(Coeus Black - PoV)

Dora and Andy are waiting for us as we step out of the fireplace. Andy is sitting in an armchair reading some kind of magazine, while Dora lounges on the couch, casually reading through a textbook. They both look up as we reappear.

Andy smiles, looking at us hopefully. Dora...I think Dora knew what to expect. Andy's smile fades as Dora gets off the couch, walking over to pull me into a hug.

"Do you need me to go curse him?" she asks.

I smile. Dora is a good Black.

"Of course not, we are perfectly capable of cursing the bastard," I assure her.

"Though if you know where to buy some blessed or enchanted silver I am all ears."

She pulls back so she can look at me, keeping her hands on my shoulders.

"What?"

I shrug, pulling out one of the knives.

"I thought we came prepared, but apparently regular silver isn't nearly as effective against weres as I was lead to believe."

Dora's mouth opens and closes several times.

"Do, do I need to go kill a werewolf?" she asks.

"What," Andy interrupts, "Exactly, happened?" she asks, her voice incredibly serious.

I look over at her and shrug.

"Nothing, really? Just...tired. I don't want to deal with them anymore. Oh, I have a new house-elf, Kreacher. He is staying over there though, he is a crazy blood purist, and would probably try to murder Ted."

Andy's eye twitches.

"I...am familiar with Kreacher, yes. I am amazed that thing is still alive..."

She sighs.

"Iris, what happened with Remus and the silver?"

Iris fidgets a bit, before going over the whole scene again.

Andy nods, relaxing as Iris explains.

"So there you have it," I say once Iris has finished. "Think I can pick some up in Diagon?"

Andy and Dora exchange looks.

"I, have no idea," Andy admits. "I have never looked into it."

"Me either," says Dora. "It hasn't even been mentioned in Defense..."

"Great...Whatever, are we good? I want to go..." I vaguely wave my hand upwards.

I'm not actually sure if I want to go to sleep or not, but I want to go.

Andy closes her eyes and wilts a bit before nodding. Dora gives each of us another hug.

She bends down to look us in the eyes.

"Hey, you lot know you can come to me with anything right? Anything. I got your backs."

We all nod.

I know. Dora is family. She is a proper Black. That's what it means.

She lets us pass and we troop upstairs, quickly finding ourselves in Iris's room rather than mine and Phoebe's.

There is still so much we could be doing. Practicing making potions, reading ahead in books, practicing spells, writing Grandfather about the silver...

Phoebe pulls me into bed, wrapping herself around me. Iris clambers on top of us.

As nice as it feels to make progress...I think this feels much better right now.


The next couple of days are nice. We sleep, we eat, we read, we practice. Iris's confidence has grown by leaps and bounds as we practiced more, her spells becoming more accurate and more powerful as her magic recovers. I would almost pity anyone getting hit by her Hexes, but I am sure they will deserve it.

Grandfather's letter came back as well, including with it a beautifully engraved black-handled dagger, etched with complex silver runes, and a shimmering silver blade.

A family heirloom, the letter said, that he was happy to pass down to me. Heavily enchanted, he assured me it would utterly *ruin* the day(or night) of any were. He says he has tested it himself.

Also included were the names of several shops in or near Diagon where I could get useful blades or similar items. I made certain to share the list with Dora.

Really, what kind of Auror would she be without anti-were tools? Well, besides raw firepower I guess.

No one particularly feels like a trip to Diagon at the moment, however, so it goes on the later list.

So many lists.

What we do insist on now, is another training session with Dora.

"Oh ho ho, you squirts think you are ready to go again?" she asks, smiling.

The three of us nod, determined.

"We don't want the dummies though," I tell her.

No, we have a different target in mind.

She smiles wider.

My eyes can barely catch the flashes of light as my arms snap to my sides and I fall over, unable to move.

Damnit!

"Let me guess, you want a go at me instead? Well, there's your first lesson."

She stands up slowly, twirling her wand (which I never even saw her draw), a smug smile on her face.

"Always be ready for a fight. And always expect your opponent to cheat."

