The funeral service for Daniel Granger was a somber affair. Resthaven Memorial Home took care of all of the needs and soon Emma had only a brass urn to hold and not a loving husband.

Sirius paid for it and made sure the services were well protected by as many magicals as he could. Emma had allowed it, saying that what more harm could they do.

Sirius reacted as if he had been slapped by the empty bitterness in her voice.

What was worse was that he was confused by how distant Hermione had become. Like she was thinking and given the idea there was a highly trained and experienced power witch's memories in there that made Sirius nervous. She had burned up the sun to come back here and save Harry, change history and now her family was hurt and Albus had escalated the war. What would she do for an encore?

"So how are you guys doing?" Sirius asked at dinner that night.

Emma smiled coldly, "How do you think I am doing Sirius."

"Right well. I mean. It was just a question you know." Sirius sighed.

"We hurt but we'll get by. Won't we mum?" Hermione said hopefully.

"Yes sweetie. We'll get by." Emma agreed casually, too casually Sirius thought.

"If there is anything we can do. Please don't hesitate." Xeno said quickly. He and Luna had come to support Emma and Hermione.

"Thank you Xeno. I appreciate that." Emma said smiling in a reserved warmth, "It has been a very trying time."

"We are doing our best to help." Xeno said sympathetically, "I'm sorry that it has not been as good as we had hoped."

"You are doing alright." Emma said with a sigh, "I'm feeling a bit tired. I hope you gentlemen will excuse me."

Remus, Sirius and Xeno stood quickly while Kreacher appeared to pull Emma's chair out from the table.

"Are you okay mum?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"Oh yes sweetie. Just tired and bit you know." She said rubbing her abdomen that was just starting to have a bit of a curve. "It was this way when I carried you too."

"Oh okay." Hermione said getting up to give her mother a hug, "Good night. I love you."

"I know sweetie. I love you too." Emma said rubbing her daughter's hair before leaving the room.

Hermione sighed as she watched her mother go then sat back down.

"Hey you okay Hermione?" Sirius asked.

"Yes. I just. I'm worried about mum." Hermione admitted, "I'm worried what else is going to go wrong."

"I understand how you feel. Trust me. I had a lot of my plans go sideways back in the first war." Sirius wryly chuckled.

"Anytime you begin to engage your opponents they will react causing a different path to be taken." Remus pointed out.

"I suppose. She was just so sure Dumbledore would not do something like this." Hermione stated.

"Perhaps there are factors the future version of yourself were unaware of." Luna said. "I know I do not know everything, and it is doubtful I ever will. So if I sent myself information there would be large gaps in it."

"Maybe. That's what we will find out when you do that ritual right?" Hermione asked.

"As best as we can." Xeno said, "We will take care of it."

"And you're going to find out where he got that armor from?" Hermione asked.

"Yes. I will be going tomorrow after I escort you back to Hogwarts." Remus said.

"So you haven't mentioned how your other students are reacting to the announcement of your betrothal." Sirius said, "Any problems?"

"Aside from Lavender and Parvati wanting to plan my wedding dress no. All of the pure-bloods seem to be accepting it as nothing unusual." Hermione said. "Even Malfoy gave Harry and I a backhanded congratulations."

"Well that's good. Surprising about Malfoy. I know his dad has been a right prick at the Ministry." Sirius shook his head, "Fudge appointed him his chief undersecretary."

"I thought Amelia Bones was cleaning all of the Death Eaters out." Hermione gasped.

"Yeah she has. Yaxley put his wand in his mouth and fired up rather than surrender due to the evidence she managed to dig up. Macnair is sitting in Azkaban for his extracurricular activities in the muggle world. Umbridge is down in her home in Lower Tidmarsh being a right pain to the locals but otherwise nullified. Others are kicked out or under deep investigation. Malfoy is just too slick and slimy. He has everything hidden too well."

"Great. Maybe there's something on him up here." Hermione said flicking her hand at her head.

"Maybe. We shall see." Xeno sighed.

…...

