On the morning of the first of December, Black and Amberlyn met them in the Ministry corridor with the smaller courtrooms. Severus was accompanied by Poppy and Malcolm. Everyone was in their best dress robes.

"We're in at nine?" Black asked.

"That's right," Amberlyn said, checking her watch. "Mr. Baddock and his solicitor should already be in the courtroom, they wouldn't want us meeting him in the hall. We should wait for the judges from Family Services to arrive before we enter. I know we'll also have an auror in the courtroom with us today."

Severus nodded, though if wands were drawn they were going to need more help than just a single auror. He glanced over the group. He and Black and the auror could stand against Bertrand, but they had too many people they needed to protect in order to be effective.

"Doing alright there?" Black asked Malcolm.

Malcolm looked at Severus.

"We are all managing as well as can be expected," Severus answered for him.

"I know it's not easy, but this is the last big thing we have to do," Black told Malcolm.

Malcolm did not look particularly reassured. With his eyes wide and his mouth set into a thin line, he looked downright frightened.

"You're going to stay by my side, just like we talked about," Amberlyn told Malcolm. "The court isn't going to ask you to speak. If they need something from you, they'll ask me, and then I will speak with you and then answer for you."

"How long does it last?" Malcolm asked.

"Should be less than two hours, then we'll take you back to Hogwarts," Amberlyn said.

Malcolm looked at Severus again and Severus nodded. "You don't have to return to classes today. You can take time away from everyone," he told him.

"You're doing very well. If you start feeling panicked, take a few slow breaths," Poppy added, her voice the same gentle tone she used when students were injured and she needed them to hold still.

Everyone in the hall adjusted their stances as a trio of people approached. Severus recognized two of the judges from Theo's hearing - an older woman with grey streaked hair and a man with a thick mustache. The woman with deep red hair tied up in a bun was new.

"For the Baddock hearing, Miss Moores?" the older woman asked.

"Yes, I have Malcolm Baddock here with me, along with Wizengamot Member Black, who is petitioning for his guardianship, and two representatives from Hogwarts who will testify to Malcolm's condition," Amberlyn said.

"Please proceed us into the courtroom. There is already an auror within," the woman directed.

A man in the deep blue MLE robes was standing outside courtroom eight and he checked their names off his list before allowing them to enter. Bertrand Baddock was sitting at the far table with a man who was undoubtedly his solicitor. Malcolm froze for a moment in the doorway and Amberlyn gently guided him to the closer table.

Severus, Poppy, and Black took seats in the back row of chairs while the judges took seats on the raised dais.

"We are here to determine guardianship over present minor, Malcolm Baddock. He is presently residing at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry with both a petition of guardianship from his biological father, Bertrand Baddock and a petition from Sirius Black. Malcolm Baddock was temporarily removed from the custody of his father under allegations of child abuse and neglect on the twenty third of November 1997. Bertrand Baddock is still under pending charges from the MLE. Let's begin," the older woman stated.

Amberlyn stood. "May I address the court?"

"Yes, the advocate for the minor may speak."

"On behalf of Malcolm Baddock, I ask you not to return Malcolm to his father. Malcolm has suffered years of abuse in Bertrand Baddock's dubious care, including physical abuse, magical abuse, and enforced starvation. I have witnesses, including Hogwarts' matron and Malcolm's Head of House, who can testify to the injuries Malcolm has received in the last two years. I also have documentation of a referral to Family Services from last spring, where the staff at Hogwarts indicated their concerns about Malcolm's home life. Malcolm declined to provide information about the abuse at that time because he believed his life was in danger if he spoke of what Wizengamot Member Baddock was doing to him. And Malcolm's life was in danger. If he had not fled and asked for help, Madam Poppy Pomfrey indicates that her assessment is that Malcolm would have died within a month from starvation, dehydration, and the cumulative effects of abuse. Malcolm's life is in danger if he is returned to Wizengamot Member Baddock," Amberlyn said, her tone both calm and direct.

"May I address the court?" Bertrand's solicitor asked as he stood.

"Please do," the older woman said.

"The rumors that Bertrand Baddock has abused his son are specious. Bertrand is a loving father who has been raising his son alone ever since the tragic disappearance of his wife ten years ago. Bertrand is well known within our community as an upstanding citizen and an impeccable member of the Wizegnamot. The so-called evidence of abuse has been planted by Hogwarts staff and Professor Severus Snape has been using mind magic to implant memories of abuse into Malcolm's mind. Malcolm is not safe at Hogwarts. He belongs with his father. We move to postpone this hearing until the MLE has finished its investigation."

Severus knew that it was suspected that Bertrand had killed his wife ten years ago and had then disposed of her and claimed she'd gone missing.

"I have notes here from the MLE indicating that the investigation portion of the case has been finished and they are currently deciding if Wizengamot Member Bertrand Baddock will be charged. I move that we accept the results of the investigation as is and proceed," the man with the mustache said.

"I concur," the woman with red hair said.

"I also agree, we will proceed with the hearing today. I'd like to start with testimony from Hogwarts' matron as to the condition Malcolm was found in on the twenty second of November and her notes on evidence of abuse during Malcolm's time at Hogwarts," the older woman directed.

Poppy stood and moved to the center of the room. "I have been treating Malcolm since he first came to Hogwarts in September of 1994," she began.

Severus listened as Poppy went through the examinations she had done on Malcolm over the years and how Malcolm had shown up to school starving. She had come prepared and was supplying everyone with her examination notes. She continued with the state they had found Malcolm in ten days ago, explaining that the damage she found had to have taken place in the last five months while Malcolm was in Bertrand's custody. Malcolm was sitting next to Amberlyn, his shoulders hunched and his head hanging down. Severus felt a wave of empathy and wished he could reassure him that this would be over soon.

Severus was called to speak next and he carefully went through all of his interactions with Malcolm, his concerns, his decision to ask Family Services to investigate last year, and his rescue of Malcolm. When he turned to sit back down he saw Bertrand's furious expression at him. Apparently Bertrand hadn't know that Severus was the one who had directly rescued Malcolm.

Black then gave his own testimony about how he would be an adequate guardian to Malcolm and that he could provide everything Malcolm needed.

"My client would like to speak," Bertrand's solicitor said.

"We'll allow it," the older woman said.

Bertrand stood. "My son is precious to me. I would do anything for him. When I came home and discovered that my son had been kidnapped by my political enemies, I was devastated. Please return my son to me. Please do not allow politics to influence your decision. I love my son."

Malcolm hunched further and Amberlyn rested her hand on his shoulder briefly as she stood. "May I speak?"

The older woman nodded.

"I have no doubt that it is true that Wizengamot Member Baddock loves his son. But what is incontrovertible is that Wizengamot Member Baddock was abusing Malcolm. The evidence speaks for itself. Malcolm was only in the company of Wizengamot Member Baddock for five months. The curse damage that shows on the scans that Madam Pomfrey performed showed damage ranging from months to weeks. Malcolm was starving when he was rescued by Professor Snape. A Wasting Curse could not accomplish this within a matter of hours. There is nothing that explains Malcolm's state when he was rescued on the twenty second other than long term ongoing abuse and neglect. Politics does not play into this. Malcolm asked for help from the only adult he could trust because he was dying. To return Malcolm to Wizengamot Member Baddock is to ensure his suffering and likely his death," Amberlyn said.

Malcolm was visibly shaking now.

"I believe we've heard from everyone. We'll deliberate now," the older woman said.

Amberlyn sat back down and put her hand on Malcolm's back and leaned into whisper to him.

