Sorry for the long wait, life has been a mess with my Mum moving and other stuff and then I was on holidays :) Anyway, here's a long chapter for you. Enjoy reading and please review!

Thanks to everyone who reviewed, put this on alert or favoured it.

40- Far Far Away

Professor Steel was perhaps the most adequate teacher that had ever filled the position as Defence against the Dark Arts professor, Regulus remembered. Unlike all those that had preceded or succeeded her, she held no prejudices against Slytherin house in general; what she disliked were students that spoke without thinking or were slow on the uptake. And unlike all those so-called professors sent by the Ministry, sworn to worship and preach the Light, the good side of magic, Steel wasn't totally opposed to the Dark Arts. He recalled her saying that if you want to fight the Dark, you have to know it.

'You have to be aware of the ever-changing, everlasting nature of Evil. Don't close your eyes to the Dark. You don't have to embrace it, but it's a side of our life; a side of you that's within everyone of us; just like the light.'

Needless to say, some Gryffindors complained about her statement, saying that it was up to you to choose the right side. She had given them a shrewd, slightly mocking glance before talking about the Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang that had to be in balance.

It wasn't until now that Regulus seemed to grasp the meaning of her words. There would always be the Dark just as well as there would always be the Light, and although he was definitely tainted by darkness, all was not lost. There was still hope if he could restore the balance.

So he glanced at Raven, who had become the figurehead of his... rebellion against all the things his family held dear. On the other hand, his parents didn't quite agree to everything the Dark Lord was doing either. He heaved a sigh, hoping his parents would still hold him dear after all was said and done. But he had already made his choice.

"If I recall correctly, Professor Steel lives in the United Wizarding States of America?"

"Yep."

Well, that was just another obstacle. "We can't get there without raising suspicion."

Raven arched a curious brow at him and he continued. " The Dark Lord has people in high places at the Ministry. Portkey and Floo travel are being monitored- we cannot leave the country without his knowledge."

"Oh, but we can." Raven flashed him a sweet smile. Apparently, she had a plan, even if she didn't deign to fill him in. Severus, however, seemed to have figured her out already because he was rolling his eyes.

Regulus wasn't certain if he would like that plan of hers.

-o-

It wasn't until the next morning, though, that she put her cards on the table. Regulus had slept well in his makeshift bed in the kitchen of their flat and was enjoying a cup of tea in companionable silence with Severus when Raven entered, having been up early to do whatever.

In a gesture of unconcealed triumph she placed three slips of paper on the table, stating that they would get them to America unnoticed.

Totally flabbergasted, Regulus picked up the one that had his name on. Mr Regulus Black, it read and flight BA 1516 from LHR to JFK. He arched an inquiring brow at Raven.

"What's that?"

"Obviously, it's a plane ticket," Severus answered in her stead, and he groaned inwardly since he had almost expected her to get them to America the Muggle way. He wasn't thrilled.

"A plain ticket?" Regulus eyed the slip of paper. Well, it was quite plain indeed. Except for the paper, that looked... different. Not like parchment at all. "Is that Muggle paper?"

"Yep." Raven answered.

"And that Muggle paper will take us to America?"

His ignorance is so cute, Raven thought as she handed Regulus a plastic bag. "Hurry up and put these on. We have to leave for the airport."

Airport? Regulus knew only Portkeys and he eyed the plastic bag suspiciously. It contained a pair of jeans and a plain black t-shirt. Muggle clothes. His parents would disinherit him should they ever see him wearing such clothes.

After a short moment of reluctance, he retreated to bathroom and changed his robes for the Muggle clothes.

Sceptically, he glanced at his reflection in the mirror and almost thought he saw Sirius grinning at him; now he looked just as rebellious as his brother. decided he looked rebellious.

Kreacher started wailing when his master returned. "Oh no! Oh noooo! Master Regulus, what have you done. Oh no! Poor Mistress will faint and have migraine when she sees you, dressed just like that ungrateful offspring of hers that is not to mention. Poor Mistress will think you also want to besmirch the honour of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. Oooooh, this is all Mistress Scum her fault."

"Yep," Raven agreed, taking pride in it because Regulus looked quite dashing in Muggle clothes. It also made her proud that she had managed to pick the correct size for him.

Severus, however, didn't like at all how she glanced at the whelp. But he didn't know why he even bothered.

"Alright," she sounded back to business now as she told Regulus to say goodbye to Kreacher since they couldn't possibly take a house-elf on a Muggle aircraft. On the other hand, they couldn't send him back to the Black's home at Grimmauld Place either. His poor dear Mistress would want to know the whereabouts of her dear son and Raven couldn't risk Kreacher telling her if their trip to America was still to be a secretive one. Although she liked house-elves in general and had even grown fond of that spiteful little beastie, she didn't trust Kreacher as far as she could throw him.

