Hinata7: Thank you! One of many tears *laughs, then cries*

BlueWater5: More in terms of the fact that these problems stemmed from Slytherin ideology. Fighting the root of the problem is the goal, and Harry feels like he needs to do something about it.

Zeugma412: Thank you so much!

PearlM21: Aww, thank you! I enjoy getting into their headspaces. No, actually, Teddy's plush doesn't actually have a name. Hehe, I didn't think that far, but I presume he just calls him 'owl' or something.

Authors notes: You'll finally get your first Dawn POV within this chapter. One of many :) I hope you like her, and the jumpstart to our main plot. Enjoy!

"There are many who don't wish to sleep for fear of nightmares. Sadly, there are many who don't wish to wake for the same fear."
― Richelle Goodrich

CHAPTER 8: Unsteady

February 10th, 2002

[Harry Potter]

"Come on, you can do better than that!" Sirius yelled, as his voice echoed around the cavernous room at the Department of Mysteries.

A multitude of voices shouted desperately around him, however those in which he could barely distinguish. The voices were met with sharp rock exploding all around him, sounding so painfully close to where he stood. There were flashes of things he could remember – fragments of a time which only seemed more prominent in his dreams. He knew he was dreaming. He knew very well he was locked in a nightmare he could not easily escape from, and it tormented him so savagely that he was so tempted to hurt himself within this nightmare just to see if it would send him back to reality, or simply end it all.

At the corners of his mind, he could hear Bellatrix' psychotic taunts and manic laughter all around him, but he could not see the deranged dark witch. He knew full well that she was there, and he knew what was going to happen. Despite the sickening knowing, he was powerless to stop it.

The same scene had played so many times before ever since.

Darkness enveloped him like a cage and the only thing that could be seen was the threatening veil glowing and looming overhead. The ghostly veil grew unnaturally taller and taller, and Sirius' voice boomed louder. His godfather's voice reverberated off the void of his mind and echoed as if he was back in the Clearwell Caves all over again. He could feel his body tense, anticipating the tonnes of rock about to crumble back over him. He was losing it – he knew that much. The veil began to glow so brightly, that it caused him to squint as the light blinded him.

The nightmare, as it seemed, was a culmination of two horrifying events in his past. Both merged together feeling both familiar and unfamiliar in his fractured recollection.

Suddenly, he heard a buzzing of static and a small explosion overhead.

"There's nothing you can do, Harry – " Remus' voice sounded behind him, but when he turned, no one could be found.

He was alone.

"SIRIUS!" Harry felt himself scream but his voice fell on deaf ears. Flashes of Sirius' bloodied face was brought forth within his sight, but even that nightmare apparition began to slowly fade with the veil.

Harry felt something against his head and his world spun horribly around him –

"Harry…Harry, it's alright…"

It was Ginny.

His mind struggled to focus, but by hearing her voice, he knew she was pulling him out of it. He tried to breathe, but every struggled inhale hurt his chest which already felt like the tonnes of rock he remembered so well, crushing him.

Through tears of pain, Harry finally opened his eyes only to realise that Ginny was cradling his weary head within her lap. Her hands were caressing his head gently and her fingers were brushing through his messy hair soothingly in her desperate bid to calm him down. And for a moment, he felt like a child. Harry's throat felt constricted and breathing took so much effort out of him despite his wife whispering calming words into his ears. But through a haze of defeat, Ginny clutched onto his hand as tears streamed down his face silently begging for it all to end. He tried desperately to speak, but no words could be heard through his hoarse voice scratching at his throat as if it felt like it had been torn away.

Ginny hushed, rocking him gently, "Shh, Harry, don't talk…Get your breath back first."

Harry tried to breathe in again, but his throat was dry and suddenly felt like razor blades. He was having another panic attack and keeping himself grounded to the present was such a monumental task.

" – Teddy – " Harry tried to speak again, but it came out as a hoarse whisper instead.

"He's fast asleep. You didn't wake him."

Letting out a long exhale, Harry tried to swallow back another rising sob. Waking Ginny was one thing, but he didn't want to scare Teddy by waking him up with a primal scream because he struggled to escape his nightmares. He couldn't bear to put the child through that.

There were a few passing minutes of silence and through Ginny's comforting words and Harry trying to focus on his breathing, he could feel himself becoming more present. By the touch of his wife against his flushed skin and the familiar sound of her voice, he was able to escape the voices of Remus and Sirius's anguished ones within his mind. Leaning over, Ginny planted a tender kiss on his forehead and looked at him with deep concern, seeing her eyebrows creased which was unlike her to do so.