"What do you think?" Black whispered to Severus.

Severus shook his head slightly. "We'll see if Albus was correct," he whispered back. If Family Services was under the influence of Death Eaters, they'd return Malcolm to Bertrand. If not, then Black should get custody of Malcolm. Albus had been certain enough to allow this hearing to go forward. Severus only hoped he was right.

Bertrand was sitting stiffly, but Severus was keeping an eye on him. He wasn't sure what Bertrand would do if denied custody of his son. He didn't think Bertrand was foolish enough to attack people in the Ministry, but he wasn't willing to underestimate the man. Severus kept his hand ready to draw his wand. If Bertrand drew his, Severus would stun him before he had the chance to hurt anyone.

After about twenty minutes the judges released the privacy ward. "We have made our decision. We believe that Malcolm Baddock would be in imminent danger if his guardianship was returned to Bertrand Baddock. Sirius Black's petition for guardianship has been approved and the minor will reside with him until he reaches his age of majority. This hearing is adjourned," the woman in the center said.

Severus exhaled. Albus' gamble had paid off.

Bertrand rose, his expression furious as he looked around the room. The auror took a step forward, his wand out. Severus held his wand, ready to take action as soon as Bertrand reached for his wand. Bertrand read the room and stalked out without saying anything, his solicitor following a few steps behind.

Severus stood and moved to where Amberlyn and Malcolm were standing up. "You have been moved to a safe house?" he asked her.

"I have. Believe me, I'm very aware of the enemies I just made," Amberlyn said. "You did well, Malcolm. We got through this."

Malcolm nodded, but he still looked frightened. "What happens next?"

"We return to Hogwarts. You can speak with Mr. Black whenever you wish," Severus said, reluctantly accepting that meant he was likely to see more of Black than he would like.

"I'm going to go thank the judges and remind them that they've made an enemy as well," Amberlyn said. "Wait for me and I'll escort you back out of the Ministry."

Black and Poppy joined them. "Well, it looks like it's you and me. I think we've got your school things all settled, but let me know if you need something. The Christmas holiday starts on the twentieth, which means I'll definitely see you then, if not before," Black told Malcolm. "I've got a bedroom set aside for you."

Malcolm still looked frightened, but he nodded once. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"You can either choose to go to classes this afternoon or take the afternoon off," Severus said. "Whatever you need. The professors aren't expecting you today."

Amberlyn returned. "Alright, they said Madam Bones already let them know of the potential problems. I think we're ready to go back to Hogwarts."

Severus was also eager to get Malcolm back within the wards. He didn't like the idea that Bertrand was loose somewhere in the Ministry. He exhaled heavily. At least now Malcolm was safe from his father. "Let's go," he told them. One problem at a time.


Rachel took a newspaper from the stack at the end of the Slytherin table as she moved to sit down and then came to a stop as she read the top headline. 'Wizengamot Member Bertrand Baddock in MLE Custody Following Child Abuse Hearing - Accused of being a Death Eater.'

"What now?" Theo asked.

Rachel handed the paper to him and sat down, her mind spinning.

"Shit," Theo said.

"What?" Millie asked, pressing closer to Theo in order to see. "Oh. Poor Malcolm."

Rachel looked up and down the Slytherin table but only a handful of people were there and none of them were Malcolm. She slowly inhaled and then exhaled. She hadn't heard from the Dark Lord since he said he would find out the truth about what Bertrand Baddock had done. Either something had happened at the guardianship hearing or the Dark Lord had found out the truth and had somehow disavowed him. Severus had thought that Bertrand Baddock was too important to torture and kill, but maybe he wasn't so important that he couldn't be sent to Azkaban for a while.

The rest of the seventh years joined them a few minutes later.

"Did you see this?" Draco asked as he sat.

"We did," Theo said.

"I hope they give him the Dementor's Kiss," Blaise said, scowling at the paper.

"Why?" Millie asked. "I mean, why him in particular?"

"He cursed my mother. A long time ago. He ruined her life," Blaise said after a moment.

Rachel put two and two together and realized Blaise was speaking about the blood curse that was on his mother.

"At least he's probably going to Azkaban, he can't do anything there," Daphne said.

"Not unless the Dark Lord breaks more of his Death Eaters out again. There's nothing stopping him from doing it again," Pansy pointed out.

Rachel turned her head in time to see Malcolm approach the table. He stopped by the end of the table for a moment and he wobbled slightly upon seeing the headline before turning around and walking back out of the Great Hall. Rachel stood and hurried after him, aware that Theo was following her. She reached the entrance hall in time to see the front door close and she wished she had her cloak with her as she followed him outside.

Malcolm had come to a stop at the bottom of the stairs, his dark hair stirring in the chill wind.

She carefully made her way down the stairs, they were a little slick with the remains of a light snow, and moved to the edge so she wasn't sneaking up on Malcolm.

He turned and looked at them, his eyes wide and his skin pale. It was still very obvious that he'd been starving. Rachel wondered if it had been that obvious with her last year and she just hadn't seen it.

"Hey. First of all, we're sorry this is happening to you," Theo began. "They'll put just about anything in the newspaper and they don't seem to care who it hurts."

Rachel nodded. "I'm sure you know that they write about me often enough and it's usually things I'd rather them not say. It will take about a week or two of people staring and gossiping about you, but it will die down. Things will be back to normal by the time we come back from the Christmas holiday. We'll talk with the prefects and ask them to ask people not to approach you about this."

"We will," Theo agreed. "And both Rachel and I have been through different parts of this. My Death Eater father nearly killed me and I was dragged through a whole guardianship hearing in front of what felt like everyone in the Ministry. Rachel has had her entire childhood gossiped about in the newspaper for months upon end. We've both been suddenly given new guardians who we didn't know anything about. We get it. It sucks. And if you want someone to talk about it with, we're here."

"We are. Or if you need help with something, we're pretty helpful people. We know a lot of people and can get things done," Rachel added.

Malcolm stared back at them, clearly holding back tears. "I just don't understand why they had to put that in the paper like that."

Rachel shook her head. "The magical world is particularly bad about that. I swear this doesn't happen in the muggle newspapers."

"It was Rita Skeeter, she's written a lot of the articles about Rachel. There will probably be a few follow up articles, not front page, but still, talking about what crimes he's being charged with. Most Hogwarts students don't read past the front page. There will be another article when he's sentenced, but after that, it should stop," Theo explained.

"I'm not safe. Even if he's in Azkaban. His friends will get him out," Malcolm said.

"We're pretty safe here at Hogwarts. And if it's not safe at Hogwarts, you, me, and Draco are all going to wind up at Sirius' house for a while, and we'll be even safer there," Rachel said.

Theo turned to look at her. "They're sending you to Sirius?"

"Not yet, but if they decide the Death Eaters can get into Hogwarts, they will. You might want to consider coming," she told him. Severus said Theo wasn't as high on the Dark Lord's list of people he wanted, but Severus still didn't know what Ignatius Nott had done the night that she'd been tortured.

"How can we be safer at Mr. Black's house?" Malcolm asked.

"It's under the Fidelius charm. Only Professor Dumbledore can reveal where it is," Rachel explained.

"And there are a ton of other wards. I stayed there this summer and so did Draco. Sirius is Draco's first cousin once removed and he's Rachel's godfather. Living there is pretty good. There's lots of people running around and you can't go outside, but it's good overall," Theo said.

"You should have lunch with us on the next Hogsmeade weekend, that way you can meet Sirius in a casual environment before you have to live with him. Are you going to his house for the Christmas holiday?" Rachel asked.

