Okay, this is going to be a long author's note so bear with me please. First off, I would like to apologize for the terrible lack of updates. I honestly planned on writing more when school ended but things happened and I found myself unable to find inspiration to write anything. This summer has not turned out how I was expecting and that has left me with little time and motivation to write this story. I am sorry for those who were waiting for updates or any sign that I was still writing any of this. I hope that I will be more consistent with updates from here on out but I hate to say that I'm not sure I can keep that promise. Stress has been overtaking my life, along with a new puppy, lack of summer job, and other fun stuff made me unable to write.

Now to address some things written/asked in reviews:

To the Guest reviewer who leaves a copious amount of reviews on chapters when I don't update quickly: I don't hate you. I actually feel bad sometimes when I see you basically begging for an update and I just can't bring myself to write the next chapter. I am truly sorry. Also, in regard to Andy/Andie Voldie/Voldy, I was taught that -ie is feminine and -y is masculine so I try to follow that rule. I think I switched it with Voldie but I know for sure I used Andie for Andromeada.

I'm glad that you guys liked the Houses I placed them in. It was a difficult process trying to figure out where to place them. James and Ursula were the ones that caused the most internal debate. James I could have seen going into Ravenclaw but when I thought of Remus saying that James would view it at the height of dishonor to mistrust a friend, that was what made me lean more towards Hufflepuff for him. I just didn't know what to do with Ursula at first but then as I wrote the chapters leading up to the last one, it became obvious.

That is all I have you guys now. Once again, sorry about disappearing for more than a month. I hope that you like this chapter. I kind of have a rough outline of the next chapter so it should not be this long of a wait again.

Lily walked in silence next to Remus as they did their rounds. It had been a few days since he had regained consciousness and she had yet to speak to any of them about it. She knew that they had drank a bad potion that caused all of them to lose consciousness. Peter had woken up first since he drank the least but the rest remained in some sort of dream state and nothing had made them wake up.

As they walked past the hallway where she found them, she remembered the fear and panic that had overcome her. It was an honestly terrifying sight. All of them looked like disregarded dolls carelessly tossed to the side. She wouldn't have found them if it wasn't for James's hand stretched out past the corner they had been hidden behind. They looked dead. And with no physical wounds on their bodies, Lily's mind jumped to the worst conclusion possible – the Killing Curse. It wasn't until she knelt down next to James's prone body and placed her shaking fingers against his still warm neck did she allow herself to breathe again when she felt his pulse beat strongly away.

The fog cleared and she had run to get Professor McGonagall. The façade of the unfeeling teacher vanished when she saw the motionless bodies of her students. It was weird seeing her usually unshakable professor lose her calm demeanor. The panic didn't dissolve for either of them until Peter woke up five hours and explained what had happened. The professors filled in the blanks he had left out but that didn't fix the fact that the other six were still unconscious for seven full days.

"I never found out," Lily began, "what really happened. All the professors told the rest of the us that you drank a bad potion."

Remus snorted, "Bad potion. You could say that again."

"What was it? What happened on your end?" She questioned.

He sighed, "It was a stupid prank idea. We were going to go around for an entire day as the same first year and mess with people. We got Peter in his animagus form into Dumbledore's office and he was supposed to get some random hair from the Sorting Hat. The thing is that he ended up grabbing a string. When we cut it up and put it into Polyjuice…well, you saw."

Lily shook her head in amazement at their brilliance and stupidity, "But the chemical properties are delicately balanced! It is completely dependent on the properties of human DNA. Any deviation—"

"Goes terribly wrong for the drinker, we know," he grimaced. "Peter just stopped throwing up this morning and Ben can't leave his bed because of a headache."

She sympathetically placed a hand on his shoulder, "What did happen to you guys? Knowing the potion, there is a slight hallucinogenic quality to it. That's what morphs your appearance. You were unconscious for a full week…" the question was left unsaid but Remus clearly heard it.

"We shared the same hallucination, if that is what you wanted to know. We were resorted into different Houses."

"That's amazing!"

Remus's sighed, "Yes and no. It was interesting to see where we were Sorted if not in Gryffindor. But waking up was not…pleasant to say the least."

"If you don't mind, tell me. Something like this has never been attempted with polyjuice so I am curious as to what it created in your heads."

