Right, so here is the next update. I'm sorry for the delay, but I needed to fine tune this one, because I've made a few big changes down the line, in the overall story, which needed me to include a few things in here.

SO, here we get... a deeper look into both Julie's situation and gifts, some insight about Ian and Kenneth gets his revenge over Donahue, with some help from Kieran.

Hope you'll like it. Don't hesitate to review to let me know.

The "gift" of Sight

Julie's head felt heavy when she woke up the next morning. She felt curiously numb, and she stayed motionless in bed for a long while, staring blankly at the ceiling for a long while, before to finally drag herself from the warm comfort of the bed and open the curtains to the outside world. When she did, it was to find herself facing Kalindra, fully dressed and obviously waiting for her, a very serious expression on her face.

"About time, Goldielocks," said the brown-skinned girl.

"What's going on?" asked Julie, looking around for the other girls of her dorm.

"I sent everyone downstairs," said Kalindra. "We need to talk."

"About what?" asked Julie, glumly, as she was trying to fight the numbness.

"I want to know what the hell is wrong with you," Kalindra said rather bluntly. "What are you playing at, exactly?"

Julie stared at her, uncertain of what she meant. Kalindra got up from her own bed and began to pace the room.

"I mean, you chose Donahue, right?" she went on. "So, why would you think you can be upset about Kenneth going to the ball with someone else?"

"I'm not!" protested Julie, aware it was a blatant lie.

"Cut that out!" Kalindra interrupted her, sharply. "You think we're all dumb or something? You've cried yourself to sleep last night. We all heard it and it as right after you heard that Kenneth was going to the Ball with Gillian. So don't tell me you're not upset, I'm not buying it."

Julie looked down at the wooden floor, tears once again forming in her eyes. Kalindra threw up her hands in annoyance.

"You're really something!" she said. "What? You expected you could go to the Ball and enjoy your date with Prince Nauseous and that Kenneth wouldn't be there so you wouldn't feel guilty?"

Julie's head had shot up at that.

"Yes, guilty!" hammered Kalindra. "Because the whole thing is on you! You broke his heart, damn it! You are the bitch in this story."

"As if I don't know it," said Julie, darkly.

Kalindra's anger seemed to recede a little at that, but she was persistent.

"Julie, what the hell is going on?" she asked, more gently, this time, but still forcefully enough.

"I… I know it's a mess, and that I've got no one else to blame but me," sobbed Julie. "I felt I didn't have any other choice."

"You're not making any sense," said Kalindra. "What are you talking about?"

"I can't be with Kenneth," said Julie. "I… I just can't!"

"But you like…" began Kalindra.

"But I love him!" exclaimed Julie. "It's just impossible! It's… it's hard to explain."

"Try me," said Kalindra. "Try me, because I can tell you I'm losing patience with that melodrama of yours! If you love him, why would you go on dating Donahue?"

Julie thought for a minute about it. Maybe Kalindra could understand. She wasn't only her friend. She was Kenneth's best friend. She was in this, both for Julie's and Kenneth's sake, after all. Julie took a deep breath and got up from her bed, before to walk to her bedside table and fetch Kenneth's unopened letter from the drawer. She went back to sit on her bed. By that time, Kalindra had settled back on hers, puzzled by her behaviour.

"It all started last year," began Julie. "I began to realise that I had feelings for Kenneth. And I was completely lost about it, because I still liked Robert. And then I got abducted, and when the ordeal in the Maze was over, I knew one thing: Kenneth was unlike any other boy I had ever met. While I was in the Hospital Wing, I heard what Miss Weasley told him: he risked his life for me."

"Julie, so did…" began Kalindra.

"So did the whole of you guys," said Julie. "I know, Kallie and I'm grateful to you all, but when it came down to jumping down into a spell meant to kill me, it was Kenneth who did that. There was a pretty good chance that he would die, and he didn't hesitate a second. I was sure, by then, that he would give his life for me."

"So you kissed him in June… for what? The reward of the hero?" asked Kalindra.

"It's not that simple," said Julie. "I… I knew I owed Kenneth my life, and at the same time, I did have these feelings for him. I didn't want it to look like I was going to go for the hero and just begin to date him out of gratitude. I felt he wouldn't like that."

"You sure got that right, at least," said Kalindra, sarcastically.

"Guess I did," said Julie. "When he walked me to my train, it all hit me. Here he was expecting nothing from me. Nothing at all. And it all clicked. I kissed him, because I felt it was right. And that was that."

"So what the hell happened, then?" asked Kalindra. "How did you get from there to here?"

"Because of the protection of the Order, I was stuck at my home and I couldn't really break up with Robert through an owl," Julie went on. "I planned on breaking up with him at the start of term, but then I received this…"

She held out the envelope to Kalindra, who took it, puzzled.

"It's Kenneth's handwriting," Julie explained. "When I got it in early August, I was beside myself. My heart was thumping in my chest. I was terrified by what he could be saying. But at the second I touched the envelope, I got a vision."

"A vision?" said Kalindra. "Like those dreams?"

"Yes, but in broad daylight, with my eyes wide open," said Julie. "It sent me on the floor, my heart caught in a vice. I could barely breathe. In that vision, I was running from Warlocks in the streets of Hogsmeade, until Kenneth jumped in the way of a spell meant for me. And I saw him die in my arms."

Kalindra gasped, her hand going to her mouth.

"I couldn't even open the letter," said Julie. "In the vision, he said he loved me before to die. I can't let that happen. I won't let that happen. I figured he would be safer if he was away from me. I won't let him put his life at risk."

"Julie," said Kalindra.

"No!" Julie exclaimed. "He won't die! Not for me! I'm not worth Kenneth dying for me! I decided I would take my distance from him. I wasn't sure what I was going to do about Robert, but then I met him on the train, and he kissed me, before I could do anything else. I… Despite all of this, I still liked him. He's nice to me and he wanted me and… And to be honest, I needed a way to forget Kenneth, as well… So I let him kiss me. And Kenneth began to act distant with me on the train. I was actually relieved. I told myself that the letter was a gentle way to push me back. It was easier."

"And you never mentioned that kiss to Kenneth, did you?" said Kalindra.

"No," admitted Julie. "That would mean explaining to him why I chose to act like it never happened."

"And telling him the truth was impossible, because…" Kalindra said, expectantly.

"Because you know Kenneth, don't you?" said Julie. "If I told him about a threat on my life, he would jump in at once. I can't take the risk. I have to let him go, I know that, and … And now he's moving on with Gillian, and I should be relieved, but… it still hurts."

Kalindra was looking at her, shaking her head in amazement.

"You are really, really dumb," she said.

"What?" said Julie.

"You broke his heart to save his life?" said Kalindra. "Wasn't there another way, like, I don't know… warn him?"

Julie had a deep sigh.

"I… I was trying to… this dream, it plagued my entire summer," she explained. "I could barely sleep. I thought I would gently tell him the truth, at first, but the vision grew worse. When September the first came, I wasn't sure how I would act, and then it all unfolded like this, I thought that it was the right way, because the dream didn't come back right away. I know I hurt him, Kalindra, and I'm not hoping for anything. At this point, even if I save his life, I'll be grateful if he doesn't despise me, given the way I f$*#ed up."

Kalindra had a start at her choice of words. Julie guessed she wasn't used to hear her curse like that.

"Okay, so you made a bad call," said Kalindra. "You made a really, really, immensely stupid call, and I can't stress that enough. But, first, breaking his heart won't help, I can tell you that. Second, he's not getting over you."

Julie looked at her, stunned, unsure she could trust what she thought this meant. Kalindra saw her look and smiled.

"Kenneth is still in love with you," she explained. "He's pissed as hell, and he may be playing it like he's done with you, but I know him. He's not. I can't even understand why, to be honest. Right now, even knowing your reasons, I wouldn't blame him if he just sent you to hell."

"Neither would I," said Julie, seriously.

"So, about Gillian, he's going to the Ball with her, but that's it. I encouraged him to attend the Ball, so he could have a bit of fun. Gillian asked him. He said yes, but that doesn't mean anything beyond that… He's… I'm not saying they'll be going just as friends, but he's not over you. Merlin, Julie, this is all a mess, you got that right… You two, you… you'd make Shakespeare proud! Okay, about you try to salvage this mess and explain to him."

