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White Flag	By : bittsweetmis Category: Harry Potter Crossovers > Slash - Male/Male Views: 23910 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, Twilight or any of their respective characters, they belong to JK Rowling, Stephanie Meyer and the appropriate publishing houses and film studios e.t.c. This is purely a work of fiction and no profit is made from

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Breaking Off

Breaking off is
misery

I see a wilderness
for you and me

I�m a Cuckoo - Belle
& Sebastian

_______________________________

Having had a quick shower and gotten dressed, Harry quickly
rushed down the stairs, intent on getting a nice breakfast ready for Remus. He
was, however, somewhat surprised to find his guardian already sitting at the
dining table, nibbling on the corner of some toast slathered with orange
marmalade. Remus looked up at him as he entered and gave him a tired smile.

�Hey, how are you?� Harry asked softly.

�I�m alright, I still feel a bit knackered, but good, all
things considered.�

�That�s good.� Harry moved over to the toaster and put in
two slices of white, not feeling up for anything extravagant. �Nothing bad
happened, did it?�

�Not that I recall, no. I�m afraid that my mind�s still a
bit fuzzy.� Remus rubbed his eyes briefly before wiping his mouth with his
hand. �What about you?� He inquired after several moments of silence had
passed.

�What do you mean?�

�Are you okay? I
know that you heard everything when I changed.�

Harry�s toast popped out of the toaster, and he began
spreading a thin layer of butter over each slice. �It was�difficult, or
terrifying. I�m not sure. I think that the very idea that you were in that much
pain scared me. I�m sure that it would have been worse if I was alone.�

�I�m glad that you weren�t.� Remus replied as the teen
slapped marmalade onto the buttered toast.

At that point, Neville came in and stole a slice of Harry�s
toast. �Oi!�

�Ta.� He grinned. �I got our mail earlier, but both your
windows were closed. I�ll bring it in a bit.�

�You want me to make you some breakfast of your own?�

�Nah, this plenty. I�m not that hungry. Alright, Remus?�

�Hmm? I�m good, thanks. Things are still a bit foggy up here
though.� Remus replied, gesturing towards his own head. He got up and went to
the sink.

Harry looked up at the clock and frowned. �Bill should be up
by now.� He murmured, it was gone ten and they�d all woken up late, some more
so than others, but normally, Bill would arrive downstairs only a short time
after he himself did. �D�you reckon
I should give him a call?�

�Leave him be. He was up all night, remember? Let him have
his rest.� Remus suggested.

�If you say so�� Just as he finished saying that, Harry
flinched as he heard Bill�s door slam upstairs before the stairs began creaking
under the man�s weight. Neville raised his eyebrows at Harry, whilst Remus
suddenly found the tiles on the countertop very interesting. Harry busied himself
with washing his own plate, now somewhat grateful that Remus hadn�t done it
himself.

When Bill entered the kitchen (luckily the door was open
already), a frown was marring his features, giving off a stony expression.

�Uh, morning, Bill. Did you sleep well?� Neville tried
breaking the heavy atmosphere. He failed miserably when he only received a
grunt in return, eliciting a frown from Remus. The red head ignored this and
began drinking some water he poured from the tap.

�You look tired. Maybe you should go back to bed. You
haven�t had a lot of sleep, have you?� Harry suggested and asked. He flinched
when the glass clutched in Bill�s hand was slammed against the work surface,
also causing Neville to jump in his seat.

�What are you? My mother?� He sneered nastily in a way that
was reminiscent of Malfoy or Dudley. Harry stepped backwards, wide-eyed.

�N-no�� The angry expression on his face caused Harry�s
stomach to sink. �I-I was just trying to help.�

�Well next time, don�t.� Bill�s tone didn�t change.

�I-I�m sorry.� Harry almost whispered. He looked down at his
slippers, wondering what he�d done to make his best mate�s brother so pissed
off with him. He almost berated himself when he felt his eyes begin to prickle.

