Hello again! Well, I must say it took me a little while before to be ready to finally post that next bit. Two reasons: one, I wanted to write a little further in the story, to avoid getting stuck as I ended up on 'Warlocks', and two, a little plot bunny found its way in my mind and I had to at least write a little about it, if only to get it to leave my brain! Now, back with my full attention on this story!

Mandatory author's notes for this chapter:

First, before to begin the next chapter, after a long thinking process and a fierce debate with myself, I have decided a minor change in this story. But since I had already uploaded the first chapter, I needed to modify it and update it. So, in order to avoid any confusion, I want to underline right here that Kenneth's cousin's name has been changed from Galaad Lionheart to Gareth Lionheart. The change may appear pointless, but I did so to avoid confusion in a later story that I've planned and for the cohesion of the Lionheart Clan as I see it. Since he appears in the following lines, do not feel surprised to see 'Gareth' instead of 'Galaad' and be reassured that it is no oversight on my part.

Second, this chapter is the first to include the elements I mentioned when publishing the prologue, that came from the quill of Beth AKA "Phoenix-Song", about her view of the Marauders' background. Just thought I'd mention it. I'll detail what these elements were after the chapter is done.

A trip to Hogwarts, and nothing less than a miracle!

It was a rainy day. The first of September. The sky was a darkened grey, and water was pouring endlessly over London. Fortunately, King's Cross Station was sheltered from the rain. Kenneth was serenely pacing Platform Nine and Three Quarters, waiting to be allowed on the train.

Today he was going back to school, for his sixth year. He would start preparing for his final exams, the NEWTs, which would take place in his seventh and final year. His OWLs results had arrived mid-point of his summer and he had been relieved to have done rather well in his exams. He had even managed an E in potions, meaning he still had a chance to get into the NEWT class of Severus Snape. Not that he liked Potions that much, mind you, but this was a compulsory subject to follow, if he wanted to be allowed into Auror training.

Of course, some may think that Kenneth willing to become an Auror was just to emulate the career of both his parents, but Kenneth could not deny the urge, something pulling him toward this path. One could have called this a calling, if that hadn't been a pompous way of saying it.

Kenneth looked around. The platform was far from crowded at this point. He had been dropped early by his father, on his way to work. Neither he nor Lancelot felt the need to make a big thing out of Kenneth heading to school. Now, Kenneth was waiting for his friends to show up... No, he wasn't, to be honest. He was waiting for someone else. He was waiting for Julie. He was hoping to see her alone before they would be surrounded by eavesdroppers. A small hope that was dashed by the next sound he heard.

"Hey, Lionheart!" called a girl's voice behind him.

He turned to see a tall, black girl, walking to him. She was grinning broadly. She was his best friend, Kalindra Johnson, fellow Gryffindor sixth year, and a childhood pal. Kenneth sighed a little but smiled to his friend. She hugged him warmly, and he didn't mind that much. She had always been more demonstrative than he was and he was used to her hugs, though he wasn't used to those by anyone else. It was comforting to have such a simple relationship with her.

"How was that summer?" she asked.

"Weird," said Kenneth. "I had a lot to think about."

"About Who-I-Think?" teased Kalindra.

"Well, yes," said Kenneth, sighing. "But not only. I had to think of my future. You know, now that I've come into my legacy, I wondered what to do with it."

"And?"

"Well, I got enough OWLs to get into all the NEWTs class I need to aim for Auror Academy. So I guess I'll just have to focus on that, and my path is clear after that."

"Another Auror in your family?" asked Kalindra, with a chuckle. "Don't you think there has been quite enough of those?"

Clan Lionheart had always had a grand tradition of Aurors among them, which made total sense, given the gifts they shared. Kalindra was aware of that, being a frequent guest at Lionheart Hall. This summer, though, she had been abroad, and couldn't have visited as much as usual.

"I guess they will endure one more," said Kenneth. "How about your OWLs?"

"I got seven of them," said Kalindra proudly. "I screwed up my divination test."

"I told you not to take the subject in the first place," said Kenneth, with sympathy.

"Well, more accurately, I remember you telling me that I would fail in Divination, that it was my destiny. Perhaps you should have taken it and made that prediction to Marchbanks. You would have gotten an O."

"Wouldn't have worked, I come after you in the alphabetical order," said Kenneth. "She would have called it cheating."

They both laughed at that. Kalindra clearly wasn't thta upset about her Divination failure. Kenneth knew that she only had taken it to round up her schedule in third year, but that it had also been been a way to find herself in the same study group as Rob Drakefang. Even back then, she had been thinking about it, despite her protest that her crush on him was recent. Since she hadn't asked him out yet, the entire class had been pointless, for her and Kenneth did not expect her to go on with that.

"So, the other subjects?" asked Kenneth.

"I got an O in Care of Magical Creatures, Charms, and Transfiguration. Now, I guess I can go and pester McGonagall to see if I can succeed in becoming an Animagus," said Kalindra.