-o-

In the end it was decided that Kreacher had to stay at Severus' and Raven's place, and Regulus gave him the strict order to not leave it until he returned. Slightly crestfallen, the elf glanced at his master.

"But who will take good care of Master Regulus whist he is gone in foreign, hostile Muggle land?" He piped up.

"All will be fine," Regulus assured him. He was on his knees, at eye-level with the house-elf. "And don't you fear about the honour of the House of Black, my faithful friend. I'm going on this journey to put it back into perspective."

Kreacher kissed him master's hands and muttered something that neither Raven nor Severus could hear, but Regulus smiled and patted the elf's head affectionately. Then, Kreacher scurried to clean up the kitchen.

-o-

They took the tube to Heathrow airport, which was another totally new experience for Regulus. Actually, it was a mess. The trains were crowded and the noise level seemed to befuddle his senses. He hadn't known that there were that many Muggles.

He wished for some more space, but when his hand instinctively reached for his wand, Severus grabbed his arm in a vice-like grip and hissed, "Stop that, foolish boy. You don't want to break the Statute of Secrecy, do you?"

Now he really felt like a fool.

Raven smiled at him. "Relax," she said, but it didn't sound as if she was relaxed and her smile didn't reach her eyes. She seemed to be uncomfortable about something.

"You alright?"

She didn't reply and so Regulus kept looking around. There were Muggles that were dressed in neat suits while others (mostly younger Muggles) had a more casual appearance and were clad in a similar style to what he was wearing. Then there were some that looked rather ragged. Their jeans were torn or patched together with safety pins. Were those Muggles so poor they couldn't afford new clothes? Didn't they have charity events in the Muggle world? His mother always hosted charity events to raise money for impoverished pure-blood families or orphans. And why did some of them have so strangely coloured hair?

He saw a guy with dark green hair in a very peculiar style. The sides of his head were bald while his remaining hair stood up from his scalp in a strip reaching from his forehead to the nape of his neck.

Regulus couldn't help but stare at the guy, wondering if he was perhaps a Metamorphmagus- Sirius had told him that their cousin Andromeda (who had been blasted off the family tree for marrying a Muggleborn wizard) had given birth to a baby girl who was a Metamorphmagus and kept on changing her hair colour according to her moods. But that guy was decidedly a Muggle. Are there Metamorphmuggles? .

He flinched when Raven elbowed him. "Stop gawking! It's rude to stare at people."

"His hair's so... weird."

"It's called Mohawk hairstyle," she informed him, rolling her eyes at so much ignorance. "And it's quite popular with the punk rock subculture."

"Subculture..." he mulled the word over. "Because of the underground train?"

His question almost caused Severus to laugh out loud; but he managed to keep his cool and gave Regulus a glance that really made him feel like a stupid little boy.

And the Muggle world didn't cease to amaze him. They had to change for the Piccadilly Line at Green Park, and while they were waiting for the train to Heathrow airport, Regulus realized that there was more than one underground train line running below the surface of Muggle London.

All of a sudden he was wondering if it was safe to travel this way. After all, there were houses above them, and streets that were crowded with noisy stinking vehicles, called motorcars and motorcycles. Could these many underground tunnels really carry the weight of the Muggle world above them if Muggles weren't capable of using magic?

He remembered that father and his friends had often made snide remarks about Muggle transportation, claiming that it wasn't safe. That pride goes before a fall, and didn't it happen that their metal birds came crashing down? What were they called? Ah, yes- Aeroplanes. Hadn't Raven mentioned they would get on a... plane? Could she have possibly meant such an aeroplane? Recalling that, he began to panic. Wouldn't it be much safer to take the risk of their trip being monitored but arrive in one piece at their final destination?

Regulus didn't dare to voice his concern, though. Raven and Severus shouldn't think he was a coward and they didn't seem to be worried about their chosen means of transport. Well, at least Raven wasn't. Severus might be a tad nervous, but even that was hard to tell since there was simply no way of reading Severus Snape if he didn't give you the explicit permission; he really was extremely difficult to figure out.

"Stop fretting!" Raven elbowed him again when they disembarked the tube at Heathrow Airport and made their way through a huge hall, crowded with Muggles coming and going, and they all seemed to be in a hurry.

Despite the hectic mess all around them, Raven steered them safely through it and to the check-in counter where she used a subtle Confundus Charm to make them believe that Regulus Black did actually have a valid passport.

-o-

The large metal bird looked imposing. It couldn't possibly fly without magic.