"He seems to expect that I will," Malcolm said.

Theo shrugged. "No pressure, there is nothing saying that you have to, but it might be a good chance to have a short amount of time with him and see how it goes."

"He can be a little loud and abrasive, but he means well. He tells a lot of jokes. He likes to talk about Quidditch. If you really want to get him to talk, ask him about some of the ridiculous stuff he did during his time at Hogwarts. From some of the stories he tells, I'm somewhat shocked that my father, Remus, and Sirius even finished at Hogwarts without the professors murdering them outright."

"From the sounds of things, they sure gave the Weasley twins a run for their money, and we know Professor Snape gave the Weasley twins a record number of detentions," Theo said. "But he and Remus are really pretty nice. If you need something, all you have to do is ask them."

"And the Weasley twins live there too, so don't be surprised if there is an occasional firework going off or an escaped pygmy puff," Rachel said, figuring that Malcolm deserved fair warning. "There's also Kreacher, he's an older House Elf who is a little intense."

"How many people live in Mr. Black's home?" Malcolm asked, his eyes growing wider.

Rachel glanced at Theo and Theo shrugged. "In the summer, there were a bunch of us. He's sheltering some muggleborn families in the attic, but most of those only stay for a few weeks."

"Why?" Malcolm asked.

"Most of them are being relocated somewhere safer until the war is over," Rachel said, wondering if anyone had thought to tell Malcolm that the Order was operating out of his new home. Maybe she should drop by Severus' office and suggest that someone explain things to Malcolm so he wasn't confused.

"Look, we know things are shitty, but we do want to help," Theo said. "We're both around if you want to talk or if we can help with anything. Also, I'm sure no one would care if you avoided people for a while if you wanted to."

"Oh, we should show you how to get into the kitchens," Rachel said. "Do you want breakfast?"

Malcolm nodded, though he looked wary.

"Come with us then," Theo said.

"Why are you helping me?" Malcolm asked.

"Because we had a lot of people helping us when we were going through this and it was always nice when it was someone who understood. We want to do the same for you," Rachel said.

Theo nodded. "Rachel, Professor Snape, and Amberlyn all helped me when I was dealing with all this Family Services and guardianship shit and it was nice knowing that they got it. Most people don't understand, and that's a good thing. But it's nice when there is someone who understands, because you're not the only one."

"Do you think the Death Eaters are going to come here for us?" he asked.

"Eventually. But I think the Ministry is going to fall before that happens. The Dark Lord's focus is on the Wizengamot right now. We've still got time," Rachel said, not wanting to keep the truth from him.

Malcolm's throat bobbed as he nodded. "That's better than pretending that Hogwarts is safe."

"It is. It's better to know what's going to happen so that we can be prepared. Now, breakfast?" Theo asked.

"Yes, please," Malcolm said.

"This way," Rachel said, starting up back into the castle. She had Charms first, and she'd talk to Pansy and Draco there about getting the House to leave Malcolm alone, then she could reach the rest of the prefects at lunch. Hopefully by the end of the day everyone will have gotten the message.


"Come on back to your body now," Professor Dumbledore said.

Rachel hovered in the shadowed version of London, straining to follow the cup horcrux. "It's here."

"Take note of where you are and come back," he instructed.

She looked around. They had figured out that the darker shadows she'd seen over London with souls moving through what should have been walls were the magically expanded areas. She'd identified both Diagon Alley and the Ministry, but she couldn't tell which one contained the horcrux. It felt like it should be easy, she should be able to see it, but when she drew closer to either things just became muddled with the vast number of magical objects there. She felt drawn closer to Diagon Alley than the Ministry, but she couldn't tell for certain.

Rising up above the shadows, Rachel did another check on the Dark Lord and the snake horcrux. They were in the area near Birmingham today, but hadn't moved since the last time she'd checked.

Getting back to Hogwarts was easier now that she'd had more practice at traveling in this weird mind and magic realm. She flew up high, much higher than she could have gone on a broom and then closed her eyes while focusing on her connection to the horcruxes at Hogwarts. It helped not to imagine a specific speed or to imagine herself flying at all. She was just moving and when she opened her eyes she'd be back at Hogwarts.

She found herself in the Headmaster's office when she opened her eyes and went over to her soul before she closed her eyes one more time and pictured the journey back to her own mind. She no longer relied on the waves to carry her, instead she skimmed above them and headed back to shore. A few moments later she opened her eyes in her body and felt a familiar weariness rush over her.

"Do you want to look at a map?" Professor Dumbledore asked.

"No need. Either Diagon Alley or the Ministry. I'm more drawn to Diagon Alley, but I'm not sure that means anything. What are we going to do if it's behind a Fidelius charm?" she asked.

"I am somewhat doubtful that it is, because you must trust someone to be a secret keeper, you cannot be your own secret keeper. On the other hand, we know that Voldemort did trust at least one of his Death Eaters with the diary, so it's possible. If the horcrux itself was the secret, we would not be able to find it even with Looking through space, so I think we can rule that out. If it is being kept in a Fidelius guarded location, after we determine the location we can use Fiendfyre to destroy everything that is contained within, though that is a last resort as it will reveal that we know about the horcruxes."

That was a bit more violent than she'd been expecting. "Diagon Alley is a big place. It's difficult to match anything to a map."

"It is, but we will continue to work on it. If we need to remap Diagon Alley ourselves, we can do that. I intend to show a handful of people a painting of the cup and see if anyone recognizes it. We may be able to get an idea of where it is if we know who had it last," Professor Dumbledore said, nodding to himself.

"You're not worried the Dark Lord will realize that we're looking?"

"I will only ask people who I am certain will not have contact with Voldemort and even then I'm limiting it to people who may have had the opportunity to see the cup. Right now our knowledge of the horcruxes is our best kept secret and I intend to keep it that way."

"Are you worried that the Dark Lord may be able to take that information from my mind?" she asked, almost fearing the answer.

"At this point, I'm not. Is there something that leads you to believe that might happen?" he asked, his expression only politely curious.

"I just feel like this connection is slowly pulling our minds closer together. He says he can feel me watching him. And I'm pretty sure I can feel him watching me too. I've never felt that feeling here in your office. It isn't all the time, just moments."

"Do those moments have anything in common?"

Rachel thought about that. "Usually it's when I'm out and about in the castle. And at first I thought it was other people watching me. But I'm pretty sure it's him."

"If you get that feeling when you are speaking with me, let me know and we will change the subject. Tell me that you wish to talk about your Defense class and I will understand the signal. What other changes have you noticed with your connection?"

Rachel yawned and covered her mouth. "Sorry. Um. I don't know. Just feelings mostly. The Dark Lord feels very present. Theoretically we can test if I actually know where he is, but Severus doesn't want to take me from behind the wards to do so. I'm also pretty sure the Dark Lord can tell where I am, but I don't know how specific it is for him. We haven't had a conversation since the twenty third, which is unusual. Do you think that Bertrand Baddock being revealed as a Death Eater was the Dark Lord's doing?"

"I'm almost certain of it. Amelia received an anonymous letter that they can't trace on the morning of the first with a list of crimes that Bertrand committed, including the use of all three Unforgivable Curses. The MLE took him into custody shortly after the guardianship hearing and questioned him with Veritaserum against his will, which is now allowed in cases where there is sufficient evidence that someone is a Death Eater." Professor Dumbledore nodded again and moved his withered hand toward his beard before setting it back on his lap.

"An anonymous letter is considered sufficient evidence? Couldn't anyone accuse anyone that way?" she asked.

