Disclaimer: Nope.

Author's Note: Thank you so much for the wonderful reviews! I'm so glad you enjoyed the last chapter with Ron and Hermione sharing their first kiss. I really wanted to make their relationship start a lot earlier - I hated it in canon, when neither of them would stop playing mind games and making each other jealous. A whole lot of pain and hurt could have been prevented if there wasn't all that nonsense. I'm really glad you liked it.

I did love their characters in canon as well, I just didn't like when they purposely made each other miserable. When they embraced at Dumbledore's funeral and Hermione let Ron comfort her, I thought, finally. But I also thought it was very sad that it took Ron's poisoning and Dumbledore's death for them to make up. But still, I will always love canon Ron and Hermione. But creating different situations for them in fanfic is always wonderful.

Okay, here's the part of the story I've been waiting for, the part I've thought and thought and thought about ever since I first came up with the idea last October. It is now time for Hogwarts' parent-teacher conferences!

There will be several chapters dedicated to this, and this one focuses on a few of the Order members and their initial reactions and conversations with the parents. I'm doing this chapter from Hestia's point of view, since she's going to become a bigger part of the plot later, and she's a very important Order member. Plus, she's Muggle-born, so I wanted to bring her into this whole thing. The next chapter will focus on Harry's reunion with his friends and what happens that evening for him.

I'm really excited about how this is going to go. I hope you guys all enjoy this as thoroughly as I'm going to enjoy writing it.

xxxxxxxxxx

It was time.

The Order of the Phoenix gathered in Sturgis's living room, anticipation thick in the air. After much conversation, discussion, and outright controversy, the moment had finally arrived - it was time for the Hogwarts parent-teacher conferences.

Hestia Jones felt butterflies in her stomach as she was about to head to Hogwarts once again. Her seven years of attendance at the truly magical school had taught her so much about life, and she was positive that she had felt every emotion on the human spectrum during her time there. She had obviously been there earlier in the year, before this house had become Order headquarters. It had been so strange, yet so incredibly relieving, to see the castle again - its grand staircases, its animated corridors, the incredible Great Hall, and the picturesque beauty of the grounds with all of their features intact.

Time had changed her - time and life experience. But Hogwarts ... there was something so incredibly wonderful about seeing that nothing about the castle or the grounds had really changed. She had always been a very routine-oriented person, and always wanted things to stay the same. Obviously, she knew very well that real life wasn't like that ... but a girl could dream, couldn't she?

So, it was a relief to see Hogwarts in its splendor, and she was about to see it again. And this time, she was going to be involved in something very, very important.

Tonight was the opening night, and third-year parents were scheduled to attend. Hestia had thought that tonight would be first-year parents, and the last meetings on Sunday evening would be for the seventh-year parents. However, this was not the case - the Hogwarts staff, the governors, and the Ministry officials had decided to mix things up. Hestia couldn't understand why, but it was one of those quirky aspects of the wizarding world, she reasoned. They could never do things the ordinary way.

As she stood around with the Order as they made final preparations, Hestia's mind couldn't help but drift to her own school days again. What if her parents had had the opportunity to come to Hogwarts? Would they have gained a better understanding of the wizarding world, and the war that was tearing it apart? And what would they have done about it?

Hestia's heart ached as she thought about her mother and brother. They had been murdered by Death Eaters, and her father had brutally realized just how high the stakes were. He had almost succeeded in taking Hestia out of Hogwarts, and when she really thought about it, she was amazed that she'd been able to convince him not to. She had told him that they couldn't run - Voldemort would still find them. He always had a way of finding those who tried to elude him.

That argument had succeeded in convincing her father, but Hestia had always second-guessed herself after that. Maybe she had been exceedingly selfish to convince her father to allow her to stay at Hogwarts. She had simply needed the comfort of her friends and of the environment of the school. Plus, for the rest of that year, Professor Maradith Crewer had been her lifeline. Her voice had been the only thing that had truly registered on the worst day of her life, and afterwards, she'd come to rely on her enormously. Her heart still hurt so much whenever she thought about her - yet another person that had been ripped away from the world by Voldemort's evil. It had now been exactly two months since her murder, and there wasn't a day that passed that Hestia didn't think about her.