On the other hand, there were more than just the one aeroplane they were going to board. Regulus stared out of the window and saw many of them; some were landing while others were taking off . There was even a certain... grace to it.

And Regulus was fascinated. Once again he realized what a fool he had been to believe in the Dark Lord's propaganda; that he had believed it would be easy to enslave the Muggles; that they wanted to be the slaves of wizards because they had no magic. But people who were capable of creating such massive metal birds were definitely not inferior; they weren't helpless and desperate and barely able to survive without magic. It was all a big, big lie and he had been wrong about so many things

Disgust welled up within him, the bitter taste of bile on his tongue. He had watched Muggles and Muggleborns die at the hands of Death Eaters, and although he himself hadn't participated in any slaughter or torture, he felt as if there was blood on his hands, too. Because he hadn't done anything to stop them.

He glanced at Severus, wondering what he had experienced while enjoying the dubious hospitality of the Dark Lord. Even if he hadn't sold his soul to him, yet. But was there a way to back out? A polite, 'thank you, I'm not interested,' wouldn't do- that much for sure. Once you were in the Dark Lord's grip there was no return.

Their only chance was to find and destroy his Horcruxes. A task almost too big for three teenagers.

Again he pondered if perhaps they should have turned to Dumbledore for support, instead of going on a trip to America the Muggle way.

His stomach seemed to drop when the engines of the metal bird started to roar. Dear Merlin, what a sound. It seemed to set his teeth on edge and he briefly wondered if he would be able to remember the security instruction in case of an accident... or would it be safer to simply Disapparate?

But then the plane took off, and Regulus felt a strange jolt of excitement rushing through him. Only a little later a had forgotten all his worries and was already flirting with the stewardess, a pretty young Muggle woman by the name of Betty who was serving drinks and a plain meal to the passengers.

Wasn't that amazing? You didn't get anything to eat or drink when you were using a Portkey!

Well, but a Portkey travel didn't take long, though.

After almost an hour had passed, Regulus thought it a good idea to address Raven. "How long did you say will it take us to get to America?"

Yawning, she replied, "'bout eight hours."

"Ah." His face fell. Eight hours? Never mind the free meal and drinks, but Portkey travel was decidedly faster. Muggles seemed to have a lot of time on their hands.

-o-

Two hours later, Regulus got a little bored. Raven had fallen asleep, her head resting comfortably on Severus' shoulder, while Severus himself was brooding over... whatever.

So Regulus decided to used the opportunity to broach a topic he couldn't help wondering about.

"How comes you're not an item?"

Severus shot him a perplexed and slightly annoyed glance; he really didn't know what the other was talking about. "I beg your pardon?"

"I'm talking about you and lovely Miss Lestrange. Why aren't you together?"

Severus decided not to answer such an absurd question but Black kept on pestering him.

"Come on, I saw you snogging at the graduation ball."

"That was just-" Severus held his tongue before he could blurt out 'for academic purpose', because that would have meant to admit his lack of experience when it came to snogging. Blood rushed to his cheeks when he recalled the situation, so he lowered his head and let his hair curtain his face. Regulus was not to see him blush. It had been one of the best moments in his life and yet so very wrong.

"Why don't you just mind your own business?" He replied in a waspish tone.

"Don't tell me she's not hot."

"Raven is my friend."

"And she's pretty."

"Indeed, but I am not like your brother who can't keep his... wand to himself. I don't feel the need to sleep with every pretty witch that comes my way."

"Ah, so you've noticed that she's pretty."

"I never questioned that. Raven is an attractive, intelligent witch."

"So why don't you-?"

"Black!" Severus growled threateningly, but the boy had the nerve to smile at him.

"We're friends now, Severus, so you may as well use my first name."

"Just mind your own business, Regulus."

Regulus, however, didn't give in. "Is it because of Evans? I know you had a crush on her-"

"Keep Lily out of this!"

"You still fancy her? Blimey! Even after she chose Potter of all people over you? You must be kidding. And I almost thought you were decent."

Severus turned to scowl dangerously at him; his hand even reached for his wand. But then he thought better of using his wand in a plane crowded with Muggles, some thousand feet above a vast ocean. Instead he snarled. "Do you have problems with her being Muggleborn?"

"No, not at all," Regulus replied and it sounded honest. "I only have problems with you being a fool. Forget about Evans, Severus. She's not the right witch for you-"

"Ah, but you've come to know me well enough to decide who's the right witch for me?" Severus cut in in a tone that was dripping with sarcasm. "Do I owe that to the typical arrogance of the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black?"