Harry had been brought back to the school after the funeral. He had stood beside Hermione and done his best to comfort her as she cried. His betrothal to her had changed the way some of the other students treated him, accepting him as part of the wizarding culture more than an outsider. Even if he still felt like one.

As much as he enjoyed being around Neville and Susan he wanted to be alone to think right now. So he had thrown his invisibility cloak over himself and snuck out. Walking through the quiet corridors just trying to think and figure things out.

According to Hermione so much had changed from the previous timeline, both for the good and the bad, that she was worried if anything from the future still mattered. Especially given how Dumbledore had killed her father.

Harry was still having trouble wrapping his head around the idea of a future timeline in the first place so just tried to listen and support her. Being there for her, which seemed to make her happy and Harry did enjoy it.

Then there was Ron. His friend in the previous timeline that had turned out not to be a friend. They had tried to be his friend again and it seemed to be working out. Although Hermione had said that this early in their friendship Ron had acted about the same so she was going to reserve judgment.

Harry had climbed to the top of the Astronomy tower to get some air. He was standing quietly looking across the darkened landscape, the moon reflecting brilliantly in the waters of the lake when there was a slight rush of air.

Turning he saw Ron standing there with a House elf briefly before the elf vanished quickly. Ron smelled like rosewater and lavender harry could smell from here.

"Well smells like you had a interesting night." Harry said flipping his hood back.

Ron snapped his wand out quickly as he turned to face Harry, "Oh harry its you."

"Yeah I couldn't sleep. So I came up here to think." Harry said, "Quite the view eh?"

"Yeah. I guess it is." Ron replied but he did not put his wand away, "So uh what do you need to think about?"

"Oh you know. Life, the universe, everything." Harry shrugged.

Ron grunted.

"So you have an elf?" Harry asked trying to figure out what was going on.

"Nah. Its. My aunt's. What with everything that's been going on. She uh. She wanted to get the family to visit her." Ron said. "She is kinda hard to say no to."

"Must have spilled some of her ode de toilet on you." Harry chuckled.

"Yeah. So I better hit the showers before any of the other guys smell me eh?" Ron chuckled as he slid his wand back into his belt.

"I'll walk back with you. I should go to bed now eh?" Harry yawned, even though he wasn't tired he wanted to know why Ron was acting so strange.

"Yeah sure. No problem. So how was the funeral? I've heard muggles have some weird rites they perform." Ron asked.

"It wasn't that weird Ron." Harry replied as they walked down the stairs.

…...

Remus arrived in Red Thistle territory about mid morning. He nodded to the gang members as he gave the hand gesture of a friend of the gang. They nodded back and then left him alone. Walking down the narrow stone gallery he sighed as memories of hiding here from werewolf hunters came flooding the main square he headed for Shaw's Steel Shop. An armorer, metalworker, weapon-smith, among other things he was a close friend with. They shared the same affliction from the same cause and had both wound up here. Only Shaw had never left. Entering the shop he nodded to the young apprentice hammering small pieces of metal into a shape. "Is Shaw around?"

"Of course I'm around you old wolf." A medium height muscular man with a shaved head and three days of graying facial hair declared entering the shop from a backroom, "Can't a man spend a penny in this place without thinking he's done run off."

Remus turned and hugged the man in a friendly show, "Dunno. Thought your apprentices might have gotten tired of your slave driving and tossed you in the fire."

Rolling his eyes he loudly proclaimed, "nah they all love me don't you?" He growled looking around.

"Yes Chief!" they all shouted in unison.

Remus looked around then back at his friend, "Okay that was creepy and strange."

"C'mon back to my office. I've got a bottle of some good Brivari it'll wash out the taste of whatever puddle you been drinking from."

"Sure." Remus looked around as the shop did not seem to be too busy.

Once settled in the office Remus accepted a large tumbler of a thick golden honey colored liquid. Taking a drink he let a happy growl come from deep in his throat as the liquid burned warmly down to his stomach. "That is a good Brivari."

"So why show your face in this grotto, you in trouble again?" Shaw inquired leaning forward, "Or you looking to get into trouble?"

"I think its the former. I ran across someone who has some very unique armor and I thought of you." Remus said.