"And have him turn into my bodyguard? No! It's not safe," said Julie. "If he dies for me…"

"What if the vision is wrong?" said Kalindra. "Did you talk to the teachers about it?"

Julie shook her head, helplessly.

"I told them of the visions, but not of this one," she said. "Dumbledore is having a teacher coming for special classes, to see what we can make of the gift. But, I couldn't tell the teachers... I didn't want to risk any of it reaching Kenneth's ears," she said. "I just can't take the risk."

"Oh, Julie, I'm sorry I was mad, but I had no idea you were in such a bind," said Kalindra.

"Well, it's not like I made it public," said Julie, bitterly.

"Still, this is all wrong," said Kalindra. "It's going to be awful for the both of you. What if I told him…"

"No!" she exclaimed, furiously. "You can't! Kallie, I'm serious. You can't tell a soul about this! Promise me!"

"Julie, I…"

"Promise me!" she insisted forcefully.

"Fine," said Kalindra, seriously. "I won't tell. But you should. And you should warn him about the vision, or at least… You said Dumbledore hired a teacher for your visions?"

Julie nodded.

"Well, maybe he'll be able to help," said Kalindra, hopefully.

"Dumbledore said it's a woman," said Julie.

Harry was summoned in Dumbledore's Office. He didn't know why, but as he wasn't really busy at the moment, he didn't mind.

Harry reached the headmaster's Office and knocked on the door.

"Come in, Harry," said the voice of Dumbledore.

Harry opened the door and noticed immediately that Dumbledore wasn't alone in there. One of the armchairs facing his desk was occupied, and titled slightly so that the person in it would see the door. Dumbledore's guest was a woman. She wasn't exactly young, but there was a surprising quality to her face, that made seem ageless, despite the greying hair at her temples and the slight wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. But she projected an aura of experience that made Harry feel that she may be older than Arthur. Her outlook was elegant, robes cut in the way Minerva McGonagall's were, but with a touch of modernity here and there that made them look less stern. She sat there, with poise and serenity.

Said serenity seemed to falter a little, when she saw Harry enter the office. Her grey eyes widened slightly.

"Amazing," said the woman, standing up. "I can't believe those eyes are real."

"I have told you this many times, Desideria," said Dumbledore, with a smile.

"I couldn't realize it fully before I would see it in person," said the woman.

Harry threw an interrogative look to Dumbledore, a little puzzled by what was going on.

"Harry," said Dumbledore. "This is Desideria Wroxton. She will take care of the training of Miss Carteret regarding her so particular Sight."

"I see," said Harry.

He had heard about her, of course. The 'Wroxton method' was praised by many seers, when it came to reading a crystal ball, and he had heard quite an earful of it from Professor Trelawney, when he was a student here. The way the ethereal teacher raved about Wroxton, Harry had expected the renowned seer to be little more… eccentric.

"I wondered if you could take her to the Gryffindor tower, so she can arrange a meeting with Julie," said Dumbledore. "You could use this time to fill her in with the new passwords."

"Well... sure, Sir," said Harry, nodding.

"Respectful," said Wroxton. "Unexpected for a Potter."

"I guess that one thing he got from his mother," commented Dumbledore. "I never got him or his friends to call me Albus, not for the lack of trying."

"I just can't feel at ease with that, Professor," said Harry, smiling.

Dumbledore had asked him many times about getting on first name basis. Alexander had readily accepted that, given that he wasn't one to follow either rule or convention, but Harry, Hermione and Ron really felt strange about it. Dumbledore was really close to them, they were more than ready to admit it, but to call him Albus seemed a little too much for them.

Dumbledore only smiled at Harry's reply. Wroxton gestured for Harry to lead the way. Harry nodded to Dumbledore and opened the door for her.

They walked down the stairs.

Wroxton was now looking intently at Harry, a mysterious smile across her face.

"You may wonder why you were picked up to show me the way to a place I already know," she said.

"I wasn't aware that you already knew it, but I'll admit I was puzzled as of why Dumbledore wanted me to escort you," said Harry, rather frankly.

"Frankly, I asked for it," said Wroxton. "I was eager to meet you."

"I see," said Harry. "Well, since you mentioned my eyes, I guess you must have known my mother."

"You're clever, Harry," said Wroxton. "I hope you don't mind being called Harry."

"Well, the only persons here who don't call me Harry are professor Snape and the students, so I guess you can go ahead," said Harry with a smile.

"Professor Snape… Oh, yes, I think I can guess why Severus…" said Wroxton. "Anyway, I Indeed knew Lily. She was among my most brilliant pupils."

"Pupils?" noticed Harry. "I didn't know she had studied divination."

"Has nobody ever told you that your mother had the gift of a Seer?" asked Wroxton.

"No," said Harry, frowning. "A Seer?"

"Yes, a reasonably gifted one, in my opinion," she said. "She followed my personal teaching for some years in Hogwarts. I was the divination teacher here, before Miss Trelawney came in the Castle."

Wroxton's voice wasn't hiding her lack of esteem for Trelawney's skills, though it didn't sound harsh in Harry's mind. It was more like she talking patiently of a child's flaws.

"Well, couldn't you linger a little more?" asked Harry, wincing, but smiling. "I could have liked divination with a different teacher."

"Well, I don't think it would have revealed any talent to have me teaching instead of Sybill," said Wroxton, grinning. "But since you don't know about your mother's gift, you may also ignore some things about what she saw."

"What do you mean?" asked Harry.

"I mean you, Harry," said Wroxton. "Your mother has experienced visions of your life, during her school years, even before she knew that she would marry your father."

"Really? Did she tell you about it?" said Harry, astonished.

"There are some things that can't be told, but she did share some of them with me," said Wroxton. "Of course she only realised that they were visions of her son later. By that time both of us were gone from the school. But each of her visions was recounted to me by Albus, who had kept in touch with me. And I can tell you now that she had seen you indeed."

"Why did you leave Hogwarts?" asked Harry. "I mean, you're not that old, and usually, teachers retire when their time is done."

"Well, I had both personal and professional reasons to leave the school," said Wroxton. "One of them was that some event I had foreseen had to happen, and it rested in my hands to trigger it."

"Can I ask you what event?" asked Harry.

"A certain prophecy needed to be revealed to Albus," said Wroxton.

Harry narrowed his eyes.

"A prophecy? You mean Trelawney's prophecy?" he said.

He was thinking fast. Dumbledore had told him he had heard the prophecy when interviewing a young woman for the divination teacher's position. He looked at Wroxton intensely. If Dumbledore was looking for a new teacher, then it was because Wroxton had left. And she had left on purpose, so...

"You knew about the Prophecy," said Harry.

"More exactly I knew that there would be a prophecy, a very important prophecy that would change the course of History. I didn't know what it dealt with. I just knew it would happen," said the woman. "I'm not the kind of person who plays with fate. When I know something is bound to happen, I will do my best to make it happen."

Harry looked at that woman, who had the most unique vision of his own fate.

"So you do believe I've fulfilled a prophecy?" he said. "I sometimes doubt its real power."

"Well, you can't deny that this Prophecy has changed many things," she said. "And as such, it has maybe influenced your course of action."

"Maybe," said Harry.

"Sometimes fate is nothing more than that, Harry," said Wroxton. "A course of events that tends to one single purpose, and that's all we know about it. Some will say they had seen it coming. I don't have this pretension. I only know that some events were bound to happen. I had no idea of the outcome."

"I see," said Harry.

"I wanted to clear this with you, since I'm going to spend some time in this Castle, now," said Wroxton, with a smile. "Besides, I wanted you to know that I really liked your mother, and that if some day, you want to talk about her, I will be here to listen and even tell you one or two things."

Harry smiled.

"I think I'd like that," he said.

"Now, can you lead me to the Gryffindor tower that I already know, to open the door with a password I already have, in order to meet my future pupil?" asked Wroxton, winking.

Harry chuckled.

