"Take a seat," Dumbledore said kindly, as a chair flew across Pomfrey's office to wait just behind Aurora. She sat down gingerly, keeping her eyes fixed firmly on the Headmaster. "From Mr Weasley and Miss Granger, I got the impression that the three of them were going to try and save the Philosopher's Stone from someone whom they thought was trying to steal it. There was no mention of you, and so I thought it prudent to ask, Miss Black, what you were doing down there?"

She considered lying. She was a good liar, usually, but she got the impression that Dumbledore would be able to see through her in an instant. That was why she said, "I wanted to study the stone."

Dumbledore blinked in surprise, eyebrows rising. He didn't seem to have expected that as her answer. "Study it?"

"Yes. I — I've always been very interested in Alchemy, Professor, and so when Potter told me the Philosopher's Stone was being kept at Hogwarts, I thought... Well, it was too amazing an opportunity to ignore. I'd have to be mad not to at least try and find it. I wanted to study its properties and how it was made, and..." She swore she saw the shadow of Death again, taunting her. "And I was just interested, that's all. I wanted to do something... Different. Something no one else I know would do. Perhaps it was foolish but — my great-grandfather, he's the reason I'm interested in Alchemy and..." She trailed off. She couldn't discuss Arcturus with Dumbledore. But the stone had such properties and she — she realised with sudden clarity, sitting in this cold office, that she was alone, and she wanted him back. But that was not something she could tell him. "I didn't know someone else was going to try and steal it, least of all tonight! And I had no idea Potter and his friends were going to actually try and stop him!"

Dumbledore looked at her in silence for a long moment while she debated if there was something more she ought to say. But what she'd told him was the truth, and perhaps she would be punished for breaking the rules, but she had expected that. If she'd gone any other night, she wouldn't have been caught and it would have been fine. Still. Her mind drifted to Potter. There were worse things than being caught by Dumbledore.

"I appreciate your honesty, Miss Black," Dumbledore said quietly after a moment. "It takes courage to tell the truth when you know you have done wrong." She nodded, swallowing tightly. "The quest for knowledge may be a noble one. But you still broke the school rules, not to mention put yourself in great danger."

"I know, Professor," she said quickly. "I'm really sorry."

"And if the stone remained there, and you had the chance to try again to find it, would you?"

She sat silently, longer than she should have. She couldn't honestly say no. Yes, she had been terrified when Potter got hurt and when she saw Voldemort, but if she had a guarantee that the same thing would not happen again, she couldn't say that she wouldn't try. She knew that wasn't what Dumbledore wanted to hear, though. "No," she said, shaking her head. "No, I... I don't want to go back there."

The Headmaster considered her with piercing blue eyes. "You saved Mr Potter's life," he told her eventually. "Despite your wrongdoings, I find I cannot judge you too severely when your presence did so much more good than it did harm. With that said, Miss Black, I will be taking twenty points from Slytherin." She nodded sharply. That was much better than she'd expected. "And be warned that if I do catch you trying to find the stone again, the consequences will be far more severe."

"Yes, Professor," she said quickly. "Of course, I understand. Thank you."

Dumbledore smiled and inclined his head. "There is another matter I find myself wishing to raise with you. The question of your guardianship."

"Oh." She'd forgotten about that. "Well, the Malfoys don't want — I mean, they haven't said that they would be willing to take me in. So I don't really have much choice, unless I'm allowed to stay at Hogwarts I'll be staying at the family home in London. My grandmother's old house isn't far from King's Cross Station, which would be convenient for me to get around both Muggle and Magical London, and to get to Hogwarts in the Autumn."

"I'm afraid I cannot allow a twelve year old to live by herself for two months, Miss Black," Dumbledore said, eyes twinkling, "capable though I'm sure you are. Your father's cousin, Andromeda, would be a good fit, I believe, and she gave me her assurances that she would be willing to care for you."