"Well I'm flattered by that. What was the armor?" Shaw asked grabbing a book off a nearby shelf.

"Dragonskin, all black, with a kevlar and polyester backing, sealed by zippers." Remus rattled off.

Shaw slowly closed the book and sat staring at Remus for a long moment before throwing back his tumbler of the strong drink.

"Dave. You know something. What's going on?" Remus asked.

"If Nico finds out he'll nail my knob to the punishment wall." Shaw said quietly.

"So you did make it for." Remus said.

"Shhush. We don't say that name here." Shaw interjected quickly holding his hand up.

"So you did make it?" Remus frowned.

"Yeah. He came to me saying he needed something special. Reminded me I owed him my life." Shaw swallowed a bit more of the beverage, "A life debt's a hard thing to hang over a man's head."

Remus nodded swallowing some of his own. He understood the difficult position that would put a person in. How a life debt could cause conflicts with other loyalties.

"So. Did he say why he needed it?" Remus asked.

"Just that he was going freelance and Ministry armor would be a bit too noticeable." Shaw stated. "We didn't exactly talk much. He seemed nervous. Like a man on the run."

"How accurate." Remus said as he explained what had happened. When he was done Shaw slammed back the last bit of the drink in his tumbler.

"Well frak. Nico's going to beahappy one of discount merlin's men bought it. Let me know if you find him. Nico wants to nail his wrinkly hide to the wall above anything else."

"I remember." Remus said drinking his Braviri slowly. "Since he couldn't show his face in Thistle territory where did you meet him at?"

"Over on South Black. The Iron Fort. He has a, had a, Hide there." Shaw frowned, "Should still be there. You gonna lay claim to his shit?"

"It would only be fair." Remus nodded, "He killed someone important. Plus might help us find him."

"You find him. You tell us. Thistle sticks."

Remus nodded slamming his drink back, "Thistle sticks."

…...

Remus carefully approached the hidden hut on the side of South Black Hill. It was only minimally hidden as the creator of all of the spells had been killed causing the magic to lose its focus. Apparently it had not been meant to be a permanent camp specifically.

Poking his head in, wand first he saw a cot, some camping gear and generally the sort of things that would make living on the run easier.

A small camp table had a small picture in a simple wooden frame, a smiling Shacklebolt with a woman in his arms. Her ebony skin glistened with oils as they stood on a beach somewhere. They looked like they had to have just graduated from Hogwarts.

Finding no other signs of anything useful he packed the entire mess up to take back and go over more thoroughly. He just hoped Sirius was having better luck with his task.

…...

Sirius stepped out of the floo at Castle Noir, his father's summer home in Caerbanog Wales, and sighed. He had not set foot here since he was a young man.

Looking around the dust and neglect of the house made him sad. The magic holding the place together had not failed but without any elves or other active help the place had become a time capsule of the early eighties when they died.

Shaking off the maudlin feelings as he had a task to perform. Sirius left the large stone edifice. Crossing the fast moving stream into the village proper he turned to the right and headed for The Rotting Willow Inn. A rather ramshackle and run down place that had as much water as ale in the glasses and the food could best be described as mostly edible. The clientele was not what you would call reputable either.

The gimlet looks he got walking into the place made Sirius feel like he was back in Azkaban, only he thought the ban smelled better. For a weekday mid-morning there were certainly enough warm bodies lined along the bar and at a few tables. Sirius briefly wondered how many were still here from last night and how many showed up with the rising of the sun. Walking up to the bar he sat on a stool that was pretty solid and nodded to the barkeep.

"Whadda ya want?" the wide and short man with one eyebrow growled.

"Beer, and a clean glass." Sirius tossed a Galleon at the man who snatched it out of mid-air with a ham fist.

The barkeep looked Sirius up and down then after checking the quality of the gold pulled a pint and slammed it down in front of Sirius.

"Thanks for the friendly service man." Sirius made another Galleon appear between his fingers, rolling back and forth, "I was wondering if you could give me some directions."
"The pisser is that way the front door is that way, don't get em confused." The barkeep sneered making a few of the lumps along the bar give out some coughing chuckles.