Bill stormed out of the room, a scowl fixed on his face.
Neville watched him leave with a shocked expression. He turned to Remus and
asked, �What in Merlin�s name did you do?�

Remus� angry gaze remained trained on the empty doorway that
Bill had just exited from. �I have no idea.� He said in response to Neville�s
question. �I�m going to go have a word with him.�� Pulling Harry into a one-armed hug, he kissed
the top of the teen�s head. �Don�t worry, something must have happened last
night. Nothing�s your fault, okay?�

Harry nodded. Remus� words were once again soothing his
nerves. �And besides,� he reasoned
with himself, �Bill was angry while he
was upstairs.�� However, he didn�t
trust himself to speak - his throat was sore as if he would start crying at any
given moment.

�Why don�t you boys go let your rabbits out for a bit?�
Remus suggested before taking his leave from the kitchen.

--.--.--

Remus found Bill in his bedroom. The twenty-five year old
was lying on his bed, throwing a Quaffle up in the
air. His hair had become untied and he had unbuttoned his shirt and jeans, as
if going back to bed. Remus though it was lucky that his zipper was still done
up.

�You mind telling me what happened back there?� Remus said
in a conversational tone as he leant against the doorframe.

�It�s nothing.� Bill replied, sullenness had replaced the
anger that was there previously.

�Is that so? I�m thirty-six years old, Bill, and I�m a
teacher. I know when I�m being lied to. You really hurt Harry with the way you
acted.�

Bill stopped playing catch with the Quaffle
and left it beside him. He sat up on the edge of his bed and ran a hand through
his hair. �I�m�sorry.� And from what Remus could tell, by the way Bill�s
features tightened, he was.

�You can tell Harry that. I�m not the one you�re meant to be
apologising to. Do you want to tell me what got you so upset?�

�Oh, leave off Remus! Don�t pretend that we�re playing happy
family! It�s nothing to do with you!�

�I know that you and Neville don�t consider us a family yet,
but me and Harry do! For God�s sake, Bill! After all
he�s been through, you being upset at him for no reason at all is the last
thing he needs. He trusts you!�

�I know that.� Bill said, his voice calmer but still tense.
He swallowed thickly. �I know that and I apologise for the way I treated
him�it�s just�something happened, and I need some time alone�to think.�

�No.�

�No? Excuse me!
I�m asking for a bit of privacy and you�re saying
�no�? What the hell is wrong with you? I�m not some bloody kid!�

�And we�re back to
shouting.� Remus thought with exasperation. ��No� as in something must have
happened last night so I must be involved.� Remus reasoned.

�You must be involved, huh?� Bill snorted derisively.
Without any regard towards his present company, he began shrugging out of his
shirt carelessly. He threw it across the room and began furiously wrestling
himself out of his trousers. Remus averted his gaze until he realised that the
younger man was wearing boxers. �Do me a favour Remus; get over yourself.�

Remus was surprised when he found his hand swiping out to
slap Bill. He was even more surprised when his hand was caught and the redhead
wouldn�t let go of it. �For fuck�s sake, Bill! Stop being so stubborn and tell
me what the hell�s wrong with you! I�m just trying to help, but I can�t do that
if you keep throwing it back in my face!� Remus raised his free hand and
frantically began scrabbling at Bill�s occupied one, trying to free himself
from the obviously stronger man�s grip. �What the hell? Are you on steroids or
something!?!�

Bill pulled Remus� second hand so that he held a wrist in
each of his own hands. �First of all, I have no idea what stare-oids are. Next, I�ve lived on my own since I was nineteen.
When shit happens, I deal with it by myself and I�m used to it.� It was only then
that Remus realised how tall Bill was compared to him. His height was only
accented by the intimacy of the position that they were in. Their chests were
almost touching and both of them were breathing hard. Remus almost began
trembling as Bill towered over him.

�Bill� I�m just worried about you.� Remus pleaded softly.
�I�ve never seen you act like this before, it�s like you�re a completely
different person.� �He allowed himself to
relax in Bill�s grip.

�I�m sorry, for the things I said.� Bill sighed wearily. He
lowered Remus� arms and both noticed Bill�s state of undress when Remus�
fingers brushed lightly against the other�s bare hip bone. Whilst Remus blushed
lightly, Bill tore himself away from the werewolf�s close proximity with a
sharp inhale. He quickly put on a pair of tracksuit bottoms and a thin white
T-shirt.