This had been her dream for a long time, now.

"That's great, Kallie," said Kenneth, smiling.

"So you have the OWLs requirements for Auror, huh?" said Kalindra. "So the 'wand subjects', right? Transfiguration, Charms, and Defence against the Dark Arts?"

Kenneth nodded. His father Lancelot had been quite proud that he had achieved three Os in those. He had said that it made sense, but in a Clan of Wandmaster, there were still some expectations. To succeed in those classes was no surprise, but a good indicator of the width of his gifts with the Wand.

"I scraped an E in Potions, probably by miracle," Kenneth explained. "Since Snape had to lower his standards, I think I'll be in. And I got also an E in Astronomy and Arithmancy. So I got six OWLs over E and I guess I can get in enough NEWTs to have a chance of becoming an Auror. I got eight OWLs on the whole. Dad was pleased."

"I'm sure he was," said the voice of Jennifer Windhill, who walked to them. "That's an impressive result," she added with a smile.

"Thanks," said Kenneth. "I guess you did better, though, didn't you?"

"Only by one," said Jennifer, with a smile and a nod at the implied compliment. "I managed an A in Divination," she said rolling her eyes. "I succeeded in telling her true age to Professor Marchbanks, so I guess she thought I was at least lucky enough…"

"I got a P in Divination," said Kalindra, imitating Jennifer's expression. "I guess she thought I was doomed from the start."

"Honestly, Kalindra, I wouldn't bother too much about your Divination," said Mandy Williams, who joined them, walking with Rob Drakefang. "I managed a T in there. Tofty said I should better never give any advice on anyone's future. That was a life-time ban, too."

"That's an awful thing to say," said Jennifer, shocked.

"I'm not sure," said Mandy, laughing. "He was laughing like mad when he said it and I was ready to bang my head on the table."

She had a light, aerial laugh. It contrasted somehow with her outlook. She had short, black hair, a little untidy, but quite impressive. And she had three rings in her left ear, and two in the right. She had thick lines of black makeup around her eyes, which made her look like a gothic, according to Rob, who was Muggle born. Kalindra greeted Mandy by jumping to her neck. Then, she kissed Rob on the cheek, which surprised everyone, and Rob in the first place. Kenneth hid a smile behind his hand. Kalindra of course noticed it and threw him a chilling look, as if to dare him to speak up, which only made him laugh.

There was a slight whistling sound, who warned the people waiting on the platform that they could get on the train. Kenneth's friends all had parted from their parents after they had arrived in King's Cross, so they were ready to settle in a compartment.

But as they were heading for the train, a voice called after Kenneth.

"Well, look who is here! Isn't that the little lion?" it asked.

Kenneth turned on his heels, and faced the smiling tall, elegant man who was walking to him, across the platform. He was wearing deep red robes, as he often did. He was walking confidently to him. He had a ponytail just like Kenneth. Kenneth's smile grew wider when he recognized him for sure. It was a great surprise to meet him down here!

"Gareth?" he said. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was in Diagon Alley, and I remembered 'September the first, around 11' and I figured you'd be here catching the good ole' Hogwarts Express. I decided to show up. Glad to see me?"

"Hell, yeah!" exclaimed Kenneth, hugging him. "Come on, you'll meet my friends."

He tucked him toward his group of sixth years. Mandy arranged her hair, smiling shyly. Kenneth smiled. Gareth had always had his effect on girls. He was tall, strongly built, with clear eyes and a well defined jaw. All in all, he was a ruggedly handsome fellow, if Sonia's words were to be trusted as a general female opinion. Kalindra was trying to hide her reaction to Gareth, because she was standing next to Rob. Jennifer was doing her best to seem only slightly interested, but she failed miserably.

"Alright, people, let me introduce you to Gareth Lionheart, my cousin," he said.

"So, these are the friends of the little lion?" asked Gareth, pleasantly. "I'm glad to meet you all. Hey, what if we get on this train and settle somewhere you can tell me all about my cousin in school?"

"You're getting on the train? But you're not allowed in Hogwarts," said Kenneth.

"Who will know about it?" asked Gareth, with a conspirational wink. "If anyone spots me on the train, I can disapparate at once. The Hogsmeade station isn't in the range of the anti-disapparation spell of the Hogwarts Grounds. Don't tell me you've never done things that were forbidden, Kenny!"

"Please, Gareth, spare me with the 'Kenny'," wept Kenneth, making all his friends laugh.

They got on the train in a very cheerful mood. As Gareth was following Mandy closely, Kenneth spotted someone who was getting on, at another door.

It was a young girl, with dark chestnut hair. Kenneth waved at her, and she waved back, smiling friendly. It was Kieran McDougall. She was always among the first on the train every year. Kenneth briefly wondered where Ian was. He usually was early at the station, too.