"I don't know Andromeda," Aurora said through gritted teeth. "I didn't even know we were related until a few months ago. I'd rather be alone than live with someone I don't know."

"I know this is difficult for you," Dumbledore said kindly. "But it would set me at greater ease if you had someone responsible to care for you."

"I have house elves," she said. "Loads of them."

"I am aware."

"Well, they can look after me! And I'm not an idiot, and the house has loads of old wards. No one can get in who wants to hurt me."

"Be that as it may, you are still a child. It is law that you have someone — a human — to act as guardian, no matter your other responsibilities." Aurora glowered at him. "But this is not the time for such a conversation! No doubt you are tired, and Mr Potter's friends will be most anxious to hear how he is doing. I will escort you back to the Slytherin Dungeons and inform Professor Snape what has happened."

Aurora groaned. "Do you have to?"

"Yes, Miss Black. But my punishment is the only one you shall receive for this, I assure you, and I will tell Severus as such. Now, come."

She followed him silently out of the office, eyes going straight to Potter. He looked eerie, hardly moving, so she tore her eyes away. She didn't want to see that. Aurora followed Dumbledore all the way downstairs and to the common room.

When she got to her room, Gwen was awake. "Aurora? Is that you?" She flicked the light on. "Jesus, you gave me a fright."

"Sorry," she winced, flopping down onto her bed.

"Well? How did it go, whatever you were doing?" She didn't have the words. Aurora shook her head silently. "What?" Gwen asked, voice high and wobbling with worry. "Aurora, what happened?"

"Potter was there," she ground out. "Trying to stop someone — not me — from getting the stone. He's in the Hospital Wing."

Gwen regarded her warily. "But you — you didn't..."

"I didn't do anything to him," Aurora said sharply, and then took a deep breath. "Professor Dumbledore says he's going to be alright, but I can't help but worry. And the person he was stopping..." She met Gwen's eyes. Draco or Pansy she wasn't sure she could reveal this information to, but Gwen was different. "It was You-Know-Who."

Gwen frowned. "I do?" Aurora looked at her significantly, and then her friend clamped her hands over her mouth, looking quite shocked. "Oh my God! Aurora! What? I thought — they — but everyone says he's — he's dead! That Potter—" She broke off. "What the actual Hell?"

"I don't even know," she said tiredly. "It's a lot."

"Jesus." Gwen came to sit next to her, wrapping an arm around Aurora's shoulder. "Are you alright?"

"I don't know. I guess? I'm not the one in the Hospital Wing."

"Yeah, but, you still saw him, did you?" She nodded numbly. "Jesus. So — is he... Back?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Dumbledore said he dealt with him though, so I don't know. He must have stopped him but he didn't really say." She shook her head. "He asked me about where I'm staying in the holidays! Of all things! Like that's important right now!"

"Well where are you staying?"

"At home. London. On my own, if no one interferes." She shook her head. "That isn't important. Merlin. I need to sleep."

"You're probably right," Gwen said. "You look tired."

"Thanks."

Gwen smiled faintly and squeezed Aurora's shoulder. "Robin and I'll steal you some breakfast tomorrow if you want a lie in."

As Gwen went back over to her own side of the room, Aurora felt a sudden surge of gratitude and affection for the girl. At the start of the year she would never have imagined any of this. She shook her head. She'd have to see Potter tomorrow when he was up. Not to apologise — maybe to apologise? Did she have to apologise? Potter would have gotten himself in trouble regardless of her being there, but she still felt bad seeing it happen. This was a mess.

Even when Gwen turned out the lights, Aurora found it hard to get to sleep.

She slept through breakfast and didn't have the courage to crawl out of bed for lunch, but Pansy and Draco all but broke her door down and hauled her out. "What happened?" Pansy demanded immediately. "They're saying Potter fought the Dark Lord and you were there!"

"And the Dark Lord was Quirrel? And Potter killed him! Killed him!"

Aurora nodded numbly. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess he did."

