"Where the hell is my potion vial?" I groaned. I had been searching for it for the past hour. I needed that one particularly because it was the standard size for all N.E.W.T.-level exams. I had an exam tomorrow morning and it was now ten o'clock at night. Dorcas was the only recipient to my over-dramatic despair since Lily was on Head Girl duties, Alice was off to meet with Frank who was visiting Hogwarts, and Marlene was gone out per usual.

Marlene's estrangement from me had bothered me quite a bit initially. I had always had the urge to go and look for her. But what would I say? Sorry about your dad, but that's nothing to do with me. So I finally came to the conclusion that it really had nothing to do with me. If she ever wanted to speak to me, I would be open to it, but there was nothing I could do presently. Of course, this was the logical side to it; the side I coolly explained to Lily, Dorcas, and Alice. But inside, I still missed her. Like mad. Of course it bothered me when she wouldn't look at me during classes or when she ignored me in the hallways. It bothered me to no end. But really, what could I do?

"Did you have it with you after our transformation?" Dorcas questioned, without looking up from her book.

I thought hard, trying to remember.

"I thought so, but I'm not sure anymore, " I replied. "I might as well go check. It's definitely not in the room."

"Okay, but how about afterwards you and I go outside and try out our new selves?" Dorcas suggested, a glint of mischief in her eye.

I laughed. It was true; we hadn't been able to transform at all after that one brief moment and we were both dying to see our new physical capabilities.

"Fantastic. We can take the secret passageway from the fourth corridor into the trophy room and then the second secret passageway behind the tapestry. I'll be back soon," I said, and left.

I made my way to the girls' bathroom quickly. I stepped in, trying to be quiet so as not to attract Myrtle.

I hurriedly scanned the floor, but didn't see it anywhere.

I groaned. If it wasn't here, I was completely screwed.

At that very moment, Moaning Myrtle zoomed in through the wall.

"Sneak! Not planning on destroying my living space, are you?" she said snottily, and flew towards me.

I ducked aside just in time, but tripped over myself and fell on my butt onto the cold, hard bathroom floor.

Myrtle giggled, obviously pleased with herself.

"Myrtle," I said in frustration, "why don't you go haunt some other bathroom for the next five minutes, all right? I promise I'll leave your place spotless."

Myrtle chortled. "Well, that's what I've been doing the past hour, haven't I? In the prefects' bathroom. Though I've been mercilessly flushed down the toilet more than once… "

I then finally spotted the darn vial. It had rolled away all the way under the sinks, pressed up against the wall. I let out a great sigh of relief as the cloud of stress looming over my head lifted.

"…And the mermaids were so snotty when I found them in the Black Lake."

"Mermaids?" I said curiously, as I got down on my knees. "In the Black Lake?"

"Oh yes," Myrtle said. "There are all sorts of creatures in the Black Lake. Mermaids have an entire kingdom down there, though."

"What do they do there?" I wondered as I reached out and grasped the vial.

"Oh, I don't know but today they wereup in arms. Thought I was yet another ghost sent by the Ministry of Magic to tell them that their land's been taken away even more. As if I would ever work for the Ministry!" she sniffed.

I started to get up when I banged my head unceremoniously against the sink pipe.

"Ow," I mumbled, rubbing my head and looking up.

"Don't worry, you won't break the pipe," Myrtle said, looking rather pleased by my pain. "That pipe has never worked anyways."

"No one's ever fixed-?" my voice trailed off as I realized that the surface of the pipe was not smooth. Instead, there was the smallest engraving on its side. I leaned onto my elbow and gazed at it more intently.

"You haven't fallen asleep, have you?" Myrtle asked questioningly. "Remember this is my living space!" she said, her voice indignant.

"No, of course not," I said, and hastily got up to my feet.

I started to turn away when a question occurred to me that had never occurred before.

"Myrtle," I said suddenly. "Why do you haunt this bathroom?"

"Well, because it's mine," Myrtle responded haughtily, folding her arms.

"I know that. I just- I mean, don't ghosts generally haunt the places where they lived?"

Myrtle eyed me beneath her spectacles.

"But you don't generally haunt all of Hogwarts. You mostly stay here. Why is that? Is this where you…?" my voice trailed off as I tried to think of a euphemism for "croaked", which was the first word that sprung up in my mind.