Once Harry felt a little more himself and the room stopped spinning around him, he looked miserably at his wife and hastily tried to brush a few fresh tears away, "I-I'm starting to forget his face, Ginny…I-I just…He only shows up in my nightmares and I have to watch him die all over again. I know I have photos of him, but it's not the same. "

"I know."

"I-I want to see him – "

Ginny shook her head strongly, " – No, we've talked about this. I forbid you to use the Stone. It will do you no good."

"Once more, please…"Harry whispered, pleading desperately.

"Harry, for goodness sake, no. That's what you said last time."

"I haven't used it in years. I just want to talk to them again."

Ginny drew in a deep breath and clutched Harry's hand more tightly, "Listen. There is a reason people go mad with those sorts of things. Why do you think I refuse to see Fred with it? If I start now, I'll want to keep using it. It's not healthy and you know that."

Harry felt defeated, but he knew she was right, "Then what do I do instead?"

"We'll figure something out. The nightmares seem to be getting less and less severe, aren't they?" Ginny bit her lip, "You just need more…time. To heal."

Gradually pulling out from Ginny's embrace, he carefully sat up in an upright position and waited a few seconds until the world around him stopped spinning. He leaned over at his bedside table and retrieved the pearly elixir, immediately feeling Ginny softly grab his forearm.

"Minimal, Harry. Severus warned you for good reason – " Ginny watched Harry, looking anxious.

But Harry didn't listen.

Tilting his head back, he used the dropper within the small vial and gave himself four drops, instead of two. He knew Ginny was mad at him for going against Severus' advice, but he needed to take the edge off somehow. There was no way he was going to attempt sleep again or go about his day, with his anxiety levels through the roof. At this point, he'd much rather be knocked out by a bludger than endure another nightmare round and helplessly watch the next person die. He had no more energy for it that night and he was losing whatever shred of sanity he could still retain.

Losing Sirius once was painful enough. However, seeing the event repeat itself so powerfully within his own subconscious was excruciating to witness and endure. There was literally nothing else he could do. The elixir at least helped to calm his mind, even for a short while. He needed a few hours of reprieve, and the elixir would help him achieve that.

Harry carefully placed the elixir down on the table and turned to Ginny, gently curling his hand over hers, "I need some air. I won't be long."

"It's two in the morning, Harry."

"I-I know. I can't bear to think about laying down again. Not yet, " Harry swallowed bitterly, feeling absolutely wretched with himself, "I'm sorry Ginny…You don't need this."

There was a short pause between them, and Ginny looked saddened, "No, you don't need this. I wish there was something I could do."

"You pulled me out from it, Ginny. You've done a lot already, " Harry bit his lip, doing his best to keep his voice lowered so not to wake his sleeping Godchild in the other room, "There's just not much that I can do. For now, I just need to go for a little walk. Just make sure Teddy is still asleep. I don't want him to be awake because of me."

"Don't blame yourself, Harry. This not your fault, " Ginny responded, firmly, "Do what you need to, alright? I'll be here with Teddy. Just, Harry…Don't be too long, otherwise, I'll just keep worrying."

Harry rose up from the bed and leaned over to plant a soft kiss on Ginny's forehead, resting his lips upon her skin and lingering there for a few extra moments, before he pulled away, "I'll be back long before the sun comes up."

Ginny nodded as she remained cross-legged on the bed, watching Harry in all of her worries.

Harry threw on a pair of thick trousers, an old dark red jumper, and his long navy coat, adding on Molly's knitted orange scarf in his bid to brace the cold elements outside. The night was dark and frosty, and to his relief, neither snowing nor raining. After poking his head into Teddy's room to ensure he was asleep, he slipped quietly downstairs and out of the house, pulling his coat closer to keep himself warm even despite the warming charm he had placed on it beforehand.

Reaching the beginning of the clearing and away from the magical boundary, he disapparated away and reappeared at his favorite spot by the beach. The small inlet was protected by looming rock and the hillside where shadows of the old castle ruins of Tintagel illuminated the rocky sands by moonlight. It was cold, but thankfully, not windy. He decided to leave behind his Invisibility Cloak, as no one would be sane enough to join him at that uncivilized hour.