"Well, like I said we were all resorted. Ben, Elyse, and I were in Ravenclaw, James and Sirius were in Hufflepuff, and Ursula was in Slytherin. We don't know about Peter because he was only "there" for a few days before he left. Considering we had six years of memories to run through, none of us remembered him in our House."

"What about Ursula? You didn't mention what House she was placed in."

Remus sighed, "She was in Slytherin."

"What? Ursula Black? The person so loyal that her animagus is a dog? How….I don't….what?"

Remus nodded solemnly, "I agree. I think the Hat was just being an arse. But…none of us can deny that it was right. We have spoken in the past about what we thought about where else we would be and in none of the conversations did we ever think that Ursula would be Slytherin. She's torn up about it because she's always had the fear that she really did belong in Slytherin. Ben's doing everything he can to try to prove her wrong but that is having some mixed results."

"What's wrong?"

Unable to stop himself, Remus smirked and chortled, "She's said that if he word vomits one more "cheesy and disgustingly romantic" speeches, she is throwing him off the balcony."

Lily joined in the laughter, "I'm surprised she's held off. Her temper does get ahead of her."

Suddenly, Remus sobered up, "I think she would have snapped if it wasn't for what happened when we woke up."

The despondent tone in his voice caused Lily's smile to vanish, "What are you talking about?"

"None of us woke up at the same time," he began. "None of it was…pleasant…to say the least. Ben was the first to wake up. Ursula hasn't talked about it but from what I remember and from what he told me, they had just kissed when he doubled over in pain. The only thing Ben said that he could compare it to was the Cruciatus Curse. In our world, when he 'disappeared' he…well…he died. James and Sirius found her holding his body in the library. James woke up next. He 'slipped away' in his sleep. I never want to see Sirius look like that again. Elyse died next. Her headaches came back and she just collapsed in class one day and never got back up. I remember that I was really dizzy and everything was spinning and then I was in the hospital wing. Ursula…Sirius…well, you have to know that all of this happened for us within a period of a day or two. I don't know how they woke up but I heard Madame Pomfrey say that she was surprised that they woke up because their bodies hadn't fully burned off the potion."

Lily felt ill when she realized the assumption that was left unsaid, "Do you think—"

"That they lost all their friends and family in less than a day and suffering through having two sets of memories and they went and did something incredibly stupid? Sirius said that they realized that there was something wrong when they started having two sets of memories in regard to a lot of things, mostly the Sorting, but when the rest of us died…well, I think they figured that there was only one way to know if their theory was right."

"And if they were wrong?" Lily asked horrified.

Remus shrugged, "I don't think that they would have cared either way."

"That's…" Lily was at a loss of words.

"Terrible? Horrific? Traumatic? Upsetting? Depressing? Yeah, I realize that. But we can't talk to them about it. We either remind them about our deaths and what drive them to commit suicide or we make them feel bad about their decision and that isn't what we want to do either. We're stuck between a rock and a hard place and I think Ben's going to pull an Odysseus and do something stupid."

"Would you like me to try to talk to one of them? I know I'm not exactly as close to you guys as the rest of you are but I would like to help."

Remus's dark expression lightened exponentially, "Lily Evans, you are a selfless, brave soul to willingly enter into the battle zone."

"It's just that I worry about all of you. No matter how annoying you all were the first few years of school, I would consider all of you friends now. So I worry. Ursula and Ben are fighting, James is worried about his dad, Peter has been slowly shutting down, you have your furry little problem, Sirius seems to be getting more and more bitter and cynical with each passing day at everything, and something happened to Elyse that made her into someone I don't recognize. And Ursula and Elyse aren't even talking to each other right now and I can't figure out why!" She was exasperated with the entire situation. It had been weird since they came back from break. It didn't make sense to her how to of the best friends she had ever seen suddenly were suddenly full of tension and so formal with each other.

He was hesitant to tell her but it was Lily, he told himself. He trusted her the same amount he trusted Ben and the rest of them. "Elyse had a vision over Christmas break," he said in hushed tones. "I only heard third hand from Sirius but she told Ursula that it was of Pat. There was something about him not knowing about magic, not married to Lucky, and something about him not remembering her. So she obliviated herself from his memories—their relationship, friendship, her basic existence in his life except from when they were children in school together."