How would parents react now? Hestia had no doubt that after these conferences were over, several Muggle-borns would no longer attend Hogwarts. She was also sure that, like herself, some of the children would try to convince them to let them stay, and they would succeed. But these conferences were sure to bring out different reactions in different people.

And Hestia had come to the realization that no matter the outcome, parents needed to know what they were up against, and what might happen to their children. To be ignorant was not an option. The Statute of Secrecy was not being violated, and therefore, Hestia felt it only right that parents of Muggle-borns should know the facts.

"Are you ready for this?"

It was her boyfriend, Dedalus Diggle, who spoke. Hestia knew that she was one of those people who was extremely readable - she'd be an absolutely horrible spy. She'd literally get caught within the first few minutes.

Still, she knew that Dedalus could read her quicker than anyone else ever could. She told him things about herself that she'd never told anyone, not even her parents. She trusted him with her heart, her well-being, and yes, her life. She was exceedingly lucky to have him, and even though he had long forgiven her for her harsh words on the day Professor Crewer had died, she would always feel guilt over that incident. He'd only tried to be there for her, and she'd treated him cruelly. He had in no way deserved it.

Dedalus knew exactly how Hestia felt about Hogwarts, and the memories that would swarm her whenever she entered the castle. Sometimes, she would give anything to be a student again, and she knew she wasn't the only one who felt that way. And now, she would enter the castle yet again, but this time, she had an extremely important responsibility to fulfil; she had committed herself to making sure this new generation of Hogwarts students got the best out of the experience, and that parents understood what was going on.

"I'm ready, Dedalus." Hestia smiled lovingly at him as she gave his hand a squeeze. Dedalus smiled back at her, his expression gentle.

Sturgis cleared his throat, gaining everyone's undivided attention. Hestia couldn't believe how much her feelings about him had changed - it had been a gradual thing, and it had honestly happened without her recognizing it at the time.

Sturgis Podmore had provided the Order with something that Hestia had never expected to feel when around him. He had been a lifeline, very similar to how she had felt about Professor Crewer. He had been a light in the darkness, a beacon of strength and hope.

It was still true that he was rather arrogant, that he knew how good he was at what he did. It was still true that he went on tangents all the time, and he would sometimes take forty-five minutes to get to his point when it should have taken five. It was still true that once he started talking, he didn't know how to stop.

But it was now true that somehow, along the way, those things had stopped being bad. Because Hestia had come to know who Sturgis really was deep down, a man who had truly given it all - his time, his devotion, and his home. He was an extremely intense person who well and truly cared about the well-being of all those in his vicinity, so what did any of his quirks matter? They had, strangely enough, become the parts of him that Hestia never wanted to change. It was strange how circumstances could shift someone's perspective on another person. In times like this, petty little idiosyncracies didn't matter at all - it was all about the bigger picture, and what people were willing to do to give others hope. It was really strange to think that Hestia had at first been annoyed with Dedalus for constantly wanting to attend Sturgis's evening gatherings. Now, she thought it was undoubtedly one of the best decisions he had ever made.

So, when Sturgis began to speak, Hestia paid complete attention to what he had to say. For once, there was no anxiety in her body - she was utterly prepared to face whatever was to come.

"All right," Sturgis said, his voice conveying that same strength that he had always held. "We are about ready to travel to Hogwarts. Are there any questions before we depart?"

"Will the Muggle parents already be there when we arrive?" Mundungus Fletcher asked, for once looking wide awake. Even to this day, he was not at all happy about this turn of events, his concern for the safety of the Muggle parents outweighing anything else.

"Yes, some of them will be there already, and more are on the way," Sturgis said patiently, as this had been explained several times already. "As you know, there are different meeting points for the Ministry officials to pick them up, depending on where they live. It will involve a lot of side-along Apparition, because the officials can only take one person at a time."