Regulus shook his head no and sighed. This was getting more difficult than he had expected, but he refused to give in now. "I... you know, Severus, there are three types of girls- or witches. There are sluts; girls that fuck everyone for their own advantage. May it be for fortune or a dubious reputation. Then there are the prudish ones who won't let you get into their knickers unless you present them with a big fat sparkling wedding ring. They are the perfect trophy wives. Stunningly beautiful and socially accepted, but at night they'll leave you hang out dry and sexually frustrated because a shag will ruin their hairstyle. Actually, they don't like much to have sex at all and so they use your desire to blackmail you into all sorts of stupid promises-"

"Interesting," Severus retorted, obviously bored.

Regulus continued, "and then there are those girls who love with their hearts, souls and bodies. Admittedly, they are hard to find-"

"Speaking of your own experience now?"

"Perhaps-"

"Please spare me the details."

"Oh, it was never my intention to talk about my relationships," Regulus grinned, hiding his thoughts about a girl he had loved and lost. A couple of days ago, Severus had complained that his face being like an open book and that he couldn't Occlude his mind, but that wasn't quite true. Regulus Black had long learned that it was always easier to hide behind a cheerful expression, and so he smiled again. "I'm worrying about yours."

"There's nothing to worry about."

"Exactly. Nothing. Because you are an idiot. You're too blind to see that Raven is in love with you."

-o-

It took Severus a moment to fully grasp what the boy had just said. But even after mulling his words over and over again, they didn't seem to make much sense. Raven was in love with him? No, that couldn't be. Black must have said it in jest, trying to make a fool of him. Perhaps the posh little pure-blood was already cheering inwardly about his stunned reaction, looking for the glimmer of hope to light up his eyes so that he could shatter it with a taunting laugh... because he, unattractive as he was, dared to believe the whelp spoke the truth. But he refused to give him that triumph and so he merely cocked a sophisticated brow at the whelp. Severus knew well enough that pretty witches didn't just fell in love with him.

On the other hand, hadn't Edie shown quite an interest in him once? They had kissed, and although it had been nothing in comparison to the way Raven had kissed him at the graduation ball, it had been quite a pleasant experience. Well, at least for him. Apparently not for Edie, though, because she had never made another attempt to kiss him..

He turned his head to glance at Raven. She had nestled her head in the crook of his shoulder and was snoring peacefully.

They were friends- best friends. Nothing more and nothing less. He was happy with that. Her unwavering friendship made him happy, and he wouldn't ruin another friendship by developing feelings that were neither appropriated nor requited... and yet, his heart seemed to make a jolt at the sight of her, sleeping so comfortably next to him...

"Ladies and gentlemen, we are about to land at New York JFK International airport. Please make sure your seats are in an upright position," an impersonal voice from the speakers interrupted his thoughts.

-o-

Raven stirred; she woke with a yawn and still felt strangely exhausted despite her having slept through almost the whole flight. Groggily she raised her head to see if the boys had managed to not kill each other in the meantime. She knew it would take a while for Severus to become friends with Regulus and that the boy could be as annoying as his brother, though in a more charming way.

Clandestinely she looked at Severus, who gave her an odd glance face. Her heart fell. All of a sudden she felt like a fool, hoping he would ever come to love her. She had to remind herself that she was not Lily Evans, the pretty and popular Head Girl.

The thought dragged her down, mentally as well as physically. Raven actually had to ask for Severus' assistance when it came to steering Regulus through the customs, simply because she didn't trust her magical abilities enough to Confound the Muggle customs officers all on her own.

-o-

In the end, all went well. They made it through the customs without raising suspicion and used Muggle public transport to get to Manhattan, where the very heart of New York's social and commercial wizarding life was situated. Raven wanted to use an unobtrusive owl from the post office to inform Professor Steel of their arrival in the United Wizarding States, and besides, she didn't know the precise whereabouts of the Auror. She only knew that she was working at Auror headquarters of the Western Ministry of Magic in Los Angeles, but that was too vague an idea to even think about making a trip across a county that was so many times bigger than Europe.

They left the subway at 81 Street. Regulus was gaping again, this time at the skyline in the distance. The buildings were as tall as towers reaching high up in the sky, and there were so many of them as if it was a forest made of stone.

"Stop gaping," Raven chided him with the help of her elbow. She urged him to move on and they walked around the Museum of National History to a telephone booth that seemed to be broken, but when you dialled 62442, MAGIC, an elevator took you downwards.

Just like Diagon Alley in London, the centre of New York's wizarding commerce was hidden well from the sight of Muggles. That, however, was the only thing these two places had in common. Unlike Diagon Alley, the Magical Manhattan Mall was underground and huge in size, since it was just as large as the Central Park above of them. A magically enchanted ceiling- similar to the one at Hogwarts- presented a clear blue sunny sky (even if it was raining outside) and the temperature was also magically controlled to a degree that most people found pleasurable.