Lily felt tears well up in her eyes. She knew the risk that her family and loved ones were at, especially since she was a muggleborn. While not the same, she probably had the closest situation to Elyse's. Perhaps she was too selfish or confident but she couldn't imagine obliviating any of her family. "Poor Elyse," she lamented.

Remus nodded, "None of us would wish that upon anyone, especially Ursula. But Ursula is furious at Elyse for the route she took."

It didn't make sense. At least, it didn't at first to Lily. Why would Ursula turn her back on her best friend in her time of need? Remus seemed to understand her confusion so he elaborated, "When James and Ursula had their…um…run in with Moony about a year ago, Ursula lost part of her memory for a while. She still hasn't recovered everything so she was—"

"Furious," Lily interrupted.

"Unfortunately for the rest of us, yes. But fortunately for us, we are done with our rounds for tonight."

Lily jumped slightly in surprise. She hadn't realized that they were now standing in front of the Fat Lady. Remus turned towards the portrait and said the password, allowing the door to swing open. Lily quickly followed and after exchanging goodbyes and goodnights, the pair for sixth year prefects went their own way.

Up in their room, Lily was surprised by a number of things. First was that Ursula wasn't technically in her bed. Technically, it was Muse. The Siberian Husky was curled up in a ball in the middle of the bed. That was something new, she thought. The other thing that was she wasn't expecting was to see Alice awake and writing something. Since it was Friday night, she knew that Alice would never, ever be doing her homework anytime that wasn't the night before it was due.

"Alice?"

The said girl jumped into the air, her quill flew through the air and landed just to the right of one of Elyse's jumpers thrown on the ground.

"Lily! I thought you had rounds tonight?" Alice whisper-shouted at her.

"We just finished," Lily murmured, mindful of the other sleeping girls in the room.

Alice was silent a moment, nervously shuffling her papers, before she pointed the quill over at Ursula's bed, "So apparently Ursula's a dog. I didn't really see that coming. She was sleeping when all of a sudden, bang! She's a dog."

Lily laughed at Alice's description but she was honestly scared of what that meant. How was Ursula, one of the most controlled restrained people she knew, accidentally turning herself into her animagus form? It was concerning to say the least.

It was evident to Alice that Lily wasn't as surprised as she had been. "You knew about this? You don't seem like you're about to freak out like I did."

"I did the first time."

"I'm sure you didn't. You probably figured it out before she showed you."

Lily smiled at that because that actually was what happened. "Let's just say that she did this for a very good reason. Now, whom are you writing to?"

Alice flushed and nervously played with one of the corners of the parchment, "Frank and I have been talking through owls all semester."

That certainly caught Lily's attention. "Frank Longbottom? The one you had a hopeless crush on forever ago? Isn't he six years older than us?"

"Age is just some phenomenon human beings use based off the number of times we have rotated around the sun," Alice said defensively. "Just because he's six years older doesn't mean anything. We've known each other six years at this point."

Lily held her hands up in surrender, "I wasn't saying anything negative about the age gap."

"I feel like everyone will." Alice said in one of her rare despondent tones. "I look at all the couples around the school and everyone is dating someone in their year or maybe a year off. I'm over here pining over a twenty-two year old wizard who thinks I'm just some little kid."

"If he thought that why would he be owling you?"

Alice snorted cynically, "Because he's humoring me?"

It wasn't natural to see Alice act like this. Normally she was hyped up and happy. Now she looked like someone killed her cat. So Lily did the only thing she could think to do: comfort her friend. "Listen, I may not have known Frank that well when he was here but if I remember correctly, he was incredibly straightforward. He didn't humor people. And six years isn't that long. I can think of bigger distances."

"Yeah?" Alice asked hopefully.

Lily climbed into her bed before answering, "Of course I can. I'm a product of it. My parents are eight years apart. I have never seen two people more in love with each other."

Alice smiled at the fondness in Lily's voice as she spoke of her parents, "You really love your parents, don't you?"

"I do, honestly. They never once treated me like a freak when something weird happened when I was a child. When Professor Dumbledore came to give me my letter when I was eleven, instead of freaking out and denying my ability, my mum passed my dad a tenner because he bet her that I was magic when I was five and made our entire garden grow in two minutes. He was being sarcastic, of course, but my mum gave him the money. And now since I am seventeen, my parents have owled me an entire list of magical things they want to see me do. They embraced it whole heartedly."