Perching himself on one of the larger rocks beside a small waterfall at the small cliff edge, he closed his eyes to listen carefully to the peaceful, running water beside him. Feeling the effects of the elixir begin to work, he inhaled the cold salty ocean air and allowed it to wash over him, controlling his breathing once again and feeling himself gradually calm down. After a few focused breaths, he looked up to see the night sky full of light clouds, obscuring the crescent moon overhead. The light pollution from the nearby Muggle villages was very little, and thus, allowed him to see the sky full of stars much more clearly.

As the clouds began to shift with the night breeze, he could see the North Star – or Polaris – more clearly. The star glittered softly, and Harry had to wonder who would be awake to observe the same one as he did. Harry was never good at the constellations – he found Astronomy incredibly boring, but he knew this was marked the beginning of Ursa Minor, the Little Bear. Although he found the subject complicated to remember, he did have intrigue as to the sky above and what else existed beyond them. It was hard to imagine living on a giant rock that was all but a grain in the bigger universe. The stars pointed the way to other worlds, and that suddenly made Harry feel incredibly small and insignificant.

But despite the night-time ponderings, it was nice to be away from others for a short while. He loved Ginny and Teddy, but his need for solitude every once in a while, had nothing to do with them. There were times he simply just needed to be alone to regather his thoughts, no matter how shattered they could be and no matter who was there to help him through it.

He loved it there. It was a spot where Muggles could not get to and was well hidden from such intruders. It was his own little space, and he knew he felt safe here. Not that his home at Godric's Hollow wasn't safe, but he needed somewhere else to help clear his mind when home was a little too much for him to bear. A few times, he took Ginny there and they sat watching the sunset on several occasions. But more often, he arrived alone and to be able to hear his own thoughts without someone else around was somewhat, reassuring. He had enough voices waking him in his sleeping-state, and to return to the present to hear the same thing, can become a little too stressful for him.

Sometimes, he just needed complete silence.

After almost an hour had passed, he picked himself up and apparated back home, walking through the cobblestone paths in the dark of the night. He quietly slipped through the front door once he reached home, stripped off his coat, and proceeded to wander back to the moonlit bedroom to find Ginny wide awake, with a sleeping Teddy fast asleep within her arms in the bed.

Feeling his heart skip several beats, Harry slipped under the sheets and curled up on the other side of Teddy, reaching his arm over Ginny's shoulder and holding them both tightly.

Family was his lifeline, and he could not imagine life without either of them.

Without them, he knew he would simply no longer be.

And that frightened him.

February 16th, 2002

[Minerva McGonagall]

Minerva McGonagall rounded the corner of the corridors leading past the Charms classrooms and finally made her way towards the scheduled staff meeting where she would confront the rest of the faculty. She found these meetings rather tedious and yet she ensured they took place every fortnight in order to get acquainted to the latest issues and feedback that may have arisen without her awareness. She was thankful in that respect since although the more dire problems would be informed directly to her as it happened, the less important matters would be shared with her during these meetings.

The meetings themselves were generally quick. Sometimes they were civil and sometimes a heated debate would arise over the smallest of issues. There had been so many changes to Hogwarts within the last few years, that the culmination of those changes was beginning to display their efficiency, or inefficacy, in this school year. The curriculum was still undergoing vast changes, which in turn, placed additional stress upon the current Professors. That was understandable, of course. Minerva hated putting additional pressure on her colleagues and yet they did not have any alternative options. Finding willing Professors was becoming highly problematic since Hogwarts' reputation for their quick and unnatural staff turnaround, was not exactly incentive to apply. Having Longbottom and Potter beginning next school year was a small blessing, even though it will not be a smooth transition for them. She did have faith that they were fast learners because they were in desperate need of new able Professors but having that added responsibility to their new career choices was not something that Minerva felt pleased about.

The Headmistress entered the staff room to find most of her colleagues already seated and waiting, with some chatting amongst themselves. A few minutes after her arrival, the remainder of them finally decided to make their appearance, and Minerva gave everyone ample time to get themselves comfortable.

She took a seat at the head of the table and crossed her hands neatly before her, "Thank you all for arriving promptly and we'll attempt to make this one quick and purposeful. I do not intend to keep you here for the entirety of Saturday. Firstly, any new agendas I should be aware of as from our previous meeting?"

Rolanda Hooch sighed frustratingly, as she raised a single finger in order to speak first, "The garden gnomes are still infesting the hedge around the Quidditch pitch, and the training ground and I've already had several of my First Years trip over the holes they are creating. I am getting rather tired of constantly making trips with my students to the Hospital Wing."