Ian ran through the barrier and hurried to the train, his father right behind him. Ewan and his mother followed, pushing Ewan's trolley, on the top of which a cage was swaying a little. The Owl that was in it was hooting wildly in protest of the treatment it was given on this mad trolley.

"Come on! We'll miss it!" exclaimed Ewan.

"Hey!" Ian shot back. "I'm not the one who overslept, okay?"

"Ian, that's enough," said Neve, pushing her son's trolley. "John, can you take care of the trunks with Ewan? We'll get the Owls inside, with Ian."

"Alright," said John. "Better get the kids in right after that. They'll be able to manage on their own."

Neve nodded. John smiled.

"Have a good term, Ian," he said, while Neve was hugging Ewan. They parted to the opposite ends of the train.

Neve and Ian put the cages of Merlin and Whirlwind, Ewan's new owl, up in the dedicated car of the train. Then she hugged her son and he rushed to get aboard. Just in time! The doors closed right behind him! He only had the time to turn and wave at his mother, before the Hogwarts Express started to move. She was soon out of sight. Ian suddenly felt back in the Hogwarts' mood. He was back in school. This idea was thrilling.

He headed to the compartment where he would find his friends, still trying to catch his breath from his rushed boarding. He didn't need to find his brother. Ewan would manage on his own just fine. He had a way with people that Ian had always admired for a kid. If Ewan ever needed to find him, He wouldn't have too much trouble.

"Hey, Ian," called the familiar voice of Kenneth Lionheart, from the compartment Ian was quickly walking by.

Ian stopped and passed his head through the door, smiling in spite of his panting. Kenneth was with some friends of his. Ian recognized Will Tyler, Jennifer Windhill, Rob Drakefang, Kalindra Johnson and Mandy Williams.

"Hi," he said.

"What's your rush?" asked the Gryffindor sixth year, smiling.

"Late," panted Ian. "Almost missed the train."

"A classic on September first, huh?" said a man who was sitting across Kenneth.

Ian didn't know him and he was clearly far older than anyone in the compartment. He was dressed in impressive red leathery robes and his hair was tied the exact same way as Kenneth's.

"Ian, this is Gareth, my cousin," said Kenneth. "Gareth, Ian Malcolm, the apprentice of Alexander Lockenburn."

"Impressive," said the Wandmaster, shaking hands with Ian. "Heard about your Mentor from a few acquaintances abroad. He's got a fearsome reputation, that one."

"Yeah, well, Alexander isn't as bad as they say," grinned Ian. "Besides, Kenneth, 'Apprentice' is really a mouthful, alright?"

"And he's modest," said Gareth, grinning. "Is that the boy who was with you when you saved that girl?"

"Among others," said Kenneth, wincing. "I see you heard about that."

"Who hasn't?" mocked Gareth. "I still have some contacts within the Order of the Phoenix. And the guys from the family I saw over the summer couldn't speak about anything else! Even old Uncle Elan… the old coot says you're the greatest matter of pride since Percival."

"Aw, Come on," said Kenneth, impatiently. "Grandpa has fought Grindenwald one-on-one. I did nothing like that!"

"I said 'since'," insisted Gareth, grinning. "You're the youngest Wandmaster of our bloodline in centuries, so I guess they make a bigger fuss about it, because of the age thing."

"Why do you sound annoyed, Kenneth?" asked Jennifer. "It's not like you have anything to be ashamed of. You saved Julie's life."

"It was normal," said Kenneth. "I don't think you can understand."

"Oh yes, they can, if you take the time to explain," said Gareth. "They look clever enough. You have to understand that the clan keeps their ethics in such high regard that they tend to be mysterious about it. Our family has a tradition of boy scouts you can't imagine," he went on explaining to the others. "And of course, Lancelot has raised modesty to some kind of religion. For him, we shouldn't boast about anything."

"Still, it was really brave," said Rob.

"Well, I don't like to be praised for that. In my position, anyone would have done the same. Ian can understand what I mean, can't you, Ian?" said Kenneth, with an insistent look to Ian.

Ian laughed lightly. He had struggled with the 'pride' of his mother the whole summer. Neve Malcolm had gone through some kind of emotional roller-coaster over the summer months, and so as a result, Ian had gotten both severe telling-offs and warm praise from her. At some point, she was so impressed that she had even said she would take him to her job, to introduce him to her friends. Ian had been so terrified by the prospect that his Dad had had to put a stop to it.

"Well," said Ian to Gareth. "It was nice to meet you. I need to find my friends. In case my brother would be looking for me."

"Your brother's starting Hogwarts?" asked Will.

Ian nodded.

"I can tell you that he's been beside himself the whole summer about it," he confirmed.

"I can't blame him," said Jennifer, smiling. "I was pretty excited myself."

"You've been excited once in your life?" exclaimed Will. "I thought it would have been unsuitable for a lady like you."

"Oh, shut up, William," said Jennifer, rolling her eyes.