"Funny. You're a real comedian my friend. No, I was looking for someone named Magda Kovacs." Sirius said loudly enough that even the lumps should have heard him.

"Magda? Whadda ya want wit er?" The barkeep suspiciously asked.

"I just want some information. Nothing more." Sirius said.

"Well Eli Weaver might be able to help you. Her handyman. Does work for her." The keep said snatching the coin from Sirius' hand quickly. Sirius nodded at the realization the man had some hidden talents.

"And where could I find this Eli?" Sirius inquired politely.

The barkeep looked behind Sirius as a deep voice said, "I'm right here."

Sirius spun on the barstool to find himself staring at the blue denim coverall clad stomach of a man who towered over him. Leanign backwards so he could look upwards he saw that the man had a rather youthful face on a squarish head, with a large nose, broad ears and a lopsided grin. "Whoa. Hello up there."

The man grunted in return then asked, "What do you want with Mags?"

"Like I said. I just want some information and then I'm a shadow that was never here. You all can go on with your merry little lives and no problems." Sirius smiled in what he hoped was a friendly and non-inviting way.

Another grunted response then the very large man said, "Alright. Follow me."

Sirius smiled and followed the gallumphing man who ducked under the beams and lamps as he headed for the door.

…...

Once outside Sirius realized he was going to have to jog to keep up with the guy. A half-giant but not like Hagrid as a small sword was hanging off of his belt, a hatchet that might have served as a war axe to a normal person and other tools and pieces of equipment.

They reached the last house in the village before the rock lined pool that the waterfalls fed. Sirius' escort paused to make sure he was there, looking slightly disappointed when he realized Sirius was still there, but pointed at the house which was set into the valley wall.

A simple stone and thatch roofed building that had a thick and solid looking wooden door with a steel caduceus hanging beside it sat huddled against the rock wall of the valley like a tired animal. Sirius felt stupid as he looked at the obvious sign of a healer and remembered that Caerbanog was outside the pale, a place where the Ministry had no authority so of course she hd nothing to fear. And judging by the reaction Sirius had strong loyalty from the locals. He was going to have to work on getting back into the game as he was definitely out of practice.

Entering the building he saw a few sick and injured people sitting so he took a seat. Waiting patiently until the dark, auburn haired, teen girl came over to him.

"So what's your problem?" she asked looking him over critically.

"Well I need information. Are you Magda?" Sirius asked, wondering if she was hiding as this swarthy girl for some reason.

"No. I'm Gwen, her apprentice, What do you want with Magda?" the girl demanded looking suspiciously at Sirius suddenly.

"Look. I'm not a auror, I'm not with the Ministry, I don't care what she does or did. I am looking for a person who hired her to do a job as he is the one I have the beef with that needs cooked." Sirius declared.

"Gwen. I shall speak with him." A tall Nordic looking woman with a pneumatic figure said stepping through a curtained doorway.

"Are you sure?" Gwen asked.

"Yes. I doubt Sirius Black, Lord Black, owner of Castle Noir is going to give us any trouble." Magda declared crossing her arms under the natural mountains Sirius observed.

"Nope no trouble at all." Sirius grinned hopefully.

"Good. Now follow me." she said leading him down a stone tunnel into the hillside.

Soon he was in a sitting room that looked like it could belong in any comfortable suburban house. She gestured towards a overstuffed chair beside a table and sat across from in another chair like it.

"So what information do you seek Sire Black?" Magda asked crossing her legs making Sirius sigh.

"Could we just stick with Sirius please? I'm not really into all that pomposity crap." he replied grinning.

"Very well. Sirius. What brings you into my clutches?" She smiled leaning forward.

Shaking his head as he took a deep breath, "Albus Dumbledore hired you to grow a new omab in a woman named Emma Granger. You remember that?"

"I do so many thinks dahlink. What makes you think I remember all of them?" she reclined bored.

"Because she didn't exactly agree to this." Sirius countered, "It was rather rapey you know."