"I died here, yes," Myrtle said, and for once, she didn't sound annoyed with me. In fact, she sounded rather pleased.

"I remember it clearly," she said, with fast-growing relish, "Olive Hornby had teased me about my glasses. Ooo, that girl, she was mean! Anyhow, I came in here, crying. I had taken off my glasses and was sobbing in one of the stalls. That one, actually."

She nodded towards the very stall Dorcas and I had made the Animagi Potion in.

"Then what happened?" I asked, wondering how someone could die in a bathroom stall.

"I heard a boy's voice," Myrtle said. "It was strange. It sounded like hissing, but it was definitely a boy's voice. So I opened the stall door and yelled at him to get out!"

"What did he say?" I asked, completely unsure of where this was going.

"It's all a bit fuzzy, but I think he hissed again. And I looked towards his direction and then-"

"What?"

"I died," she said in a hushed voice.

"Just… like that?" I said, not wanting to be insensitive, but also uncomprehending.

"Well, I saw a pair of great big yellow eyes," Myrtle said. "And then Olive Hornby came in, asking if I was still crying because Dippet had sent for me. She found my body on the ground. Oh, she never forgot how mean she was to me, I made sure of that."

"So…So you just saw a pair of yellow eyes?" I said, struggling to understand.

Myrtle eyed me suspiciously. "Don't you judge me. You aren't dead. You haven't any right to judge my death."

"I didn't mean to," I said hastily. "But Myrtle, what was it? And who was the boy? Did you ever find out? When did this all happen, anyways?"

Myrtle shrugged, but her eyes lit up again as she recalled her own death, "I don't know what it was. I don't know who the boy was either. But it happened in 1943."

"1943?" That year struck something in my brain dimly. "Tom Marvolo Riddle…"

"Tom? Tom Riddle?" Myrtle repeated. "Oh, he was the Slytherin prefect when I was at Hogwarts. Very handsome boy and very mysterious. Top marks in everything, too. He was all winning all kinds of rewards."

She giggled. "Yes, the hours I would spend following him around secretly. It was great fun, it was. But he wasn't very nice. I remember he dropped a little leather book once and I picked it up to give it to him. He was so angry that I'd even touched it. I almost thought he would curse me just for helping him."

"He was in Slytherin?"

She bobbed her head up and down. "I remember a lot of the girls thought he was the descendent of Slytherin himself because he was so noble and so dignified to look at. He was very handsome. Very, very handsome." She had a dreamy look in her eyes.

I left her shortly after, still pondering this Tom Marvolo Riddle figure that kept cropping up everywhere. I didn't understand. If he had been so accomplished, why did he go to Borgin & Burke? And what exactly had he done to receive Special Services Award in 1943?

My mind was still abuzz with questions when I thoughtlessly walked into our dormitory room.

"And he said to me, 'Marlene, if you get yourself in this Tournament, I swear to fucking God I'll come watch you. I'll come support you.' Merlin, can you imagine? That is the first time he's ever supported anything in his entire fucking waste of life-"

Marlene was talking loudly, her words slightly slurred. Her back was to me, but it was quite obvious that she was drunk again.

Dorcas looked up to see me standing there. She slowly shook her head.

I took a deep breath to restrain myself before backing out and softly shutting the door.

It's not my problem. It's not my problem!

I felt like I couldn't breathe. I hadn't talked to Marlene for a solid month. And of all the people to turn against me because of this stupid tournament, I could never have imagined that Marlene would be one of the people who hated me most. And there was not a single thing I could do about it.

I snuck out of the castle, anyways, wanting the cold wintery air to hit my skin and flood my lungs.

It did, and it felt wonderful. It looked amazing too, full-blown moonlight on the crystalline snow.

I didn't have on a jacket or anything like that, but I tromped on through the snow towards the shadowy Forbidden Forest.

I was going to morph, even if Dorcas wasn't here. I certainly wasn't going back to my dorm room at the present moment.

I closed my eyes and drew a deep, shuddering breath as I thought of the word, intuitive.

I felt myself shifting and then-

I blinked. Instantly, I could see much better. The colors were slightly off, but my peripheral vision and night vision were far better in this form. It was absolutely incredible. I could see a long ways into the Forbidden Forest, whereas it had all just been one purple-gray smear before.

