmaster, rising from his chair.

"You may have been wondering why there were several aurors on the train as you all traveled here today. Last June, when almost all of you were headed back to King's Cross Station, the train stopped during the trip. And Annie McGillian, a student from the Hufflepuff house, was tortured to death."

Whispers and murmurs flooded the hall, the Headmaster spoke again.

"The Ministry," Dumbledore began, the room fell silent. "Would not want me to speak of such things, they wouldn't want me to tell you about what happened to her. But I think that's an insult to Annie's memory."

The hall was still silent, as the Headmaster paced.

"I am telling you all this, because it would be a crime to shelter you from what is going on outside of Hogwarts. There are dark forces coming our way, and we best be united when they do…otherwise those that we've lost-"

His eyes flickered to Audrey for a brief moment.

"like Annie, will have died in vain."

Our seventh year of school seemed to be hurtling by us in a blur. All sorts of things were going on around us, with James as Head Boy, and Lily as Head Girl things began to get interesting. After years of pestering, Lily had finally agreed to go on a date with James in October, much to Severus' dismay. Of course, all of us who had known Lily quite well, teased her relentlessly.

"Whatever happened to…James Potter is a toad and I will never ever give him that satisfaction?" asked Marlene, mimicking Lily's prim voice.

Her face went red, matching her hair.

The months were seconds, between traveling extensively to work and perform, and studying for the NEWTS. Before I blinked, December was upon us.

Audrey stood in the hallway outside of the Gryffindor common room, she stared out the window, watching heavy snow plummet to the earth.

"It's lovely, isn't it?" said a voice she adored. Sirius came and stood next to her, holding her hand.

Audrey nodded, still watching the snow.

I was always so amused about how she enjoyed the snow. Her eyes always lit up (Err…not in the literal sense…in the metaphorical one.) when she saw snow.

"You still haven't told me where you're going for Christmas, love." His lips brushed her hand, he was concerned. "Are you sure you've got a place to stay?

She smiled at him, taking his head and giving him a peck on the lips.

"I have a place to go." Audrey smiled. "Dumbledore told me the other day."

"Sir? What did you want me for?" Audrey asked, opening the door to the Headmaster's office carefully. He sat behind his desk beaming.

"Sit down, Miss Dalio."

Audrey obeyed.

"I just wanted to let you know that you will be with your parents for the holidays."

"In the castle again?" Audrey cocked her head.

"Outside of the school." Albus said evenly, knowing this would excite the girl. Audrey's eyes turned a peculiar shade of pink, she wore a huge grin.

"Really?"

"Yes, Audrey." Albus chuckled.

"But how?"

"Your father wrote to me, explaining that he was tired of 'bytʹ trusom'-"

"Being a coward." Audrey laughed.

Dumbledore continued. "And he wanted out of the refugee camp. A lot of creatures have left the colonies and camps, they are tired of living in fear."

"What happens now? What will happen to them if...?" Audrey asked, her eyes searching him.

"A war is coming." Albus replied. "And we must be ready for it."

"So your parents moved back to your old home?" Sirius asked. Audrey shook her head.

"No, when everyone left the community...they torched it, they wanted to make it look like devastation had already been there. To throw them off…"

"How will you know where to find your parents then?" Sirius asked, concerned.

"Edgar is meeting me at King's Cross, and he is taking me to them." Audrey replied. "They still believe it's best that their location isn't just revealed to everyone. They've built a new community, but they don't trust the Ministry."

Sirius snorted. "Honestly, who does trust the Ministry?"

He had a point, the Ministry could not be trusted…they were infiltrated by the demons, and thus they were demons themselves. The community that my parents, and several others from our former home had occupied was incredibly different. I had thought that our old community was heavily wooded, but the forests here were very dense. It made a good hiding spot for creatures, and their homes. Though extra precautious and charms had been put in place, it was much safer this way. No one left their homes past sun down, unless it was important. Scavengers and snatchers came through the forests at night, and we watched them from our windows. We could see them, but they could not see us. Eventually, the daylight would not be safe enough…after all; these monsters could survive the sunlight.

February…

"Sooo…the big day is coming up." Marlene said, as the three girls left the dance studio one evening.

"The…big day?" Audrey cocked her head, amused.

"You know."

"No." said Audrey and Sarah together.

Marlene stopped in front of them, looking at the two.

"Valentine's Day." She said, doing jazz hands.

"Ahh, right." Said Sarah.

Audrey burst out laughing.

"What are you laughing at?" Marlene asked, as they continued to walk.

"I just thought of James and Lily." Audrey said, laughing so hard tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"And?" Sarah asked, confused.

"James is going to be SO GUSHY. And Lily is going to be so skeeved out by that." Audrey stopped, holding her sides. The girls joined in laughing.