It had taken an awful lot of organization and scheduling to set all of this up. In order not to tax the officials too much, there would be many staggered arrivals over quite a long period of time. Obviously, this arrangement had only been made for the parents of Muggle-borns, since the magical folk could Apparate close to the Hogwarts gates on their own. Portkeys had been arranged for any witches or wizards who were unable to Apparate.

"What do we do if there's any antagonism towards the Muggle parents?" Tonks asked, clear worry in her voice. "What if some of the students and ... even some of the magical parents ... say some not-so-nice things to them?"

Hestia instantly understood what Tonks meant. In her day, some of the rhetoric that was spewed about Muggle-borns was especially nasty. The word "Mudblood" had been bandied about by certain students whose leanings were obvious, and Hestia had certainly experienced that for herself. She remembered the days after her mother and brother had been murdered, the looks on some of the faces. Their expressions said it all, even if their mouths didn't form the words. They'd thought she had it coming, that she deserved to lose loved ones. It made her livid every time she recalled it, and Professor Crewer had honestly been the only thing that had kept her going at times. She might have found herself expelled from Hogwarts if not for her - she might have acted upon her rage.

Sturgis got that intense look he always wore when he was about to say something very meaningful. "I understand your concerns regarding this issue, and believe me, I have my own fears about that," he said bluntly. "Therefore, it is our job to counteract any such negative experiences. I do think, however, that no matter how certain ... adults may feel about this, they will be on their best behavior during this time."

"Because they don't want to get caught," Bill said, disgust lacing his voice. "They'll act all nice and polite to the Muggles' faces, but they'll say rotten things about them behind their backs."

Sturgis nodded, his expression sad. "Unfortunately, yes," he said quietly. "All we can do is keep a close watch on anything that seems suspicious. As for the students ..." He sighed. "This is why there will be plenty of adults around to monitor the situation. The Ministry officials will be staying to keep an eye on things."

"And, as we have said, security will be exceedingly tight," Kingsley added. "This is a very, very big deal."

Hestia could see that Sirius was looking with concern and tenderness at Harry, who looked both nervous and excited at the same time. Hestia had realized, since she had gotten to know Harry better, how much of a sweet, goodhearted young man he was. Her empathy for him had gotten stronger. She remembered her old thoughts about him, that if that petition had existed in her day, she would have signed it because she would have been terrified for the safety of her friends and teachers. She would have let someone like Jeffrey Bushman manipulate her into proclaiming that a young, innocent boy who was blameless for all of this shouldn't be allowed at Hogwarts.

These days, when she saw Harry, she realized she had come to know the person, not just the legend. And Harry Potter had every right to be at Hogwarts. If Harry felt anything like she did about the ancient castle, then all efforts should be made in order for him to attend. Her heart swelled at the bravery it had taken for those students who had spoken to the school governors and convinced them to allow Harry to return.

Because at the end of the day, Harry was the same as she had been. Hestia thought of her mother and brother, and the guilt she had felt over their deaths. Voldemort had only targeted them because of her. She had been terrified that her father would blame her, but he hadn't. It was only his strength and his wisdom that had stopped Hestia from succumbing to complete and total depression. He'd wanted to whisk her away from Hogwarts because he had been petrified for her, not for himself.

And now, as she saw Sirius and Harry standing together, she could only imagine how the boy felt. After two months of not being able to attend, he was stepping foot in Hogwarts again. Though his classes wouldn't begin until January, he was going back to familiar territory, where his friends awaited him. Hestia was incredibly happy for him.

"Once again, I will stress to you just how important this is," Sturgis said as he stood ramrod straight, gazing at all the Order members. "I trust you all to comport yourselves appropriately, and treat everyone with the respect they deserve. As I have said before, I believe this to be one of the most important things we have ever done.

"There will be battles in our future," Sturgis continued, his voice growing stronger. "There is no denying that, and this is one of them. Yet, this battle is different from those we have faced before, and will face again. This battle, rather than being one of physical combat, contains something extremely meaningful. It is up to us to show that change can be positive. I know that there are those who have reservations about this entire situation, and your worries are not being taken lightly. However, no matter our feelings, we must strive to make this a very accepting environment for all those who wish to understand our world better, and should be given the chance to do so."