There were more elevators like the one Raven, Severus and Regulus had used, all disguised as broken telephone booths and warded with Anti-Muggle precautions so that they would just not perceive them. Also, there were rows of fireplaces from where witches and wizards continuously stepped into the underground shopping mall or left; it seemed to be a never-ending flow of magical customers.

Many of them- especially the elder ones- were dressed in traditional wizarding robes. The younger magical folks, however, seemed to prefer the more casual Muggle fashion of these days, and so Raven, Severus and Regulus didn't stand out in the crowd as much as they would have in Diagon Alley.

The shops in the Magical Manhattan Mall were selling almost the same items as those in Diagon Alley. You could buy cauldrons, wands, robes and other wizarding wear, potion ingredients, wizarding candy, magical joke products or beasts, books and stationery. The difference was the sheer amount of shops. There were at least four apothecaries advertising the freshness of their products in bold sparkling letters, apparently the magical equivalence to Muggle neon lights.

Also, the shops were much larger and more modern, even if they still looked slightly old-fashioned in comparison to the Muggle world of New York, only a few yards above of the Magical Manhattan Mall. On the other hand, there were a few shops selling quite fashionable clothes for young wizards and witches- if you considered the late 60's the height of fashion, Raven thought at the sight of batik-dyed shirts, and she noticed that many magical youngsters here were dressed in flower-power style, wearing long hair adorned with flowers.

At least they didn't look quite as pathetic as British wizards and witches trying to dress up as Muggles, and even the music coming from some of the shops was late 60's/early 70's-

'...if you're going to San Francisco, be sure to wear some flowers in your hair...'

Although Raven chuckled silently about the hippies, she didn't feel any real amusement as she walked on. Next, they passed New York's branch of Gringotts, which appeared to be the exact replica of its main office in London, made of snowy-white marble with bronze doors. It just didn't tower over the other shops like it did in Diagon Alley; instead it looked like a relict from long forgotten times in midst of the flashing and sparkling, magically illuminated advertising of the Manhattan Mall.

On their way through the mall, they also passed a number of bars and restaurants, ice cream parlours, snack bars, hotels and guest-houses. There simply was everything for everybody, ranging from expensive to low-budget.

Although Raven loved to go shopping, there was no time to waste now. Almost hastily she led her friends through the crowd, heading for the post office; she knew where it was since she had been to the Magical Manhattan Mall when visiting her parents.

Severus stopped for a moment to glance at the display of an antiquarian book shop. Raven reacted unusually irritated.

"Snape!" She hissed rather waspishly. "Don't dally. We're not here to buy bloody books."

-o-

He shot her a perplexed glance. What was that? She never called him 'Snape'. But what had he expected anyway? That she suddenly declared her undying love for him?

Usually, Severus knew when someone was trying to take the piss out of him and he should have known better than to trust a Black. He had watched her closely ever since the damned whelp had stated that Raven was in love with him. What a bullshit! Of course she wasn't in love with him. And at the moment, she was giving him the cold shoulder for whatever reason.

So Black had tried to fool him. Perhaps a tiny bit of wishful thinking on his own part had been supportive, but in the end it was idiotic of him to believe that a pretty witch like Raven could possibly fall for him. Why did he care anyway? After all, he wasn't in love with her either. They were just friends. That was all. He loved Lily.

And yet... the naughty little voice inside his head whispered, reminding him of moments they had been close and his body had reacted to hers, and it reminded him of the kiss they had shared at the graduation ball... it was a memory that still sent a pleasant shudder down his spine and into his- no, he had to exercise more control over his... needs...

Raven was not in love with him and he was not in love with her; it was as simple as that. Black was a liar just like his brother, but Severus wouldn't let either of them mess about with him.

-o-

Finally, they reached the post office. Raven scribbled down a note and sent it by owl post to Professor Steel, telling her vaguely that they needed her help in a delicate matter. Then the friends walked back down the main road but soon turned left into a small alley.

There, the sparkling of magical neon lights ended. The atmosphere became slightly darker and reminded them of Knockturn Alley; the same shady sort of people was crowding the streets. Hags and whores, warlocks and wanna-be dark wizards were looking for an adventure.

The houses in that area were crooked and old, some even derelict with broken windows and paint peeling off the walls. It was the eldest part of wizarding New York, founded in the late 18th century.