"I want to be that kind of mum one day. The one that is always there. I love my adopted parents but part of me wishes that I knew my biological mum and dad before they died," Alice admitted softly. "I feel like a fool admitting this but I want it all. I want to marry some bloke who treats me like a queen but will also be my equal. I want to have a horde of little boys and girls who will make me lose my sanity but I would love every minute of it. Then when they get to Hogwarts, I'll write them letters about their younger siblings and I'll tell that that it wouldn't be the end of the world if they were horrid at flying like their mum. I would bake food for them and their friends and get letters from them not just because I demanded them but because they wanted to tell me about their lives. I want it all but I don't think I'm going to get it."

This conversation was moving into the dangerous zone that only happened after midnight when you were speaking uninhibited and baring your soul for someone else to see. Lily felt her heart clench when she heard Alice's dream; it was her dream too.

"What makes you say that?" she questions.

"The War," Alice admits. "I know dozens of people who have already died. Look at Annabelle White, half of Marlene's family…and I am going to be an Auror. Lily, I am putting a target on my back. I don't know if I would want to bring a child into this world."

"It's weird," Lily began, "to think that we are barely seventeen yet we are talking like we are twenty-seven. People our age shouldn't be worried about dying and planning on getting married and having babies in the next five years."

"But we are."

"We are," Lily concurred.

There was silence in the room. It was the unwelcome third voice to the conversation. It felt like it was the one promising to take their voice; the one that would one day silence them.

It was Lily who broke the silence.

"I think that we are alive now. We have feelings now, we are fighting and running and defending and living now. So perhaps one day you and Frank will be married and have your Quidditch team of children. I know I'll find someone as well. Perhaps our children will be friends. Maybe they'll even marry and we'll be in-laws. But right now that doesn't matter. What does matter is that the possibility is there and that we are all here for each other."

Alice opened her mouth to say something but a large yawn ended up overtaking her. "Oh, sorry about that. Must be more tired than I thought."

"Then go to sleep. We have class tomorrow."

Lily thought the conversation was done as she snuggled into her blanket when Alice's voice once again broke the silence.

"You know, you're one of the reasons I want to be an Auror. People want you dead for no good reason. I can't allow that to happen."

Lily felt her heart swell and tears fill her eyes, "Alice, I don't…"

"Don't say anything. Just promise me that ten, fifteen, fifty years down the line we can still have conversations like this."

Both knew she was lying when she responded, "I promise."

And with that, they both feel asleep.

"I want you to get away from me," Ursula monotonously said. Her eyes were just as dead as her voice as she stared at him.

Ben shook his head and reached for her arm, "Muse, Love—"

"DON'T YOU CALL ME THAT!" She exploded. She staggered back and grasped at the chair behind her. Her previously emotionless eyes were now blazing with a fire that roared hotter than the fireplace in Gryffindor Tower. "If you actually cared for me even a fraction of what you claim, you wouldn't have done this." She gestured pointedly at the prone state of her brother resting fitfully on the hospital bed.

Ben shook his head and once again tried to reach for her, "That wasn't me. I swear to you, on my sister's grave, that if I had ever thought that this was even a miniscule possibility, I would have never done it."

"WELL YOU DID!" She shot back, "and now I want you to get the hell away from me before I do or say something I truly regret."

Ben scoffed, "Like you regret what you did to Mulciber?"

He hadn't even blinked when he was suddenly thrown painfully across the room. White hot pain flashed up his arm and he crumbled to the ground.

Ursula looked down at him with no remorse, "Like how I should regret that."

"O'Brian, since you seem to like to daydream, care to inform us on the new safety protocols the Ministry instituted last week?" Professor Larson's voice boomed throughout the DADA room, jolting Elyse out of her vision. It was their last class of the day and Elyse was exhausted. Getting to the end of this class so she could head back to the dorms to sleep was her long term goal at this point. But her ability had other ideas and decided to show her a lovely vision.

Elyse was once again thankful that Ben's father was the Minister for Magic so they had just talked about this the previous night. "Um, teh Aurors kin use Unforgivables."