Rubeus cleared his throat a little nervously on the other side of the table, "I've been de-gnoming them for the past fortnigh' now. They are persistent little buggers."

"Can we utilise a detention to assist?"

The half-giant shrugged dismissively; "Tha' won't make any difference. I suspect their original burrows were destroyed, which is why they keep comin' back."

"Blimey, since when do they lurk this close to the school?" Gregory Aylesworth, the Ravenclaw Muggle Studies professor, pushed his thick-rimmed black glasses up from the bridge of his nose and crossed his arms over his grey and black vest. His thinned dusty brown hair was combed neatly behind his ears, however he looked no older than fifty, "Absolute vermin - Exterminate the bloody things!"

"Not at the expense of my hedges – " Pomona protested exasperatingly.

"Rubeus, if you can get to the bottom of this before the next match, that would be most wise. Even possibly re-locating them if they continue to become problematic, " Minerva interjected, ignoring Gregory and Pomona's protests, and begun to sweep her eyes across the room with a raised eyebrow, "Anything else?"

"When is the next funding for supplies set to arrive? The Potions storeroom is dwindling again, " Horace asked, a little hesitantly, "I had to use my own galleons to accommodate some of the rarer ingredients for the Fifth Years last week whilst they were tasked with brewing the Draught of Peace."

Minerva nodded in acknowledgement, "Next week, Horace. I know this time is a little late. The Minister and the School Board is well aware of this, " She turned towards Dawn halfway down the table on her right side, "Have the boundaries been reinforced?"

Dawn Rheingold altered her posture and sat upright within her chair, "They have been, yes. Filius and I rounded the castle a few days ago. We had to bring down one of the wards and reinstate it, but it appears to be at optimum strength now. Some areas needed additional shields, but it has all been taken care of."

"Very good, " Minerva felt a little relieved that there was some piece of good news. Even despite trusting Dawn and Filius with an important task, the verbal confirmation felt pleasing to hear, "Please assess them in a timely fashion when you are able. Anything else on the agenda?"

"About Slytherin – " Varick Addison, the Hufflepuff Transfiguration professor, cleared his throat gently and leaned forward onto the table looking uncertain. His dark skin contrast against his orange and grey robes, and his short black hair seemed to glisten with a few silver strands so prominent at his temple, " – I caught the Campbell twins harassing Mr. Hastwell again. This is the fourth time this month already and that is just within my class."

Dawn frowned sternly and looked slightly irritated, "I have spoken to them privately multiple times and assigned them detention. They will be entering fifth year soon and yet they are still up to the same nonsense. I banned them from a Hogsmeade visit recently and I was later informed they had snuck out and ended up going anyway. They seem to imply that rules are a construct to be challenged, and I find that highly irritating."

"I have tried to speak with Mr. Hastwell, but he does not wish to confide with me about it, " Horace added, nervously twiddling his fingers together, "I am running out of options. I sent a letter to Cyrus' parents before the Christmas holidays expressing my concerns for him, but they – well – they didn't appear all that bothered. I have concerns for his home situation."

Minerva's eyebrow knitted together in worry, "I see. Perhaps I will try again with another meeting in my office, but alas, that did not bode well. After that incident, Mr. Hastwell ended up in the Hospital Wing with a broken ankle. Academic-wise, those students are exceptional in class. But their behaviour is atrocious and warrants something a little more severe."

Rolanda huffed, "If they played Quidditch, I would have suggested to ban them indefinitely. No exceptions."

"Removing certain privileges does not seem to have any effect whatsoever - " Minerva pinched the bridge of her nose, " - I will ponder this issue a little more carefully, and I may have to consider suspension…And you know of my conundrum with their parents already. I am ashamed that they are Gryffindors and beating down an already depressed Slytherin is not what Hogwarts should represent. Especially not in these times – Honestly, have they learned nothing?"

There were silent and somber nods around the room.

Minerva glanced back to the Head of Gryffindor, "Dawn, attempt to contact the twins' parents again. If they do not take this seriously, I will advise them to see me directly. I do not fancy a personal house visit, because my temper may just surface."

Dawn nodded, determined, "I will do so. With delight."

Minerva drew in a deep breath, as she rose up from her chair to address the rest of the room, "I will withhold the next meeting as it falls on the next Quidditch match, so attempt to keep this time free the week after. Is that satisfactory?"