I also felt very warm. My ginger coat was quite thick. Dorcas had told me that I was perhaps the ugliest cat I had ever seen, with a squashed-in face, but I'd never felt so elegant and well-put-together before in my life.

I jumped- the power I could manage in my bandy legs was unbelievable. In a few bounds, I was in the Forbidden Forest. I found, to my delight, that I was capable of scampering up trees as long as they had thick enough trunks for my claws and were strong enough to withstand my weight.

Emotions were also somehow simpler, more instinctive. The complicated mess of emotions I had felt just moments before seemed less important than my instincts somehow…

The snow felt so pleasantly cool against my thick fur and I simply enjoyed the sheer power of my animal form, jumping and running and leaping and climbing.


Lily's POV

For the first time ever, Head Girl rounds were silent. Potter took one half of the castle and I took the other- we'd meet in the middle, report anything if necessary, and then head to bed.

Simple. Easy. All according to the plan and nothing new.

Except it was.

Because before, Potter had always insisted we go the path together, and therefore it had always taken twice as long.

And Potter had filled every single second of that walk with nonsensical ramblings and the most annoying comments- mostly about how we should be together.

He wasn't mean or particularly cold, per say, but even that would be better than this completely indifferent, carelessly carefree, annoyingly mature Potter.

"All's quiet on my front. Anything to report?" he asked me as we met up by the sixth floor window.

"No, everything's quiet."

And indeed, everything was quite quiet between us.

"Right, well, good night," he said, and offered me a small unaffected smile, very different from his normal, over-the-top, goofy grin.

I tried to dislodge from my mind the discomfort I felt. Why was I uncomfortable with this? This was what I had wanted, wasn't it? And this was what I asked for, right?

Trying to hide my own confused mess of feelings, I kept my voice steady and even as I answered, "Good night."

I started to turn away first, no longer able to keep up this façade of indifference, when I caught two figures robed in black striding out towards the Forbidden Forest.

"What are they doing?" I demanded, indignant that these two idiots were not only breaking about fifty rules, but that they were also putting themselves in danger. Tonight was supposed to be a snowstorm; they could potentially get lost and die out there.

"They'll be fine," James said, appearing next to me to glance down at them.

Had I had that last bit out loud?

"Yes," James said, and he seemed to be laughing a little.

"I'm going to go stop them," I said determinedly. "For their sake and mine."

"Evans, they aren't going to get lost. There'll be plenty of light all night long. It's the full moon tonig-"

He broke off suddenly and in the light of the rising moon, I saw his face turn pale as a ghost.

"What? What is it?" I asked, suddenly anxious.

"You stay here!" he shouted at me and he suddenly began to sprint down the hallway.

Was he going without me then? When I had been the one to point them out first? No, this was my duty as much as his!

I raced after him, trying to catch up, but he was incredibly fast and I could only spot him on the vast white lawn of Hogwarts.

"P-Potter!" I shouted, freezing cold.

"Lily, go back!" he shouted back to me. We had to shout, the wind was beginning to pick up.

"Potter, you wait for me!" I cried out, but he had dashed across the field now and disappeared into the forest.

I groaned and tried to run a little faster into the clearing.

My teeth chattering, I pressed my hands together and blew into them. Snowflakes began to fall. The further I got into the Forest, the more I fervently wished I'd never come here. Everything was dark shadows, menacing and disorienting. I was already confused as to my way back.

Suddenly, I thought I heard a branch snap.

"Potter!" I cried out, my voice saturated with relief. But this was no time to be embarrassed. I would be very happy to see James right now, I admit.

But nobody reply.

And then I thought I heard a growl.

My blood ran cold. I had no idea what kind of creatures existed in the Forbidden Forest. I'd heard stories of acromantulas and vampires…

I drew out my wand and listened hard. The hair on the back of my neck and the goosebumps on my arm slowly rose as I heard it- a paw-like sound quietly and lithely thumping along the forest floor.

Suddenly, somebody darted out from the forest and raced straight at me.

I screamed in terror and raised my hand, only to find Potter.

"Potter! Merlin's beard! You scared m-!"

"Get behind me!" he shouted as he reached me.

But then the eeriest sight stopped me short.

Just behind his shoulder were a pair of the most savage yellow eyes I had ever seen.

"J-James!" I whisper-shouted, my voice trembling.

James turned, and the creature struck.