The Asphodel Root Guesthouse- where they would be staying to wait for Steel's reply- was one of those crooked houses that stood in stark contrast to the rest of the Magical Manhattan Mall, although it used to be one of its finest buildings At the dawn of the 19th century it was the place for young wizards or witches on their Grand Tour, but since that habit came out of fashion in the 20th century, the Asphodel Root Guesthouse lost most of its former grandeur. Now it was just a shabby and rotten place like many others in that alley, still holding the odour of great times but nowadays it was mingled with the scent of filth.

It was just that sort of place where nobody would ask questions if they checked out again after only a few hours. Nobody would give a damn. Just like nobody would give a damn about the history of that building, Raven thought as she opted against giving the boys a lecture in history. They didn't care anyway- after all, she was the only history geek around.

A freak. Always on a balancing act between two worlds but never belonging to any of them. All of a sudden she became painfully aware of the fact that she wasn't as pure-blooded as Regulus Black; not as popular and pretty as Lily Evans; not as brilliant a mind as Severus

She was just a punk. An outcast, shunned by her peers. She was the Fat Crow- the feeling of rejection hit her like a bolt out of the blue, and yet that feeling was not unfamiliar. She would always be like this; unpopular, unwanted... unlovable. Always only second best. How could she have hoped to ever push Lily Evans off her pedestal that Severus had so unwaveringly built for her, praising her to the skies. Severus would never come to love her because she just wasn't Lily. Where Lily had virtues, she only had flaws.

Merlin, I'm so stupid, Raven thought, feeling small and and vulnerable; without any hope left. It almost made her want to weep. On the other hand, she didn't want to lower her guards; didn't want to show weakness. Not in front of the boys. Not here and now...

o-

Regulus wrinkled his nose when it became obvious that Raven wanted them to stay at the Asphodel Root Guesthouse since the place didn't look very inviting. In spite of its historic background, he was used to more high-end accommodations.

"Stop pulling such a face, you posh little pure-blood brat!" Raven chided him harshly as she turned to glare at him. "I'd also prefer to stay at the Ritz-Carlton, but unfortunately they don't welcome owls there-"

"Ritz who?" Regulus possessed the nerve to ask, ignoring the tone of her voice as well as her infuriated glare. Perhaps one developed such an indifference to danger when one grew up being the younger brother of Sirius Black.

"Do not distract," she snarled, thinking about the comforts of room-service, king-size beds and clean bathrooms- something that the Asphodel Root Guesthouse definitely lacked in. As she took a look around, she shook her head and sighed to herself, 'never mind.' Then she glanced at Regulus again, reminding him that they hadn't made the long way across the ocean to enjoy the pleasantries of Muggle high-end accommodations; they were in New York to wait for Professor Steel's reply.

"Besides," she added, "no one's asking questions here."

"Definitely not," Regulus grinned at her and pointed, with a nod of his head, in the direction of the neighbouring room, where some strangers were obviously having fun, "there's no need to ask any questions."

Raven blushed ever so slightly and so did Severus.

-o-

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait too long. A mere two hours after Raven had posted her request, an owl brought the reply from Professor Steel.

The letter contained only a short message; it read: 'This is a Portkey. It activates exactly 5 minutes after uncoiling the parchment.'

The youngsters were excited. They couldn't wait to leave the Asphodel Root Guesthouse behind since the past two hours hadn't been pleasant at all; the tension between the three of them had been growing steadily. Especially Raven seemed to be unusually wound tight.

They all took hold of the parchment and only a little later they came face to face with Professor Steel again.

The Auror hadn't changed much. She still looked like a female version of Mad-Eye Moody, wearing her scars with pride and her silvery-grey hair short. Her voice sounded as if she gargled with barbed wire; it was rough and hoarse and yet powerful.

"Freeze!" She bellowed as soon as the friends appeared in what looked like a living room, but they couldn't take a thorough look around since they found themselves incapable of moving at all. Meanwhile, Professor Steel scanned them from head to toe with keen, vigilant eyes. "Miss Lestrange, pleased to meet you. What were you wearing when we first met at Hogwarts?"

Naturally, an Auror of Alice Steel's reputation wouldn't let just any random visitor enter her house. As a matter of course, she would ask a question like this to make sure that the person in front of her was indeed the person she knew and not his or her impersonator. 'Constant vigilance' wasn't only Auror Moody's catchphrase but also hers, and perhaps there were only two kind of Aurors anyway: those who had internalised that phrase and lived it every moment of their life- and dead ones...

Raven tried to always remember that (if she'd ever get the chance of being accepted into Auror training) as she replied- and contrarily to being caught in a Full Body-Bind, she was able to reply indeed. "I was wearing my beloved star-spangled platform boots. Ol' Sluggy... um, I mean... Professor Slughorn... seemed to find them quite offending..."