Ian laughed with the others and bid them good bye. He left the compartment, and headed to the head of the train. He knew where to find Kieran and the others. They had been using the same compartment since the beginning of their first year. Kieran was always one of the firsts to get on the train, so she was able to save her friends some seats.

He reached the door, which had lowered stores. He didn't bother to knock. He just opened it, and walked in the compartment, only to receive a black pointed hat right in the face. Ian prevented it to fall on the floor, smiling.

"You're late," said the voice of Kieran.

It was a weird, yeat pleasant repeat of the same routine they had gone through last year. It did a lot to remind Ian of how different things were, now, due to the events of the previous term. Still, Kieran was right. He was indeed late, but he had a good excuse.

"Not my fault, Milady," he said, handing back the hat with a gracious bow. "How was your last week?" he asked Joel Andrews.

"Cool," said Joel, smiling broadly. "My parents felt compelled to plan something special after my weeks in the 'Magical house'."

Terry Longwand laughed, while shaking hands with Ian. Ian settled beside Kieran, and he felt suddenly better, feeling back where he belonged, somehow.

"So, what kept you?" asked Kieran, closing her book and looking at him.

"Ewan overslept," said Ian. "He's been unbearable the whole last week, about getting his new wand, about going to school, about the castle, being sorted, you name it… and the day he's actually supposed to go to Hogwarts, he can't wake up. Honestly…"

"He's young," said Terry, wisely.

"Oh, come off it, Longwand," objected Ian, frowning. "You must be three years older than him, and you act as if you were three years younger than him."

"That's Merlin's truth," said a girl voice at the door.

Diana Jones-Stickley and Gina Ribizzi were standing on the threshold of the compartment. They were both grinning widely.

"Will you grow up some day?" asked Gina.

"What a tragedy that would be," Said Terry.

Ian's grin turned a bit vicious ironic Gina sat beside Joel, with a strange resolution in her eye. Ian could tell that she was finally ready to make her move, this year. That was promising for the year to come. He succeeded in not laughing at his friend. But Kieran saw that he had a curious look on his face.

"What is it, Ian?" she asked.

"Too long to explain, Milady," he said, on a dismissive tone.

"Right," said Terry. "This year, the team a new Seeker in Gryffindor, so I'm in for the try-outs. Maybe I'll get the chance to finally beat you," he told Gina and Joel, who were both in the Ravenclaw Quidditch team.

While Terry had never been able to play the House team, he, Joel and Gina were in a contest for who was the best flyer. As a result, Terry tended to take any victory against the Gryffindor team personally. Ian, having determined very soon that he certainly couldn't claim that honour, was content to watch that rivalry from the sides, if only for its entertainement value.

"We'll see," said Gina, on a defying tone. "Joel is the best Chaser we had in a long time."

Joel blushed a little at the implied compliment. He was nervous at the thought of being complimented by a girl, especially a girl like Gina, whom he liked a lot. Ian found his nervousness amusing. Joel had received, at the end of last year, an anonymous letter from an admirer in the Ravenclaw Tower. It had caused him a great deal of panic. Ian knew all about the letter, since he had been the one to drop it on Joel's bed, at Gina's desperate request. So Ian was the most aware of the situation, and the first to laugh.

"I heard a crazy rumour," said Diana, changing the subject. "I heard Professor Potter and Miss Weasley are engaged."

"Wow," said Gina, really excited by the thought. "Maybe they'll throw a party in the school."

"Maybe," said Kieran, calmly. "I wonder what he does on a day like this," she said, looking through the train window.

Ian wondered for a moment what she meant. Then he understood. He had always seen the teachers on the start-of-term feast, but what could they be doing the rest of this day? Surely they weren't waiting for the students in the Castle all day long, like puppets waiting on a rack for the show to begin. They had their lives outside the School. Ian agreed with Kieran. It would be interesting to know what their teachers could be up to on the first day of the term.

"You do you realise that we should be at Hogwarts, right now, don't you?" asked Harry, trying to keep up with Hermione Granger-Weasley, who was walking quite fast, for someone who had given birth to a child only three weeks before.

"We mustn't be late," said Hermione.

They were rushing through the corridors of the St Mungo's hospital for Wizards, at the moment, which was more than a little puzzling and unsettling. Harry pushed back the feeling of uneasiness he always got whenever he came here. He looked at his best friend Ron Weasley, who was walking beside him, also trying to keep up with his wife. He too looked pretty uncertain as to why they were here.

"What is it all about, Hon?" Ron asked.

"You'll see," said Hermione.

"Is it about this thing you worked on whole summer?" Ron asked. "You seemed pretty excited about this."

"Yes," said Hermione. "That's exactly that. Now come on. We got to meet him at noon."

"Him?" asked Harry.

As they emerged in a Hall, Hermione still didn't bother to answer, as Harry could catch a glimpse of someone standing next to the counter of the Hospital, that he knew at once. Aside from Ron and Hermione, he didn't have a dearest friend in the world.