�It was Fleur�� He began. �I got a letter from her this
morning. She said that she�s been cheating on me�different blokes.� Bill began
breathing harshly and Remus saw tears well up in his blue eyes. �But she
said�she said that I-I was too high maintenance.� Remus felt his own eyes begin
to well up at seeing the Weasley�s eldest son so emotional. He started rubbing
at Bill�s arms in a way that he knew would comfort James in the past after problems
with Lily (Sirius never got upset
after a break up), and took it in stride when Bill released an odd choking
sound.

�Oh, Bill��

�I was high
maintenance!?! I gave up time with my family to see her! I turned a blind eye
when she insulted my family! I gave that�that�that bitch everything she ever wanted and I was too high maintenance!?! Was it so wrong to want a god-damned
monogamous relationship with a fucking woman of all things?�

Bill leaned down and allowed himself to be held by Remus. He
wasn�t sobbing, instead he was breathing heavily as he allowed hot tears to
stream down his cheeks. �Ssh, it�s
okay, Bill. It�s okay, you�re fine.� Remus soothed.

�There must be something wrong with me,� Bill muttered
harshly. �I�ve had plenty of flings, but the one girl I�m serious about��

�Treats you like dirt. Trust me, I�ve been there. And
there�s nothing wrong with you, understand?� Remus said fiercely.

The two men stayed like that for several minutes, one
comforting the other until the elder of the two pulled away, clicking a few
joints in the process.

�I-I should go downstairs.� Remus breathed heavily. �I need
to talk to Severus.� He searched Bill�s face, wondering if he was okay now. �If
you want, you can go back to bed for a bit and I�ll bring you up some hot
chocolate or something��

�I was going to go running - let off some steam, but that
sounds better.�

Remus nodded and Bill moved back to his bed, picking up and
folding his clothes before setting them on a reading chair. �I�ll call Severus,
then I�ll be up with a drink and some food, okay?� He informed the heartbroken
man before making his way out of the warm room. He stepped back when his toes
got caught on something in the carpet. He bent down and retrieved a silver ring
with sapphires and diamonds hanging on a silver chain.

�Err, what do you want me to do with this?� He asked
dangling the engagement ring from its chain off a finger.

�Sell it when we go to White Avenue next. I don�t want to see it
again.�

�Okay.� The werewolf tucked the trinket absentmindedly into
his breast pocket.

�Hey, Remus?�

�Hmm?�

�Thanks.�

--.--.--

Later on, after he had floo called Severus (who would be
arriving sometime after lunch), Remus was putting a sausage sandwich on a plate
with a glass of apple juice on the side when his head began to throb painfully.

�Shit!� he swore, reflexively bringing a hand to his
forehead. He braced himself against the counter with his other arm as he felt
his head begin to swim. He had wondered earlier why he hadn�t yet recalled last
night�s events; normally he was fine after an hour, max. But, it had been at
least three hours since he had woken up�maybe it was because he had been
distracted by Bill? Either way, to Remus, it didn�t matter anymore as a dam
broke in his mind and images came unbidden to the front of his mind.

Darkness�darkness
covered in the stench of humans.

Cold, hard cement.

Loneliness pressing in
on him, suffocating him.

He had to see his cub
and protect him�protect him from those who had stolen away the rest of their
pack.

Light and fur the
colour of fire� The human laid out under him was his.

Harry, cub�had to see
his cub.

Guilt and
submission�he had to submit to his dominant�shouldn�t have defied him.

Resignation as his
human ordered him away�then, curiosity as he breathed in the scents of the
wildlife around him�flowers and plant which were oh so foreign to him.

Shame as his human lay
on the ground ignoring him.

A need for attention
from his human. Whining�satisfaction as his human looked at him in shock then
pure happiness as a paw was stretched towards him, an open invitation.

Relaxation as his
human petted his head and promised him that the rest of the pack would join
them in the future.

Contentment as he lay
on top of his human, watching over it protectively as it slept.

Remus gasped and wheezed as he was suddenly brought back
into the present. His human heart was pounding inside his chest where his hand
had moved to, almost as if the blood-pumping muscle would escape at any given
moment. He breathed slowly and deeply, trying to ground himself. He could hear
Neville call and ask if he was okay.

�I�m fine� he replied back, aware of the shakiness in his
own voice. He straightened out his shirt collar which had become mussed up and
placed Bill�s food on a tray before taking it upstairs. He knocked on Bill�s
door and announced his presence before miraculously opening the door with his
elbow and not spilling any of his cargo.