"I-hadn't even- thought of that!" Sarah howled. Marlene leaned up against a wall, shaking with silent laughter.

"Oh, am I going to tease her." She said, grinning.

"So Sarah, seeing as Valentine's day falls on a weekend and all…" Audrey said, giving Puffer a suggestive look.

"Is your French baguette coming to visit?" Marlene growled. Audrey gave her a funny look, and then looked at Sarah.

"You call him…your baguette?"

"Think about it for a moment." Sarah said flatly, giving her a look.

"Ahhh." Audrey said, realizing.

"But if you must know." Sarah said, changing the subject. "I am going to see Henri."

"How?"

"I'm apparating from Hogsmeade, and going to the Ministry to get a port key. I'm surprising him. I coordinated it with his friends. They're only an hour ahead of us anyway, so there won't be too much lag."

"Very nice." Audrey said.

"What about you?" Sarah asked, looking at Audrey. "What are you and Sirius doing this weekend?" Her voice was suggestive.

"He's probably going to show up in her bed naked." Marlene snorted.

That actually is something I would do…

"Well, if anyone's going to be naked, it won't be in my bed, or in our dormitory." Audrey said with a small smile.

"Oh?" Marlene asked, bumping her hip.

"Mr. Black has booked us a room in an unknown location for the weekend." Audrey replied.

"He won't tell you where?"

"Nope, apparently, it's a surprise." Audrey shrugged.

"Ooooh." The girls said, giving each other looks.

"Oh, shut. it." Audrey threw her hands in the air, they laughed.

"What about you, Marly? What're you and Remus up to?" Audrey asked.

"I actually don't know either." Marlene blushed.

"Hehe, wolf boy." Sarah giggled. Marlene went even more red.

"So, what do you think James is doing for Lily?" Marlene said, changing the subject.

"I don't know." Audrey said thoughtfully.

"We should go ask him!" Sarah squealed, jumping up and clicking her heels together. She began to run towards the Gryffindor common room.

"I like how she runs to our common room first." Marlene snorted, as she and Audrey picked up the pace and ran.

"Wattlebird" Marlene breathed at the portrait and the three of them climbed through, then ran up the staircase to the boys dormitory.

They were just outside of the 7th year's dorm when Sarah panted.

"That's the only thing I hate about being a bloody senior, the dorms are so far."

Marlene kicked open the door to find, James, Sirius, Peter, and Frank sitting on their beds.

"OI!" James said, covering up his shirtless chest, like a girl. "What're you lot doing up here? I'm practically naked!"

"We don't care, James." Marlene said as Sarah jumped on James bed, startling him.

"JAMES! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH LILY THIS WEEKEND?"

The boys laughed at her, she was like an excited child sometimes.

"Okay! Okay! Okay, Puffer!" James said, catching Sarah to make her stop jumping. "I'll tell you lot."

Sarah jumped off the bed, and the three girls gathered on the floor close together looking up at James. Sirius, Remus, and Frank joined them, picking up on their antics quickly. Remus flicked his wand and a bag of popcorn came flying out of a trunk. They all were huddled so close together.

"What is this?" James sputtered, and then laughed.

"Tell us a story!" Marlene commanded.

"Yeah!" Everyone else jeered.

"Alright, so this weekend, I'm taking Lily-"

"Who's Lily?" Sirius asked, acting childlike.

"Sirius-" James began but Audrey cut him off.

"Is Lily your giiiiirlfriend?" She cooed.

James rolled his eyes at his friends.

"So rude!" Frank scoffed. "Did you see that?"
"James, I'm telling my mummy." Sarah said.

"James, why don't you like us?" Marlene stuck out her lip.

"I like you lot!" James laughed. "Relax!"

"Okay, Lily is my girlfriend-"

"AWWWW." They all said together, turning to each other and then back to James.

"Is she pretty, James?" Audrey asked.

"Yes, she's very beautiful. Anyway, I'm taking Lily to this place I used to go with my parents when I was a kid. It's on the coast, very peaceful."

"AWWWWW." The group said again.

"That's so sweet." Sarah cooed.

"Alright, now…off to bed, you nutters." James said, shooing them.

"Good night, daddy!" Sarah said, skipping up and leaving the boys dorm. Marlene kissed Remus good night and followed Sarah. Frank went back to his bed, and Audrey rose from the floor, helping Sirius up.

"Thanks, lovely." He murmured, moving a stand of her hair behind her ear.

"Any time." She smiled. "When can I meet you tomorrow?"

He took her head in his hands and kissed her.

"How about tomorrow around 6:00? We'll leave around 6:30."

"You never even told me where we're going, just that you got a room." Audrey whispered.

"It's a surprise." He grinned. "You'll like it, trust me."