"Neville!" called Hermione, without slowing her pace.

Neville Longbottom turned to them and smiled, a little weakly, perhaps, but it was still a smile. If anyone beside Harry had a reason to feel down in St Mungo's, it had to be Neville. It was a reminder for him, never to forget the tragic fate of his parents. Harry wondered why Hermione had asked Neville to meet the three of them in St Mungo's of all places. This was unusually inconsiderate of her.

"Hello," said Neville, when they joined him.

He shook hands with Harry and Ron, and hugged Hermione.

"Sorry," he said. "But Luna couldn't make it. Ambre is a little sick."

"I hope it'll be alright," said Harry.

"No problem," said Neville. "It's nothing bad."

"You're here," said Hermione. "That's the most important. I've got something to show you."

She then tucked them to the elevators. Harry was beginning to worry. Hermione had that look, the one she usually wore when she expected something huge to happen. Neville looked suspiciously at Hermione, while she was pushing the button leading to the fourth floor, the one for the Spell Damage. His face closed somewhat a little more. Hermione noticed it, and smiled reassuringly.

"Neville," she said, "I must ask you to trust me, please."

"Alright," said Neville, sadly.

Harry suddenly remembered something about what Hermione had done over the summer. She had been working on the huge leather bound book she had brought back from the Maze of Era. The rituals in there were very powerful ones. The thought of the effects of these rituals led Harry to another conclusion. He had seen the result of one of the rituals up close and personal…

"You translated that book, right?" he said suddenly. "You found something!"

Hermione turned and beamed at him. She nodded excitedly.

"They've tried the ritual just hours ago," she said. "I got a warning from them."

She led them to the Spell Damage Ward. Neville grew darker with each step they were taking, but Harry began to suspect that something incredible may be about to happen. It was mad to think that they could…

"Here we are," said Hermione.

They were in the Janus Thickey Ward for Spell Damage that Harry and Neville knew far too well; Neville for having visited it for years, and Harry for having been stayed there right his fight against Voldemort. He had been touched by so many curses that he had almost died. But just as incredible as the fact that he had survived, he was now sure that something miraculous was about to happen.

The Head Nurse saw them enter and she nodded to Hermione. Then she recognized Neville. Her face was suddenly enlightened by a smile. She hurried herself to the Ward were Neville's parents were kept in care.

"Mrs Longbottom, you have a visitor," she said, brightly.

Neville turned to Hermione, and she nodded encouragingly. Slowly, he walked to the curtain separating his mother's ward from the rest of the room. Harry followed him.

"Hi, Mum," said Neville, sadly, as usual.

Harry had come here once or twice with him, and the reaction to this greeting had always been the same. But this time, for a wonderful moment, there was something different.

"Neville?" said a weak voice, almost a whisper.

Neville's head shot upright, as his eyes nearly popped out of his head. Harry looked at the bed. Sitting there, her fragile figure buried in pillows, was Alice Longbottom. But this time, her eyes looked different. They were lucid! They knew that someone was there!

"Mum?" Neville asked weakly, making three steps toward his mother, tears in his eyes.

"Is that you, Neville?" Alice asked.

"Yes, it's him, Mrs Longbottom," said the Head Nurse. "He's been visiting you very often during these years."

Alice's eyes suddenly filled with tears. Neville stumbled on the left side of the bed, and he took her hand, as gently as he could. But he couldn't stand it very long. He suddenly stood up and took his mother in his arms, fiercely hugging her against him. They stayed like that a long time, Neville crying on her shoulder. Alice was clearly enjoying every second of this contact.

"You're back!" Neville sobbed.

"Has it been that long?" asked Alice, still crying.

"I'm afraid so, Mrs Longbottom," said Hermione, who had also tears in her eyes. "We only found a cure for your condition a few days ago."

"You're back!" exulted Neville, still hugging his mother.

"Oh, my goodness, Neville, you're so grown up!" Alice said, moved by the strength of his arms. "And handsome," she added with a smile, caressing his cheek, as he was letting go of her. "You look so much like your Dad."

She then appeared to remember something.

"Frank! Where's Frank?" she asked urgently.

Hermione looked at the Nurse, who smiled and nodded.

"He's currently following the same ritual as you, Ma'am," she said. "Soon, he'll join you back in here, and we expect him to have recovered as well."

"That's brilliant," said Ron, squeezing Hermione's shoulder. "How did you pull that one off?"

"I only translated the ritual," said Hermione. "When I brought it to them, the top Healers of this place deduced from the effect it had on Waltz that it was kept voluntarily incomplete. That's why Waltz was only partly cured from his madness. The warlocks used that ritual as a way to turn madmen into slaves. Once the correction to the ritual was done, they used it on Neville's Mum."

Neville stood suddenly up, and hugged Hermione wildly, still sobbing.

"I owe you so much, Hermione," he said. "Thank you!"