"Theoretically, but sending an untraceable letter is considered evidence unto itself. They're not certain how Voldemort is accomplishing that and neither am I. When you write, you put a piece of yourself into the writing. With the appropriate spells, it is often possible to determine who wrote something," he explained. "The Goblet of Fire operated with those same spells. We believe someone must have given Crouch Junior a sample of your writing in order to place your name in the Goblet."

Rachel hadn't known that. She supposed it was possible that someone had taken one of her school assignments from her dorm. The Carrow twins were reasonable suspects for that, since her dorm hadn't been warded to exclude other people at that point. "Maybe it's untraceable because the Dark Lord wrote it. He's not exactly human and his soul is all wrong too."

Professor Dumbledore looked thoughtful and made another aborted movement with his withered hand. "That may be possible. As with much of this, there simply is no precedent. And the laws allowing this sort of investigation are temporary. Once the war is over the MLE will revert to the old laws governing questioning."

It was at least better than putting people in Azkaban without a trial. And Veritaserum should clear anyone who was innocent, unless they'd had their memories tampered with.

"Let's get you to your dorm, unless you have more concerns for me right now."

"Is there anything I can do that will help us end this war sooner?" she asked, since that was the only real question that mattered at this point.

"No, you are doing everything possible to assist with the war right now. I will not have you do Looking through space more than once a week, it is very taxing on your mind, your magic, and your body. Is your training with Aurors Shacklebolt and Tonks going well?"

"Yes. I mean. I think we're getting better. Better than we were at least, I don't think we're ready to face Death Eaters just yet," she admitted.

"This is a difficult thing to learn. Any progress is good progress, though I regret the necessity of students being taught this. For now, focus yourself here at Hogwarts and let me worry about the war. I will let you know when you can assist us. Our biggest tasks right now are helping people who are potential targets get to safety, protecting the Wizengamot and the Minister, and, of course, finding the horcrux so we can end the war for good."

Rachel didn't think she was capable of stopping worrying about the war. Not when almost every day brought new reports of attacks and murders. Not when the Dark Lord was in her head. She yawned again.

"Time for sleep for both of us, I think," Professor Dumbledore said as he stood.

Rachel managed to get to her feet as well, feeling a little woozy. She could sleep and then worry more in the morning.


Early on Sunday morning they arrived at Severus' classroom with their cauldrons and their potions kits. Severus was already inside and had set up supplies at five stations.

"Come in, I'll lock the door behind you so that we won't be interrupted. Make certain your vial is labeled with your name, the consequences of ingesting a potion made with magical ingredients from another person cannot be understated," Severus directed.

Rachel took one of the work stations next to Millie and Neville. They had brought copies of the recipe with them and the book in case they needed to reference it.

"I have never brewed this potion before, so I do not have any modifications for you and the description of each stage within the recipe is minimal. In general I do not recommend brewing in this manner, but we will have to take it as it goes and see what happens. I have your mandrake leaf vials, which I will pass out to you now. You will also need a single strand of hair from your head, with the root attached. Wait until it is time to add it to the potion before you pluck it."

Hermione raised her hand. "Will there be an effect from some of us having much longer hair?"

"No, the potion is not affected by the length of your hair. What is reacting is the magic contained in your hair, not the proteins of your hair," he said. "This is why many potions only call for a scale, a hair, or a claw from a magical creature without specifying size."

Hermione's hand went up again. "So, from a potions standpoint, humans are technically magical creatures?"

"Yes. Human blood, skin, hair, tears, and fingernail clippings can be used in a variety of potions, though many of those potions are classified as dark arts unless they are used in a healing capacity. The use of human blood in potions is always considered dark arts with the exception of three advanced healing potions," he clarified.

Rachel hoped Severus meant like the bits of dry skin that sometimes flaked off a person and not actual skin.

"Let's begin. Start with about a third of a cauldron of water at a rolling boil," Severus instructed.

They moved to the sinks and when they returned they found that Severus had provided each of them with their vials of spit and mandrake leaf. Rachel had been relieved that they hadn't actually needed to keep the mandrake leaves in their mouths for an entire month. Even with the sticking charm that the book suggested it still would have been uncomfortable.

Rachel looked over the recipe again, even though she'd already taken the time to memorize it. She'd gotten into the habit of memorizing recipes last year and now she did so whenever she was planning to brew something. She could no longer regurgitate an entire list of potions recipes, but she did recall more of them than she expected nearly a year later.

Once her cauldron was boiling she started with the fine strands of Abraxan hair. This potion was nearly all animal substances, which she supposed made sense considering what they were trying to do.

The peace she found with brewing wasn't the same peace she found with flying, but it was similar. It was like her brain was working on a different level and she could shut off the worries that seemed to follow her around everywhere.

She was worried. She could feel that pressing on her nearly constantly. It was like the war - and the Dark Lord - had nestled in the back of her mind and just slowly seeped anxiety into her brain. At the moment, she could tell that her body was anxious. Her shoulders had been stiff for months now and she could feel the tension in her muscles. But her mind was busy watching the Abraxan hair shimmer while it boiled.

When the shimmering dulled she added the fairy wings, turned down the heat, and began to count her stirs. When the cauldron was at a low simmer she added the mandrake leaf, but made certain to let the excess spit drip off of it first. Her cauldron sparked a little when she added it, which the book had told them to expect, but was still surprising when it actually happened.

She sat back down on the stool and checked her watch. She needed to stir in ten minutes.

"Whoa," Millie said quietly, taking a step back as her cauldron sparked.

"A common effect when adding human saliva to a potion," Severus told them. "Blood, saliva, and tears will react more potently than hair or fingernail clippings."

"Are there actually potions that use human tears as an ingredient?" Theo asked.

"There are two of them that I know of, both unpleasant, and neither should be taught in a school setting, or perhaps at all."

"Are there a lot of potions like that, sir?" Neville asked.

"They used to be more common, but potions with the intent to cause harm upon ingestion have been shunned by the guild for nearly two hundred years. Many of these potions can still be found in books, and they are of course still invented, but most reputable places won't sell the recipes or the potions themselves," he explained.

"What about poisons? Aren't those potions with the intent of causing harm?" Millie asked.

"You would be hard pressed to find a poison that the guild has approved in the last two centuries. However, some poisons are more well known than others and they continue to be brewed and invented. It is very easy to brew something that will cause harm, often accidentally. And the same standards do not hold true around the world. In some places the brewing of certain potions and poisons is entirely legal, if not the use of them."

Rachel stirred her potion and watched the mandrake leaf finish falling apart. Next was lacewing flies for binding. She turned the heat up again to bring it back to a boil. After that was a hair from her head. She took a precautionary step away from her workstation, let her hair down, and then plucked a strand from the front. Her hair was longer than she expected. She supposed she probably should get it trimmed - it had been getting tangled at the ends lately.

She checked it to make sure it had the root and then tied her hair back up before returning to her cauldron. Once it was boiling she added her strand of hair and frowned down at her potion. "It turned orange as soon as I added my hair. I don't remember the recipe saying anything like that would happen."

Severus came to her cauldron and peered inside. "It may just be an effect of adding your hair to your saliva. It's very uncommon for a potion to call for two pieces of magic from a single human."

"I'm about to add mine, let's see what happens," Hermione said. "Oh. Mine is nearly turquoise."

"In that case it's almost certainly supposed to happen and the color difference is the difference in your magic," Severus said.

"Mine is a slightly dark green," Theo said a few moments later.

"Pink here," Millie said.