She shrugged, "I have no idea what you're talking about."
Sirius scowled at her, "Well look. I mean it was great work. I didn't know you could regrow a womb. I thought it was one of those organs magic for whatever reason couldn't regrow."

"You thought correctly. No one can regrow a womb." Magda smiled, "Now transplanting one, changing the entire body's sense of what is and is not part of it. That is the trick to make it work, or so I've heard."

"Oh yeah. And I mean she's pregnant with the clone of a full grown woman. That must have been an interesting trick to figure out." Sirius leaned forward smarmily.

"Cut to the chase Sirius. You are hoping to charm me, flatter me, and get me to fall for your masculine wiles and tell you everything I know." she said in her viking accent as she studied him.

"Am I really that transparent?" Sirius asked.

"Your time in the Azkaban has made you out of practice in the con games." She held her hand up when Sirius began to protest, "Do not bother to protest. I heard stories of you and your Marauders when you were in your prime."

"Well yeah it has been a few years. But you know. I do have plenty of skills that are as easy as riding a broom." he smirked.

She smiled hungrily, "You are in luck then Sirius. I have not had any sufficiently pleasurable male companionship in several months. Should you make me scream with delight, I mean a curling my toes, panting and covered in a sheen of sweat level of pleasure, I will give you what information you seek."

"Really? And what if I fail?" he asked with a smirk."Not that its very likely."

"Then I laugh at you and spread the word of your failure. That you are not the Lothario you think you are." she snorted derisively.

"Challenge accepted my dear lady." Sirius self-confidently stood.

…...

Sirius limped into the kitchen of Grimmould Place to find Remus and Xenophilus in discussions with Amelia. Pulling an ice pack out he slumped into a chair holding the ice pack to his groin.

"What happened to you?" Remus asked with a resigned sigh.

"Oh. I just outlasted a Valkyrie. She had thighs that could crush a walnut but I won the battle." Sirius grinned.

Amelia scowled in disgust at Sirius, "While you were out reveling in debauchery these two were at least doing research."
"Albus Dumbledore has a house on the North Sea not far from John o'Groats." Sirius declared without preamble. Giving the others a smug grin.

"And how do you know this for certain?" Remus asked with a tired sigh as his friend grinned at him. Amelia and Xenophilus looked at Sirius doubtfully.

"Magda was brought to his house by an elf. When she arrived she felt that the place was in an unplottable space. Looking out of the windows she recognized the sort of weather and ocean waves of the north sea and that the window faced the north west. Further she saw the ferry from Groats to Burwick. Looking on the muggle sea charts there is a tidal rock listed that the ferry passes close to that lies south and east of the ferry track."

"So you found the location for his house. That's nice. If its unplottable then how do we get in there?" Xeno asked.

"Probably by elf. Which could pose a problem as elves are rather insular and a good one can be quite loyal." Remus speculated. "So they would protect his home, and know if somone was trying to infiltrate."

"Plus if he has his own staff of elves they would know each other and be suspicious of any outsiders that tried to come in unannounced." Xeno agreed, "Which would require an elf who could lie or con his way in through charm and charisma."

"Yeah. Which leaves my little spud demon out. Speaking of which where is he and Emma?" Sirius asked looking around.

"They are with Luna in the library. I thought she might like to spend some time with her." Xeno said.

"Yeah might do Luna good to socialize her a bit." Sirius commented.

Xeno frowned at Sirius, "I was thinking more for Emma's sake. She is missing her daughter and her husband. Perhaps Luna could help her grieve."

"And it wouldn't hurt Luna either." Remus pointed out.

Sirius shrugged, "Your kid not mine."

…...

Later that day Emma Granger was sitting with Kreacher discussing important things. She had spent a great deal of time with the odd little witch girl Luna Lovegood and was still trying to figure out if she was mental or merely slow. Either way she did not like her very much, and liked her father even less.

"So. How does a modern muggle kill a wizard?" Emma asked looking at the various books she had found in the Black library. She could not read the specifically magical books but had found several books she could read about magical biology and the witch hunts of the 14th and 15th centuries and earlier.