As he somehow always managed to do, Sturgis was showing Hestia the power of this moment. She had always been someone that had found it very difficult to adapt to change - she had never been comfortable with it. It was very easy to stick to the status quo, because some changes required deep thought and hard work.

Hestia had agreed with having the parent-teacher conferences from the beginning, so this was one change she didn't have a problem adjusting to. Still, Sturgis's speech meant something to her - it made her think. His words had always held immense power, even when Hestia had thought he talked too much, even when he was on the exercise machines singing songs that everybody knew. Even in the old days, when she'd been thoroughly annoyed by him, she couldn't help but be captivated by the enormity of his presence. He made an impression on you, whether you liked it or not.

Thinking about him in the exercise room brought her back to the memory of that day when he'd almost burned himself out, when she unknowingly began to realize there was so much more to him than what she'd first thought. Now, as the Order stood together, ready to head into a brand new, unknown experience, she felt the sudden urge to do again what she had done before.

So, feeling that this was perfectly right for the moment everyone was facing, she opened her mouth and began to sing:

The circle.

It has no beginning, it has no end,

Our shining torch, our dearest friend,

You guide us yesterday, today, and tomorrow

Through incredible joy and unspeakable sorrow,

The circle.

And, just like the time before, Kingsley joined her:

And when the darkness claims the night

You are the beacon, the candlelight

That makes the shadows disappear

With you beside us, we have no fear

The circle.

As Tonks joined her and Kingsley in singing, Hestia grabbed Dedalus's hand on one side, and Emmeline's on the other. As the song went on, other Order members took the hand of the person beside them as well.

And when your skies do turn to gray

And you feel as though you've lost your way

Then let us be the candle that burns

'Cause what you give us, we give in return (in return)

The circle.

And as he had before, Dedalus joined in for the last five lines:

It has no beginning, it has no end,

Our shining torch, our dearest friend,

We'll guide you yesterday, today, and tomorrow

Through incredible joy and unspeakable sorrow,

The circle.

There was a profound silence once the song had ended. The Order members exchanged glances with each other, and in that moment, none of their differences mattered. They were all together, as one, ready to embark on an adventure that would hopefully change the wizarding world for the better.

Sturgis, as he had the last time, looked rather overwhelmed as he gazed at the community he had created with respect and gratitude. "Thank you," he said quietly. Then, he smiled, his eyes intent as he said, "All right, everyone. Let's go."

And with that, the Order of the Phoenix, with Sturgis at the helm, exited the Headquarters, ready to go to Hogwarts.

xxx

Minerva McGonagall and Albus Dumbledore stood at the castle gates with many Ministry officials, performing security checks on everyone wishing to come in. Because of this, the line was pretty long, but Hestia had been expecting this. The air held a feeling of anticipation as a gentle autumn breeze blew.

Hestia and Dedalus found themselves standing next to Sirius and Harry, who were speaking animatedly to Tonks. "So, what are you going to do this evening after dinner?" Tonks was asking Harry as she grinned at him.

"I reckon I'll be playing chess with Ron in the common room," Harry said as he looked around, taking in where he was. Hestia had wondered if he'd have any negative reaction to being back at the castle, considering what had happened there just over four months ago. His facial expression certainly suggested that he was experiencing mixed emotions, but Sirius's hand on his shoulder seemed to bolster him. He certainly sounded wistful when he spoke of the Gryffindor common room, and it was exactly what Hestia was feeling. It was crazy to think she'd been an alumnus for over eleven years, yet she could go back to being a student without any issue at all. Merlin, how many times had she dreamed about Hogwarts, as if no time had passed?

Sirius grinned at Harry. "It won't be long now," he said, "and you'll be in the Great Hall. The house-elves will surely have cooked a magnificent feast."

"There's nothing quite like the Hogwarts feasts," Dedalus said with his own grin. "Are they still as delicious as when I attended?"