There were several responsive nods within the room, leaving Minerva satisfied enough. Bidding them a good day, she departed the staff room and made the swift journey back towards the Headmaster's office.

Staff meetings always seemed to leave her more drained and exhausted, adding to the already dozens of tasks she needed to address already. The problems with the Houses began to increase over time, and in all her years of teaching at Hogwarts, she never knew she would ever reach a time where she would attempt to boost the morale of the Slytherins and address the serious problems of bullying at hand. Admittedly over the years, she was prejudice against the Slytherins being a Gryffindor herself, and for a time, displayed a silent victory over her assertiveness and overly proud nature of her own House. But now post-War, she had seen first-hand the decline in mood and behavior over the Slytherins, and for the first time in her life, she felt genuine sympathy for them. In fact, she even felt guilty for being a Gryffindor where she never had to face those horrendous stereotypes, labels, and biased implications of a house more ingrained with the Dark Arts than any other Hogwarts house.

As much as she tried to do right by them, the Slytherins were still a complicated mess. They were irritable, unhappy, and lacking academically. Their decline in grades over the years was a testament to their lack of motivation, which for a House holding ambition of such high value, was extremely concerning. Minerva was simply at a loss of how else to manage it. She had hoped to put an end to House rivalry and the bullying between them, but now she felt inadequate and useless as Headmaster as her frequent attempts folded like a stack of cards in the wind.

Calling out 'Ad Meliora,' the activated office password allowed her passage up the familiar spiral staircase of the tower and burst through her own door to find Minister Kingsley waiting for her by her desk. The Minister, adorned in his favourite turquoise and silver robes, turned around to face her with a welcoming smile upon his face. A friendly face was indeed a sight for sore eyes.

Kingsley outstretched his arms in warm welcome, "Greetings Minerva. I apologise for the impromptu visit. I should have contacted your prior to my arrival."

"Ah, Kingsley, no matter. I have just finished from a very challenging staff meeting, " Minerva rounded her desk and planted herself within the ornate golden chair at the helm.

Taking the cue, Kingsley sat across from her, neatly bundling his turquoise robes as he did so, "Anything I need to be aware of?"

Minerva waved dismissively, "Nothing new on the agenda. Any new issues seemed to be something of a welcome reprieve these days."

Kingsley raised his chin and studied the woman's exhausted demeanour, "What is on your mind, Minerva?"

The Headmistress glared quickly at her friend, before turning away in a deep sigh. She took a moment to formulate the right words, but they were all jumbled up within her mind. Eventually she looked back and exchanged a defeated look, "Far too much, Kingsley. I solve one problem and several more seem to multiply."

"That, I am aware."

Minerva waved her hand frustratingly, soon realising her words, "You're the Minister. Oh goodness me, now I sound wretched."

Instead, Kingsley smiled warmly, kindly ignoring her blunder, "Your work within Hogwarts is a delicate operation and one that needs constant attention. I at least can assign others to split my tasks. You, Minerva, have far too much weight and expectations on your shoulders."

Minerva paused for a few moments, "Makes me wonder if I'm the right person for this position. I honestly don't know how Albus did it for all of those years. Especially during Voldemort's reign."

"You are the most efficient person for the job. That, I have no doubt about, " Kingsley drew in a deep breath and clasped his hands before him, "But I have another matter to bring to your attention…Any luck with him?"

The Headmistress's face fell, sullenly, "I have asked. Directly, this time. Severus is clearly not in a manageable state. Understandable, of course. But he needs time to think about it all. It is quite a request which I already feel terrible about to thrust upon him."

"You know him far better than I. We both have faith in him and that is what Albus would have wanted. We must assist him back on his feet."

"I want to. Merlin, we have to, " Minerva looked away, sadly, "It broke my heart to see him in that way."

"He needs a firm reassurance, as resistive as he is. If he chooses to continuously shut himself away, he will only get worse. We must intervene, under our watchful eye, as both a colleague and a friend. For his own wellbeing, " Kingsley suggested, earnestly.

"Half of my staff are still on edge with post-war problems. They all cannot tolerate change – it frightens them, too. We've all had to painfully adjust, but we must adhere to the goal of ensuring the safety of Hogwarts and all within its walls, " Minerva was growing more and more upset, and her words soon rang in anxious tangents, "I want to enforce a positive and hopeful environment and instead it's still all doom and gloom. The Slytherins are not in a good state and the Gryffindors don't seem to learn a single moral thing – "

" – Minerva, take a breath, " Kingsley spoke softly, giving the woman time to calm herself, "We can only hope and wait patiently until he comes to a decision. Severus is very well weighing all pros and cons but giving him a new purpose is a step in the right direction, I believe. If the Slytherins will listen to anyone, it would very well be him. For now, we must deal with the issues as we possibly can, within our limitations. And without him, for the time being."