I screamed. Forgetting that I was a witch, raced towards James. What I was going to do, I had no idea. I just knew I had to protect him.

Instead, he grabbed me and pushed me down onto the ground, his own body hunched over mine.

The creature missed us by mere inches as he flew over us growling.

We both looked up to see him yards away.

The creature was a fearsome thing to behold- the most beastly animal, growling and bearing its long, sharp fangs. Its limbs were disturbingly long and its whole body quivered with violent energy. Its fur was bristling and its hideous eyes were fixed on us, hauntingly savage.

James raised his wand, but the creature had already struck. With frighteningly lithe movements, landed directly on top of James.

James shouted and wrestled with the beast. "Don't- bite- me!"

I cried out, "Stupe-!"

But before I had even gotten the word out, another huge, dark-furred creature flew out from the woods and tackled the first, wolf-like creature off of James.

I rushed over to him. "James! James, are you-?"

"Fine, I wasn't bitten," he murmured, though his teeth were gritted and there was a long gash on the side of face. "Just clawed."

I helped him up, but then a low, pained whimper rang through the woods.

James immediately broke free of me and raced towards the sound.

"James!" I cried out, but he was gone. I groaned. Why couldn't he just be sensible and return to the castle now? But there was no question about it- I followed him.

I joined him at the top of the hill and we both looked down.

At the bottom of the hill, I looked just in time to see the wolf-like creature throw the huge bear-like animal against a tree. A sharp crack! resounded through the woods, James seemed to wince as though he himself had been thrown against the tree.

The wolf-like creature let out a monstrous howl and then struck the bear-like animal across the chest ferociously. The bear-like animal let out a piteous whimper. James seemed to be shivering then- and I thought his form might have begun to shift- when suddenly-

With a loud snarl that nearly shattered the night itself, a ginger-colored cat, the size of a small lion or large fox, leapt down from the trees and landed straight onto the wolf.

James stopped and his eyebrows knitted together.

Anyone could see that the cat was no match for the wolf- in moments it had been outmaneuvered and was caught in its grasp, helpless.

But it had been just enough time for the bear-like creature, which I now thought to be more like a large dog, to gather its wits and leap onto the wolf.

The wolf snarled and dropped the cat and swiped at the dog, but missed.

Suddenly, James started to run. Unknowingly, I had grabbed onto his arm. The sudden motion jerked me along with him. He looked down in surprise. I immediately let go, embarrassed even in a situation like this.

But without further ado, he grabbed my hand and began to pull me away.

We ran quickly, though I was fast running out of breath.

"Wait," James said, suddenly stopping and letting go of my hand.

I suddenly felt so much colder. I wish he'd hold my hand again.

Instead, he cupped his hands to his mouth and let out a loud howl that sounded just like the wolf's, though much less bone-chilling.

"What are you doing?" I said, pulling at his arm- to stop his howl or to hold his hand, I'm not sure. Maybe both.

"You're going to get us killed!" I said, when he ignored me and howled again.

"Right. Run!" he shouted and grabbing my hand again, we ran even faster than we had before, sprinting through the trees. I wanted to ask if we were going the right way, but I was so out of breath I couldn't speak.

Suddenly, we broke out of the trees and I caught sight of a familiar building- Hagrid's hut.

James raced right up to it and pounded on the door.

It was a few moments before a light kindled.

"Who's there?"

"Hagrid, it's me, James Potter! Let us in!"

I was about to indicate that his first answer was contradictory to his second when the door swung open.

Hagrid looked down at us in surprise. His half-open eyes showed that he had been sleeping.

"James? What're you doin' out at this time?"

"Never mind that, just let us in!"

And James and I stepped into the cozy hut.

Hagrid locked the door and bolted it and not a moment too soon- for a large creature barreled right into, shaking the entire building.

"Blimey!" Hagrid cried out and grabbed his crossbow.

"No! No, you don't need that!" James said immediately. "Just wait!"

Hagrid's hut was a lot sturdier than it looked because it withstood the beast's attempts to knock it down. It howled loudly throughout the night, accompanied by the howls of the snowstorm. Finally, as the dawn rose, it slunk away, its growls turning into piteous whimpers.

"What're you two doin' out here?" Hagrid questioned us, looking down at us from under his bushy eyebrows, "Head Boy an' Head Girl, sneakin' out, are we?"