"What happened? Why were you there, Aurora?"

"The thing they were hiding was the Philosopher's Stone. You know I love Alchemy."

"So you tried to steal it?" Pansy was aghast but Draco looked almost impressed.

"Not steal," she mumbled. "I just wanted to study it." Draco snorted. "I did! Honestly! And then Potter was there with Weasley and Granger, and I couldn't just leave them stuck there — Weasley actually came in quite handy with the chess board—"

"Chess board?"

"But then they left me, Potter went forward and the other two went back. I had to wait ages to get through, I thought they'd be gone by then, but... I guess I arrived just in time."

"In time to what?"

"Dumbledore said I saved his life?"

Draco's eyes widened. "Why'd you do that?"

"I wasn't going to let You-Know-Who kill him, was I? And then Dumbledore showed up anyway, so I took Potter to the Hospital Wing. He's alright, I think."

"He is," Pansy said. "Well, as far as I've heard. The Weasleys had most of Gryffindor told by the end of breakfast — those twins wouldn't stop talking about it."

Aurora laughed humourlessly. "Yeah."

"You've lost twenty house points, too," Draco said.

"Ugh, like that matters!" Pansy scolded. "You are okay, aren't you? Tearston wouldn't tell us much, she's useless."

"She's not," Aurora said, shaking her head. "She's been good to me. She stayed awake waiting last night." She shook her head and put it in her hands. "I was so stupid."

"Stupid?"

"Going after the stone. I — obviously he was trying to stop someone else getting it. Obviously there was something going on that I didn't know about. I should have just left it be and read about it! I've been so stupid all term just because — just because of my stupid feelings!"

"What difference would it have made?" Pansy asked, shrugging. "Sounds like Potter made his own decision to play the hero."

"Yeah," Draco told her. "It's hardly your fault Potter's an idiot."

"Yes, but... I don't know, I feel bad."

"You're just tired. You should have just left him," Draco told her. "Listen, it's the Gryffindor versus Ravenclaw match later. Come down and watch it with us — they've no reserve, they'll get hammered, and I can't wait to see it."

"They only need a reserve because Potter's in the Hospital Wing," Aurora said sharply.

"They don't stand a chance." Draco sounded happy about it, and it rubbed Aurora the wrong way. She looked at him, frowning.

"You two go," she said. "I don't want to watch."

"Come on, Aurora—"

"No, really. Go."

"Come on, Draco," Pansy said quietly, pulling him to his feet. She seemed to consider Aurora carefully. "Don't do anything stupid, will you?"

"Trust me," she said bitterly. "I'm staying right here."

As Draco had predicted, Gryffindor lost terribly to Ravenclaw, winning the Quidditch Cup for Slytherin. Dinner was a raucous affair as a result, though Aurora didn't feel quite like celebrating. Potter wasn't at the Gryffindor Table, and Weasley and Granger looked quite worried. She considered going to speak to them, but didn't. What would she have to say? Sorry I was there and you weren't. Sorry I was there at all. It wasn't her fault, but it felt so strange and horrid.

She didn't want to speak to Potter, and at any rate he wouldn't be able to respond or probably even hear her. But back in her room that night, she glanced through her old letters and pictures, and that small collection she'd managed to get out of her father's room. The picture of the man and woman she knew now to be James and Lily Potter. She held it carefully in her hands, heart heavy. Why should she give it to him? But why, also, shouldn't she?

"I'll be back in a minute," she told Gwen, who gave her a wary look. "Nothing dangerous, I promise."

"It had better not be," Gwen said, shaking her head as Aurora left.

This would be a quick visit. There were no visitors by Potter's bedside, and though Madam Pomfrey looked surprised to see her, she let Aurora in. "He isn't responding to anyone yet, dear," she said. "It might be tomorrow before he wakes."

"That's alright," she said quietly. He had more colour about him now, which was a good sign. "I won't be long, I just." She held the picture awkwardly. Madam Pomfrey frowned but then seemed to realise what it was. "I thought... He might like to see it."