Bill was lying on his side in his bed, facing the room.
Judging from the lack of movement at his presence, the Marauder figured that
his friend was sleeping, so he set the tray on the nightstand, shifting the
alarm clock and lamp to accommodate its presence. Against his better judgement
(which was to leave the room straight away), Remus knelt by the bed and
examined the sleeping man�s visage and took in the streaks from dried tears and
the way the skin had reddened around his eye area.

�Poor bloke.� He
couldn�t help but think. He didn�t understand how anyone could possibly betray
the curse-breaker like that; he was so kind-hearted and had an amazing
personality. �He must have really loved
her��

�Remuh?� The werewolf started when
Bill opened his eyes blearily. �Whazzamatter?�

�Nothing.� He smiled softly. �Just picking up some money
that fell out of my pocket.� He lied. �How are you feeling?� He brushed some of
Bill�s hair away, getting a closer look at him.

�S�okay�still hurts though -
inside.� The younger of the two murmured as he burrowed further under his
duvet.

�I know it does�but it�s not the end of the world, worse
things have and could have happened. Fleur�s not the
only woman out there.�

An unreadable look passed over Bill�s face and there was a
moment of silence before he looked over at the bedside table curiously. �Whazzat?�

�Sausage sarnie and some juice.
They�ve got charms on them if you want to sleep a bit more. You�ve got an hour
and a half until Severus arrives.� Remus got up, intent on leaving.

��Ats good.� Bill breathed
sleepily into his pillow. �Shoulda asked you to marry
me instead. You�d be my lovely housewife.� He mumbled before the sound of quiet
snoring filled the room.

As he heard this, Remus� first instinct was to tip the tray
of food over the other man. Instead, the fact that Bill was heartbroken and quite
obviously didn�t know what he was saying, made him walk out of the room without
a fuss. He did however, pause in the doorway and survey the room before
brandishing his wand. �Accio
alcohol.� The werewolf�s suspicions were confirmed when an empty bottle of Ogden�s Firewhiskey flew into his hand. He sighed and summoned a
hangover remedy from the bathroom and levitated it over to the tray.

)(0)(

Harry�s gaze flickered between his piece of paper, his calculator
and Neville�s work. �This is�odd.� He said as he looked at the mismatched
answers.

�Did you get it wrong, or did I?� Neville asked, scratching
the top of his head in bafflement.

Harry flicked through the Algebra exercise book until he
found a specific page in the answers section. �Let�s see�Chapter Six, exercise
thirteen�Aha! Here we go.� His emeralds eyes were focused intently on the small
printed text from behind his old glasses. �I hate to say it Nev, but we both
did.�

�You forgot to carry the two, Harry.� Bill said from over
Harry�s shoulder, grinning when both teens jumped at his presence.

�Bill! How long have you been there?�

�Long enough.� Bill winked, leaning over the back of the
sofa. �Look, I�m sorry about this morning. I was in a rotten mood, what with
Fleur�� He apologised.

�Yeah, Remus told us.� Neville informed the red head whilst
scribbling furiously over his equations.

�It�s okay, I forgive you. I�ve had worse I guess.� Harry
smiled uncertainly whilst Bill winced at the admission.

�Where�s Remus? I should apologise to him too. I said some
rotten things to him earlier.�

�I think he�s in the lounge doing some cleaning. Snape�s
meant to be coming soon.� Harry wrinkled his nose, showing Bill and Neville exactly what he thought of that.

�

Neville blanched slightly. �I think I�d rather do this, it�s
bad, but not as evil as Snape.� He said, gesturing toward his workings.

�You added the last step instead of multiplying.� Bill
pointed out.

�Eh?� There was the sound of Neville tapping on the
calculator before he grinned. �Hey, you�re right!�

�I got an O in Arithmancy in NEWTs.�
Bill grinned, purposefully puffing out his chest in pride.

�

�Maybe I should have
listened to �Mione in Third year.� Harry thought wryly. �Then this wouldn�t be so hard.� �I�ve
decided that your brother is a bad influence.� He said to Bill.