"Almost a yellow for me," Neville said.

"Does that mean people with similar colors have similar magic?" Hermione asked.

"I do not know and this certainly isn't a large enough sample size to draw any conclusions. It would be curious to have fraternal and identical twins brew this and see if there were differences," Severus said, though he looked intrigued.

"Maybe it's like our animagus forms or our Patronus forms, where it's something individual to us and is representative somehow," Neville suggested.

"Fred and George have the same Patronus form, I wonder if they'd get the same color potion or have the same animagus form. Maybe the color is somehow linked to our animagus forms," Theo said.

"I don't want to be a flamingo and I can't think of anything else that's pink," Millie said, sounding slightly alarmed.

"You could be a pink robin, I think that would suit you," Hermione said.

"I suspect if there was a color correlation between the potions and your forms the books would have mentioned it. Focus on your work," Severus said.

Rachel checked her cauldron again and her watch. Everything was bubbling as it should be. The animagus potion wasn't particularly difficult, it was just somewhat time consuming. Most of that time was spent boiling and stewing.

"Is there anything that people can do that tells them more about their magic?" Hermione asked.

"Magic is mostly observed rather than measured. Sometimes people will have a demonstrated affinity for some spells over others; they may naturally cast certain spells more strongly or more easily. People often discuss magical strength in terms of what someone can do with magic. Wandless magic and elemental magic are thought to require great magical power, but, like with the Patronus charm, it may simply be that people of a variety of magical strengths can do so, but most people do not put in the great effort to learn those skills. There have been theories thrown around for centuries over the idea of magical talents. Ones like Rachel's parselmouth ability or Auror Tonks' metamorphmagus ability are clear examples of magical inheritance. Other talents, such as being a natural occlumens or legilimens show up from time to time, but don't seem to be hereditary. Most people with those talents do not usually discover they have them unless someone teaches them the rudimentary skills, so that may be more common than is thought. In our day in age, it is more commonly thought that aptitudes in subjects are based more on interest and dedication than innate magical skills. If someone is interested in a subject, and perhaps it comes slightly easier for them than other subjects, they're more likely to spend the time mastering it."

"I've heard it said that some people have more of an affinity for the Dark Arts than others," Theo said.

Severus shook his head. "Nonsense and superstition. The people who seek dark magic out and practice it are going to be more skilled with it than those who don't. Dark Arts is a legal classification for harmful magics, nothing more."

"How much is what the Death Eaters do Dark Arts, sir?" Neville asked.

Rachel checked her potion and her watch again and then looked at Severus. She was curious about that as well.

"Under most circumstances, not that much. I'd say they're more likely to use an Unforgivable Curse or to brew a potion classified as Dark Arts, but in general, even in combat, they tend to use the same spells as the rest of us. There are some Death Eaters who specialize in spells or potions of torture, but you are unlikely to encounter that in the average battle. The biggest threat to you in typical combat against Death Eaters will be the Killing Curse," Severus explained.

Unless you get captured, Rachel thought, looking back at her potion. She forced herself to inhale and then exhale. She was not getting captured by the Death Eaters again. That was her absolute worst case scenario and she would do almost anything to make sure that didn't happen. She needed the Dark Lord to kill her, not torture her.

First things first though, they needed that horcrux before any other steps could be made.

Rachel tried to refocus her mind on her potion. She looked at her cauldron, which had become sort of milky orange now, and then checked the recipe again. Ten more minutes at this heat, then she could turn it down and add the morning dew.

"How is morning dew magical?" Rachel asked.

"This particular dew is gathered in a place without sunlight in a pasture where magical animals are kept. The dew has gathered earth and magical animal essences," Severus explained.

"What about the water from the taps here? Isn't there minerals and other things in it? Doesn't that change based on where you get the water from?" Hermione asked.

"There is, but since most potions are brewed and invented in a base of water, most of those minerals are already accounted for or they simply don't react. There are certain water sources that have other properties, such as the lethe river water. Some healing potions are brewed using distilled water. Usually those potions are used in more delicate or invasive medical procedures."

"What would happen if you used salt water?" Theo asked.

"There are a handful of potions with a salt water base, but they're typically not intended for consumption. There are also potions that will call for water from a specific ocean or a specific lake or river."

Rachel thought it was weird that even water could be complicated. She never really gave all that much thought to water, she just used it. "What about water from your wand? What's it in that?"

"Conjured water should not be used in potions, just the same as you wouldn't use parts from a conjured animal or conjured plant," Severus said steadily.

"But it's not dangerous, or we wouldn't be able to drink it, right?" Neville asked.

"It's not dangerous, but it also will not react correctly in a potion."

"If someone conjured an animal, and then killed it, could they cook and eat the meat? What about Gamp's exemptions?" Hermione asked.

"You could cook and eat an animal you conjured, but it would not be nourishing. If you tried to survive on that you would find yourself starving despite having eaten," Severus explained.

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"That is a question many great minds have attempted to ascertain, but unfortunately we have not found a reason that living conjured things work in this way. You can drink the water and it hydrates you because water is not alive. Otherwise, all of the food that you eat was alive in one form or another at some stage."

That was a little bit weird to think about. She hadn't really thought of flour being alive, but she supposed it had grown from wheat seeds. And same with sugar of course. Fruit, rice, and meat were all obvious. "Milk? Milk isn't alive?"

"It is, both with microbes and bacteria," Severus said.

Rachel wrinkled her nose. It was a good thing she didn't like drinking milk because she wasn't sure she could bring herself to do so while thinking about microbes and bacteria in it.

"Wood was alive," Neville said. "But conjured wood doesn't fade like a conjured animal does."

"No, it doesn't. If you conjure a dead animal body, it will rot, but it will not fade," Severus said.

Rachel considered this as she measured the morning dew and added it to her potion. More and more she felt she had a handle on magic, but there were still plenty of parts that were counterintuitive or simply didn't seem to have an explanation.

Next came flobberworm mucus to thicken the potion. She measured and stirred and then let it sit at the same heat for another ten minutes for the mucus to begin to melt and disperse.

"According to Professor McGonagall, she should be able to have both me and Millie take the potion next Sunday, is that alright with the rest of you?" Hermione asked.

"Sure, she said she'd be willing to help me, Rachel, and Neville over the holiday, so it makes sense for the two of you to go before you go home," Theo said.

"We're keeping our animals secrets? Until we can achieve our forms on our own?" Neville asked.

"I think we should, it's more fun that way," Millie said.

Rachel nodded. While she was eager to know what her friends' animagus forms were, she wanted to wait until she could change form on her own before she told anyone.

"It gives us extra incentive," Hermione said.

"I think we have plenty of incentive," Theo said.

"I'm certain Professor McGonagall has already said this, but do not attempt to change your forms without her present until she clears you to do so. And even then, I would suggest that you don't do so in Hogwarts unless you are certain of your privacy. Having an animagus form can be an enormous advantage, but it is even more advantageous if other people don't know you can do it," Severus cautioned.

"We need to keep them absolutely secret anyway until the war is over and we can register with the Ministry," Hermione said.

"That's true. This especially holds true if your form is not native to Britain. You must be careful where you change forms and consider who might see you. The Ministry obliviators will not be pleased if you get captured as an exotic animal and have to change back to escape."

Rachel couldn't help but smile as she imagined that. It really wasn't funny, but it kind of was. She checked her potion, stirred again, and then turned down the heat to a low simmer. Sirius was lucky in that regard. He could walk down a muggle street in his form and the only threat was being caught off a leash. She grinned again as she imagined Remus taking him for a walk on a leash. Knowing Sirius, he'd probably enjoy it.