"I couldn't do less, for one of the best men at my wedding," she said, smiling brightly. "Your parents' name was the first to come to mind. I mean, they suffered the exact same fate as Waltz, so..."

"Neville? Who are these people?" asked Alice, weakly.

"These are my friends," said Neville, sitting back to her bedside. "This is Hermione Granger-Weasley, her husband Ron Weasley, and…"

"James?" asked Alice, looking straight at Harry. "That's… impossible."

"No, Mum, this is Harry Potter," said Neville.

"I'm James' son," said Harry. "It's great to finally meet you properly, Mrs Longbottom."

"Little Harry?" said Alice, in amazement. "It's unbelievable how much you look like your dad."

"You knew Harry's Dad?" asked Neville.

"He was one of my best friends," said Alice. "I was maid of honour to his wedding with Lily. I'm so glad to see you okay, Harry. Frank and I were so worried about you, after your parents died. But how long has it been? Healers say we've been tortured into insanity. How long did we stay like this?"

"More than twenty years," said Harry, seriously.

"Twenty years… Voldemort!" began Alice, raising suddenly terrorized eyes. "These people… They wanted to know where he was. They believed he was still alive. Was it true?"

"It was true," said Hermione. "But he's gone, now."

"Thank Merlin!" sighed Alice. "Who did this to us?"

"Four Death Eaters. They had been caught and sent to Azkaban. They broke free when Voldemort rose for a second time. They all have been killed before or during the Second War."

"Who were they?" asked Alice, darkly.

"Bartemius Crouch, Jr," said Harry, putting a lot of care into staying detached. "He received the Dementor's kiss shortly after Voldemort returned. There was also Rastaban Lestrange. Neville had to kill him during the War."

"To kill? When did this war take place?"

"During our last two years in Hogwarts," said Neville, coolly.

He had gone through a long struggle with his own conscience after the death of Lestrange. Now he had resolved his conflict and he was speaking more easily about it.

"The other two were the leaders of the group, Bellatrix and Rodolphus Lestrange," said Harry. "They both died with Voldemort."

"Bellatrix," said Alice, very darkly. "I knew she hated me… It was old history between us. So she died? And what about the Traitor? What happened to Sirius?"

"Sirius Black?" asked Neville. "He was no traitor!"

Harry mentally thanked Neville for his protest.

"What are you talking about?" said Alice. "He was the Potters' Secret Keeper. It's because of him Voldemort found them."

"No, it wasn't," said Harry. "He and my Dad tried a bluff. Wormtail was their Secret Keeper, while Sirius would act as a decoy. But Wormtail was already in Voldemort's fold. He gave up my parents' location to him. Then he faked his own death. Sirius had been cleared of all charges, after… after his death."

"He is dead?" repeated Alice.

Harry nodded sadly.

"Bellatrix killed him," he said.

"What about the others?" asked Alice. "Remus, Amelia…"

"Remus is fine," said Harry. "He's a top leader of the Order of the Phoenix. Amelia… are you referring to do you refer to Amelia Bones?"

Alice nodded.

"Well she's working with the Ministry of Magic, in the Justice department. Last I heard, she was fine," said Hermione. "Susan said she had dinner with her last week, so…"

Alice sighed in relief.

"So many people dead," she then said. "How long did this war last?"

"The Second War lasted two years," said Hermione. "Once the return of Voldemort was uncovered, hell broke loose in the Country, and the rest of the world. There have been fights as far as Mongolia," she added, referring to Alexander's showdown with Morgenstein in front of the Chaos Rift. "Finally, Voldemort tried to open a gate to more power. And Harry stepped in to face him and defeat him for good."

"The Prophecy…" whispered Alice. "So Voldemort died?"

"He disappeared in the Dark Well," said Harry. "His soul and body were destroyed beyond recovery."

He shook away the shiver the memory always caused in his spine. Alice exchanged with him a meaningful look.

"You must have faced so much…" she said. "And so have you, my darling," she told Neville, who shrugged.

"It doesn't matter anymore, now that you're back," said Neville. "You'll come home with me. You'll meet Luna, and Ambre... And Dad will soon be here too. All will get better from now on."

He sounded as he wanted to convince himself of that. He refused to let go of his mother's hand, just as if he was afraid that she would fade away, like some dream. Alice took him again in her arms, tenderly. Harry didn't try to hold back the tears in his eye. The Longbottoms' state had been a constant wound in Neville's heart. To see it healed now was something extraordinary.

As Alice was asking her son to tell her about this 'Luna' he had mentioned, and while Neville was explaining that she was, in fact, a grandmother, now, Harry took Hermione's shoulder under his arm and held her tight. Ron was smiling.

"That was a really good move, Mione," Harry said.

Hermione had always been modest, when it came to serious matters. But it wasn't showing off at all when she answered.

"I know," she said between tears.

"Did they say where they were going?" asked Alexander.