"Correct, now—"

"Excuse me, Professor," Gabe Abbott spoke up from his seat, "I know this isn't really a defense question, but how are they legalizing using the Unforgivables?"

Larson looked over at Ben, "White, your dad's the one who fostered this idea. You probably know more about it than half the monkeys at the Ministry. Share with the class."

Ben cleared his throat, "The premise is that now Aurors can fight fire with fire. Too many people are turning up dead so the Ministry decided to do something about it."

"So they decided to sink to their level?" Gabe challenged. "Just because some official people decided to allow it doesn't make it right."

"Gabe," Alice spoke up, "it isn't a light decision for someone to make but there should be the option to make it."

A fellow Hufflepuff, David McCormick, snorted, "You're biased because you and White both plan on being Aurors."

"How does that make them biased?" Marlene asked in defense of their friends. "If anything, that would be a reason to be against this! Do you think that they want to use Unforigvables on people? To torture, control, or kill someone?"

David rolled his eyes, "Well, White's dating a Black so maybe he secretly is a twisted bloke."

"HOW DARE YOU!" Sirius exploded, immediately jumping to his sister's defense. His shout carried over the indignant reaction that came from all the Gryffindors and a number of people from the other Houses (sans the Slytherins).

"What? It's not like it's a secret that you and your sister are more skilled at dark magic than half the Death Eaters out there. How many times has Ursula been in trouble for cursing someone? Might I remind everyone of a few years ago when Ursula nearly killed the Slytherin after he knocked out someone on your Quidditch team?"

"I didn't almost kill anyone!" Ursula growled.

"You liquefied his kidney and made him cough up blood! Tell me how you are so righteous now," he shot back.

James was leaning back in his seat but the fury was evident in his hazel eyes behind his glasses as he addressed David, "How the bloody hell do you not think that they are righteous? They didn't have to get involved with this. They could have just kept their heads down and they would have been fine. But they have risked their lives just to fight for what is right and they are using their skills that their parents forced on them to fight. Now tell me how they aren't righteous."

Another Ravenclaw sitting at the same table as David spoke up, "But that doesn't make it right. Dark magic is dark magic is dark magic. It can only be used for one purpose; evil. How do we even know that they aren't just picking your side so they can use their magic without getting punished?"

"Catherine," Remus spoke up, "how can you possibly even suggest that? Their best friend is a muggleborn."

"So? Hitler had Jewish friends growing up and we all know how that turned out."

"STOP!" Larson shouted from the front of the room, his hands shaking. "Listen here; you want to have a discussion about evil and what is acceptable practices fighting that, fine. Don't bring other students into the argument to decide if they are good or not."

"Alright, sir," Lily spoke up, "I understand what you are trying to say but shouldn't personal opinion be brought into this?"

"In what way, Evans?"

Lily shifted in her seat and looked at the twins a moment, trying to silently communicate with them. Apparently it worked when Ursula slowly nodded and Sirius followed suit.

"Well, if someone is questioning both Blacks' character, I would be the first to vouch for them."

"I would second that," Remus piped up. "If we want to finally settle if Ursula and Sirius are good or evil, I want to say that they, and Ben and James, are some of the best, pure hearted people in this entire school."

"Why would you say that?" Larson questioned.

The entire class turned and stared at Remus, the four he mentioned with particular interest.

"I say that because they could have very easily chosen not to get involved with any of this. They could have sat down and not get involved. Lord Voldemort has no issue with any of them. They could take their millions of galleons and live very comfortable lives. But they have friends like me and Peter who are halfbloods, and Elyse and Lily who are muggleborn. I can't even begin to describe what some of them have gone through already because of their choice; the choice they didn't have to make. So if someone wants to try to say that they are evil, then they are going to have to go through me."

"That's all well and good, Remus," Catherine said after his heavy statements, "but like Professor Larson said, this isn't really an issue about the Blacks. It's more about evil fighting evil. There is a right and wrong side in war and right now the lines have been blurred to the point of nonexistence."

Larson snickered in the front of class, "Do you honestly think that war is simple? That there's a good and bad? That it's as simple as black and white? None of you have ever been in a war before. None of you know what happens."

"And you do sir?" Gabe asked.