"Sure," said Harry. "I can do that. Maybe my presence will reassure Julie. To meet such a wise and all-knowing Seer could be intimidating, after all."

Wroxton chuckled.

"You of all people can understand the trouble that can bring a famous name, can't you?" she said.

"I sure can," said Harry.

They were half-way to the Gryffindor Tower, now. And suddenly someone called after Wroxton.

"I can't believe you did that to me, Desideria," said Minerva McGonagall, striding from the main stairs toward them. "Hello, Harry," she said, as if nothing was odd.

Harry was forced to notice that Minerva was acting extremely ... well, openly. She was frowning and smiling at the same time, on a very relaxed mode, and that was more than unusual for her during a term.

"You come back here, and you start to talk with other teachers, before to even get to see me?" she said, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Well, Minerva," said Wroxton. "Someone as serious and reasonable as you should understand that my first duty was to report to the Headmaster, and then to meet the pupil I came back here for."

Minerva only snorted.

"You're always picking on me, Desideria," she said. "Why do you do that?"

"Well, because I know from a very reliable source that you're not as stern as you pretend to be, Minerva," said Wroxton, with a tilt of her head that resembled McGonagall's so closely that Harry thought for a second that Minerva had hidden a daughter from him all these years. "How have you been, lately?" she asked casually.

"Oh, you silly girl," said Minerva, catching her in a sudden hug.

Wroxton smiled widely when the hug ended. Harry was astonished by Minerva's welcome.

"That was unexpected," said Wroxton, casually. "Did someone finally succeeded in loosen you up a little, Minerva?"

"Don't talk nonsense," said Minerva. "No students around, and only Harry to witness, I can at least act as a godmother please to see her goddaughter, cannot I?"

"You sure can, Minerva," said Wroxton.

"Godmother?" said Harry.

"Well, it may surprise you, Harry," said Minerva, with an ironic smile, "but I do happen to have a life outside of Hogwarts, and since your best friend chose me to be the godmother of her child, you shouldn't be surprised that my own best friend made the same choice."

"Don't be too harsh on Harry, Minerva," said Wroxton. "He has learned quite a lot of new things, just now."

Harry smiled. No wonder where Wroxton had learned to sharpen her tongue if Minerva was her godmother.

"My point wasn't to deny you either a life or another godchild," said Harry. "I was simply surprised at the fact you never told me that your own goddaughter had taught my mother in being a Seer."

"Oh, my goodness!" exclaimed Minerva, sincerely, this time. "How could I forget about this?! Didn't you know?"

"That Mum's was a Seer? Nope, Ma'am, Didn't know that," said Harry, on a very childish tone.

"Some sides of James he has, hasn't he?" said Wroxton, chuckling.

"You're the second person from James' circle of acquaintances to notice those, actually. I'm not sure that's a good sign," said Minerva, feigning to frown slightly. "Now, you're going to have a cup of tea with me, of course," she told the new teacher.

"Of course, but first, I think I ought to see my new pupil," replied Wroxton.

"Ah, of course," said Minerva. "Harry, can I have a word with you?"

"I think I can find my way around here, Minerva, but even if I'm a Seer, I'm not omniscient," said Wroxton. "Harry is supposed to introduce me to Miss Carteret."

"Fine, fine," said Minerva. "Then will you join us for the tea, when you are done, Harry?"

"Sure," said Harry. "I'll be glad to."

"If Ginny's back home, then bring her along," said Minerva, walking away with a smile.

"Ginny is your fiancée, am I right?" asked Wroxton.

"You've foreseen it?" asked Harry with a smile.

"Oh yes, I've foreseen it, in a paper stating your engagement," said Wroxton, chuckling.

Harry joined her in laughter.

He really liked this new teacher.

You would be difficult if you didn't, he told himself, as they were reaching the fat Lady's Portrait.

"Alright, I see it coming," said the Fat Lady. "You'll freeze me again, won't you?" she said.

"Illuminate," said Harry, with a smile.

"How nice of you," said the painting, as it swung open.

The common room was packed. Harry spotted Julie quickly. She was sitting beside Anthony Fields, or more exactly, she was sprawled, relaxing on the couch, and Harry's arrival with a stranger in the common room had made her jump from it, straightening herself up. Harry smiled, remembering that attitude in many of his friends whenever a teacher paid a visit in the common room, back in the day.

He walked to Julie, and nodded to her.

"Julie, I would like you to meet Professor Wroxton, who will teach you about your gift," he said.

Julie stood up and bowed her head to Wroxton, who had a little smile.

"I don't want to disturb you right now," she said. "But I'd like to discuss the way we will proceed with the lessons with you. Could you drop by at my office… let's say half past one tomorrow's afternoon?"

"Of course," said Julie, nodding eagerly.

"Excellent," said Wroxton. "By this time, I'm sure I will have an office."

"That's more than certain," said Harry, grinning.

"Well, see you tomorrow, then, Miss Carteret," said Wroxton.

And Harry led him out of the Gryffindor Tower.

"She seems a rather nice girl," noticed Wroxton, as they were heading to Minerva's office.

"Julie's a nice girl," said Harry. "Really brave, considering what she has to go through."

"Did I read Albus' letter accurately? Is she really the descendant of a King of Atlantis?" asked the elegant seer.

"Well, many bits of evidence point to that," said Harry. "She's wearing jewels that can be worn only by the bloodline of an Atlantean wizard, but more importantly, it is the belief of a cult that vowed to use her as a sacrifice. And, if we believe two shady fellows, she is royalty, alright."

"Shady fellows?" asked Wroxton.

"Twins," said Harry. "They appear to have some inside knowledge of Atlantis' past. The trouble is that I still can't figure what part they play in our fight against the Warlocks. I wonder what they are up to, now, actually."

"How so?" said Wroxton.

"Well, I can't say I entirely trust their motives," said Harry. "But they have been our best source of information about a potential threat. The uncertainty annoys me, but I'm not even sure I want them to be gone."

"That's a rather conflicted position, Harry," said Wroxton.

"Tell me something I don't know," said Harry, smiling.

"Well, according to my own memories, your father was already in love with your mother in his second year, did you know that?" she said, with an ironic grin.

Harry looked at her, his mouth gaping. And then he got it... he had asked for something he didn't know...

"Well, no I didn't," he said chuckling. "I wonder why nobody ever pulled that joke at me."

"I don't know," said Wroxton. "It is obvious, though."

"It is," said Harry. "So, you're Minerva's goddaughter. That makes me curious. How is she? I mean when she's not in school, terrorizing half the student body with half a frown? I realize I know very little of her life outside Hogwarts."

And he and Wroxton headed to Minerva's office, while the Divination teacher was telling Harry about the Minerva who was her mother's best friend, and who was rather different from the one he knew.

At dinner, later that same evening, something became rather clear to everyone at the teacher's table: Sybill Trelawney was in a foul mood. Harry had told Alexander about his personal impression on Wroxton, and Alexander had to admit that he shared his opinion. Wroxton was the kind of witch he liked: witty, able to deliver an ironic come-back just like Minerva while being visibly more relaxed. He wondered what he could have learned if he had had a divination teacher like him instead of Trelawney, who had been, for him at least, pretty useless.

Wroxton had been warmly welcomed by everyone and even Snape had been kind enough to bow to her hand, in a curtsey that had surprised Alexander. But then he remembered that he had been a pupil of hers, so it made sense to see him pay his respects. Trelawney, on the other hand, went a little stiff when she sat at the table. It was clear to Alexander that Trelawney was fully taking in the fact that she wasn't the only Divination teacher in Hogwarts anymore. Before, even with Firenze's part-time lessons, her situation hadn't been threatened at all, because Firenze was ... well... Firenze. But now to see her own teacher coming back to handle some delicate situation in her place, that was maybe a little too much for her.

"I still don't understand why you had to bother someone as Professor Wroxton for this, Sir," she told Dumbledore, at some point of the dinner. "I could have handled Miss Carteret's education myself."

"I'm sure you could have, my dear Sybill," said Dumbledore, pleasantly. "But you know, I figured that you are already extremely busy with the regular lessons and the particular sessions you have with Miss Coldstone. I know how stressful your discipline can be, so I thought that I didn't need to add any more pressure on you."