"Oh, we should check with Kingsley and Tonks today and see what the training plan is for the Christmas holiday," Hermione said.

"I think I'm going to have to skip if we're training, my parents will want me at home," Millie said. "I think my dad's going to bring up the auror thing again as it is."

"Do you need someone to speak with your parents, Miss Bulstrode?" Severus asked.

"No, they're fine. They just have ideas about my career choices," she said.

"Most parents do. At the end of the day, it is your life. Choose something that will make your life livable, rather than what your parents believe your life should look like."

Millie nodded, but she had her lips pressed flat.

"Professor Snape, would you be willing to write me letters of recommendation when it comes time for me to apply for my Herbology Mastery?" Neville asked.

"I'd be happy to. You should also ask Professor Sprout and Professor McGonagall for letters, and I'm certain they'd be glad to provide them," Severus said.

"I would like to request letters as well, if that's alright, sir?" Hermione asked.

Severus nodded. "I would be glad to write letters for any of you. May I ask what career path you are intending to pursue?"

"I want to be a Curse Specialist, which means Healers training, Defense training with an emphasis on curses, and either Potions training or Charms training, possibly both," Hermione said. "I plan to apply for all and then see what will fit with each other. I think I can do two Masteries together, but I can probably only do a St. Mungo's internship by itself."

"That is a lofty goal, you're probably looking at another eight years of education. However, given your diverse skill set, I think that it is a possibility that is open to you. Britain does not currently have a Curse Specialist," Severus said.

"I think we need one. And I want to help people. And I want to create things. It really feels like the perfect fit to me and I don't mind the extra education."

Rachel thought that she would not want to spend another eight years in school. She could see doing maybe two Masteries and then she wanted to be done. Not that she'd be doing any, but hypothetically, no more than two Masteries. She checked her potion again. It was time for the last piece. She took the vial that contained a Death's-head Hawkmoth chrysalis and emptied it into her simmering potion. She needed to leave it there for a while, and then stir and then turn off the heat, and that was it.

Sometime in the next month, she'd find out what her animagus form was. She was a little bit eager, but also relieved that they'd finally reached this stage after all the work they'd put into this project.


"Nagini, feast."

The large snake moved across the room, around the sofa, past the television set, and began winding its way around the woman. The woman was frozen in place but she was sobbing and whimpering.

"Please, please," puffed the large man who was on the floor, his expression horror struck.

"When have you ever shown mercy?"

The woman screamed as the snake flickered its tongue over her face. Moments later the snake's fangs descended.

"No!" the man shouted, flopping helplessly as he tried to rise.

"Her death will be much faster than yours. This is justice, the only true justice. Crucio!"

The man screamed, his limbs spasming. It went on and on. Nearby the snake worked its jaws over the dead woman.

When he lifted his wand, the man was insensate. He moaned to himself, spittle, sweat, and tears covering his face. His legs were still jerking. "If I thought it would increase your suffering, I would leave you alive. Avada Kedavra!"

Rachel woke screaming. "No! No!" She could barely think clearly, but she knew what she had seen.

"It's okay, Professor Snape is on his way." Millie said from nearby.

"No! He murdered them! He murdered them!" She couldn't breathe. "He killed them because of me. It's my fault!"

"Rachel, it was a nightmare, you're safe now," came Pansy's voice.

"No, no," Rachel balled her fists and against her face. "My fault. My fault. He killed them because of me."

"Merlin, we need to do something," Daphne said quietly.

"It's not your fault, it's not your fault," Millie said, her hands on Rachel's upper arms. "It's okay."

"No," Rachel could feel that she was crying. "My aunt and uncle. He killed my aunt and uncle because of me."

Millie inhaled sharply and her hands went tight for a moment as she moved closer. "It's not your fault. Whatever he did, it's not your fault. Rachel, you're bleeding, I'm going to hold something to your forehead. Someone conjure me a cloth or a bandage or something."

"Here," Pansy said.

Rachel sobbed, letting Millie hold her, feeling her pressing something to her forehead. This was her fault. He'd done it because of what he knew about her. He'd killed Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon and he'd made sure she was watching. She knew he had sent that vision on purpose. He had wanted her to see that.

There was a knock on the door. "It's really bad this time," Daphne said quietly.

"I see," Severus said, his footsteps moving closer.

"He killed them. He killed them. He killed my relatives," she said, needing Severus to understand what happened. She took big gulps of air, trying to get enough air to talk. "It's my fault, he did it because of me."

"It's not your fault. Do you want a Pain Relieving Potion or a Calming Draught? I can't give you both of them."

"No," Rachel moaned. She didn't want anything, she just wanted it to stop. She wanted all of it to stop. It was her fault. This whole thing was her fault because she hadn't stopped the Dark Lord.

"She's bleeding pretty heavily from her forehead," Millie said. "We've been trying to help, but we're not sure what to do."

"You did fine. Rachel, I'm going to bandage your forehead, can you hold still for a moment?"

Rachel could feel herself shaking and she didn't think she could stop that. She kept coming back to what she'd seen. Aunt Petunia with the Dark Lord's snake wrapped around her. Aunt Petunia's fear. Uncle Vernon begging and screaming and writhing on the ground. "No," she moaned.

"Continue to sit with her for a moment, I'll take care of her forehead," Severus said. "Remove the cloth."

She hunched up as she felt Severus applying Healing Salve to her forehead. It felt like a relief, but she didn't want to feel relieved. She wanted to hurt. She wanted to hurt as much as her aunt and uncle had. A moment later there was a pressure around her forehead as Severus conjured a bandage.

"Can you take this potion?" Severus asked.

"No," she managed to say. She didn't want a potion.

"Can you walk so we can go to our quarters?" he asked.

Rachel didn't want to do that either. She didn't want to move. She wanted to stay right here until it was time for her to die.

"You can move away, Millie, I've got her," Severus said. "Needless to say, I would like all of you to keep what happened here tonight to yourselves. Please respect Rachel's privacy."

"We will," Daphne said.

"Of course," Pansy said.

A moment later she was being picked up. She wanted to struggle and fight, but instead she found herself sobbing again and she pressed her face against Severus' shoulder. She gave into the pain and was barely aware of being moved through the dorm and the common room.

"Do you need me to summon assistance?" came Curbin's voice.

"I've got her," Severus said.

"My fault. He did this because of me," Rachel said, unable to stop herself. Everyone had to know that this was her fault. She couldn't live with the guilt.

"Not your fault. You do not choose what the Dark Lord does," Severus said, his tone soothing.

Rachel didn't want to be soothed, she needed him to understand. "He killed them because of me. He killed them because I asked him if he condoned child abuse," she said, her voice hitching several times. She couldn't seem to stop herself from crying.

"He killed them because he made the decision to kill them, whether that was to hurt you or for some other purpose. It is not your fault," Severus repeated.

A few moments later he lowered her onto the sofa in his quarters. "I'm setting your wand and your glasses on the side table for when you want them. Here is a blanket. I need to summon Albus."

She clung to the blanket that he had conjured. Her hands were aching from holding them in fists, though the pain wasn't anywhere near the pain in her head. And the pain in her head wasn't anywhere near the pain from the guilt that was flooding her. She deserved to be in pain.

"To Albus Dumbledore. Albus, we need you in my quarters urgently." Severus moved closer again. "Can you take a Pain Relieving Potion or a Calming Draught?"

"No," she said again.

"There is no point to you being in pain when you don't have to be."