The challenging tone in Gabe's voice caused the Professor's eyes to harden to stone, "Yes, I do Abbott. I'm not the most spry guy out here. I'm pushing fifty-five. I was a young kid in the 40's in America. We were a bunch of fresh graduates from Salem and we wanted to make a difference. So we all joined up with the armed forces. We had a hell of a time sneaking our wands in but we did it and we tried to save as many lives as we could. Some of us were medics but most of us, including myself, became your average Joe soldier. I saw Hell. There is no way to describe it. I stormed Normandy of D-Day. My unit was at Buchenwald. I have seen evil. I have looked into the sunken faces of the emancipated skeletons that didn't look human as they begged for water in a language I didn't understand. I listened as they grabbed at my uniform and cried the names of their loved ones who were undoubtedly ash in the wind at that point. I think that I can accurately say that I know war, Abbott."

The entire class looked equally horrified. Larson sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly, "Listen, class, I don't mean to terrify you but I'm sure that most of your parents still remember aspects of that war. Many good people, muggle or magical, died in that war. Now we are having another but this time the muggle population can't protect themselves. So you have a few options. You can run away from here and never do anything about it. You can stay and be apathetic to the situation. Or you can pick a side. And I want you all to think long and hard about what history should have taught us. A lot of people condemn a lot of Germans that they didn't do anything to stop the Nazis yet in the same breath they say that they can't be held responsible for what they did or allowed to happen because they were brainwashed. But the truth is worse. A lot of people picked the side they did because there was no other choice. It was either death for their family and themselves or they joined the Nazis.

"Your situation ain't that different," he stressed. "There are some of you in this school with the tattoo from Lord Voldemort with a wand pressed against your back. There are some of you who are pulling a White Rose and protesting against what you are told to do because you want to do the right thing.

"Before any of you openly declare yourself, I want you to think long and hard about your decision. It could mean picking life or death. So ask yourself these questions: what are you willing to sacrifice? What are you willing to die for? I know you are only sixteen. You guys should be sneaking out the castle to Hogsmeade to get firewhiskey or studying for your finals; whichever one is your cup of tea. But this is the life you are living. Decide what you want to do with that life.

"If keeping your life determines you using an Unforgivable, the Ministry is willing to overlook it. It might come down to that. Are you a bad person for doing so? Not in my eyes. But you have to decide what you would become in your own eyes. That's why the Ministry is allowing Unforgivables, Abbott. They are giving you the option to live."

Gabe was slowly shaking his head, "They are giving you the option to kill."

Larson sighed in frustration, "I'll tell you what—next class I'm going to bring in someone who can speak on this subject better than I can. We'll see how your opinion changes after that.

Class on Friday came quicker than they realized. It was now Friday and a Hogsmeade weekend. Since the weather was more bearable, trips were now possible on Friday after all classes had ended and on both days during the weekend.

"Don't forget about the trip to Hogsmeade tonight," Ursula gently reminded Ben as they made their way to Defense.

His brows furrowed, "The full moon is tonight."

"And?"

Sometimes Ursula cursed the curse her dear friend carried.

"We should be taking care of Remus and not going on trips to Hogsmeade," he said loftily.

Her expression made a complete 180 after his statement, "I am aware of what tonight is and I am offended that you seem to think I forgot about Remus. But we made a promise to Mary and Moira to go on a double date with them to Hogsmeade. We would like complete arses if we pull out now."

"Why can't they just go on their own? No one thinks twice of it when you and Lucky go places together."

Ursula glowered at him, "Are you purposely being a proper prick right now? We made a commitment and we are going to keep it. End of story."

"If you two are done having your little lovers quarrel, I would like to inform you that class is about to start," Sirius hissed from his seat behind them.

And so it was. Larson came out of his office and to the class's shock, he didn't come out alone. Ben's father followed him out.

It had been close to four months since Ben had seen his father and it looked like he had aged three years. There was more white streaking through the fiery red that he passed on to both of his children. There were bags under his eyes and lines that hadn't been around his eyes a few months before. His posture and aura was still as commanding as it had previously been, he was now thinner and sickly looking than Ben had ever seen him.

"Since ya'll have eyes, ya'll can see we Minister White here with us today. I told you guys I would get someone to speak on the new laws."

