She beamed when she spotted Arthur Weasley, wrapped in bandages, seated at the head of the table, with his children chatting excitedly around him. It was Christmas afterall. And it was Grimmauld Place.

"Arthur!" Aquila greeted, kissing him on the cheek. "Looking good there. Did you do something new with your hair?"

Arthur laughed, shooing his kids down a seat and asking Aquila to sit there. "If you count deadly venom causing a wrapping like this on my head, then, by all means, yes I have."

"Injured?" Aquila asked in fake surprise. "Why, you look right as rain!"

"Say, Aquila, what did you think?" the twins chimed. "Think it'll be a good starter?"

"I think you're going to land yourselves in a life of detentions," Aquila giggled. She turned towards the twins, who were grinning madly. Good God, did they have any sense? "You honestly think that they'll go undetected?"

"Oh, absolutely," George insisted. "There's no way they'll be found out."

"Now what are you on about?" Mrs. Weasley questioned, taking a seat amongst her children.

"Oh, nothing, Mrs. Weasley," Aquila assured her. She didn't miss the look of amusement Remus shot Sirius. They obviously knew about the product - perhaps even encouraged it. "Fred and George are just giving me a heads-up on every single assignment that I'll see next year, even though that is entirely cheating."

"Fred! George! How dare you," Mrs. Weasley scolded.

"But if she's going to play for Ireland next year," the twins insisted in unison. "Then she's got to be able to finish some work early."

"Ireland?" Harry asked, confused. Aquila glanced towards him. "You're on the team?"

"Bloody hell, Harry, where have you been?" the twins chimed. Fred took over, nodding his head towards Aquila. "She's been playing for them since summer. Wicked beater. I taught her everything I knew-"

"Oh, you did not, you liar," Aquila laughed. "Evan taught me to fly. Lynch taught me to play. You taught me how to not get hit-"

"Yet you still do," Ron commented. Aquila glanced at him, her glare mild, but it still made the ginger gulp. "I just mean... when you broke your arm... er, right, not talking."

Aquila snorted. "I get hit. Frequently. But thanks to the twins charming three bludgers to chase me for a week whenever I left the castle..." Aquila grinned at the outrage on Molly's face. "You learn to dodge what you can."

The rest of the lunch consisted of barbs at each other, her asking Arthur about his recovery period, and finding out just exactly what she missed while she was away during the weekends.

"Harry's absolutely brilliant," Hermione insisted. "We've started Patronus forms... You should come to our next meeting-"

"I can't," Aquila said regretfully. "My training schedules are strict. Even missing one could jeopardize us-" She exhaled at the confused look on Hermione's face. The poor girl didn't speak Quidditch. "I am required, in the semi-formal contract that I signed, to attend three lengths of a practice a week. Since I am only available on Saturdays, and some Sundays, all eighteen hours are spent at the Dublin Pitch. These six hour sessions ensure that I stay on top of the Quidditch mentality Ireland prides itself for, top shape, and also keeping my skills sharp and new." Hermione still looked confused. So, Aquila ammended. "I don't have time."

"I understand that part," Hermione said impatiently. "Why spend eighteen hours in a bloody Quidditch pitch?" Aquila's allowed the surprise she felt to show. "There's not much you can learn."

"On the contrary, Granger," Aquila shrugged. "You learn the most when you're exhausted and still push yourself. What better way to learn your limits and get to know your body?"

"When's your next match?" Arthur asked in good nature. "The Ministry is still giving me sick leave, so I might be able to make it to a game. It's been a long time."

"We'd love to have you out there," Aquila insisted. "Tara's all healed now, so she might be back to playing. If that's the case, my time will be cut in half. I'll take reserve, and Gavin will relinquish his spot." Aquila glanced towards Arthur, smiling. "I'll keep you posted, though. This half of the season is interest. We play Galway, Belfast, Bulgaria, and Russia just in the next month."

"Bulgaria?" Ron gasped. "Viktor Krum?"

Aquila rolled her eyes. The boys fascination with the man was almost terrifying. "That is his name."

"You're friends with him?"

Aquila took a bite of her sandwich, chewing it slowly as she stared at the wide-eyed brother. Merlin's beard... he got a bit too excited about things. "Yes. As I understand it, so is Granger. I visit him in Bulgaria and we practice sometimes. Though I suppose, that would be difficult. Bulgaria is Ireland's worst enemy on the field. Quite good friends though." She shrugged. "Viktor and I have been friends for... well, ten years perhaps? A little less than? Since he was in first year."

Ron looked like he might explode. So, Aquila quickly changed the topic. "Arthur, I was curious... you are more familiar with the Muggle world than I. My understanding of some technology is a bit rusty... these televisions. They show pictures in no only very good drawings, but real life... yet some are not lifesized. We are unable to even replicate people in portraits tat are not properly proportioned. The magic doesn't work-"

"As I understand it they are able to almost take a picture, yet these pictures are in a series, and when played rapidly one after another, the photographs form a story in a single continous shot," Arthur explained. "And sound is also recorded, like a phonogram... and when played simultaneously-"

"Amazing," Aquila whispered. "Could you imagine a replication in the Wizarding World? The magic, when introduced, could ... Merlin, it could bring television to the Wizarding World."

"I quite agree. I've been researching Wizarding methods to many Muggle technologies. When we head back to the Burrow, and you visit, perhaps I'll show them to you," Arthur informed her. "Another mind on the matter may even move it along."

Aquila grinned, ecstatic. The conversation was interrupted, however, by the twins loudly proclaiming a story of them facing off the Slytherin Pond Scum in the Gryffindor-Slytherin match. The one that had landed them off of the team. People dispursed, Arthur tired and requesting to rest, Molly to wash dishes, the other teenagers to do Merlin knows what... Sirius and Remus remained, at their end of the table, talking quietly to each other.