Minerva nodded in agreement, but she still did not seem entirely convinced, "I hope we can, Kingsley. The news regarding Bulstrode shocked the community, including the Slytherins who knew her in some capacity. I don't want to see another student travel down that path, Slytherin or otherwise. We've seen enough of that."

"Would you like me to reinstate a school counsellor on a more permanent basis? I assumed it would only benefit the students overcoming from grief and loss after Voldemort was defeated. But now it seems it might be far more beneficial long-term."

Minerva nodded, "Yes, I believe that is a wise decision."

"Then I will ensure it happens. Hogwarts would greatly benefit from the added service."

"Thank you."

Kingsley rose up from his chair and respectfully bowed his head, "I will prioritise that task immediately and I do hope it can be one less thing on your mind."

Grateful for the reassurance, Minerva watched as the Minister departed from her office and she remained seated at her desk. Sighing exasperatingly, she looked up to see Albus' portrait nodding in approval, but without a single word.

This was far beyond her capabilities.

February 20th, 2002

[Dawn Rheingold]

The Great Hall slowly began to empty for the evening after the feast and Dawn was one of the few members of staff to hastily make her exit. Her black traveling cloak billowed behind her, half-concealing the plum and silver-embroidered robes beneath them. Her short leather boots tapped against the stone and marble flooring as she made her way through crowds of students in her path in their attempt to retreat back to their common rooms for the night.

Minerva was aware of her meeting that evening, and thus, was determined not to be late. Instead of Apparating the journey to London, she was granted access to the Floo Network in Minerva's old office in order to reach her destination. The problem was, her destination had no direct access to the Floo Network for security reasons, so she had no choice but to use Diagon Alley as her travel checkpoint. That wasn't exactly where she wanted her stopover to be for a Wednesday evening, but she was slightly limited, and the Ministry was definitely not an option. If she had to deal with Warren's creepy and sexist remarks again, she was going to lose it.

Or he was going to lose a hand.

Taking a pinch of the sand-like Floo powder on the mantle of the old fireplace, she smoothed the powder over the palm of her hand, taking a few moments to inspect the glittery contents. Once she was satisfied the powder was pure and untainted – with Peeves a major thorn in her side - she stated her destination clearly and threw the powder at her feet. Immediately a small explosion of emerald green flames enveloped her from the moment she closed her eyes. She felt herself being pulled in several directions, as if she were facing a room of magnets and feeling her blood rushing through her veins. But once her feet found solid ground once again, she opened her eyes and observed the familiar grim and murky pub, the Leaky Cauldron.

"Evenin', ma'am, " The friendly bartender greeted Dawn the moment she stepped off the fireplace and dusted the powdered remnants away from her robes.

She nodded in acknowledgement, flinging her messy dark-blonde braid from her shoulder, "Hector. Good to see you. How's Gloria?"

The bartender Hector smiled proudly, as he casually leaned against the bar, "Jus' started walkin' last week. Can' believe it."

Dawn glanced at the man with amusement, "Start charming protections indoors, from now, I say."

"Patty already started. She ain't takin' no chances with accidental magic, " Hector looked happy in regard to his daughter, until his expression soon turned serious, "So…Hogwarts business?"

"Auror business. You know how it is, " Once Dawn had finished cleaning up her robes, she turned back to Hector not wanting to elaborate on her task, "Give your wife and daughter my best."

"Will do, Dawn. Good to see yer! And look after yourself out there, " Hector waved, as Dawn began to hastily make her exit.

Smiling to herself, she stepped outside to the back and disapparated away soon reappearing at an old, derelict cobblestone alleyway in Whitechapel. She was thankful the few lights surrounding her were usually dim, so she was able to slip through without being seen. A few more paces down, she reached a red door with a faded print of a stylized tree of life by the door handle. Withdrawing her ivory aspen wand, she tapped on the door and the shimmer of white mist enveloped it into a soft glow where the door gave a click and opened slowly inward. Raising her now Lumos-lit wand, she entered through and closed the door behind her.