"I think they told Albus that they would get to St Mungo's, for a private matter," said Minerva McGonagall, who was walking beside him on the lake shores. The sun was shining over London.

"How come we have such a beautiful weather?" asked Alexander. "I got word from my Dad, through our fireplace. He told me that it was pouring over London and the whole Country. Yet there isn't a cloud over here."

"Well, sometimes, this place decides of the weather over itself," said McGonagall, nodding toward the Castle, with something like a patient smile. Fortunately, it goes unnoticed by the Muggles."

"You're telling me that the castle thinks?" said Alexander.

"Well, more or less," said Minerva. "The founders of this school built the castle, but they used ancient, complex Magic to do so. It seems that it has brought some life into the castle. Or else, how do you explain that the staircases move on their own will?"

"Well, I thought that there was some cycle," said Alexander.

"Some thought like this before," said Minerva. "They tried to figure out a pattern in the cycle. It failed."

"Wow," said Alexander.

"How reassuring it is to be your age and to be still amazed by the mysteries of our world," said Minerva, sagely. "Some wizards have lost this ability."

"That's the only reason I would have liked to be born in a Muggle family," said Alexander, "to discover this world with fresh new eyes."

"An interesting notion," said Minerva. "Anyway, I, for my part, am most fascinated by the prospect of those new students of yours."

"Yes," said Alexander. "The Odinson twins seem to be quite the handful, from the report I got from Sweden. I wouldn't say they reach the degree of power Ian has demonstrated, but they're promising. Besides, I don't think I will see a student like Ian any time soon," he added.

"Why is that?" asked Minerva.

"You can't feel this kind of things," said Alexander, "but now that he has reached his full rate of growth, Ian's power will reach heights that we couldn't imagine when he came here for his first year. I shiver at the thought of such a power in evil hands. I think that once he will have gone through his studies, Ian will simply be among the most powerful wizards in history. With enough skills and work, he could give Dumbledore quite a run for his money, and make Voldemort look like a show-off."

"You can't be serious," said Minerva.

"I am," said Alexander. "So far, Ian has only shown a part of his potential. He will soon be able of great things. But I hope that he will stick to his current path."

"Which is?" Minerva urged him to go on.

"Ian has only ever used his Chaos Magic for exceptional cases, just as I did," Alexander explained. "As long as he doesn't rely on it all the time, I think he will be safe. Power is intoxicating. Imagine what a power like Ian's could do to him."

"I refuse to think that Mister Malcolm could turn so bad," said Minerva.

"Ian has a good heart, so I'm not too worried," said Alexander. "But we can't allow ourselves to be careless with this. And the same will go for these twins. They will manipulate a high Power, and thus they will have to be watched."

"What is it with twins anyway?" asked Minerva. "I can't understand Why all the twins that I meet are so peculiar."

"I studied the question once," said Alexander. "A crazy thought regarding Fred and George Weasley. It happens that twins are already uncommon in the Muggle world. That tends to set them a little apart. Now in the Wizarding world, they are even rarer, so Magical twins often seem to share some special ability, power, or fate."

"What do you mean?" asked Minerva.

"Well, let's take some examples," said Alexander. "Castor and Pollux were both powerful enchanters, back in ancient Greece. Lionel and Bohor of Gannes were two knights, one said to be impervious to Magic and the other to be gifted in the secret arts so much that he was the scout leading the way in the Quest for the Grail, with Percival the Welsh. More recently, you have Fred and George Weasley, who seem to be able to sneak in anyplace, and are genious inventors of pranking spells. Then we have the Patil twins. Padma and Parvati have a potential in Sight that is rare, even if Parvati chose to ignore it. I hear Padma has already filed in a few Prophecies for the Ministry. Now, the Odinson twins are gifted with Chaos Magic. And if you add to this the Entwistle twins, whatever goal they're after, that makes a pretty impressive list. The facts are here. Twins in our world are bound to stand apart."

"An interesting theory," said Minerva.

"It is, isn't it?" said Alexander winking.

Minerva chuckled lightly, a thing which she was doing quite rarely.

Nice going, Lockenburn, thought Alexander. You still manage to make your mentor laugh.

"So, what sign did we get of their power?" she asked, going back to the subject of the new arrivals.

"Well, when they were three, they were rocking their own bed to sleep," said Alexander, "that is with a levitation spell. And recently, they disintegrated rocks that were falling on them from a cliff, without a wand in sight."

"I see," said Minerva. "So you think their power could be influenced by the fact they're twins?"

"I have no idea," said Alexander. "We'll have to study the question."

"The question is quite clear and simple," said Gareth. "I don't see what you don't understand in it?"

"Oh, I understand just fine," said Kenneth. "I simply won't answer."

"It's not fair," said Kalindra. "How can we tease you about anything if you don't give us any dirt?"

"That's kind of the point, there, Kallie," said Kenneth, grinning.