"I have no doubt," Harry replied, his emerald eyes brightening. "I'm surprised we can all move after we've finished eating, there's so much food!"

Hestia and Dedalus spoke to Sirius, Harry, and Tonks about all facets of Hogwarts as they moved closer and closer to the gates. Hestia looked around, and saw many unfamiliar people gazing at their surroundings with awe. She felt her heart flip in her chest - fully-grown adults were gazing at the castle with the same rapt, wondrous expressions that she had worn when seeing it for the first time, and she couldn't blame them in the slightest. She reflected that even a 100-year-old would stare at it like that - there was something about Hogwarts that made even the most emotionless person feel something. She'd heard that even Voldemort felt a special connection to the castle. What was it about this place? It held an aura of magic and beauty that honestly had nothing to do with wielding a wand.

Finally, it was Hestia's turn to be checked. She waited patiently as spells and charms were cast on her to check for glamors or Polyjuice Potion, and then she was asked several questions to verify her identity. At first, she didn't understand why this needed to be done as well, as the spells and charms had proven that she wasn't under any glamor or potion. But she didn't linger too long on this, because sometimes, paranoia could save lives. So what if some of this technically wasn't needed?

"What is your name?" one of the Ministry officials asked.

"Hestia Jones."

"What is your profession?"

"Auror."

Then, there were more personal questions, as an imposter could certainly find out Hestia's career without any issue.

"Why did you decide to be an Auror?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. Voldemort and the Death Eaters, and any other dark witches and wizards, need to be stopped."

The Ministry official flinched at Voldemort's name, and Hestia couldn't help but scowl. However, she couldn't help but notice that the following questions were delivered in a tone that suggested the Ministry official felt more comfortable. After all, no Death Eater sympathizer would dare call Voldemort by his name. Would someone pretending to be on the light side bring themselves to do it, even though they were just playing a part?

But she was impressed by how efficiently everything was done, and soon enough, she and Dedalus, hand in hand, were at the great front doors.

She didn't think she'd ever seen the entrance hall so packed with people. Her eyes widened at the sight - no wonder this would be a five-day event. The entrance hall was swarming with Ministry officials, Order members, Hogwarts staff, parents both wizarding and Muggle, and students.

Harry's emerald eyes were impossibly wide as he stared at the scene before them. He closed them for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Harry?" Sirius asked, immediately concerned. "Are you okay?"

After a few seconds, Harry opened his eyes. "There are ... so many people," he breathed.

"We can leave again if you want," Sirius said instantly. "If it's too much for you ..."

But Harry straightened his spine, and Hestia felt exceedingly proud of him in that moment. "No." He locked eyes with Sirius. "No. I need to do this."

Thankfully, everyone was so enraptured by the crowd that no one was paying Harry any attention. Usually, when he was in a crowd, people gawked and stared at him. Hestia would never forget the mob in the Ministry atrium the day of Sirius's trial - she hadn't been one of those tasked to guard him that day, but she'd seen how Sturgis, Kingsley, and Tonks had intercepted the mob as they all tried to get a piece of him. Hestia had been worried that today would bring the same results, but at this moment, her worries were unfounded. She could only be grateful - Harry didn't need that at all.

At that moment, more students entered the entrance hall and began to look around. Molly and Bill, who had been standing not too far from Hestia and Dedalus, smiled widely. Arthur, who had been with them a moment ago, had gone to introduce himself to some Muggle parents, which wasn't at all a surprise. "Ron and Ginny," Molly said loudly. "I see Ron and Ginny."

Harry swiveled his head around to gaze at the faces in the crowd as Molly and Bill made their way over to Ron and Ginny, who were walking with Hermione. Hestia saw as they exchanged words and hugs - of course, Molly and Arthur were here tonight as Order members. Tomorrow and Friday night, they would be here as parents, as the meetings concerning Ron happened tomorrow and the meetings concerning Ginny happened on Friday.

And then, Hestia watched, her heart filling with joy at the reunion between Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione. Any anxiety seemed to disappear from Harry's face as Hermione and Ginny hugged him, and Ron pounded on the back.