"Thank you Professor Lawson," Jay said as he stepped forward. His dark brown eyes, Ben's eyes, scanned the room and didn't even hesitate as he passed over his son and his friends. "This is a N.E.W.T. level class so you are all obviously skilled in the art of Defense Against the Dark Arts. As all of you are undoubtedly aware, we are at war. Chances are that if I were to ask everyone to pull up their sleeve, there would be some who would refuse because there is a symbol tattooed on your arm." To his credit, he didn't even look at the Slytherins as he said this.

He walked across the front of the room, his fingers lazily dragging across the length of the desk at the front of the room. "I know many of you have lost friends and loved ones in this war. Do not think I am an exception to that. I lost a child, a grandson, my in laws, and my nieces and nephews just as many of you have lost aunts and uncles and brothers and sisters and cousins and friends—without warning and without mercy. We've tried fighting against Lord Voldemort and his followers, the Death Eaters. I regret to inform you that we have not been as successful as we would have liked.

"It was a decision made by many in the Ministry that we would fight with honor and integrity. We would not stoop to the level of dark magic. Perhaps it was too idealistic of me –too Gryffindor. I acknowledge that is one of my shortcomings. But in war, what does honor win you? Death and pain? Perhaps the cost is not worth the prize…" he shook his head. "I'm sorry, my thoughts get away from me sometimes."

By now every student was incredibly confused at the ramblings of the Minister of their world. All, that is, except Ben. He knew where his father's mind had gone. The pit in his stomach started to form and he started to shake his head. Unconsciously, he reached out and grabbed Ursula's hand. He gripped it so tightly that she winced before yanking it away.

"The witches and wizards that advise me in the Ministry, the Heads of all the Departments, the Head Healer from St. Mungo's, and I have come to a decision that is something that we all hesitantly agree is absolutely necessary." He paused before continuing, "from here on out, if a witch or wizard, no matter what age, will not be penalized when using any form of magic in defense."

There was a beat of silence before Lily raised her hand hesitantly, "Excuse me, Minister White, does this also apply when in front of muggles?"

He nodded, "It applies in any situation."

The rest of the class was silent. There was a palpable tension in the room. They nervously look at each other, each wondering who would be the person to ask the question that was running through all their minds. Sirius sighed dramatically and asked, "Alright, I guess I'm going to look like the violent one. Are we allowed to use Unforgivables, even if we aren't part of the Ministry? And if we are, how are we going to be correctly taught how to use them because more damage can be done by incorrectly executing the spell than the actual intent."

Jay sighed and looked incredibly defeated, "I honestly don't know how to answer your question. We have given Aurors the discretion to use the three curses. However, we don't think that we should be allowing eleven year olds to think that they can kill someone. That being said, if one of you were being attacked and it was a matter of life or death, you won't be thrown in Azkaban for using one of the curses on your attacker."

There was a beat of silence before, "Are you out of your godforsaken mind?"

Simultaneously, the entire class turned to stare at Ursula in bewilderment. Minister White frowned, "If you would please actually express your concern in a reasonable manner, I would be happy to hear your opinion."

Ursula snorted, losing all sense of propriety, but still responded, "What I mean to ask was how could you, an adult wizard with a great deal of intelligence, along with other qualified members of our Ministry make such stupid decisions?"

"Ursula—"

Going all the way, she cut the Minister off and continued to rant, "You are aware of what these spells have done to people right? I mean, your own son was tortured by the cruciatus curse by Lord Voldemort. You would think that you would give a damn."

"I certainly give more than a damn, Miss Black," Jay nearly growled, "it is exactly what happened to my son that prompted these changes. When that happened, if anyone had intervened and done anything, the ministry would have had to prosecute them as well. As a matter of fact, a few of the cases that were brought up for support of this action were ones when you countered dark magic with more dark magic for defense. It is quite hypocritical for someone of your family history to speak against the use of any sort of dark magic for any purpose."

Ursula was practically vibrating with anger, her eyes were sparking with pure rage, "Well, then, sir," she said with barely contained fury, "I think that I can confidently say that I think you are a arsehole and I am going to excuse myself before I say anything that will get me thrown into Azkaban prematurely."

She stood up so forcefully that her chair ended up crashing against her brothers' desk behind them, breaking the wooden back. Before Ben could grab her, she stormed from her seat and stalked to the back of the room. She threw the door open and slammed the door closed with a deafening bang.