"That's very thoughtful of you, professor," said Trelawney. "But still, bothering someone like..."

"I wasn't bothered at all, dear Sybill," said Wroxton, with a reassuring smile. "I'm serious. In fact, Albus' request came at a time when I was starting to be seriously bored. So it was a relief to finally have something challenging to do."

She smiled to Dumbledore, before to go on, her eyebrow arching in a familiar way.

"Oh, and if you need any break in your term, be sure it would be trouble for me to take charge of some of your lessons," she added.

"That... won't be necessary, Ma'am," said Trelawney, who looked as if she was choking on something really hard to swallow.

Minerva turned her polar eyes to her.

"Are you having trouble with the meal, Sybill?" she asked with a polite concern.

"Well..." said Trelawney. "I think I will head back to my apartments. This dish doesn't seem to sit very well with me."

"We completely understand, of course," said Minerva, with a slight grin.

Alexander had to summon the highest willpower not to laugh at that.

Trelawney stood up and nearly stumbled out the great Hall. Hagrid, showing less restraint than Alexander, let out a snort of laughter.

"I'll admit I missed that, Professor," he told Wroxton. "Yer humour is something ah always liked."

"I'm certainly glad you approve, Rubeus," said Wroxton, with a wink. "Of course I have no real inkling on resuming teaching to classes that are, for the majority, convinced that the subject is nonsense."

"Wouldn't that be the point?" asked Hermione, curious. "To convince people to study Divination?"

"I've learned that believing in the power of sight has nothing to do with having said power," said Wroxton. "The classes of Divination should be aimed at revealing an existing talent, not force-feed methods and tools down students' throat. That kind of approach fits Sybill's view of the discipline, not mine."

The gleaming in Hermione's eyes showed how much she felt vindicated for having dropped Divination in third year. Alexander had been told about that by Ron, who always described Hermione storming out of the classroom as one of the moments he had started to realise he was in love with her.

"Still, that was an awful joke to play on poor Sybill, Desideria," said professor Sprout, on a reproving tone, but without being able to stop her eyes from twinkling in amusement.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll get over it, Pomona," said Wroxton. "if anything, it'll keep her on her toes. I do think that a challenge is good for the mind. We wouldn't want the wits of our dear Sybill to suffer from lack of stimulation, would we?"

"Our concern for Sybill's wits has always been something most of us agree on," noted Minerva.

Alexander couldn't hold the chuckle, this time.

"Still, she looked pretty distraught," noted Professor Sprout, with more sympathy than Alexander felt.

"An awful tragedy," said Hermione, with a serene smile.

Ian had gotten over the fact Kieran would accompany Terry to the Ball. It wasn't, after all, a tragedy. But, now, it left him in kind of a bind, there. If he couldn't go with Kieran, who the hex could he go with? Ian had no clear idea of who to ask, and even worse, how to ask.

How did one go about that sort of thing? It's not like he could stop in front of a girl and say, with a wink, 'You, me, Ball, how about it?' That certainly sounded bad to him. Granted, there were probably smoother ways to ask a girl, but Ian couldn't think of any, right now. He didn't want to send the wrong message. What if the girl thought he liked her, as in… girlfriend stuff? That would be bad. They could also be freaked out to be asked out by the freak (boy, that sentence sounded bad, even in his head!). What would their reaction be? Oh, for Merlin's sake, he had never cared about all this stuff before the Ball was reinstated as a yearly tradition, and now he was worried about not getting a date? Why?

That stupid bet, that was why.

In his situation, he could nearly feel the evil, sneaky gaze of his brother upon his back. The little imp was probably watching his hesitations, snickering like the sadistic bugger he was.

Normally, when presented with a puzzle, whether it would be personal or academic, Ian would turn to one person: Kieran. And, given he couldn't possibly ask her, she could help him sort his situation out. Only that would mean he'd have to reveal why he was so embarrassed, telling her that he had considered asking her, only for Terry to beat him to the punch. That would be awkward.

And the option of asking Kieran wasn't really available, these days. Lately, Kieran was nowhere to be seen, having disappeared with Kenneth in the heights of the Castle. Ian knew they were working on Kenneth's response to Donahue's use of the Shocker against him, and that was taking a lot of Kieran's free time. Ian wondered if they were really about to pull this off. Creating a spell to counter what was so far an unblockable curse. Should they succeed, Kieran would stun the entire world as the youngest spell writer in history. The school wouldn't stop going on about this.

What the school was also talking about was, of course, the attack on Ichabod Lightbrown. No matter how dangerous learning magic could be, the students weren't used to see their classmates attacked seriously in the corridors of the school. Well, at least not since the war.

The Gryffindor student was unharmed, but his memory had been wiped. This also was very schocking. A memory wipe was both a very delicate spell to master and also a serious invasion of one's mind. The notion was distrubing to Ian. He didn't like to think of what he would lose, if his memories were erased.

Of course Lightbrown had only lost maybe thirty minutes of his life, but that would probably keep him awake for quite a while.

So, now, the mystery was on who had attacked the student and why.

While Ian had no idea of who could have done this, yet, he had a theory as to why Lightbrown had been attacked. One didn't use a memory charm, unless he needed something erased. Somebody had been covering their tracks. Ian's best bet was that Lightbrown had walked into something he wasn't supposed to see and his memory had been wiped to force him to keep silent.

The question was 'what had Lightbrown seen?' and how bad it could be. Unfortunately, the answer to that question was tied to who had done it. Depending of who had been surprised by Lightbrown, the secret that they wanted kept could vary.

But Ian, unlike many students, thought it had to be big. Removing a short period of time from someone's memory was a delicate, advanced spell. Ian had no illusion. A student would have had to be very advanced to have done this. It meant either a senior student, or someone from the inside. Both hypothesis were equally disturbing, and worrying. It either meant that one of several students were involved in something so bad they had to resort to wiping the memories of an accidental witness. Or it could mean that someone from the outside had managed to sneak into the school at night, which wasn't reassuring, either.

Ian had put his usual feelers out there, but so far, no one seemed to have any real clue of who might be involved. People were fascinated by the mystery, but they were starting to be distracted by other stuff, like the preparations for the ball. And no one had a real theory about the attacker. The general feeling was that the damage was limited, since Lightbrown was fine, save for the missing thiry minutes. It could still all be a prank gone bad.

Sadly, with the unknown threat brought upon the school by the presence of the Brotherhood, Ian couldn't believe for a minute that this just a prank.

But still, at this, he had no clue and no new element. To try and figure this out would be more divination than investigation. and Ian was rubbish at divination.

Julie made her way into Professor Wroxton's office. True to her word, the new teacher had gotten one during the previous day and its location had been given to Julie through a note waiting in her plate at dinner.

She still wasn't sure what to make of all of this. Her dreams and visions had been useful, she wouldn't deny it, but she had no idea how she was going to control them or even trigger them. It was tricky. All manuals, said that true Prophecies wasn't something you could cause. She still doubted that a special instructor, though she was relieved that it wouldn't be Trelawney, could do anything to help her. She really hoped not to waste Professor Wroxton's time.

The witch was bent over an old book, when Julie came in. She looked up and her eyes seemed to pierce right through her. Julie was suddenly under the impression it would be nearly impossible to lie to a person like this woman.

"Ah, Miss Carteret, come in," invited Wroxton with a smile. "Please have a seat."

Julie settled in the big armchair that faced the desk. Wroxton made a show of being a considerate host.

"It was very nice of Professor Dumbledore to give me my old office back," she mused. "It has changed, but it made settling in quite easier, I would say. Would you like some tea?"

"Er… yes, please," said Julie, surprised.

"Don't worry," said Wroxton. "We will not attempt to read tea leaves. I'll admit I was disappointed that Sybill has reinstated that practice in her curriculum."

"Why is that?" asked Julie, stunned that the witch would speak ill of another teacher.