The old nurse's eyes softened. "Put it on his table, dear. Next to the chocolate frogs, there. And I'll make sure it isn't disturbed."

Aurora set the worn picture down gently, smoothing the corners. "Thank you. And, er, Madam Pomfrey? You won't tell him I'm the one who brought it will you?"

Madam Pomfrey shook her head. "It's safe with me, Miss Black. Now get to dinner, please."

The end of term feast was on Tuesday evening, the night before they went home. Exam results were distributed that afternoon. Aurora had received two Os (Transfiguration and Astronomy), four Es (Charms, Potions, History of Magic and Defense Against the Dark Arts) and an A in Herbology. It could have been better, especially Herbology, but she was still pleased. It would be onwards and upwards from here. Pansy had failed Charms, and she was furious about it. Aurora and Gwen had packed their trunks together during the day, trying to sort whose books were whose. "It's not like we can't figure it out later," Gwen laughed, but Aurora was insistent on doing things right.

"Aurora Black?" a voice asked. One of the sixth year prefects had poked her head around the door. "Dumbledore wants to see you in his office. He says the password's sherbet lemons."

"Oh." Aurora winced. "Great."

Gwen winced in sympathy as the prefect left. "Good luck."

It took her a while to find Dumbledore's office, marked by a large stone gargoyle. It scraped aside when she said the password and she hurried up. His door was already open when she reached the top of the stairs, and Dumbledore sat behind his desk. The office momentarily distracted Aurora. It was filled with all manner of eccentric items, spinning around and sparkling. He had a phoenix, too, who preened himself on a perch by the window. He was gorgeous.

"Miss Black," Dumbledore greeted pleasantly. "Please, sit down." She did so nervously. "First, I thought it prudent to update you on Mr Potter's condition. He is now awake and quite happy in the Hospital Wing; he will be joining us for the leaving feast this evening."

"Oh, good," she said, sighing in relief. "And is the stone and everything alright?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Quite alright. The stone has been removed and will soon be destroyed."

"What?" She stared at him, aghast. "You can't destroy it! What about Flamel?"

"Nicholas has lived a long and full life," Dumbledore told her, "as has his wife, Perenelle. They have agreed this is the best course of action."

"But — but — it's so important! You can't just get rid of it!"

"Miss Black." Dumbledore looked at her pointedly. "You do not have a say in this."

"I — I know, but it's still... It's the most important artefact in Alchemical Science. You can't just get rid of it."

"That is for Nicholas and Perenelle to decide. I appreciate your passion on the subject, but that is not why I called you here." He sighed. "I cannot make you stay with a family you do not wish to, as you have no legally named guardian. However, as you are still under the age of seventeen, you will have to stay with a Wizarding family, whether of your choosing or of the Ministry's. There is one Wizarding orphanage, mainly filled with children younger than you."

"Oh," she said. "I — I don't really want to go to an orphanage, Professor. I am capable—"

"In the eyes of the law," he said sternly, "you must remain with a family or at an orphanage. In addition to your cousin Andromeda, Ignatius' niece Molly Weasley has offered to take you in if need be."

"I don't think her son would like that," Aurora said, thinking of his face if she went home with them tomorrow. And she knew the Weasleys weren't well off. She wasn't being judgmental, not at all, but she didn't want to put them to any bother. "I — if I really have to choose one, and I can't be with the Malfoys, I suppose I'll stay with Andromeda?"

Dumbledore looked immensely relieved. "I am glad to hear it, Miss Black. I will inform the Tonkses at once." He smiled at her. "Now, I am sure you still have some packing to do before the Hogwarts Express leaves tomorrow. Enjoy what is left of the term."

Taking that as her dismissal, Aurora stood up, going to the door. She paused. "Professor?"

"Yes?"

"You worked with Flamel, didn't you? You were his apprentice."

"Why, yes. Indeed I was."