There was silence in the room before there was a an enraged and primal screech that echoed down the hallway before there was a loud clatter, one that sounded suspiciously like the knight's armor that stood in the corner.

Ursula stormed down the hall and the second that she was sure that no one was coming after her, she turned into Muse and ran.

Being her animagus form was simpler. Everything was clearer and less complex. She supposed that it was because dogs generally have better dispositions than humans. God knew she needed a better disposition. If her outburst at the man who had the most powerful position in all of England (at least, magical England) and was her boyfriend's father, she needed a better disposition. Her stint as a Slytherin also proved that. Her entire life proved that.

She finally came to a stop next to the Black Lake. She settled back on her haunches and looked down at the reflective water. The calming effect of water soothed her rattled nerves almost immediately. She took a deep breath and in a moment was her usual human form.

There were footsteps coming from behind her. She didn't bother to turn around, thinking it was probably Ben to either say some cheesy romantic crap she was getting sick of or he was there to lecture her on how she shouldn't have done that. Fully prepared to have another verbal confrontation, she turned over her shoulder but was silenced in shock when she saw it was Peter who was now settling himself down to the ground next to her.

He picked up a stick and drew random pictures in the water in front of them. He didn't speak, something that Ursula's was extraordinarily grateful.

Remembering something she had realized a few days ago, she rocked to her side and bumped his shoulder lightly before saying, "So, Slytherin, huh?" she questioned in her lightest and most jovial voice possible.

Peter grimaced and dropped the stick into the lake, "how did you figure it out?"

"There was someone in my House that I was incredibly close to for the first few weeks before he disappeared. Then we all knew someone was missing. I put two and two together and made four."

"I don't want them to know."

"It will be our secret," she swore. She paused before she continued in a soft, contemplative voice, "I don't think any of them understand why I don't want to talk about it. They all got good Houses. The House of the Intelligent. The House of the Kind. We got stuck in the House that is known for wanting to murder half the school."

Peter winced, "but we don't want that."

"That doesn't change that the Sorting Hat confirmed every fear I've had since I was a child and realized what my parents were doing was evil. Sirius likes to forget about what happened but we were abused so terribly, Peter. The things they did to us…"

Peter reached out and wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her into a comforting hug. She returned the embrace.

"The House doesn't define the person." He said.

"It feels like it does."

"Well, it doesn't." He said resolutely.

Ursula swallowed tightly, "Um, Ben doesn't know that it was my mother who cursed me with an Unforgivable."

Peter's arm tightened around her, "I'm sorry," he said before releasing her.

She sat straight up again and took her glasses off to wipe her eyes, "That's why I hate that House. My mother would spout off the Slytherin Manifesto as reason to abuse me. It shouldn't be used that way and it should be a good House but I can't look past my prejudice. I just can't. And to know that that is where I would belong...I don't know what to think anymore."

"So don't."

Ursula snorted and raised an eyebrow, "Don't think? You do realize you are talking to someone with one hell of a brain, right?"

"I realize that. But you aren't the rest of your family. Look at the people you have chosen as your family. I think that speaks more towards your character than what happened to you in your past. I can tell you are scared of becoming your mother but you're not. You are the farthest thing from being like her. The difference lies in the fact that she does what she does for power and influence and you do it for the people you love. You are strong to get away from that and if anyone thinks otherwise, they are a bloody idiot."

Ursula chuckled and this time wrapped her arms around Peter in a hug, "Has anyone told you lately that you are a brilliant and good friend lately?"

Peter flushed at the compliment, "Not recently."

"Well you are. Now let's get out of here. I have a double date to make and I appear to not have a date at the moment since Ben's probably furious at me. Care to join me?" she jumped to her feet and held a hand out for Peter to grab. Once their hands were linked, she yanked him to his feet and kept her grip on him as she dragged him back towards the castle.

"Um…Ursula…where are we going?"

She turned and smiled wickedly, "We're going on a date! We'll be back to help out Remus tonight so don't worry yourself. I owe a teammate a favor and you are helping me do just that."

And with that she continued to drag him off towards the Courtyard where they would meet up with Moira and Mary. All the while, the only thing repeating in Peter's head was 'we're going on a date'

To be continued…