"Because I'm worthless at it, to be honest," smiled Wroxton. "The gift of Sight takes many shapes, but it doesn't mean one can be proficient at each of those, and I'll confess that tea leaves are one facet of the gift for which I do not have an ounce of talent. I was more than ready to spare my students the burden of a full term of tea leaves, when I was teaching here. To see Sybill teach it on a more important scale makes me feel a huge wave of sympathy for her students who would, like me, find the notion boring to death."

Julie couldn't hold back a chuckle.

"Anyway, tea may not be our medium of divination, but it helps relax and I've been told that mine is quite good, so, here you go, dear," said Wroxton, pouring Julie a cup and offering it to her.

Julie, politely, had a sip of it, and it was, indeed, very good. She said so.

"Well, I'm glad I haven't lost my touch, then," said Wroxton. "Now, back to our real issue! The lessons given in Hogwarts serve one purpose only: to reveal a potential gift of Sight. No one can force their way into a vision. The gift must be in you. It's one in a thousand, at best, that gets a useful gift. But once the Sight is verified, there is only one thing to do with it."

"And what is that?" asked Julie, respectfully.

"Try and make the best of it," said Wroxton. "You see, Julie… you don't mind if I call you Julie, do you?" she asked, and on Julie's shake of head, she went on with a smile. "Sight is a rare, unrefined, unexplainable gift. It comes from the ability of a person to feel the currents of events, the weight of fate, the possibilities of thousands of outcome for one event, and it creates a glimpse into the future, or the past, sometimes. No one can truly guess what they will get, but one can be prepared for its possibility and thus try and decipher the most they can from the Sight. That is, in essence, what I'm going to teach you. I cannot and I will not try and take these visions from you, because if I have learned something, it is that the visions are always sent for a reason. I cannot teach you how to trigger a vision at will. Vision are given, not created. But I will teach you so you can understand these visions better, so you can grasp a better view of what's to come. Do you have any question, so far?"

"Yes," said Julie. "Why me? Why do these visions come to me."

"Ah, the eternal question, dear," said Wroxton, seriously, "Both easy and hard to answer, that one is. I will tell you of my own experience. I started discern things in my youth. Back in school, I uttered my first prophecy, and as a result, I had a huge falling out with my best friend. She told me that the prophecy I said right in front of her, said that the man she loved would one day fall to a great darkness. She stopped speaking to me for a long time, until the War came. Voldemort's first rise to power… her boyfriend of that time joined the Death Eaters, and was killed by Voldemort himself, for failing to fulfil a mission for him, proving my prophecy true, after all. The foreknowledge gave my friend the chance she needed and she avoided getting caught up with the Death Eaters, and therefore, she didn't get killed. We're back on speaking terms, nowadays. It is revealing of the nature of the gift of Sight. A Prophecy is never for the benefit of the one who speaks it. It's for the one who hears it. Like most seers, I never hear my own Prophecies, as I enter a trance when they occur. They are recorded and addressed to the Ministry for potential transmission to the subject of the Prophecy, now that I am, in lack of better words, a "professional". So far, though, my Prophecy mostly happened to me when I was near the person meant to hear it."

She marked a pause to take a sip of tea, allowing Julie to think it over.

"But I don't receive prophecies," she said.

"No, you don't," said Wroxton, with a smile. "Technically, you are not what the Ministry calls a Seer. You are what they call a Clairvoyant. You get glimpse of Future and Past that are relevant to your situation. Your visions so far, have been highly personal. I only had a few of those, I'll admit. The most important one I had is actually a very curious turn of events, and it explains why I am not teaching here, anymore. I asked Professor Dumbledore if this was alright to reveal this to you. He asked for your discretion in the matter."

Julie nodded seriously.

"The most important vision in my life," Wroxton went on, "took place when I was having a session with a personal student of mine. She had a very interesting gift. She experienced visions of her unborn son's life. Not that she would realize it at the time, but Professor Dumbledore confirmed that everything that she saw happened at some point. She was taking lessons with me, so that she could make sense of what she was seeing. We had settled for our usual chat, when my vision flashed before my eyes. At first, I thought that it had nothing to do with me or my student. All I saw was Professor Dumbledore sitting in an inn in Hogsmeade, interviewing a former student of mine, for the position of divination teacher, when the young woman entered a trance and told a very important prophecy to Professor Dumbledore. My vision ended, before I could hear that prophecy but the feeling was clear. This was a capital event. I knew what I had to do."

"I don't understand," said Julie.

"The vision was, in fact, about me, when I considered it from a certain point of view," said Wroxton. "Why would Professor Dumbledore need to hire a new teacher in divination, and interview Sybill Trelawney to be a teacher? That meant that I had left my post, didn't it? I could have panicked, and believed that it meant that I was going to die. There was a war out there, after all. And then my analysis kicked in. I started reviewing what I had seen, and I remembered there was a letter on the table before Professor Dumbledore. A letter where I informed him of my resignation, and that I advised him to consider Sybill for the position. And so I did just that. I left Hogwarts in need of a teacher, in order for Professor Dumbledore to hear that Prophecy."

"Why was it so important, then?" asked Julie, curious.

"Well, it's amazing how fate works," said Wroxton. "It turns out the vision had something to do with my young personal student. Her name was Lily Evans. She was a young Gryffindor student. One day, she would be Head Girl, and she would later marry James Potter."

"You mean… she was Professor Potter's Mother?" said Julie, in a gasp.

"She was," said Wroxton. "The prophecy Sybill told Professor Dumbledore was the prophecy telling the world that Harry would be the one to bring down Voldemort."

Julie's eyes widened. She had heard of the prophecy regarding Harry Potter, of course, but she had no idea it has come from Trelawney!

"So that means Professor Trelawney is truly a seer," she said, amazed at the thought.

"Oh, yes," said Wroxton. "And so am I, actually. But, unlike Sybill, I do not feel the need to remind each and every one that I know about their future, because my true Sight doesn't work that way, and neither does hers. But regarding visions, Julie, what does this story tells you?"

"That my visions are about me?" she offered, hesitantly.

"Nearly there," said Wroxton, with a smile. "A Prophecy is for the one who hears it. A vision is for the one who experiences it. It's a warning, a clue, something to help you in the days to come. The meaning isn't always clear, but it is not to be dismissed. You are in an exceptional situation, Julie. Your bloodline has drawn attention from dangerous enemies. It is said that Atlanteans were often gifted with the Sight. Perhaps it is a way for your bloodline to defend itself from your enemies to give you these warnings. I hope that, with my help, it can be an asset for you, and not a burden."

"I understand," said Julie. "Are these vision meant to be? What I see… will it always take place?"

"A Prophecy can be countered or accomplished in ways no one had considered," said Wroxton. "Visions are even more volatile. They shift, they evolve. It is my experience that the future can change with each choice you make. It is never set, Julie."

That last sentence had a profound impact on Julie. It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from her shoulders.

The future was never set.

That meant she had a chance to save Kenneth's life. This had been her terror since Dumbledore had told her how seriously he took her visions, and that a special teacher was coming to Hogwarts about them. If her visions were taken so seriously, couldn't it mean that there was no escape from them? And if that was the case, had everything she had done, including hurting Kenneth, been in vain?

Now, Wroxton's words had strengthened her resolve. There was hope.

She could save Kenneth, and she would. No matter the way.

On the next Monday, the meeting of the Defence Club was highly anticipated by Robert's friends. Apparently, he was planning on shining again. And thus, most of his friends were talking excitedly to each other.

Julie was starting to feel annoyed by all of this showing-off. To be honest, she had liked Robert's self-confidence, but within reasonable limits. And the way he kept bragging about how he had bested Kenneth was, as she had told him already, getting old. Despite, everyone's belief in her House, Robert wasn't a bad guy. And maybe if he wasn't so aggressive toward Kenneth, then they would see him in a better light. Then, maybe, Julie wouldn't feel constantly tied between her House loyalty and her feelings for Robert.

Granted, since her chat with Kalindra, she would find some support in the energetic girl, and often, she would see sympathy in her eyes that had been gone, in the last months. Still, even if the lesson with Wroxton had brightened her perspective for the future, she still couldn't dare talking to Kenneth.