"How come there isn't an Alchemy class at Hogwarts? There is at Beauxbatons."

Dumbledore smiled. "It is reserved for sixth and seventh years only, due to the nature and complexity of the magic. If it remains an interest of yours, I would recommend studying Ancient Runes and Arithmancy in your third year. Fascinating subjects."

"Oh, right." She smiled at him. "Thanks, Professor."

-*

"And here we are at the end of another year!" Dumbledore beamed around at the students in the Great Hall. "How fast they seem to go."

"And I must trouble you with an old man's waffle before we can tuck into our delicious feast. What a year this has been! Hopefully your heads are a little fuller than they were. You will have plenty of time over the Summer to empty them again." People laughed around the hall and Aurora smiled faintly. "Now as I understand it, the House Cup here needs awarding. The points are as stands: Gryffindor in fourth place with three hundred and two points." There was some polite, scattered applause from around the hall. Draco looked entirely too pleased with himself, seeing as he had been the reason they lost so many points. "Hufflepuff house in third place with a total of three hundred and fifty two points." A louder applause this time, but the Hufflepuff Table still looked slightly dejected. "In second place, Ravenclaw, with four hundred and twenty six points!" A greater cheer rose up. Draco puffed his chest out proudly and the Slytherin House all sat grinning as they waited for their points to be called. Aurora grinned, too. After everything that had happened, it still felt good to be able to celebrate with her housemates and friends. "And in first place is Slytherin House, with a grand total of four hundred and fifty two points!"

The whole table erupted into great cheers and a load of stamping. Draco and Pansy were both stood up, beaming, along with many of the others. The Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs applauded politely, but the Gryffindors did not; Aurora scowled across the hall at them. "Yes, yes," Dumbledore called over the Hall. "Well done, Slytherin, well done, Slytherin. However, recent events must be taken into account and some last minute points handed out."

The room went very still and quiet. Aurora stared at the Headmaster. What last minute points? "Let me see. First, to Mr. Ronald Weasley." Her stomach dropped. "For the best played game of chess Hogwarts has ever seen, I award Gryffindor House fifty points." Fifty? For chess? She'd won the chess before, where were her points?

"Second, to Miss Hermione Granger, for the use of cool logic in the face of danger, I award Gryffindor House another fifty points." The Gryffindor Table seemed to be on the verge of rioting, they were cheering so loud; and so, Aurora noticed with a sick feeling in her stomach, were Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff.

"Thirdly, to Mr Harry Potter, for pure nerve and outstanding courage, I award fifty points."

Aurora felt like her worst fears were being confirmed, but she added quickly. Gryffindor and Slytherin were now tied for the House Cup, because Potter and his friends had won back everything they'd lost. But surely that was it. Surely, she thought, Dumbledore might award her something for her role, even if she hadn't gone down with the same intentions as the rest. He held his hand up for silence again and she breathed in. This was it. "It takes a great deal of courage," Dumbledore was saying, "to stand up to our enemies. But an even greater deal to stand up to our friends. I therefore award ten points to Mr Neville Longbottom."

Aurora felt her heart sink into the pit of her stomach as the hall erupted into cheers. "What?" Draco said. "Longbottom? They — they're in front of us now! He can't do that!"

But it seemed he could. "And so," Dumbledore said with a smile, "it seems we are in need of a change of decoration." He clapped his hands and Aurora closed her eyes as a great ripple of power ran through the hall. The Gryffindors were screaming themselves hoarse, and she felt bitter anger in her stomach. They'd won. They'd won and she'd gotten nothing. After all of Slytherin's work, Dumbledore had taken their cup away from them like that. It was humiliating was what it was.

"I can't believe he's done this," Pansy said. "I can't believe it!"

But it seemed they had to. When she opened her eyes Aurora saw that even the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs were cheering their failure and loss, yelling and beaming, most of the hall on their feet. It made her angry, just a little bit. Even the teachers were beaming and applauding, and everyone seemed so happy that they'd lost. "This isn't fair," Aurora muttered. "This so isn't bloody fair!"