She fell silent when nothing in Professor Steel's face gave away the slightest hint whether her answer was satisfying or not; instead, the Auror was addressing Severus next. "Mr Snape, what did you want to learn and where did we meet for that purpose?"

"Wandless magic in the Room of Requirement," Severus replied coolly.

Again, Professor Steel didn't show any emotional response. But then she arched a quizzical brow at Regulus. "Mr Black. Now that is quite a surprise. What brings you here? All good things come in threes?"

"Um, Ma'am... it's about the Horcruxes!"

Severus groaned inwardly. A more strategic and sensible approach would have been to ask a question in return to see if Professor Steel was indeed herself and not someone impersonating her. But apparently the witch in front of them was really their former Defence against the Dark Arts teacher because she released the spell on the friends and didn't transfigure into an angry Dark Lord who had figured out their betrayal.

"What do you youngsters know about Horcruxes?" Professor Steel sounded astounded but also a little shocked and sad. "Kids of your age should worry about the next date and not have to deal with something that dark and sinister."

"Alas, the Dark didn't come knocking at our door, asking if the moment was opportune."

"Ah, as sardonic as ever, Mr Snape? Of course, I know that- don't think me a fool. I know what's going on at your side of the magical world. But please forgive an old hag her sentimentalities, wishing you kids to grow up in more peaceful times.

"Now, sit down and tell me the reason of your unexpected visit."

It was Regulus who finally spoke, blaming it all on him. He had joined the Dark Lord's ranks before he'd even finished school; he had believed in Voldemort's pure blood propaganda for he had been raised with the very same belief- that wizards were superior to Muggles because they could do magic. He had been stupid, believing that Muggles would just agree to that. Of course he'd been wrong, terribly wrong. And so very, very foolish to expect the Dark Lord's rise to tyranny would go without murder and torture...

"Come to the point, Black!" Severus interrupted the younger wizard's litany of self-accusation. "Stop wallowing in your own misery and tell Professor Steel about the Horcruxes."

Regulus recalled how the Dark Lord had been boasting with his power and his immortality, and so he told it all. Professor Steel listened with interest.

"May I see the item in question?" She asked after Regulus finished telling his tale. The boys glanced expectantly at Raven who had been unusually quiet.

"Raven, please hand the locket to Professor Steel." Severus nudged her gently to ascertain she hadn't fallen asleep in the meantime. They were all tired; it had been a long day.

Wearily, Raven reached for the chain around her neck and pulled until the locket emerged from beneath her shirt.

"Merlin!" Professor Steel gasped. "Now I know why you appeared so... distracted to me. Dear, did you wear that awful thing all the way since London?"

Raven merely nodded, feeling tired and disillusioned beyond control.

"Hand it over, dear girl. You'll feel better then."

All of a sudden, Raven raised her head in alarm. "You want to steal it from me?" Her own voice sounded strange to her, almost shrilly. Nevertheless, she obeyed- or, to be more precise, she didn't fight Severus when he offered his assistance and helped her to pull the chain over her head. Something inside her screamed; it was a loud, piercing shriek that mourned the loss of her precious locket. At the same time, it felt as if a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders and, being capable to think more clearly again, she wondered why she had been averse to part with it voluntarily.

"It's the Horcrux' bad influence," Steel replied as though she could read her thoughts.

The boys were a tad baffled, especially Regulus. "You mean, Raven could feel it, too?"

"Of course, you stupid kids. Did you actually believe something as dark and evil wouldn't try to corrupt her? Fortunately this lass is as stubborn as a mule and therefore not that easy to corrupt. And yet, it took its toll on her."

"Sorry, Raven." Regulus offered, sounding sheepish.

"Never mind." She winked his worries away and glanced at Professor Steel. "So we were right and this really is a Horcrux?"

"It is." The Auror performed a series of spells before she nodded in the affirmative. "Bloody hell! You're holding the key to Voldemort's destruction in your hands and you couldn't think of anyone else to run to but me? Isn't there any opposition against Voldemort in wizarding Britain ?"

"Dumbledore and his Order of the Phoenix," Raven replied. She was feeling better, more positive, with every minute since she had parted with the Horcrux. "Alas, he's only leading lambs to slaughter in a fight he could not win. There are others, though, who don't seem to mind being lambs for the greater good."

"Ah, but that's the nature of every clandestine organisation. They are recruited from among the dedicated with romantic ideas of heroism-"

"Gryffindors." Severus said with a hint of contempt in his tone.

"Well, let's say all those who treasure courage and devotion more than coolly calculated strategies."

"So... Gryffindors."