She found his face among the students. He was chatting with Gillian Crawley, smiling and even chuckling. He seemed so relaxed. Julie regretted that he was never like this with her, any more. She was the one to blame, she knew it, but, no matter the truth of her feelings for him, she missed his friendship. And it was weird to see Kenneth hang out with a girl who was neither Kalindra nor Mandy.

What is with this girl? she wondered, without any real bitterness, to her own surprise. And then she realised why she couldn't feel resentful of jealous of Gillian Crawley.

There was, actually, nothing wrong with the girl. She was pretty, kind, and smart. She had a good sense of humour, which, even if it wasn't to Mandy's taste, Julie still liked. Without the fact that she had asked Kenneth for the Ball, Julie would have even thought of her as a friend.

Besides, it's not like she's overly flirting with him, is she? she told herself.

Truth to be told, she wasn't. Gillian only acted around Kenneth like a friend. True, he looked more relaxed around her than before, but that was to be expected, since she was his date for the Yule Ball.

Tearing her from her reflections, Professor Potter raised his hands to call for attention and the discussions ended.

They were back in the duelling room. Julie wondered why he had called them back in here, and not in front of the Maze, like last time.

"Alright," he said. "Professor Hagrid is currently working on a revised and upgraded version of the Maze, so we'll focus on duelling, today. I need two volunteers to start what will be a free match, and we will analyse choices, spells and options. Then everyone will pair-up. Who's in?"

Kenneth made a step ahead. Julie was surprised. He had never been keen on promoting himself, and he wasn't the type to step up in this kind of thing. But he looked decided, so Professor Potter nodded and gestured to him to get up the stands. Kenneth then cast a look right at Robert.

Although Julie was surprised to see that attitude in Kenneth, she could tell exactly what was going on. Kenneth wanted his rematch with Robert, for some reason.

"What is it, Lionheart?" said Robert, smirking. "Are you asking for a rematch?"

"Let's say that I have new stuff to show the group," said Kenneth. "I wondered if you would join me upstairs."

He sounded pretty confident, for once. Julie wondered what had happened to him? Robert seemed to ponder the options. He looked around and everyone was staring back at him. Even when Robert's eyes fell on her, Julie could only nod. It wasn't like he had any other choice, if he didn't want to appear frightened. He just had to take the implied challenge.

"Alright," he said. "But don't say you didn't ask for it."

"Don't worry about that," said Kenneth, between his teeth.

Robert walked upstairs, under the eyes of the whole group. Professor Potter ordered them to take position. Kenneth saluted. This time, he drew his familiar signature in the air, a flaming capital 'L'.

"You think that adding your little letter will help you?" asked Robert.

Julie was amazed by Kenneth's assurance. He just smiled to the teasing.

"Just make your move, Donahue," he said, taking his guard.

"The stands are yours," said Professor Potter.

Julie wondered why the teacher was letting this happen. Last time, Kenneth had been hit pretty hard by the Shocker Robert had used. If it was a free match, Robert wouldn't hesitate to use this attack on Kenneth, since it worked so well. In fact, if she was again honest with herself, the Shocker was probably Robert's only edge over Kenneth, when it came to duelling.

So what was the point of the exercise, for Potter? Was the teacher trying to toughen up Kenneth? He had to be aware that Robert enjoyed winning over Kenneth, by now.

"Stupefy!" shouted Kenneth, as an opener.

Robert summoned a Shield Charm, and the duel began. He countered by a disarming spell, that Kenneth blocked. The match was fair and clean, up to now. But it lasted for a while, until something became clear. Robert couldn't overthrow Kenneth's defence. Not with the 'gentle' means. Julie knew that, soon, Robert would turn once more to his favourite weapon against the Wandmaster.

Again, she bemoaned the urge in her boyfriend, to try and overcome Kenneth any chance he got, and she was starting to worry. Only she realised something, when she looked at Kenneth's attitude. He was clearly waiting for Robert to try on a Shocker!

And, no mistake, Robert came to the conclusion that he needed to.

"Elastare!" he shouted, the spell shooting out of his wand.

As Julie was wincing in expectation, Kenneth made four swift waves of his wand and shouted. Julie could swear she had seen him smile lightly.

"Sphere!" he said.

And the Shocking Spell was suddenly enveloped by a wave of energy, forming a perfect, floating sphere. It stopped right between Kenneth and Robert. Everyone gasped. It was larger than a Quaffle. Professor Potter watched, surprised.

"What is that thing?" asked Robert, sounding outraged, and too surprised to do anything else.

Kenneth waved his wand and the sphere came floating next to him.

"The first and only parry in existence to a Shocker," he explained. "It forms a snare that contains the energy of the attack. It's precisely designed to counter its effects, but also to use turn it against the caster, so you obtain a sphere of energy that the conjurer can touch."

Kenneth propped it with one finger, and the sphere rebounded on it.

"Wow," said Kalindra, next to Julie.

She was torn between amazement and amusement.

"But still, while I can touch it, it remains a weapon against everyone else, as the energy turns in a loop inside the Sphere," said Kenneth.

He waved his wand, and suddenly the sphere sped up to Robert and hit him in the chest, sending a shock through him. The sphere rebounded, but he was thrown on the ground. Kenneth brought back the sphere to his side, and then seemed to stab it with the tip of the wand.

The Sphere suddenly seemed to shrink, as the light inside was absorbed by the wand, like a balloon deflating. Kenneth made a final wave of his wand, and the energy cracked around him, with a flash of light.

Professor Potter went to check on Robert.

"Are you alright, Mr Donahue?"

Robert nodded, still looking furious, his eyes locked on Kenneth, who held his stare without flinching. Professor Potter then turned to Kenneth.

"Where did you found that spell?" he asked, genuinely fascinated. "How come it's so specific?"

"Well, to be quite honest, I ordered it," said Kenneth, with a hint of a smile. "Someone designed it on my needs."

"Someone?" insisted Potter.

"Kieran," said Kenneth. "She took it as a challenge for her new training."

He walked to Robert and bent down and offered him his hand to help him back on his feet. Robert took it with a rictus across his face.

"See, Donahue? That's something we have in common," he said. "I, like you, rely on my friends. But mine happen to be very, very clever."

"Don't get too proud of yourself, Lionheart," spat Robert. "You only took advantage of someone else's brains, here."

"Never said any different," said Kenneth, with an amused smile. "But I helped her in the testing, through the whole process. It was pretty fascinating, actually. So let's say it was a team work, even if she did most of it," he added.

"Quite impressive, Mr Lionheart," said Professor Potter. "To try and devise a new spell for each situation may not be possible, but it's a very good strategy. Of course, I will need the specifications of this spell."

Kenneth got a roll of parchment out of his robes and handed it to him.

"There are three copies," he said. "One for you, one for Professor Flitwick and one for Professor Dumbledore. I hope that Kieran gets the credit she deserves."

"She will, Mr Lionheart," said Potter, with a smile. "She will."

When everyone left the room, Julie was left to ponder something. Something that she was sure most people had missed. Kenneth's words to Robert were unsettling.

I, like you rely on my friends. But mine happen to be very, very clever.

Julie was no fool. Kenneth's dedication to find a counter to the Shocking Blast had come from his exchange with Robert, she knew that. When Robert had defeated Kenneth in the club, Kenneth had shown no surprise, even some… certainty. He had said that he had found his answer. And what answer would require him to be exposed to another Shocker?

Somehow, this was all about the blasts that had caught Kenneth at the very start of the Quidditch pitch fight.

She knew Jeffrey Walters had been the caster of those spells, but it had been a surprise. Walters had never been the most brilliant student in Slytherin, let alone the whole year. Where had he learned such a nasty hex? When Kenneth had volunteered for the Defence Club, to demonstrate the Shocking Blast, Julie had been curious and a little worried by his reaction to Robert's foreknowledge of the spell.

Now, it made sense. Kenneth had to believe that Robert had been behind the attack. He had to think that Robert had taught Walters how to use that spell, in order to score against him.

It was, at best, disturbing. Would Robert do something like that? She knew he was used to help his classmates in their studies, and some of his friends would often tease him, saying he should beware of his 'puff side. But why would he teach such a dangerous spell to Walters?