I shook my head, but when Hagrid raised a skeptical eye, I became aware that I was pressed against James' arm and holding onto his hand.

I was trembling and soaking wet from the melted snow. Hagrid throw a heavy blanket that nearly knocked me down into my arms.

"Ye best dry yourself before you head back up," he said.

"Hagrid," James said suddenly, "we were trying to find two students that had snuck off into the Forbidden Forest before us. Did you happen to see them?"

"Ye," Hagrid answered, "And I told them off, shooed them back up to the castle."

"Who were they?" James asked.

"Slytherins, I think. They were wearin' green robes," Hagrid answered. "Erm… lemme think."

A moment later he said, "Severus Snape and Sirius' little brother- Regulus, I think?"

"What were they doing?" James asked. "As Head Boy, I need to know."

"Righ', and your bein' Head Boy is the only reason, eh?" Hagrid gave James a warm smile, "Don' think I don' know better, James."

But my mind was elsewhere.

Sev. It had been Sev out there. Why? Most likely I'll never know because I have no right to ask him anymore. Still, lucky Hagrid had caught him or else he might have died.

"Thank you, Hagrid," I said fervently. "Thank you for helping us."

Hagrid looked a little taken aback by my gratitude but he nodded and said, "Yeh wanna cup of tea 'fore you go, Ms. Evans?"

I shook my head and stood up. "We should be getting back as it is. It's nearly dawn."

And it was. Birds could be heard twittering outside.

James nodded. "Yeah, we should get going, Hagrid."

"Righ', oh, here, somethin' for your wound," Hagrid held out a piece of cloth that was definitely not the cleanest, but James respectfully took it and pressed it to his head anyways.

"Thanks, Hagrid."

Hagrid gave us oversized fur coats to walk back in.

We looked quite a sight, James and I, in our ridiculous coats, but we certainly needed them, I thought, as we stepped outside into the frosty morning.

We were quiet as we trekked through the heavy snowdrift, but when I tripped over the absurdly long coat, James caught me and steadied me.

"Woah there," he said, as he supported me while I got back to my feet.

"You all right?" he asked, and though his voice was low, quiet, and tired, his chocolate brown eyes were bright and searching- he looked truly concerned and I knew he wasn't just asking me about my tripping in the snow.

"Yes," I said, most decidedly, looking straight into his eyes without the slightest hesitation. I was all right. Now that night had passed and now that he was holding my hand- Wait a moment!

Suddenly coming to, I snatched my hand away and said in a unsteady voice, "We should get back before anybody notices."

"Sure, Evans," James said coolly, and with a sinking heart, I knew we were back to the cool indifference with which we had treated each other the night before.

Somehow I preferred it when we were in the Forest together- Yes, we had been in grave danger, but at least we'd been together, hadn't we?

Lily, what the hell are you saying? I admonished myself. Pull yourself together- this is James Potter!

James Potter- arrogant, annoying, absolutely full of himself, conceited, immature, James Potter, who always made you into a joke for the whole school to laugh at.

And by the time we had snuck back into the castle, I remembered exactly who he was and who I was and I was perfectly content in marching away from him without so much as a good-bye.


Alice's POV

Frank had come, just as he'd promised over the summer.

I was nervous. He had written me just before coming and I'd promised to meet him after his meeting with Dumbledore, but I knew that deep down, neither he nor I had forgotten about my failure to respond to him over the whole of summer.

He'd said he'd be in the Great Hall at ten o'clock that night so I went down from Gryffindor Tower at about nine fifty. I was just coming down the stairs when I heard laughter ring out from the Great Hall- and among the many voices- I could detect his sweet voice.

I stopped just short of the Great Hall and looked around the corner, my nervous tingling and my breath caught. There he was- he was standing alongside four other people: Jay Salinger from Ravenclaw and Jacob O'Leary from Hufflepuff and two graduates of Hogwarts as well, whom I recognized as Kingsley Shacklebolt and Hestia Jones.

But I could only gaze upon Frank. His eyes shined bright and warm on whomever he looked and his merry laughter rang brightest of them all. Some things about him had changed- a tension was present in his movements that hadn't been there before and he held his shoulders with more dignity and strength.

And yet, he seemed tired, as though he were overworked and I saw the traces of dark circles under his eyes as well.

How can I explain the emotions I feel now?