They were alone in the compartment. Only the three of them. Mandy, Jennifer, Rob and Will had spread in the train to find other friends. Gareth had brought up the subject of girls in Hogwarts. And Kenneth had done his best to dodge embarrassing and complex questions.

"Now, back on you, young missy, I found that you looked quite interested in Master Drakefang," said Gareth to Kalindra, who blushed furiously.

"Okay, I'll shut up," she said, annoyed to have been made.

The three of them laughed at that. They went on with the chatting, but on another subject. At some point, Mandy walked back into the compartment.

"Hide me," she said. "That guy who went with me to the Yule Ball last year. He's trying to ask me out!"

"What do you complain about?" asked Kalindra. "He's cute!"

"He's boring to death," said Mandy, with a dark look. "Oh, in other news, I finally found Julie," she said casually.

"Where was she?" asked Kalindra, as Kenneth was rising his eyes suddenly.

"She's stuck with these Ravenclaw girls, you know, Gillian Crawley and that gang. They're nice," she explained to Gareth, "but they're not exactly the kind of company I fancy. She was late to get on the train, and she didn't have time to find us, they already had tucked her in their compartment, for a lengthy chat about grades, notes, parchments, quills and other stuff the Claws find interesting," she added, with a look that showed her total puzzlement at such points of interest.

Kalindra chuckled at that, but Kenneth stood up.

"Where are you going?" asked Kalindra.

"Just taking a walk," said Kenneth, walking out of the compartment, without waiting for any reply.

Kalindra looked at him disappear in the alley.

"Right," she said, sniggering.

"What was that about?" asked Gareth.

"At the moment you mention Julie, Kenneth's attention is all yours," said Kalindra. "Where do you think he's going?"

"Off to talk to her?" offered Gareth.

"Well I hope he does," said Mandy, "because those two begin to get boring with their hesitations."

Kenneth's heart had frozen in his chest. He could hardly believe it. Here he was standing in the middle of the corridor, probably looking like an idiot, his eyes riveted on the scene unfolding before him.

Beyond the glass window that peaked into the Prefect compartment, there she was, locked in a tender kiss with him. Denial, incomprehension, and then rage flared in his mind all at once. Julie… was kissing Donahue! A full kiss on the mouth, as if this was some stupid romantic novel.

And then it all made sense. His letter had gone without a reply. He had hoped that she would like to discuss it in person, instead of writing back. But of course, this made more sense. He had been set aside, and she was back with that jerk of a Slytherin.

Rage turned cold inside of his heart, and he breathed in deeply, slowly letting go of his hopes and feeling like a ton of lead had landed in his chest.

And then he saw something that made his stomach churn. Donahue had seen him, and he was smiling into the kiss. That cocky son of a…

Alright, thought Kenneth. You win, Donahue. She wants you. Serve her well.

And on that last bitter thought, he turned on his heels and walked away. He made his way back to the compartment where Gareth and Kalindra were busy discussing the various hair styles the various Wandmaster clans were sporting as a signature. They noticed his entrance and Kalindra looked puzzled by the face he was probably showing, as he sat back down quickly.

"Kenneth, is there something wrong?" she asked.

"I'm fine," said Kenneth.

He made his best to force a smile back on his face. That was the way things were. There was nothing he could do about it. She had made her choice. So be it.

Later, after Rob and Will had returned, and the Hogsmeade station was announced, Gareth decided it was time for him to take his leave, just in case his presence would look suspicious to Hagrid, who usually greeted the students. So he stood up and shook hands around. When he came to face Kenneth, he had a very intense look at his younger cousin.

"Are you okay, Little Lion?" he asked.

"Yeah, don't worry about it," said Kenneth, with a shrug. "So, see you around, sometimes? How long are you staying in England?"

"Not too long, but I should be back in October," said Gareth.

"Make sure to pay Dad a visit, or I'll never hear the end of it," said Kenneth.

"I will," said Gareth, with a quick pat at his shoulder. "Take care, cousin."

And on that, he disappeared with a loud pop. Kenneth sat back, facing Kalindra, who was looking at him suspiciously. He hoped that she would let it go, because right now, he didn't feel like talking at all. He kept imagining spending the entire year having to watch Julie hanging out with Donahue, while the memory of that kiss in King's Cross kept haunting him.

Oh, hell, he thought. I'm in for a rough year.

Alright, now to clarify about the elements of background I used:

The part in question was obviously about Neville's parents. In Beth's story, Lily Evans (the main character of the fic), went to school and met her two best friends on the Hogwarts Express: Alice Parker and Amelia Bones. This diverts from canon, since Amelia probably is younger in my continuity compared to JK's, since she is of Remus' generation. Also, this suggests a closer acquaintance between Amelia and Harry than what was suggested in OOTP.

Alice being a close friend to Lily will also matter later in the plot.

Okay, done! Off to work on the next part! Hope you'll like it, and if you like it, hope you'll review!