"What'd I say, Gin? I KNEW Harry would be here! I KNEW it!" Ron's joyful shout filled Hestia up from the inside out.

"Harry! Oh, it's so good to see you!" Hermione said tearfully, but her smile stretched from ear to ear. "We ... we have missed you so much!"

Fred and George joined the reunion minutes later, their loud, energetic voices filling the entrance hall. Everything seemed to get lighter as Hestia saw other students enter the entrance hall, some going over to their parents. The Muggles were still staring around the entrance hall like they were in some kind of dream.

"Want to go and introduce ourselves to some people?" Dedalus asked, breaking Hestia out of the rather overwhelmed state she was in.

"Oh, yes. Yes," Hestia said quickly. She and Dedalus walked over to a couple that was dressed in Muggle clothing. They were gazing around the entrance hall with looks that conveyed how profoundly astonished they were. It was as though they expected to wake up at any moment.

"It's rather overwhelming, isn't it?" Dedalus smiled at them. "The first time I entered this castle, I thought I was dreaming, too."

The couple looked up, alert again as if coming out of a haze. Neither of them said anything to his statement, prompting Hestia to add, "Me too. When I first received my letter, I thought it must be some kind of joke."

The woman finally spoke. "You're both Muggle-born," she surmised.

Hestia and Dedalus nodded. "We are," Hestia confirmed. "Allow us to introduce ourselves," she said. "I'm Hestia Jones, and this is my boyfriend, Dedalus Diggle. We're here to make sure that everyone here is safe, and to answer any of your questions about the wizarding world."

"And we want to make sure everyone feels welcome, as this is something that's never happened here before," Dedalus added.

"Nice to meet you," the man said as he shook hands with both of them. "My name's Henry Stockford, and this is my wife, Stacey. Our daughter, Alysa, is a third-year Hufflepuff."

"That's great," Hestia said. "Hufflepuffs have very admirable traits - they are hard-working, fair, and loyal. To be honest, I wanted to be a Hufflepuff - they're very much underestimated, and I always thought that was the case from the moment I first learned about the houses."

"Ah, but you're much too impulsive for Hufflepuff," Dedalus joked, smiling goofily at her.

"Too right. But so are you," Hestia bantered back, and they smiled at each other. "We were both Gryffindors in our day," she explained to the Stockfords. "They're brave, but sometimes to the point of recklessness. We're also known to dive headfirst into a situation without thinking about the consequences of our actions."

Mrs. Stockford smiled. "Yes, our Alysa is very hard-working and fair. Always a good sport," she said with obvious pride.

"Indeed," Mr. Stockford agreed. "Very much so."

"How is she enjoying Hogwarts?" Dedalus asked curiously.

This was the moment that everything changed. Mr. Stockford's expression went blank, while Mrs. Stockford's face darkened. "We have questions," Mrs. Stockford said lowly. "Lots of questions. And we want them answered."

Hestia felt a pit forming in her stomach. "We will all do our best to answer them," she said in what she hoped was a reassuring voice. From beside her, Dedalus nodded.

Mr. Stockford looked at his watch. "Why were we told to come so early?" he asked. "It's only 5:00. We were told that dinner isn't until six."

Hestia felt dread mounting as she spoke the answer, not wanting to lie to these Muggles. "Security reasons," she stated. "It has taken a lot of work to put this all together."

"Why, exactly?" Mrs. Stockford demanded. "And why do you keep your world so separate from ours?"

"Why is this the first time we've been allowed to come?" Mr. Stockford added. "Why wait until now?" He looked around the entrance hall, at all the milling students and adults. "We believe very highly in education."

"I am a maths teacher for students who are the same age as my Alysa," Mrs. Stockford stated. "I have always found it extremely important to inform parents of how their children are faring in the classroom."

Hestia was strongly reminded of her own mother as she gazed into the worried eyes of this woman, and she felt her heart break. Mrs. Stockford possessed the same strong-willed determination as her own mother had. She looked at both parents then, and spoke from her heart.