And, even more disturbing, did it mean that the attack on Kenneth wasn't an accident, but was deliberate?

But it made no sense! What purpose had it served? It wasn't like Robert could boast about it. And, above all, if Robert wanted his victories over Kenneth to be something, it was open and public. The way she understood his feud with Kenneth, it was about image. Robert felt the need to establish himself as able to win over any Gryffindor, including Kenneth Lionheart the Wandmaster. Scoring an attack on Kenneth during the pitch fight wouldn't bring him anything, in that regard. What use was a victory, if he couldn't brag?

Still, Kenneth was convinced. She could tell that much. Julie knew a few things about Kenneth. He had a temper, he was unwilling to compromise, he could be stubborn as hell, but he had never been paranoid. She didn't think he was the kind of guy who imagines conspiracies.

What if there was some truth in his claim?

Julie left the Club room and headed for the Gryffindor tower. On her way, she caught a glimpse of Walters. He was talking with Anton, Robert's best friend, and Cootes, another sixth year. She decided that she would get to the bottom of it all, soon.

There was also something very clear in Kenneth's words, and this, she was sure, everyone had understood.

Beyond the veiled accusation, Kenneth was also sending a message to Robert. He had lost his edge. And Julie was pretty sure Robert wouldn't like that.

Later that day, Harry was bent over Kieran's parchment, and was marvelling at the possibilities of this new spell. This was amazing that a fourth year would pull a stunt like that. He remembered Hermione, being able to use protean charms on coins in her fifth year and being able to create variation on the main spell, but to create a complete new spell from scratch had been clearly out of her range, at the time. By her own confession, Hermione was feeling a little overwhelmed by Kieran's brains.

"Always working hard, aren't you?" asked a voice Harry recognized at once.

He raised his eyes and smiled widely to Bill Weasley, who was waiting at the door.

"Hello, Bill," he said. "Aren't you a little early?"

"Well, I know you invited us to dinner, but I really can't stay, so I thought I could drop by earlier to settle some points over the wedding," said the eldest of the Weasley sons.

Harry nodded, dropped the parchment, and walked out of his office with the red headed man.

"So, is Tonks with you?" he asked.

"She's paying a visit to the girls," said Bill. "But she will be able to stay for dinner."

"Too bad you can't," said Harry.

"Hey, what do you think? I'm a busy man," said Bill, playfully.

They reached Harry's apartment, and settled in the couch, waiting for the girls to join them. Soon, Hermione, Tonks and Phyllis were here. Phyllis had finished her work early, and so was reuniting with Tonks. Since Alexander and she had met "Harry's gang", Tonks and Phyllis had created strong bounds. Maybe it was because they were almost the same age. But the fact remained that they were now the best friends ever.

Harry and Bill began to discuss the details of the wedding ceremony, and Harry's wishes about it. Bill was in charge of the whole plan, as one of the best men. He had said that given Ron's sense of organization, it was better for everyone that he would take the matter in hands. Ron, far too happy with that, hadn't objected at all. Neville had offered his help as well, and he would be in charge of the planning on the ceremony day.

During the conversation, the girls often came out with some ideas and stuff to "enhance the moment". Harry wasn't sure about all the ideas from Phyllis, which seemed an absolute and complete romantic. She was almost a fanatic of romance. And Harry wasn't.

Ginny showed up a short time before the dinner. She greeted the visitors warmly. And Bill realised that he had to take his leave, just after Ron had showed up. He bid good bye to everyone. And he left the Castle.

The rest of the party discussed a little more before to get down to dinner. But they had left the subject of the wedding, as Tonks was clearly fascinated by the two little wonders named Lily and Christine. So they went down to the Great Hall, trying to describe Hermione's expression at the news that her child was an Entropist, which made Tonks laugh like mad.

But in the course of dinner, Harry, who had Tonks at his right, since Phyllis had pushed him out of his usual seat at the teachers table, noticed something odd. Tonks, who was usually cheerful all the time, even when it wasn't really fitting the general mood, seemed uncharacteristically down. Tension was clear, even in her smiles and her laughter at Ron's Jokes couldn't hide the fact that she was upset.

He shared a look with Hermione and Ginny and the girls had clearly noticed it, too. And Phyllis nodded at their interrogative looks. She had seen it, too.

So, when they left the table, Harry offered Tonks to stay in the Castle that night. She accepted and they all settled her in the guest quarters, near their own apartment. But as they lingered around the room, Harry turned to her.

"Would you like to tell me what's wrong, Tonks?" he asked.

Tonks looked at him, confused.

"What do you mean?" she said, trying to sound confident, and failing.

"Come on, Tonks," said Hermione. "You can't fool us. We saw that you're upset. What's wrong?"

And Tonks suddenly heaved a sigh before to sit on her bed, tears coming to her eyes, to everyone's shock.

"I've been an idiot," she said.

"Excuse me?" said Ginny. "I'm afraid I don't get it."

But Harry had an idea of what she was referring to.

"I thought he…" began Tonks, but her voice failed her. "I've been acting like a fool."

"He?" said Phyllis. "Who are you talking about?"

Harry shook his head and sat beside Tonks. He put his arm on her shoulder.

"It's about Remus, isn't it?" he said.

Everyone in the room gasped. They all looked at Harry in shock. Even Tonks seemed surprised.

"How do you know about that?" she asked fiercely.

"He talked to me about it," said Harry softly. "He wanted some advice."

"From you?" said Hermione, before she could prevent herself, and she winced in apology. "Sorry."

"No problem," said Harry with a smile. "I remember telling him that I wasn't the best source for romantic advice. I'm not exactly the right person for this kind of stuff."

"I think the term was 'romantically inept'," offered Ginny, with a tender smile, and a ruffle of his hair.

"Why would he need advice?" asked Tonks.

"He wanted a few pointers to deal with the situation, but I guess I must have been a bad counsel, there," said Harry.

"He was gentle enough," said Tonks, sadly. "But still he pushed me away."

"Wait a second," said Hermione. "You had really something for Remus?"

"Yes," said Tonks with sad irony in her voice. "And he didn't share the feeling."

"That's not really what he told me," corrected Harry. "What did he tell you?"

"Some rubbish about being all wrong for me," said Tonks. "He was just being kind. I know it's because I'm not…"

'I will stop you right there," Harry interrupted her. "He told me clearly that he's attracted to you. And I made sure that he was referring to your true form."

"How could he be?" said Tonks. "I'm not pretty. I'm… hideous."

"Tonks," Harry said, gently. "Look at me."

She raised her teary eyes to his face.

"Could you show me your true form, please?" he asked.

A hundred conflicting emotions passed in her eyes, before she looked down and took a deep breath. When she let it out, her hair suddenly shifted, falling back on her shoulders as they grew a few inches. They were no longer pink but a dark brown. When she raised her face, the first impression Harry got was that she hadn't changed so much. But then a few details started to hit him. The cheekbones were higher. Her face was more angular. The nose definitely the nose of the Blacks that Harry had seen in Sirius and Andromeda, Tonks' mother, and to a lesser extent, in Narcissa Malfoy. In a few aspects, her face reminded him of Bellatrix, but without the madness that had been etched on the face of Voldemort's devotee. No, the woman before him wasn't mad. She had a subtle, but undeniable beauty to her. And Harry saw that the rest of her person was just as attractive as her face. In fact, she showed a little more curves than usual, if anything.

Her eyes were the same lavender, as well. The only striking thing about her was the deep scar that ran from her eyebrow to the middle of her cheek. Harry had never realised that she was hiding such a wound.

But even this couldn't hide what Remus had said. Tonks was a beautiful woman. Harry had a comforting smile.

"Nymphadora," he said, despite the usual warnings he got at using her full name, "if I ever hear you say that you're hideous, or ugly or repulsive, I'm going to smack you, are we clear on that?"

She looked shocked.

"You are a beautiful woman," he insisted.

"With this face?" she protested weakly. "A scar over the face of a Black? Like I'm the same as that evil bitch?"

"Is that why you choose to change your face so much? Because of Bellatrix?" asked Harry.