She did have to be. And she was afraid she was going to lose it completely if she didn't have the pain in her head to contend with.

"If you're not going to take a Calming Draught can you do some of the exercises Torey taught you to deal with panic?"

She shook her head and pulled her legs closer. She couldn't do anything. She barely felt like she could breathe.

"Severus?"

"Come through," Severus called.

"What happened?" Professor Dumbledore asked a moment later.

"Rachel had a vision where the Dark Lord killed her relatives. We need to check if this was a true vision."

Rachel knew it was true. She knew for certain it was true.

"I'll go," Professor Dumbledore said.

"It may be a trap, they may be expecting you. Were the wards keyed to you or to someone else in the Order?" Severus asked.

"To me. I should have felt them being breached and I will investigate that as well. If Voldemort can get past our wards without us being notified, we may have a much bigger problem. I am prepared in case it is a trap," Professor Dumbledore said. "I'll be back within the hour. If I'm not, send Kingsley and Tonks to Rachel's relatives' house."

Rachel felt another flood of horror. If the Dark Lord could get past the wards the Order was using then no one was safe. He could kill whoever he wanted and no one would be alerted to try and help. It was only a matter of time before the Dark Lord took over the Ministry and then the rest of Britain.

If she'd found the horcrux already, then she could have stopped this. All of these people were dying and it was because of her. She managed to untangle herself from her blanket and stagger to her feet.

"Rachel?"

"I need the bathroom," she managed to say. She coordinated her limbs well enough to get to the toilet where she promptly vomited. She wanted until she was certain she was done and then went to her bed and curled up facing the wall. Her pillow bunny was there and she squeezed it against her chest. She wanted it to stop. The bed dipped as Severus sat down near her legs.

"Is your stomach settled enough to take a potion?" he asked.

"No." She closed her eyes. She wasn't going to sleep, but she wanted to shut everything else out. She felt Severus set another blanket over her and then place a warming charm on it.

Severus exhaled heavily. "This was not your fault. Nothing that you did caused this."

Rachel wished she could close her ears like she could close her eyes. She didn't want empty platitudes. She wanted Severus to understand.

"I'm here for whatever you need," he said after a long silence.

The only thing she needed was to end this war. She felt more tears on her face and let the waves of guilt and pain engulf her.


Severus sat on Rachel's bed and listened to her sob. He felt utterly helpless and powerless, which just stirred up old memories and old anger.

Rachel wouldn't take a potion, either to stop the pain she was in or to calm herself down. He didn't understand why. She had always been resistant to Calming Draughts for some reason, but it was unlike her to refuse a Pain Relieving Potion after a vision. He didn't need to ask about what she'd seen in her vision. If the Dark Lord had simply killed them with the Killing Curse, she would likely be in shock rather than reacting like this. So the Dark Lord must have tortured them first.

He didn't know how they were going to get through this. She had long felt responsible for what was happening in the war, which Severus suspected was her way of trying to take control of an uncontrollable situation. Regardless of that, he was certain she would have still blamed herself for her relatives' deaths.

He had no idea what to do other than to sit with Rachel and wait until she was calm enough to talk. He was certain that he shouldn't touch her right now; she had flinched when he'd placed a blanket over her. This was probably a completely reasonable reaction to witnessing her relatives being tortured and murdered. There was simply nothing he could do to help with that part. It had happened and it had undoubtedly reminded Rachel of being tortured as well.

The best thing he knew to do was be there and to try to stop her from blaming herself. He deeply hoped that Albus found Rachel's relatives alive and this had been a false vision designed to torment her, but he doubted that it was. There was no reason for the Dark Lord to go through the trouble of making a false vision when he could simply kill her relatives.

Severus checked his watch. Albus had been gone for nearly forty minutes. If he wasn't back in twenty more, he'd need to wake Kingsley and Tonks. He felt uncertain as to the idea that it could be a trap for Albus. Albus could easily handle any of the Death Eaters and he'd driven off the Dark Lord on more than one occasion. And it obviously wasn't a trap for Rachel - the Dark Lord knew well enough that they wouldn't let Rachel out of the wards for any reason.

He looked at Rachel again. Her body was still shaking as she cried. This was beyond unusual for her. He hadn't even seen her cry after she'd been tortured. Severus wished that she would talk to him, but whenever he'd tried it had just provoked further tears and cries that it was her fault. Any reassurance from him was being ignored.

"Severus?" came Albus' voice.

"I'll be right back," he told her, feeling uncertain about leaving her alone, but needing to get information from Albus. There was a limited amount of danger she could get into inside her room and he still had her wand. "Just call my name if you need me, I'll be in the sitting room."

He left Rachel's bedroom and found Albus standing in the sitting room looking troubled. Severus cast a privacy ward around them, not wanting Rachel to overhear this discussion. "What happened?"

"Rachel's aunt and uncle are both dead. Her uncle was held under the Cruciatus Curse for an extended period of time and then was killed with the Killing Curse. Her aunt was constricted by a large snake and then bitten. I could find no trace of Rachel's cousin, though given the date he should still be at school."

Severus grimaced. "The wards?"

"Taken down entirely without ever alerting me. I found the Dark Mark above their home and removed it so that we wouldn't need to call the obliviators. As far as I can tell, no one else in the neighborhood was disturbed. I contacted the MLE and they are going to work with their liaisons in the muggle police department to say that it was a home invasion and murder. Their next of kin will be contacted," Albus said.

Severus' mind was torn, caught between worrying about Rachel and thinking about the larger implications of the wards being taken down. "Either the Dark Lord did it himself with a method we don't know about or he has recruited a talented curse breaker."

"Rookwood might be a possibility, if he's expanded his skill set. I am going to ask the ICW to check internationally for missing persons with a curse breaking background. In the meantime I'm asking the spell crafters and artifactors within the Order to see what they can develop that might be unexpected but would at least alert us when wards we've cast are being taken down. I'll be meeting with Rufus, Amelia, and Robards tomorrow to let them know about the ward problem, as this has the potential to endanger every member of the Wizengamot," Albus said. "How is Rachel?"

"She is taking this very poorly. She blames herself and all I can get out of her right now is an insistence that this is her fault. I'm not sure what to do with her," he admitted.

"For now, just be there for her. She's likely in shock. I think when she's calmer you will be able to speak with her. She will need time," Albus said. "Please let me know if there is anything I can do for either of you."

"Thank you," Severus said.

"I'll check in with you tomorrow unless you need something from me now."

"No, we'll be here." He couldn't think of anything Albus could do that would help. He dismissed the privacy ward and watched while Albus flooed back to his office. Then he gathered a quill and a hardcover book and returned to Rachel's room. She hadn't moved from where he'd left her.

"Albus has returned and confirmed what you saw," he said, not wanting to upset her further by mentioning details. "We believe your cousin is still at school."

"I didn't see him in the vision, but I don't know when his school holidays are," she managed to say.

"If you didn't see him, then I think we can assume that he's somewhere safe," Severus said, coming closer to her bed. "Is there anything you want? Is your head still in pain? Would you drink some water?"

"No," she answered, not elaborating which question she was answering.

Severus watched her for another moment and then conjured an armchair next to her bed. He felt like he couldn't leave her alone when she was this distraught, but his back was going to kill him if he sat on the edge of her bed all night. "If you need or want anything, please ask me."

She didn't reply or move.

He conjured himself some parchment and began outlining possibilities for something that would alert them when wards were being breached. It had been many years since he'd dabbled with spell crafting, but he still remembered how it was done.