"It's the Potter Effect," Draco declared, still horrified. "He breaks all the rules and he still wins! You should have left him down there, Aurora, I told you it was foolish."

She glared across the hall at Harry Potter, who didn't seem to care at all. He was now crowd surfing and relishing every second of the attention on him, three quarters of the hall enraptured by him and his stupid achievements. Aurora couldn't even look at him anymore, or Dumbledore.

The feast was an awful ordeal. "Bad luck, Black," Marcus Flint said with a scowl as he passed her at the end of the feast. "I thought after you being involved old Dumbledore might have let us win, but he's always had it out for us Slytherins." He shook his head.

"Yeah," Aurora muttered. "I can see that alright."

And then before Aurora knew it they were leaving. "You must come and visit me," Draco said. "I would have much preferred you to stay, but Father wouldn't permit it... But I do want to see you."

"Me, too," Pansy said. "I'm not sure I trust these Tonkses."

"Mother doesn't like to talk about Aunt Andromeda," Draco said sniffily. "She married a Muggleborn. Hufflepuff. I don't know what the daughter's like."

"She seemed nice," Aurora told them. "I suppose I'll just have to see what happens."

She sat with the whole group of them on the train — Draco and Pansy, and Blaise and Theodore and Crabbe and Goyle, and Millicent and Daphne and Lucille. The conversation was somewhat stiff, everyone still upset about their House Cup loss and furious on Aurora's behalf. Gwen was somewhere along the other end with Robin Oliphant, and Aurora went to see them later on for a much more relaxed conversation and multiple explosive games of snap.

"You will write to me, won't you?" Gwen asked Aurora as they pulled closer to London. "It'll be so weird not seeing you for two months."

"Course I'll write," Aurora assured her with a laugh. "I think the Tonkses have an owl — they must do." She shrugged. "I'll find a way."

"You had better," Gwen told her, and they continued on happily until Aurora had to return to the other compartment to get her trunk.

She hauled it off the train as it came to a stop, searching the platform for Nymphadora Tonks' distinctive turquoise hair. She couldn't spot it anywhere, but then a voice shouted, "Aurora!" and she turned around. Nymphadora was standing there, hair a bright violet now, and her nose a tad different, but it was definitely Nymphadora.

"Oh," she said, hurrying over. "Sorry, I didn't recognise you."

"Oh, yeah, sorry about that. Mum sent me — I'm just out of training."

"Training?"

"As an Auror," she explained. "Mad-Eye's been working me to death in Stealth class, but anyway." She grinned. "How'd your term go?"

"Er, alright." It was very much not alright, but Nymphadora was freaking her out because she was smiling so much. "I guess."

"Good." Nymphadora lifted Aurora's trunk for her and grinned when she noticed Stella. "Is that your cat? She's lovely."

"Oh, that's Stella," Aurora said, smiling as she gathered her in her arms. "Say hello?"

Stella purred and Nymphadora made a very bad imitation in greeting. "Animals don't tend to like me much, especially cats. I'm too clumsy, old McGonagall hated it." She grinned. "Come on then, Mum and Dad are waiting. She's going to fuss over you like mad, I hope you know."

"Oh."

"Hey. You'll be alright. I mean, I guess it'll be weird, but you can be like my cute little sister."

Aurora stared at her. "I am not cute."

Nymphadora grinned. "Even that was cute. Come on, munchkin."

"Munchkin?" What was a munchkin?

"Oh, you won't have seen the Wizard of Oz. Muggles have very funny ideas about magic. You'll see, Dad's got a wicked video collection."

And with that she led her out of the platform and got Aurora to grab onto her arm. "Ready now? Don't let go."

"I know how to Apparate, Nymphadora."

She looked at her. "Don't call me Nymphadora."

Aurora smirked. This would be very interesting, indeed.