�Fred or George?�

�Ron.� Harry replied causing Bill to quirk an eyebrow. �I
was going to do Arithmancy with Hermione, but he convinced me not to.�

�Well, I guess he�s no angel, but he�s no Fred �n George
either. If you had them as your best mates, you�d be totally screwed.�

�We�d probably be dead from a heart attack�either that or
we�d be constantly subjected to Canary Creams.� Neville shoved his work away
with a frown just as Remus entered the room flustered, his hair all about the
place.

�Severus is here and he�s brought�a�guest.�

Harry raised his eyebrows as Remus ushered them out of the
room with shooing motions. He let his wand fall into his hand, suddenly
overcome with a bad feeling in his stomach. He was listening to Bill thanking
Remus for a hangover potion when the elder man�s words died on his lips,
confusing Harry. He looked up and understood what had shocked Bill so much. In
the lounge, looking as ominous as ever, stood Severus Snape, however it was his
companion who was looking at the television and the photographs with a mixture
of disdain and curiosity (if that was at all possible) that had Harry glad that
he had his wand in his hand.

Severus Snape had brought Lucius Malfoy, of all people, into
their home.

That prat.

At their arrival, Malfoy Senior turned so that he was facing
them fully and quirked an eyebrow when he found that there were three wands
pointed at his person. �I can assure you that that is not necessary.� The part-Veela remarked haughtily.

�Wands away boys.� Remus said quietly.

�B-but he�I mean - Siri!� Harry
floundered, unsure of what was going on and feeling quite helpless.

�I trust Severus� judgement. Now wands away, you too, Bill.�
Remus� tone left no room for argument and they reluctantly tucked their wands
away. However, Harry kept his up his sleeve. Even if Remus trusted Snape, he
sure as hell didn�t.

�I mean no harm.� Malfoy said by way of assurance, as if it
would help. He sat down on one of the chairs that Remus conjured up. The
werewolf and two teens moved to sit on the squishy cream sofa whilst Bill sat
on the arm by Harry, an arm slung casually over the back. As a peace offering,
the blonde placed his cane which hid his wand on the coffee table.

�I�m assuming that since you have bought him here, you
wished to discuss Voldemort. Am I right Severus?� Remus inquired bluntly,
gesturing his head towards Malfoy, ignoring the flinches and twitches coming
from some of the room�s occupants.

�That is correct. My belief is that in order to understand
how dangerous a man Dumbledore is, you need to understand the Dark Lord�s
past.� Snape replied leaning forward in his seat. �I shall tell you as much as
I can, if you will permit me.� Harry felt himself tense when Snape called
Voldemort �the Dark Lord�. Only his followers did that. He was soothed when
Bill cast him a worried look and began playing with his hair.

�We�re listening.� Remus said, his tone was that of interest
and his expression seemed to be free of judgement towards their guests.

�Well, I guess the best place to start would be at the
beginning, before I even began Hogwarts,� Snape said. �You must understand that
my childhood was by no means happy. My mother was a witch, and my father
resented her for it. To be frank, he took his anger out on me. Either way, it
was no surprise that when I learnt of my own magic, I also learnt every single
curse and defensive spell that I could, should I ever need them. Then a few
years before Hogwarts, I met your mother and aunt in a park in our neighbourhood.�

Harry looked up from his hands at this piece of information;
he was surprised and confused by Snape�s words. Nobody had ever told him that
his mum knew Snape before Hogwarts, but then again, he honestly couldn�t say
that he knew that much about his parents anyway. The young Gryffindor continued
to listen as Snape�s gaze bore into his.

�The first time I saw Lily, she was performing accidental
magic. She flew off a set of swings and landed safely. I told her that she was
a witch, and we became friends quickly after that. However, our backgrounds and
personalities caused us to be sorted into different houses, but despite this,
we both managed to maintain our friendship for quite some time. Unfortunately,
not only was I being bullied by several students in the school,� here, Remus
winced, �But the majority of my housemates were pureblood supremacists. I had
to keep my own heritage a secret or risk exile from my own house. Whilst I
became more and more immersed in my studies, trying to keep my head down, I
began to fall in love with Lily. It was�inevitable. She seemed at that point to
be the only light in my life. However, my skills with potions and spell work
had also caused me to gain the attention of a political organisation.