"Kreacher not allowed by bond to harm magicals." the elf quivered slightly.

"Except you are not the one who would be doing the harm. I would be. You would be serving your bond by merely giving me information I could use." Emma reasoned, "So how would a modern muggle kill a wizard like Dumbledore?"

Kreacher shivered for a moment as he analyzed her comments, the decisions, the moral equation elves were bound to by their magical existence. Finally he said, "A modern muggle would use a gun mistress."

Emma frowned, "No. I don't know how to use one, and don't know how I'd learn. Plus they are so loud and messy, and I'd probably shoot my foot off. Something I could use. Especially if I'm larger."

Kreacher nodded, "Poison always good choice. Getting close enough for blade work is another method muggles have used. Poisoned blades very good. Explosives."

Emma shook her head, "Aside from a surgical scalpel I'm not very good with blades, and explosives are in the same category as guns. Something I have no idea how to use nor do I want to. Even if I want to end him so badly I can taste it."

"Poison is easy to use." Kreacher pointed out.

"True if difficult to deliver. Although a syringe full of ketamine and even the strongest longshoreman would take a long nap." Emma mused, "Kreacher. I am going to need you to acquire some items for me as I try to figure out a plan."

Kreacher nodded, "Yes Mistress. Kreacher serves and obeys Lady Granger.

Emma smiled she had over heard them talking in the kitchen, they had found Dumbledore's home. She would have to pay him a visit and thank him for giving her the gift growing inside her. Only would he give her the opportunity. She would have to think and plan.

…...

"Hey Hermione. There is something strange going on with Ron." Harry said after a few days.

"Oh what?" she asked.

"Well he's wearing different underwear." Harry replied glancing around the study hall to make certain no one was listening to their conversation.

Hermione looked at Harry sarcastically, "Isn't that a good thing?"

"Yes. But up until a few days ago he was wearing this ratty old underwear. Sort of like what I had to wear. Only now he's wearing this expensive stuff. Like more expensive even than mine or Neville's." Harry said, "Plus he sneaks out after curfew and vanishes for several hours."

"Okay. That is more suspicious, when you say vanishes what do you mean. Like goes tot he room of requirement?" she asked. She had explained about that room already so Harry shook his head.

"No he goes to a broom closet down from the Gryffindor tower entrance and just vanishes. He comes back several hours later." Harry quickly countered, "And when he comes back he goes straight into the showers because he smells like rosewater."

"Rosewater?" Hermione repeated.

"Yeah he said it was his aunt's idea but I don't think he's visiting his aunt every night so late at night." Harry shook his head.

"Not very likely." Hermione agreed, "And he does this every night?"

"Yeah. From like 9 o clock until almost 1 in the morning." Harry confirmed.

"Then we will need to set a trap and find out what he is doing." Hermione declared.

"Okay. I'll let you borrow my invisibility cloak so you can wait for him down in the common room, then I'll meet you when I follow him." Harry suggested.

Hermione nodded, "Okay good idea. He better have some good answers."

"I know." Harry nodded.

REVIEW RESPONSES

Dennisud: I am hoping the conclusion works out.

Timekeeper: Emma is going to come out swinging. She is not a happy camper indeed.

Tumshie: In canon yes. I purposely misspell a lot of things and change things as I do not write canon. My name is Rahmota not Rowling. Thank you have a nice day.

Katmom, SSSra, Hudyleak613: Thank you. Am working on things.

Honeybear84: Ron is going to have his own issues coming up. He has made a bad choice and will have to pay for it at some point.

Officerdonnz: Emma is not exactly a swordswoman so she will be using an alternate means.

Ariadne veneges: Yes that would be logical, also a short story.

: Indeed. She will play a major part coming up.

Jemma Blackwell: Sadly sometimes people can be converted into loyal fanatics without potions or spells. I tried to hint at a major tragedy in his past that Dumbledore took advantage of in his past.

GBTtown: The Red Thistle will fall on their own side of course. Nicodemus is not Nicolas flamel. I think. He is an interesting fellow himself though.

Difid: Somewhat accurate analysis of Dumbledore in general.