Frightened, for certain. But it wasn't that I was afraid oh him- no, he was too wonderful to me for that. But I became afraid of myself. Because I always felt so nervous, so fluttery when I saw him, anxious for his health and happiness, and then frightened that he would finally recognize how good and deserving he was and find someone that suited him as I never could.

I was so lost in my own thoughts and yet, so content in simply watching him, having him so near to me as he hadn't been for near a year- since the Yule Ball last year, that it was only when everybody else took leave of him that I realized how much time had passed.

"Alice."

I started. When had he noticed me here?

I felt a blush creep onto my cheeks. Had he been aware of my watching him this whole time?

He approached me.

"There," he said, "and now your face looks happy again. You were much too pale just before. Are you unwell?"

I shook my head and answered, "Quite-" my voice caught, I tried to fight past it- "well."

"And what were you thinking so hard about, all by yourself?" Frank asked me, and his light brown eyes laughingly gazed upon me.

I shook my head.

"I bet these past few months you've been getting lost in your own thoughts, tripped up in your own fantasyland, and so busy you completely forgot all about me. Am I right?"

"Perhaps," I managed to say teasingly.

"And you've grown braver!" Frank said. "Before you used to stammer whenever I teased you, but now-"

He studied me carefully. "You've grown taller too, Alice."

"Maybe you've just grown shorter," I said, smiling. But then, now that he was closer, I could indeed see that he was very tired. His merry eyes shone, but underneath them were the dark circles I thought I spotted from further away.

"Are you well?" I asked him feelingly.

He didn't answer for a moment; his eyes searched mine. I held still for his survey.

I don't know what they found, but he smiled and seemed almost to relax.

"Very well," he answered.

"How was your business with Professor Dumbledore?" I asked.

His eyes seemed to dim slightly and I expected a negative response, but instead he replied, "It was successful. We all did what had to be done."

This last sentence was a bit too cryptic for my taste.

"And what was it that had to be done?"

"Nothing you have to worry about. At least not yet," Frank said and tried to smile again, but it didn't quite reach his eyes.

But I didn't want to be Frank's pet. I wanted to be his equal.

"Frank, tell me, please," I said.

His eyes grew solemn and he was silent.

I immediately felt sad; I hadn't meant to ruin his pleasant spirit, I'd only-

"Alice. There are things beginning to stir outside and perhaps even inside, these castle walls. In a short while, you will find yourself in the same situation as me, regardless of whether you want to be or not. Am I mistaken for wanting to protect you from this for the little time you have left? Because once you leave Hogwarts… there is no turning back. So you should not forsake it earlier than need be, for my sake."

"It's not just for your sake," I argued, "Frank, I want to know. This is my world, too. And I'm correct in thinking that whatever's happening outside is going to affect my family and my friends, right?"

Frank gave an unwilling nod.

"Then I want to be a part of it. I want to be ready."

"You will be ready, Alice. Stick to being an Auror, as you've already decided, and you'll be as ready as you can be."

"But ready for what? I need to know. Elsewise my motivation has no purpose."

Frank gazed at me and then inexplicably, yet another bright smile broke through his solemn gaze.

Sometimes I couldn't understand the many variances of his mood, but I loved them all the same.

He nodded and he said, "Fine. I'll let you know. On one condition: you spend your Hogsmeade day with me. Of course, some of the time we can be with your friends. I want to see Dorcas and Lily, too. But we'll spend some time together?"

How could he pose that as a question, rather than as a gift?

"Of course," I accepted.

He smiled his brilliant smile and leaned in close to me. My breath stopped- I felt dizzy.

"You haven't left me for another man, have you? While I've been gone, your head hasn't been stuffed with thoughts of someone else? You didn't write back all summer. Don't think I've forgotten… or forgiven you for that, Alice."

I didn't dare to breathe, he was so close to me.

"I-I-I" I stammered.

Frank laughed. "There's the Alice I know."

He straightened up without kissing me but his glittering green eyes peered straight into mine.

I very nearly melted then, but I held myself together and said sternly, "You promised."

Frank bent his head and whispered in my ear, "Dumbledore is gathering together an organization called the Order of the Phoenix. It's a group of people dedicated to bringing down the Dark Wizard who is slowly gaining recognition as Lord Voldemort."

A chill was sent down my spine.

"What specifically does this organization do?"