�I say political organisation as that was what Tom Riddle - Voldemort�s aim was back then. He was fighting for equality
among the different races and breeds of the members of Wizarding Britain. Unlike
other magical communities, ours was isolated and firmly set in its ways. There
is still discrimination and corruption in the ranks today. Voldemort�s
party was not taken seriously and was being smeared as a terrorist organisation
that was based on blood purity. Anyway, I immersed myself into politics and
ended up isolating myself unintentionally from Lily. Then when she confronted
me, she accused me of becoming a Death Eater. I became angry that she bought
into all of that propaganda, and I insulted her in the worst possible way that
I could imagine.�

�You called her a Mudblood.� Remus
said slowly, in remembrance of events that happened over twenty years ago.

�It was foolish of me. She refused to speak to me
afterwards, and I was still in love with her. Heartbroken, I buried myself in
my studies, both academic and extracurricular until I managed to garner the
attention of our leader himself. After spending quite some time together, we
entered a relationship together.�

Right then, Harry was glad that he wasn�t drinking anything
because he would have most certainly sprayed it all over Lucius� robes. As it
happened, Bill appeared to be choking on air and Neville�s legs began to
twitch, as if getting ready to scarper at any given moment. Harry wasn�t sure
if it was the lighting, but Remus looked rather pale.

Bill released a rather painful-sounding wheezing cough and
inhaled deeply, getting his breath back. �Wait a sec, by �relationship�, do you
mean that you and You-Know�V-voldemort were doing the
horizontal mambo?�

�Horizontal mambo?� Remus asked, amused.

�What would you have preferred? Shagging, screwing about, sexing it up? There�s also fornicating, copulating - I don�t
think that procreating applies here - making love, the beast with two backs or
everybody�s favourite; fu-mmph!� Malfoy and Snape weren�t the only ones who
looked relieved as Remus reached up and clamped one of his hands firmly over
Bill�s runaway mouth. As Harry felt his own face flush in mortification he
thought that Neville had never done as good an impression of Ron as he was
doing now.

�Forgive him,� Remus laughed nervously. �He is related to Charlie Weasley after
all.� Harry met his friend�s confused blink with one of his own. What was that supposed to mean?

�Fair enough.� Malfoy�s lips twitched briefly and Harry
supposed that it was his version of a shrug (as if the aristocrat would be
caught doing something so plebeian).

�Oi! That�s my brother you�re all
talking about!� Bill exclaimed once the werewolf withdrew his hand. He had an
affronted expression and huffed as he leaned back.

�Your point being?� Snape sneered.

�Well, I�uh��

�Look,� Remus interrupted, �we�re getting off topic here.
The thing I want to know is how Tom Riddle slash Voldemort changed from an
idealist politician to the insane psychopath who we all know and tend to steer
clear of.�

�And who exactly started this smear campaign against
Riddle?� Harry guessed that Bill found it easier to use Voldemort�s
real name rather than his alias.

�I-I don�t think you really need to ask that.� Neville said,
speaking up for the first time. The nervousness at being amongst two of the
most formidable Slytherins showed from the way he worried the hem of his jumper
with his fingers and the way his posture was slightly curled in a defensive
manner.

�Albus Dumbledore has always been a very influential man and
he knows the right people and how to play them. Certain comments dropped at the
right time and in the right place can sometimes prove to be more effective than
the most powerful sonorous charm. The
old man has always had his toes dipped in various ministry organisations, not
excluding the Daily Prophet and the wireless network.� Malfoy straightened the
cuffs of his shirt and admired his rings, not looking up as he spoke.

�What happened to Tom, how did he become Voldemort?� Harry
was the one to redirect the conversation to Remus� previous and very important
question.

�Well,� Snape began, rubbing the bridge of his nose, �all of
the earlier raids were performed by groups of pureblood activists. They were
dubbed by the media as Death Eaters and after several members of Riddle�s
opposition were killed by them, they were immediately associated with him.�

�What about the murders? He killed Moaning Myrtle at
Hogwarts.� Harry pointed out. �And he called himself Lord Voldemort way back
then.�

�That is true. From what I�ve been told, Riddle could have
been considered popular and was definitely enigmatic. However he was also a bit
disjointed from his peers. I would have to say that he was more than likely
subjected to a lot of suggestions from Dumbledore.� Lucius explained.