"Honestly, I couldn't agree with you more," she said, letting years' worth of equal frustration and adoration bleed into her tone. It was a strange combination, but it was true all the same. "Hogwarts has always been my favorite place in the world, and there is no experience quite like it," she said passionately. Memories of her school days filtered through her mind, filling her with the raw emotion that would never fade no matter how many years passed since her graduation. "It is the place where I found myself, where I made my dearest friends and found out who I really was. I am sure that Alysa has blossomed since she walked in through these doors, and it must be very frustrating not to know more about this unusual world she inhabits."

The look of love, pride, and anxiety on the Stockfords' faces was unmistakable. It was clear that they would do anything for their daughter - and they were exceedingly worried for her.

"She has blossomed, and yes, it is very unnerving not to know so much about her life." Mr. Stockford's voice was soft. "It's obvious she loves it here - we don't doubt that at all."

"But she's been having nightmares," Mrs. Stockford said, sounding very frightened. "Horrible nightmares. Ever since she came home this summer, she hasn't been the same. At first, she wouldn't talk about it at all - but she finally opened up to us."

"She told us someone died here, and that ... the whole school saw his body," Mr. Stockford said, the heartache in his tone obvious.

There was silence after that, and Hestia and Dedalus exchanged glances. Neither of the Stockfords had said anything about Harry being accused of murder or that Cedric's death had been a murder at all.

As if reading her mind, Mrs. Stockford said softly, "She said he died in an accident. A horrible, terrible accident."

"She convinced us that it was no one's fault," Mr. Stockford said. "We spent the entire summer worried about her. We didn't want to send her back this year at all."

"But she was adamant that she wanted to stay," Mrs. Stockford said. "And we couldn't take her away from something she loves, especially after she told us that she'd never be involved in what that older boy was doing."

"It was some kind of dangerous tournament or something, is that right?" Mr. Stockford asked, looking directly at Dedalus and Hestia.

Hestia felt dread coil around her heart. What Alysa told her parents was exactly the kind of obfuscation that Hestia would have used on her parents as well. She felt such empathy for the young girl - she obviously didn't want to tell her parents that someone had been murdered at her school, one of the other students was accused of it, and there were rumors that a dark wizard who was supposed to have been dead for almost fourteen years had been resurrected. It sounded completely insane.

"Yes, it was a dangerous tournament," Hestia said eventually. How could she possibly look this woman in the eye and tell her the complete truth?

"There's something you're not telling us." Mr. Stockford's voice was a monotone, and Hestia felt her dread deepen. She had always, always been a terrible liar.

"Yes, there is." There was no getting around it. Hestia thought of her mother and brother, and knew that she couldn't keep trying to be dishonest with these people. "There's a lot you don't know."

Mrs. Stockford didn't look at all surprised. "I knew it," she whispered.

However, neither Mr. nor Mrs. Stockford looked at Hestia and Dedalus with accusatory eyes, something that Hestia had been very much afraid of. Instead, they looked at her with compassion, somehow knowing what a difficult position she'd been placed in.

"Well," Mr. Stockford said finally, "we have a lot to ask the teachers this evening."

Hestia hadn't expected it to happen so quickly, but she really should have. She thought that they'd at least get through dinner in the Great Hall before parents started demanding answers.

But she should have known better, and it was completely warranted that parents would ask questions. Parents often knew more about their children than the said children thought they did. As Hestia looked around the entrance hall, she took a harder look at all the Muggle parents who were milling about.

Some were still looking awestruck at the magnificent beauty of the castle. Others were scrutinizing the amount of people that were there, wondering why there were so many Ministry officials in attendance.

And for others like the Stockfords, the awe of seeing Hogwarts for the first time had worn off as they asked the burning question: What, exactly, is going on in this world, and why is my child keeping things from me?

Some children were terrible liars, and others were not. Hestia could figure out who was and who wasn't simply because of the way parents were reacting to Hogwarts.

And, as everyone made their way into the Great Hall for dinner on this opening night, Hestia was even more sure that the entire fabric of the wizarding world was about to change forever.