Carefully edging through the narrow corridor, she eyed the dimly lit room at the very end ensuring her wand was raised. Her breath remained shallow as if to confirm all the minuscule sounds around her. The strong scent of cigarette smoke wafting through was enough to tell her that she was indeed not the first to arrive at the allocated meeting point. Once she finally reached the open room at the end, she took immediate notice of two of her colleagues at the small rickety table by the fireplace with a pack of cards before them.

"Gambling again?" Dawn questioned, amusingly.

The clean-cut youngest out of the two, Raphael Rosenhold, chuckled as he threw down the hand he was holding, "Nah, I'm too broke to do that. Can't you tell by our begrudging willingness to bet on knuts? Knuts!"

"I thought you hated poker?"

"I do, but it's the only one I know how to play, " Raphael leaned back in his chair and sighed, running his hand through his short black hair. The man was youthful, a few years shy of thirty. One of the later youthful recruits and one who was favoured by Mad-Eye Moody before his unfortunate demise. The man had joined their small team a few years after his death and has since been a promising addition.

"Dawn Margaret Rheingold – " The other older man, Desmond Gibbons, smirked behind his lengthy messy grey and black beard. His husky voice thick with his Scottish drawl as he watched Dawn take a seat on one of the empty chairs at the table. " - 'Bout time ye showed up."

Dawn frowned deeply, "For Merlins' sake, please refrain from using my middle name. You know I hate it."

"What's wrong with it?" Desmond chuckled, taking a few puffs of the burning cigarette within his grasp.

"It makes me sound like the Queen of England."

Raphael looked entertained, as he rose his glass of what appeared to be brandy, up to his lips, "Let's not confuse the two, then."

Desmond chuckled again and threw down his own cards on the table in defeat, "Yeah, she'll have us executed for sure – off with their heads!"

The front door had suddenly swung open and the three Aurors in the room quickly withdrew their wands and waited eagerly until two more figures showed up. Rowan Locke, their team leader, led the way in his navy and grey coat with Ronald Weasley trailing behind. Ron took a seat beside Dawn, whilst Rowan remained standing with his briefcase beside him. The expensive-looking leather case was soon planted on the table in front of them and the remainder of the team watched as Rowan withdrew stacks of paper of within its depths.

Rowan turned to face Dawn, with a welcoming smile, "I'm relieved you were able to make it tonight, Dawn. It's hard to pull you away from Hogwarts these days."

Dawn shrugged nonchalantly, "I'm just relieved you still want my input on the case. Makes me feel a little more useful until I can regain full dedication."

"Your input is always valued, no doubt, " Rowan nodded, rolling up his sleeves, as his dark skin revealed light blotchy white birthmarks across them, "It always helps to gain a new perspective, if not for Desmond and his, well…half-arsed approaches."

"Oi, at least my half-assed approaches have saved our neck a few times, " Desmond protested rather comically with a careless shrug.

"Load of crock, that is, " Ron interjected, earning a wheezed chuckle from Raphael, "You almost had me thrown out of the pub we were scouting, last time."

"Okay, boys, calm down, " Dawn said, seriously, making her feel like she is attempting to teach a rowdy class of First Years, "So, any updates I should be aware of? I feel this case has been painfully dragging. What about that case you were chasing with the young kid who tortured a Muggle?"

"No further leads on the attacker. The Muggle was already Obliviated by the time we arrived to interrogate. Veritaserum was unfortunately, ineffective, " Rowan sighed, nodding in agreement, "Just when we think we've obtained another lead, we get forced into another dead end."

"No other casualties?"

"Just the two Muggleborns."

"I suppose we are unable to ascertain if the two are connected?" Dawn extended her hand outward, "Here, let me take another look at the victims again. Hand me those files."

Rowan shuffled the papers around before him and pulled several out of the pile. One by one he handed them to her. Two victims, a middle-aged man and a young woman, a few years shy from leaving Hogwarts, were found dead in two separate locations across Britain. The files, along with the gruesome photos of their death, were held in Dawn's grasp as she studied them yet again. There were inconsistencies between the two and yet the circumstances of their demise were almost identical. They had been investigating this particular case for a while now and have found no likely suspects. Magic was masked and the victims were charmed to display alternative causes of death depending on the observer. It took the Aurors months to piece together what they had seen the first time, until they were able to finally remove the charm to reveal the victim's true severely disfigured corpse at the point of almost being unrecognisable.