�Dumbledore was the Transfiguration teacher back then. He
took a lot of interest in Riddle.� Harry murmured, recalling the time he had
spent in the wizard�s old diary.

�To be honest, Riddle was
a lonely boy; he was an orphan I think. I think that once Riddle realised
that he was changing, thanks to Dumbledore, he tried to reform and that was how
the political party was formed. Probably a way to repent. As for the name
Voldemort, that may have once been a nickname of sorts during Hogwarts, but later
on it became a pseudonym for protection and at the same time, to gain
attention. It sounds different and unusual compared to Tom Riddle, does it
not?� Snape said this whilst Malfoy was frowning in thought.

�So Voldemort was murderous when he was younger, then
reformed and then de-reformed?� Remus asked, running a hand briefly through his
hair. �What did Dumbledore do? I�m assuming that at this point there�s no point
in asking �who� anymore.�

�I�m not too sure myself. One day we were discussing a
viable way to mass-market blood supplements for vampires and the next day there
were Death Eaters milling about the place, in the process of receiving the Dark
Mark from Voldemort. I received a Crucio
for questioning him. It was like a switch had been turned and he was a
completely different person. Our relationship ended rather quickly, especially
when Bellatrix began to have access to his private quarters - she was one of
the activists then, quite high in the ranks. I think you all know the rest.�
Snape spoke of Lestrange with a lot of distaste. �Most of us who were loyal to
Voldemort and not the Dark Lord he became, stayed and took the Dark Mark.
Others who questioned him further or were too afraid of the monster that
resided within the man were murdered by the Death Eaters.�

�Do you think that this has something to do with
Grindelwald? I know Dumbledore defeated him, but there are rumours that they
knew each other when they were younger. And, it does seem odd that Dumbledore
was shaping Riddle into the next Dark Lord whilst Grindelwald was still in
power.� Remus asked.

�Maybe this has all been for �The Greater Good�.� Malfoy
pondered, quoting Grindelwald himself. �Mr. Potter, how did you know of
Dumbledore�s interest in the teenage Riddle?�

�From the diary. The one that possessed Ginny which you gave her.� Harry said accusingly.

�I was merely following orders.� Malfoy defended himself. �I
knew it was a dark artefact, but I had no idea of its purpose.� It was a prompt
for Harry to explain.

�Well, when I had hold of it, the pages were blank and when
you wrote in it, the ink was absorbed and it replied. The diary was sentient,
and it pulled me into a memory, like a pensieve, but not, and it used that
memory to try and convince me that Hagrid was the one who had something to do
with the petrifications. Tom Riddle said he was a memory, but I�m not sure how
that would work� He did tell me though, that in order for him to be�reborn, I
guess�Ginny had to die.�

Malfoy and Snape shared a calculating look. �You got rid of
the�memory, didn�t you? How?� Malfoy asked.

�I stabbed the diary with the basilisk�s fang, the one it
bit me with.� Harry said, oblivious to the shocked looks he was receiving from
Bill and Remus. �Is something the matter?�

�I wonder�� Snape trailed off, deep in thought.

�It is possible��

�What is it?� Bill asked, a bit annoyed at the two wizards
who seemed to be in their own little world.

�It�s nothing, I have a hunch, but that�s it.� Malfoy stated
dismissively. Both of the Death Eaters stood to leave and Malfoy reclaimed his
cane.

�We need to leave. The information that you have given us,
Potter, is beyond being invaluable.�

�It is?�

Malfoy nodded. �If that diary was what I think it was, then
we may have found a way to restore Voldemort to a point before his insanity
began.�

�You both look troubled by it.� Remus observed.

�I suppose that we both are.� Snape replied somewhat softly.
�Since my relationship with Voldemort soured, I have pursued and have been
pursued by other people.� Once again the Slytherins shared a look and Malfoy�s
lips once again twitched.

Harry never wanted
to think about Snape being �pursued� again. (Least of all by Malfoy.) And
besides, what could you say to that? Even Remus had no idea, going by the way
he awkwardly thrust his hand towards the fireplace and mumbled that the Floo
Powder was on the mantelpiece.