Professor Steel smirked. Yes, most likely the recruits of Dumbledore's Order were from his favoured house and perhaps that was the flaw of his plan for it needed more than devotion and heroism if you wanted to defy someone like Lord Voldemort. Who was neither just a misled black sheep, nor was he just a mad megalomaniac. It wasn't as easy as that. From what she knew about Tom Riddle- and little did she know of Hogwarts former star pupil since Dumbledore preferred to not give away too much information- he was a very intelligent student (the brightest of his year) and he had the cunning of a Slytherin.

To Alice Steel, cunning was not per se a negative term. To her, it described the ability of a person to give things a different approach even if that was often rather selfish. Well, you had to be quite selfish to last that long as an Auror, so that idea wasn't unfamiliar to her. There was no use in sacrificing yourself if there were so many more things you could do by simply staying alive... instead of jumping headlong into any danger that comes your way.

So in her opinion, those kids in front of her had done just right. They had come to her, were trusting her more than they trusted Dumbledore and his preoccupation against Slytherins, simply because he had misjudged Tom Riddle. And now, he was sending young wizards and witches into a war against what was his greatest folly- well, next to hesitating for too long before he'd set out to defy Grindelwald...

"So, is there a way to destroy Horcruxes?"

Regulus Black's question interrupted her thoughts. She flashed him a smile, for a moment being reminded of his elder brother (who'd been the pest of her classes, along with his prodigious sidekick and partner in crime, James Potter.) But where Sirius was self-righteous to the fullest, the younger Black seemed to be more earnest despite his rashness. Of course, he wanted to know. That boy had been lead astray by old traditions still alive in his family but- realizing that and recognizing the errors of his ways- he had made a full turn around in order to remedy his wrongs.

She appreciated that more than any stubborn self-righteousness, for there was so much more bravery in admitting one's faults instead of always being right.

"Little is known about the destruction of Horcruxes. Most tales just tell us how they were made undone- by remorse."

"Unlikely, in Lord V's case." Raven deadpanned

"I agree- "

"But there must be a way to destroy them." Severus interjected. "You told us that the Dark Arts are the most imaginative branch of wizardry and witchcraft because it challenges you to fight something that is as unfixed, mutating and just as ever-changing as evil itself. And you spoke about balance."

"Indeed. And I am very proud that you seem to have memorized my first lesson very well, Mr Snape. Now, let me tell you that every evil has its counterpart in the world of light and that I once met a shaman who claimed that a captured soul could be released- his words, not mine- with the help of Basilisk venom. Whereas an old Asian priest told me the only way to free a soul is by the powers of a great, devastating fire."

"It is nigh impossible to get any pure Basilisk venom these days, " spoke the Potions geek.

"Ah, there are ways," replied the Auror, twinkling mischievously at Severus. "The other alternative is quite a risky one, though, since very few wizards or witches are actually capable of controlling Fiendfyre. It's easy to ignite but almost impossible to stop."

"Fire! Is Fiendfyre the only solution?" Raven wondered aloud. "I mean, is the all-devouring nature of Fiendfyre that matters? Or is it just the heat and the flames?"

"Well, you can't throw a Horcrux into your fireplace and hope to destroy it; a more devastating temperature is required to destroy not only the object but also the part of the soul stored in it."

Raven mulled Steel's words over for a moment. And then, all of a sudden, everything seemed to make sense to her. It couldn't be a coincidence. There were too many similarities...

"So, if Fiendfyre itself isn't necessarily required, what about throwing the damnable Horcrux into a bloody volcano?"

Severus frowned at her. He knew where that idea was coming from and he thought it absurd. "Please, do me the favour and try to distinguish the real world from that of your fantasy novels."

It came as quite a surprise that Professor Steel didn't dispel Raven's idea the very moment she mouthed it. Instead, she arched a brow at Severus.

"Mr Snape, now I am truly amazed. You read Tolkien?"

"I made him," Raven admitted with a slight smile

Severus rolled his eyes. Meanwhile, Regulus had no clue at all what they were talking about. He wished they'd fill him in without him having to ask questions that would only make him look stupid.

"Well, although Tolkien's portrayal of elves and wizards was mightily absurd there's a grain of truth in every fairy tale. Your idea, Miss Lestrange, does actually make sense to me."

"Do we have to find Mount Doom now?" Severus asked in a mocking tone, still not believing that Professor Steel of all people could possibly fall for Raven's weird ideas copied from a fantasy book.

"Oh, we don't have to make that long a journey to find an active volcano," the Auror smirked as she turned an old mug into a Portkey, glancing expectantly at her three young visitors. "Come on, kids. Have you ever been to Hawaii?"