The two victims were initially lured to secluded areas and were Imperiused to strangle themselves at specific locations far from their dwelling, or any place they were usually seen at. But that wasn't the worst part – both victims were found with the Dark Mark gouged permanently into their left forearm so deep, that their bones and tendons were exposed. Both victims were Muggleborn and both victims had connections to those who aided in the defeat of Voldemort and his Death Eaters.

Being a high concern for public safety, the WCID were tasked with rounding up the elusive culprit in a desperate bid to minimise the potential for mass public panic. The idea of incognito Death Eaters and their still surviving supporters initiating stunts like this was extremely concerning. Rowan and his team were in mixed feelings if this was a copycat or a rise to something bigger. Perhaps it was someone who simply wanted to divert the Auror's attention away, or they merely enjoyed taunting the magical community with an enemy long since gone. It could even just be a group of young misfits with their own brand of sick entertainment.

But even now, the potential threat of further supporters hung heavy in the air. Either way, they had two victims with no leads on the culprit and no way for the poor souls to gain some sort of justice.

Dawn bit her lip, as she looked up to her superior, "I still cannot believe we are at a dead end. It's almost as if we are waiting for another victim before we proceed. No one must know about this. This mark…Should not still exist."

"Des and I got nowhere in the lead during our trip to Ireland, " Ron interjected, "We don't even know if it's the same suspect, or we are just chasing our bloody tails. Whoever this is, is very good at covering themselves up. Or at least throwing us off their tail."

Raphael sighed, lightly tapping his fingers on the table, " Doesn't help that people are too scared to tell us anything. Almost like they still don't trust us, after Voldemort decided to decimate half the Ministry and the Aurors at that time."

"Well, we must shake them up. We cannot take this lightly and we are surely not willing to risk the death of another Muggleborn because people are scared, " Dawn scowled, digging her nails into the old rickety wooden table she rested upon, "This is serious."

"Dawn is right, " Rowan agreed, eyeing each and every one of his colleagues, "We need to ponder our next move a little more sufficiently. We need all eyes back on the streets and close to where those victims were found."

"Again?" Desmond growled under his breath, as he gave a frustrated sigh, "We already tried tha' and wasted our time. For all we know, they are probably just pissing themselves with amusement because we can't get a single damn thing to work in our favour."

"Neither of our victims can point us in a direction and their families are not proving to be helpful. The charms the murderer used have blocked our own attempts from discovering anything in a timely manner, which makes me wonder if a dark artefact is also at play here, " Rowan answered calmly.

"Artefact?" Ron groaned, "Should we be searching for dodgy shops selling that kind of junk?"

"I wouldn't call 'em junk, " Desmond joked, taking another puff of his cigarette, "That junk could probably kill us. I don't fancy bein' executed by a cursed weapon, thank you very much. Or an enchanted Muggle toaster – Ask Joseph that one, at the home office. I ain't kiddin'."

"Ron does have a point, " Rowan began to retrieve the littered paperwork from the desk, and stacked them back within his briefcase, "It's a start at least, if we can discover if we are looking for such a thing. However, I still need eyes out there. Those murders took place in and around Muggle dwellings and that concerns me deeply. We need to keep this well-concealed."

Dawn nodded, "I agree. So, what would you have me do, Rowan? I'm all but a sitting duck."

Rowan's stern gaze acknowledged Dawn's own, but he soon shook his head lightly, "We will contact you for any major updates. For now, stay within your post at Hogwarts. Keeping an Auror within its walls is ideal for now. Someone must know something."

"Alright, I'll do that. If you need an extra wand out there, please send for me, " Dawn rose up quickly from her chair, "Don't go doing anything reckless. That mainly goes for you, Des."

Desmond grinned, "You know me too well. And for too long. Poor lass."

Bidding her colleagues farewell, Dawn began to make her journey back to Hogwarts feeling unsatisfied which the information she was given. Once again, she felt a little useless. It wasn't that she was unhappy with her teaching post at Hogwarts because she loved working with the children, but there was an eagerness to be out in the field and risking herself just to round up another magical menace. The thought of grabbing them by their collar and taking them directly to Azkaban, was extremely satisfying, but she knew they were far from apprehending anyone.

The murders of Muggleborns were not something to be taken lightly and keeping the magical community from knowing about them is a goal they needed to aim for. The last thing they needed was a state of panic and it took several years for the magical community to be comfortable again in leaving the safe confines of their homes after the fall of Voldemort.

This case made Dawn feel very much on edge and she was not usually an anxious person, but something was amiss.

In all of her speculation, she could not deny that something was very, very wrong.