"Remus," Aquila said quietly, approaching the werewolf talking to her Uncle. "You're the best Defense teacher we've had..." She gestured to the present she had in her hands. "I hoping you could check this out. It's from Evan Rosier... My spells didn't detect anything, but... Just to be safe."

"Of course," Remus said immediately. "I'll get back to you, Padfoot." Padfoot...? Remus rose, towering over her with his height, and drew her with him, towards the empty dining table. "When did you receive this?"

"This morning," Aquila admitted. "It was with my pile of gifts. I thought it was my brother, Evans, but the handwritting was wrong and... and Evan usually signs my name as Eagle." Remus took it from her, setting it down on the table, and then pulled out his wand. "I don't know what it is."

"You were wise not to open it," Remus said simply. "It could activate if opened."

She agreed and he prodded it with his wand, drawing nothing from the object. Then he flicked his wand, causing the ribbon to slowly untie. And then the ribbon was off, floating beside the box as it slowly undid itself.

The gasp left Aquila and her hand covered her mouth, mostly to keep the vomit inside of her body. Remus jumped back at the sight. "Is that a finger?" Sirius asked, standing from his seat across the room. He approached them, staring down at the body part. "It's female."

"Merlin's beard," she whispered. "The... the ring-" She felt sick. She felt like she was going to pass out. "Does anyone recognize it?" Was it someone they knew? She hadn't heard from any of her friends, really. Not in a few days. Oh, Merlin, what if it was Katie or Alicia? Or Tara?

Sirius flicked his wand, causing the object to roll over and the ring face be exposed. Sirius immediately went white, and fell heavily onto his left foot. "Dorcas...?"

"Dorcas Meadowes," Remus said quietly. "She died thirteen years ago-There's no way..."

"Oh my God," she whispered, horrified. "This was the girl... the girl he blew up, right?"

"I gave her that ring," Sirius said in a breath. "I ... I gave it to her when she..." Sirius swallowed. "How long has it been dead, Remus? How long?"

Remus flicked his wand once more, and the date hovered over the body part for a few seconds. Three days.

"Three... She's been alive all this time?" Sirius demanded. "Bloody hell, everyone thought-" Aquila stared at the ring. The blue stone, a precious gem she didn't even want to find out the name of, was set as though it were a wedding ring. Or an engagement ring. "I thought-" He had been engaged to Dorcas Meadowes.

"It was a personal attack," Aquila said quietly. "They knew I would bring it to the Order... that it would be identified." She swallowed. "Because we know each other and..." She had to look away from the finger, before she got sick. "Because it would make us react brashly."

"She's still alive," Sirius said, his voice stronger than before. "We can... we can rescue her-"

"She's right, Sirius," Remus said quietly. "We can't react like this... It could be someone else's finger, and her ring-"

"We have to know," Sirius said firmly, his breathing fast. "We need to know as soon as possible. I'll notify Molly of what's happened." And he was gone, leaving Remus and Aquila alone.

"I'm sorry you had to see this," Remus informed her.

"It's war." She waited for him to cover the body part before she glanced towards him. "If this is Dorcas... if she was alive at the time he cut the finger off..." She winced. "What the bloody hell has she gone through? It would be thirteen years of-"

"Of nothing but the worst torture imaginable," Remus agreed. "I know. Until we know more, we can't do anything. It'll take a few days to brew the potion, to identify the finger... From there, we only have so much. I'll contact Severus. Perhaps he'll be able to find something out."

Aquila was still for a moment, as he moved to go make the Floo call. "Should I stay? Or... or leave? I'm feeling a little sick to my stomach, to be quite honest with you, sir."

"You know nothing else about its origins?" Remus asked. "It just was with the presents?"

Aquila nodded. "I woke up and it was under the Dursley's tree-" Remus raised an eyebrow, making Aquila realize what she had said. "I-I sort of spent the night in their living room. Mum was out... she's been going to a lot of Death Eater parties." Remus didn't seem surprised by that information. So it had caught the Order's notice too. "And Petunia really wanted to celebrate with me, teach me some Muggle traditions... We may have gotten a tad too drunk and I passed out near midnight-"

"If your mother is compromised, Aquila," Remus said firmly. "You're the only protection they have, besides Mrs. Figg... That means that you're their only shot at safety. And if you're inhibited because you're drunk-"

Aquila felt like such an idiot. Of course... Of course it had been stupid. She should have never... "I understand."

"You're new to the Order... newly inducted, that is..." Remus sighed, pausing at the doorway. "But you have potential, Aquila... Use it to protect them. They won't be able to protect themselves."

Aquila hated to think of it. "I know, sir." And she did. Her vision of the Dursleys, dead, lying in their own blood. Her constant dreams of her own father's death. Of his body at the door of her childhood home. Her visions of an uncertain future. "Sir... Do you think we'll win this war?"

"If we don't," Remus answered almost immediately. "I won't be around long enough to find out what happens. None of us will." Aquila also knew that. "So to answer your question, yes. I do think we'll be winning. Because how can an idea, an organization, dedicated to bringing the good from the world be crushed by a dark force? Even the darkest of nights, the stars shine."

She felt a small smile form. "It's good to think about."

"You can return to Little Whinging... There's nothing more I think we can get out of this... We'll keep you updated, though, on anything we find out."

"Thank you," Aquila said softly. She Floo'd out, too disheveled in the head to apparate properly. When she was spit out, in her own living room, she noticed that the house was still quiet, and the time hadn't passed much. She would perhaps catch up on her reading...

So she cracked open the spine of the Quidditch Rule book, and began the memorization process for nearly the sixteenth year.