Severus worked through the night, getting up a few times to get cups of tea and to visit the bathroom. Rachel remained still, the only signs of life were occasionally sounds of sobbing and her shoulders shaking when she cried. He worked and he worried, trying to decide what they should do next.

His first task was to cancel his classes today. He couldn't leave Rachel alone like this and he couldn't bring her through the castle to the hospital wing so that Poppy could watch her. He conjured a fresh sheet of parchment and wrote down the reading and homework assignments for the classes he was supposed to teach today. It was Thursday, so that meant Rachel would see Torey on Saturday, which was soon enough. He wasn't certain he could get Rachel to Torey's office today anyway.

His next task was to get Rachel to sit up and drink some water or juice as she was undoubtedly dehydrated. He wasn't even going to fight the battle of getting her to eat breakfast as he suspected he would lose. They'd have to work together to ensure that this did not cause a relapse for Rachel.

Later he'd give his ideas for a spell that would bind to the wards without being a ward itself to Albus so that someone could test it. Theoretically it should be able to send an alert when the ward it was attached to was breached or taken down. They'd need to test it with different wards and see if they could get it to work.

At lunch time he'd try to get Rachel to consume nutrients of some sort.

And for the rest, he would be here for her and see if she would speak to him.

He checked his watch when he heard a knock on his office door. It was almost eight. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he told Rachel, his back popping as he stood. He took his note about classes being canceled with him and went through the wall and into his office. He opened the door and found Millie, Theo, and Draco waiting.

"Come in," he told them.

"Is Rachel alright?" Millie asked as soon as the door was shut.

"She is struggling. I don't think you will see her today. Her aunt and uncle were killed by the Dark Lord last night," Severus explained, fully expecting that it would be in the newspaper by now.

"Good," Draco said quietly.

Severus didn't exactly disagree. There was a part of him that was glad Rachel's aunt and uncle had experienced a small amount of the suffering they'd inflicted on Rachel before they'd died. "Rachel does not think that this is good, please do not imply as much in her presence."

"What can we do to help?" Theo asked.

"When she's ready, I just think supporting her the way that you usually do will be fine. Right now she is not ready to come out and rejoin the school," Severus said.

"I think you're going to need to talk to Pansy and Daphne. They heard a lot last night and if they find out that Rachel's relatives are dead they're going to realize what's going on," Millie said. "I've already talked with them about not saying anything to anyone, but I still think it's better that they know what they're not talking about instead of being left to come up with other explanations."

Severus sighed. That was probably true. "I will speak with them later today or tomorrow after I have a chance to see what Rachel would like to be done about the situation. I take it that you all know?"

"Rachel told us. It should be her decision, since they're her visions," Millie said, standing straighter.

"It is her decision and I know that all of you are capable of keeping this information to yourselves. I assume the rest of your study group knows as well?"

"Yes, but we've all known for over a year now, we'd never betray Rachel," Theo said.

"We're good at keeping secrets," Draco agreed.

He knew that they were good at keeping secrets and they had all proven themselves to be trustworthy to Rachel.

"I can get Rachel's bag for her and I'll pick up her homework for her, just like when she was sick last year," Millie said.

"Thank you," Severus said, though he expected it might be a while before Rachel was back to doing homework.

"Is there anything else she wants from the dorm for now? I can get her bag before breakfast," Millie offered.

"A change of clothes with a jumper would be a good idea, and her shoes," Severus said. He preferred not to go into the dorms unless it was absolutely necessary.

"I'll be back in about ten minutes then," Millie said, turning to leave.

"Will Rachel be alright?" Draco asked, looking uncharacteristically worried.

"I will make sure that she is," Severus said with far more confidence than he felt.

Draco didn't look convinced and neither did Theo.

"We're here if she wants us, sir," Theo said.

"I'll make sure she knows that." He was grateful that Rachel's friends cared this much about her.

Draco and Theo left his office and Severus took the time before Millie returned to attach the homework assignment list to his classroom door with a Sticking charm. Back in his office he looked over the Daily Prophet. As was expected, the death of Rachel's relatives was on the front page. Severus made a note to talk to Albus about that as well. For this to be in the paper this morning, a Death Eater must have leaked the story to the Daily Prophet last night. Scrimgeour had needed to clean out the Daily Prophet offices for a long time now, but it simply hadn't been a priority this past six months.

He left the newspaper on his table and opened his door again when there was another knock. It was Millie with Rachel's things.

"Come set them down," he said, taking Rachel's bag from her and letting Millie move to the table to set down Rachel's clothes and shoes.

Millie's eyes were drawn by the headline. "They never let up, do they?"

"No, they don't."

She looked as though she was caught between anger and sadness. "They can't even let her grieve in peace. The Death Eaters did this, didn't they? There are Death Eaters at the Daily Prophet."

"If not Death Eaters themselves, then Death Eater sympathizers," he agreed.

"The world just isn't right. All of these terrible things happen and then more terrible things happen on top of that. And it just doesn't stop."

"I know. We're trying to make it stop."

Millie shook her head. "Even before the war. With Umbridge, and Theo's father, and that stupid tournament, and, and everything else. People just hurt other people, for no reason. And then the Daily Prophet just acts like it's all okay, and it isn't. Everyone acts like it's okay, like we just have to say 'oh well, the Death Eaters are killing people' and then we just go on with our day. It's not right."

Severus' heart ached, because he knew that Millie was far from the only student feeling this way. He remembered that fear and helplessness when he was a student. "You're correct. What's happening isn't right. But we can't stop. We can't give in. There are people standing up for what is right. We will succeed."

Millie wiped her eyes and then blinked a few times at Severus. "Do you really believe that Rachel can stop You-Know-Who?"

"I do. I trust that the prophecy says that she has the opportunity to stop him. We are working on plans that will enable her to do that," he said, though he worried deeply about what would happen when that day came.

"I want to believe that it's possible. But I don't see how Rachel can do it. Rachel doesn't even like putting leeches in her potions, how is she going to kill someone?"

"We're working on it, I can assure you that is a consideration." He'd taught Rachel some other lethal spells, but he was still trying to get her to work on the Killing Curse.

"I'm going to join the Order, because it's the right thing to do, and because I want to support Rachel and my other friends. But this is really scary," she said after a long moment.

"It is scary," he agreed. "You're always welcome to talk with me, Millie. I'll help however I can."

She nodded and then sighed. "It's just a lot, but it's also been that way for a while. I'm going to go get breakfast before I'm late for class. Will you tell Rachel that I was here? And that I'm here for her?"

"I will," he promised.

"Thank you. I'll be by this afternoon with her homework and stuff," she said, collecting her own school bag and leaving.

Severus gathered the stacks of essays that needed grading along with Rachel's things and brought them through the wall and then into her bedroom. "Millie, Theo, and Draco were here to see how you are. They all wish to support you, but you don't have to see them until you're ready. You have your clothes and your shoes here if you'd like to change. I would like to see you sit up and drink something. Do you want water or juice?"

"Water," she said after a long moment.

Severus conjured a glass and then filled it with water from his wand and brought it to her bedside.

Rachel sat up and accepted the glass of water, holding in her hands and staring at it rather than drinking.

"Would you like your glasses?" he tried.

She shook her head, drank the entire glass of water, placed it on her bedside table and then curled up facing the wall again.

"Do you feel ready to talk?" he asked.

"No."

"I am here when you are ready." He organized the essays by which needed to be handed back first and settled into grade. He was certain Rachel hadn't slept last night, but hoped maybe she'd be able to do so now that she was calmer. He could wait.