Frank was calm, but his arm tensed as he answered seriously, "We fight."

"We'll also have to spy on the Ministry, it seems like, because the Ministry of Magic's currently in complete disarray. Even the Daily Prophet, with its grim news, doesn't bear a quarter of what's really going on. Muggles and Muggle-borns are dying by the hour."

I gripped his arm and whispered, "And you're going to be in the thick of all that?"

"Somebody has to, if we want to stop it. And besides, it won't just be me. There will be others, like Hestia and Kingsley."

"And me," I said, and despite my nervous heart, I said it without hesitation and with utter convinction.

"You're not afraid?" Frank asked me.

"Nothing is fearsome," I replied, "when you know your place in it. And I know my place."

"And where is that place?"

"Fighting for what I believe is right and those I love, alongside you."

Frank paused, before murmuring, " 'In the thickets of death, one finds the holly.' "

"What?" I said wonderingly.

"Something my grandfather used to say-"

Suddenly, a loud shout broke through our conversation.

"If you won't help me, get the hell out of my way!"

We broke apart and hurried forward. Frank drew his wand.

"Ray!"

I rushed forward to help her. She was supporting Sirius' entire weight as he was unconscious. His arm, bandaged but bloody, was draped across Ray's shoulders. His head was bowed down onto her neck for he was completely unconscious. Ray herself looked hurt, though far better than Sirius. Bandages covered both her wrists, though it looked like she, too, had bled through them already. Snow and frost covered them entirely. They must also be frozen to the bone.

In the hallway were two Slytherins as well- Severus Snape, I recognized. And the other looked so much like Sirius that it could be none other than his brother.

I saw Frank eye them with distrust, but the only thought I had was of helping Raylynx. I grasped Sirius' other arm. It was frightfully chill. He moaned as I tried to hoist it over my shoulder.

"I've got him," Frank said from beside me and I felt Sirius' weight shift off of me.

"Be careful!" Raylynx cried aloud, "Don't hurt him!"

Fear shone from her eyes and for a moment I thought that if Frank were to hurt Sirius even the smallest bit, Ray's heart would burst into pieces.

"I won't," Frank said steadily and gently hoisted Sirius over his back. He headed up to the Hospital Wing and Ray and I followed right on his heels.

"Ray, what happened?" I asked, but she just shook her head, scattering snowflakes all over the floor. Her eyes never left Sirius.

"The two of you will get into trouble if you come in with me," Frank whispered just in front of the Hospital Wing. "Wait for me."

Raylynx looked as though she wanted to protest, but Frank had already slid in between the doors. Madam Pomfrey's light came on.

There was murmured talking. Raylynx tried hard to hear their words and inadvertently took a step forward. I grasped her hand; my touch seemed to calm her a little.

Her wild gaze found mine.

"He's going to be all right," I said.

I don't know what made me say what. I'm not sure what gave me the will to look solidly into her eyes and say that.

Maybe because I loved Raylynx with all my heart, and so what could ease her pain came naturally to my lips.

Really? Do you mean that? Ray's eyes seemed to ask of me.

Yes, my eyes replied. Yes, I mean that.

We both started when Frank reappeared besides us.

"Madam Pomfrey's says he'll be all right though he is hurt quite badly. I told her I found him outside on my in, but… Bloody hell, what happened, Raylynx?"

"I'm not really sure myself," Ray answered. "I went outside to talk a walk and I found him like that."

"But you're hurt too," Frank observed, noticing the bloody bandages encircling her wrist. "Was it the Slytherins? Was it them?"

For a moment, it seemed as though Ray might say yes, but then she shook her head.

"I got hurt trying to carry Sirius up here. I fell a few times because of the snow and I cut my wrists on a rock."

Frank still seemed quite skeptical of her story but he finally said, "All right. Well, both of you have class tomorrow. You should go on up to bed."

"You sure he'll be all right?" Ray asked. She seemed to be looking beyond Frank, trying to see into the Infirmary despite the fact that its doors were both shut.

Frank looked at me, slightly confused. I knew he was wondering if she was out of it. She did seem a bit dazed.

"Come on, Ray," I said, taking her hand again. "We need to get to bed. We have exams tomorrow and it won't do to oversleep."

And I firmly led Ray back to Gryffindor Tower and fell asleep myself within moments of climbing into bed.