"Now," She starts stretching "Uggghh,"

"Ah, much better. Now, let's get you lot outside, where I can embarrass you properly."

I can't give her a proper glare, but I do my best to send my feelings her way.

She laughs and picks us up one by one, carrying us outside (without unpetrifying us) before stacking us on the ground like logs.

"Hmm," she taps a finger on her chin. "One moment, I will be right back," she says before going back inside, leaving us out here alone, lying petrified in the grass.

Damnit Dora...

"Alright then you lot," she announces when she returns, walking back into view. "Imma let you back up now. Dad is home, and watching from the house. He should be able to fix everything up in case things go sideways." She gives us a proper Black grin, and the look in her eyes?

I love it.

"Give it your best shot!" she demands.

A wave of her wand and we are loose. We all roll before hopping to our feet. A wise choice, given that spells are already hitting the ground where we were laying.

Dora isn't going to cut us any slack, but I wasn't expecting that after she started the fight before we left the bloody house.

I circle to her left with Phoebe, while Iris breaks right.

We all fire spells at her. Mostly stingers, but so far she hasn't even had to shield yet, instead abusing her absurd reflexes and flexibility to dodge everything. She is an order of magnitude harder to hit than the dummies, often able to dodge spells after they are already cast.

We just can't put spells out fast enough to pin her, not while having to dodge ourselves. None of us can just stand and cast as she constantly keeps us on our toes. I suspect that getting hit by anything she is throwing would take us out of the fight for good.

And how is she dodging Iris's spells from behind? She isn't even looking...

Dora lifts her wand in the air.

"Lumos Maxima."

My vision goes white.

"Ahh!"

I am prevented from swearing by being petrified again, with Phoebe and Iris presumably suffering a similar fate.

"Not bad, you have certainly improved," Dora says.

Well, at least my hearing is fine...

"Could be much better though. You lot could see it wasn't working, why didn't you even try anything else? I know you all have a bigger spell repertoire than that. Or you could have tried closing the gap, or even flinging dirt, or taunting me. Something."

I still can't actually see her, but I know she is shaking her head in disappointment, and I don't like it.

"Don't get me wrong, for not even being First Years you did amazing. Your raw skills are great, but your tactics are...well. Try to come up with some ideas for next time, ok?"

A blurry figure appears above me.

"Now, I could release you all, but," oh Merlin damnit, "you know how it goes, to the victor go the spoils. I think I deserve a victory prize."


Andy blinks when she starts serving dinner.

"So, why are you all-"

"Dora." I snap.

She used color change charms to force us all into Hufflepuff colors. Clothes, hair, everything!. We can't seem to get rid of them ourselves, and she somehow bribed Ted to leave them for the day.

I should have expected this.

And I can't even overly complain, it is entirely fair! Our showing was terrible...

"I see." Andy nods. "Well, I also got a letter from Remus today," she says cautiously as she sits down.

I frown, cocking my head.

What about this time? I am not going back over there, we are leaving tomorrow.

"He was asking what time we are heading to Platform 9 3/4. Said that you three agreed to allow him and Sirius to accompany us in seeing you off to Hogwarts?"

Oh, right.

I nod.

"Yeah, I forgot about that. I guess it's fine?"

I shrug, looking over at Iris and Phoebe, who both shrug and nod as well.

Andy smiles.

"Great! I will owl him back after we eat then."

Nodding, I go back to my food.

Kind of annoying, but I have a proper silver knife now, and I will make sure to let the damned mutt know about it. The were, I will let the were know. I can't believe they are both dogs...

I shake my head. Anyhow, maybe Sirius will do something stupidly entertaining enough to make up for it.

After we eat it is pretty much straight to bed. Our duel with Dora may not have been long but it was still exhausting, and we have to be up early tomorrow.

We pile up in Iris's room and get comfortable.

We never did get a bed for our room, did we? Ted has been busy all week, we are not bringing Dora to the furniture store, and no one else knows the Muggle world.

They better not try to get one without us while we are gone, not unless they get a properly big one!

We can always expand the room again, right?