He could see the encouraging looks of Ginny, Phyllis and Hermione. They knew she needed to talk about it. And Harry was on the right track, there.

"I can't… If I show my real face, they will all associate me with…" she began.

"With the Black family," said Harry in her place. "And that means your mother, and Sirius, too. Aren't you proud of them?"

"I am, but they ran from the Black family!" she said.

"And they were proven right," said Harry, forcefully. "Look where the Black family is, now, Dora," he said. "What is left of it? Narcissa Malfoy? She's holed up in that Manor of hers, trying to put her husband and son behind her. Grimmauld Place? It's the Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. And beyond that, what is left of the Black legacy? You and me, Tonks."

There was surprise in her eyes, and he smiled.

"You're Andromeda's Heir, and I'm Sirius'," he said. "We stand for the Blacks, now. The legacy of the Black is ours to build. So what if you look like a Black? That reminds me of Sirius, one of the greatest men I've ever known, not Bellatrix. You should honour your mother's blood in you, Dora, not reject it. And you are a beautiful woman. Remus knows that. He told me so himself."

"Still I'm not good enough," she said, lowering her eyes again.

"No, Tonks, that's the other way around, for Remus," said Harry. "He feels he's not good enough. Well, he also said that it was a bad idea to be involved with one of his agents, but that sounded like an excuse to me," he added with a smile.

"What does he mean by not good enough?" asked Hermione, puzzled.

"He mentioned social standing, and his condition," said Harry.

"But he's not dangerous anymore," said Hermione.

"And even when he was dangerous, I didn't care," said Tonks, showing a little more life, now.

"True," said Harry. "But, I think that deep down, Remus is so used to being the outcast, that he fails to acknowledge his situation has changed. At best, he will feel tolerated."

"But that's ridiculous!" said Tonks, forcefully. "Remus is highly respected…"

"I said that's how he feels, not how it is," said Harry. "Look, don't take it too bad, okay? He may have failed to make it clear, but I know that he cares deeply about you. If you give him time, I think he will come around."

"How can you be so sure?" asked Tonks.

"I'm not," said Harry, honestly. "But I also know that all the reasons he has to refuse that relationship don't stand. Remus may be stubborn, he's far from stupid. He'll see that, eventually."

"And in the meantime, I should have a little chat with Remus on his definition of tact;" said Hermione.

"Oh no! No!" said Tonks, rising panicked eyes to her. "He was really gentle with me. I swear to you. He did his best not to hurt me. He did!"

Hermione smiled at her defence.

"Okay," she said. "But still I'll have to talk to him about this."

"Well, maybe you should," said Tonks.

"Are you going to be okay?" asked Harry.

Tonks nodded vigorously.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine," she said. "Anyway, thanks, Harry. I guess I needed the chat."

"Anytime," said Harry, smiling.

Later, when Tonks was finally asleep, Ginny joined Harry in their bed. She curled up against him and sighed.

"Poor Tonks," she whispered. "I hope she'll be okay."

"I think she will," said Harry. "She's a strong will. She will either get over it or fight for what she wants."

"I can't believe you didn't tell me about Remus," said Ginny.

"It was private business," said Harry. "I had to be discreet."

"But if you start to keep secrets, now…" said Ginny, on a playful tone.

"Once we're married you'll know more about me than you had ever wished for," said Harry, with a light laugh.

"Anyway," said Ginny, between chuckles. "I was impressed by the way you dealt with it. That was very sensitive of you, Mr Potter."

"Well, I learned my lesson, Miss Weasley," he said. "I'm trying to take care of other people's feelings."

Einon suppressed the feeling of desire he felt each time he laid his eyes on her. Lilia emerged from the training arena, covered in sweat a bit of blood. This didn't mar her beauty one bit. If anything, it made her even more fascinating for the Acolyte. Lilia was a deadly witch, a powerful weapon, and in there resided part of her beauty.

Einon was waiting for her, kneeling as usual. Lilia saw him and disregarded the path heading for the baths. She walked to him, and with a curt nod, she indicated he could rise.

"Mistress, I'm sorry to intrude on your training," said Einon. "But a message came from you, through the same owl as before."

"Is it from our traitor, then?" she smirked.

"Yes, Mistress," he replied, not even bothering to hide his contempt.

"I know you despise our ally, Einon," said Lilia.

"I just cannot accept that we would need the help of that scum," said Einon, honestly. "We shouldn't rely on an outsider."

"I agree," said Lilia. "But our mysterious ally has brought us enough information to help us accomplish our goal."

She nodded for him to lead the way and Einon preceded her into the audience room where the message was.

Einon didn't know the name of the mysterious figure. That was only known by Lilia, who had been the one contacted. The information about the Brotherhood and what they were after had been way too valuable to ignore. Einon didn't disapprove of the strategic value of this individual, but he loathed relying on someone who had broken several vows and held no loyalty to his kin.

As they entered the study, Einon went to fetch the piece of parchment and handed it to his Mistress. Lilia read it. It was in code. Only Lilia knew how to read it. She had a little smile.

"Interesting," she said. "It seems our friends from Hogwarts have restricted their security, following an attack against one of the students. We will have to focus on Hogsmeade, then."

"Forgive my bluntness, Mistress," said Einon, "but isn't this plan way too dependent on exterior information? We seem to be waiting for our enemies to make a mistake."

"And you don't find it sound?" noted Lilia, arching an eyebrow.

"It's more the fact that it is unusual," said Einon. "Our plan for the capture of the Heir was bold and precise. This one seems very uncertain, given the stakes. You are usually keener on knowing all the variables. Uncertainty is unsafe."

"Yes, Einon," said Lilia. "This plan is uncertain, but it is but a step forward, not our final goal."

Einon nodded. So this was all part of a greater scheme, then. He allowed himself a smile.

"You seem pleased," said Lilia, pointedly.

"I am only relieved that your goal shall not only rely on the good will of a traitor," he said. "You are using him while he is surely certain of using us."

"You see much, Einon," said Lilia. "You do realise what we are really up against, don't you?"

Einon nodded. Since he had entered the direct service of Lilia, he had been able to see the truth of her moves. Within the sect… Against its enemies... Her overall purpose was clear enough. He also knew enough to be certain that it wasn't safe to speak of it out loud, even in this stronghold of her power. The Elders had ear everywhere and even the most innocent remark cut put either of them in danger.

"Of, course, Milady," he said, with a quick move of his eyes, showing he understood the need to be discreet.

"May I count on your support, then?" she asked, seriously.

"Of course," said Einon. "My life is yours."

Lilia had a smile.

"Good," she said. "You may join me in my chambers, in an hour. We shall discuss more about your future."

"Milady," he said, with a bow, before to leave her at the study of the coded message.

The invitation wasn't trivial. Einon knew it. Lilia never allowed any man in her chambers, if not for a precise purpose. Einon felt honoured, and honestly, he was grateful. Lilia was an enthralling beauty. But he also reminded himself that he had to be very careful around her. Lilia was known through the entire Sect. She was a legend. And if she was said to be potentially as deadly to her lovers as she was to her enemies.

From now on, Einon would be standing on the edge of a knife. Any false step could mean his life. But the stakes and the possible reward were all worth it. After all, Lilia was a very, very beautiful woman and a very powerful witch. To serve her, any way he had to, would lead him to greatness.

And done!

I must once more give credit where credit is due. The character of Desideria Wroxton, though my own creation, is based on Beth "Phoenix_song's" character Ashish Praevidi, from the story she had running a few years ago 'Lily's Story'. True, the divination teacher was a male Indian in the story, BUT he was Minerva's godson, he was Lily's teacher, and Liliy did have visions of Harry's life. And he also resigned the way Wroxton did. It was the subject of a short story that Beth wrote. I took on all of these elements because when I was running the story the first time, Beth's stories were part of my continuity. Now these stories are discontinued, and I admit I was more at ease dealing with a female teacher to help out Julie, so a few changes have been made. But the essence of the character and the storyline, really, all come from Beth. So mote it be!

Next, the Ball is getting closer, Harry and the gang have to deal with more personal issues in their circle, and... stuff.