With a nod of his head and a smirk playing on his lips,
Malfoy disappeared into green flames. Snape however, lingered behind. �I will
come by every Thursday and Sunday at precisely seven o�clock in the evening my
time, 1 o�clock here, and I shall stay for exactly two hours. You will be given
a reading list and you will learn Occlumency
by the time September the first arrives. You will meditate for at least an hour
a day starting tomorrow and there will be hell to pay if you do not. Do I make
myself clear?�� Even Bill nodded quickly
as Snape adopted his classroom persona and spoke in his ominous tone. He then
turned to Remus and said, �I shall give you a list of people I deem suitable to
teach Potions on Sunday.�

�Thanks.� Remus smiled, watching as the Potions Master
followed Malfoy through to Malfoy Manor.

One the flames waned, Neville spoke up. �Well that
was�informative�and surreal.�

�I think I need to Scourgify
my brain.� Bill moaned pathetically.

�Don�t be mean,� Remus chastised him before turning to Harry
with his hands on his hips.

�What?�

�Don�t �what� me, young man! A
basilisk!� The werewolf exclaimed. �You are going to tell me everything!�

�Oh crap!� Harry
mentally groaned before he settled himself to tell Remus of his exploits.

)(0)(

Remus stepped out of the fire and dusted himself off.
Humming, he moved to the kitchen when Harry was just spooning stew into bowls,
Bill was leaning against the counter whilst drinking what smelt like coffee and
Neville was examining a book of recipes.

�Just in time.� Bill grinned.

�It smells good.� Remus complemented whilst he ruffled
Harry�s hair. The teenager grinned in return as Remus grabbed a piece of folded
parchment on the side and chucked it in the bin.

�Don�t you need that? It�s Snape�s list, isn�t it?� Bill
asked. He began placing cutlery on the small table they preferred to the one in
the dining room.

�Nope.� The teacher allowed himself to grin.

Neville got up and put the book away on the side. �Did you
find someone to teach us Potions already?�

�Yep - for free even.�

�Well, who? Do I know �em?� Bill
asked, �This is delicious.� He said to Harry who was tugging off his apron as
he sat down.

�You do, quite well really. They�re still in the starting
phases of running their own shop, but they said they�ll start around about
September.�

�Who are you talking about? I don�t know anyone who-� Bill
cut himself off as a look of dawning realisation crossed his face. �No.�

�Yes! They were top on Severus� list - though I do think
it�s because they�re trustworthy more than anything.� Remus laughed at his
friend�s expression.

Harry turned to Neville, �Okay, I�m lost.�

�Yeah, me too.� Both teens turned to Remus.

�Well, to make the things that they do, Fred and George must
be good at making potions. They could probably help with other subjects too.�

Neville and Harry turned to each other. Fred and George
Weasley were going to teach them Potions (and possibly more). There was only
one word that could possible describe it. �Brilliant!�

Meanwhile, Bill was trying to stop himself from thinking �We�re doomed.� and, �Our house is going to die.� over and over. �Needless to say, he was
failing.

)(0)(

Flashback - (AN: This
is before Remus� first day at work)

It was a few days since the newly dubbed Mondstrahls
had moved into their house alongside one Bill Weasley. They were sitting in the
living room, as Remus and Bill were watching the news. Harry, who was sat at
Bill�s feet, was knitting a glove with Hedwig perched on his shoulders whilst
Neville read America�s
national wizarding newspaper, the Weekly
Oracle. Harry had just finished the little finger of his glove when the
fireplace lit itself and flared green, causing Hedwig to hoot loudly and fly
out of the room, startled. Both Harry and Neville almost jumped out of their
skins when the adults tugged them to their feet and sent them crashing to the
floor behind the sofa as soon as the word �Hogwarts� was formed in the flames.
Harry tensed whilst Neville rubbed at his carpet burns as the sound of someone
stepping through the fireplace could be heard.

�Minerva!� Remus exclaimed, relieved, whilst Bill breathed
out �Professor McGonagall,� as a respectful greeting.

�Oh, Remus! Thank goodness you�re here!� The woman said
hastily in her thick Scottish accent.

�What is it?�

�Where are the boys?� Minerva asked, raising an eyebrow when
Neville and Harry clambered to their feet.

�Hi, Professor.� They chorused.

�I�m sorry, Potter, Longbottom, but there�s simply no time
for pleasantries. You must leave, quickly. Albus is on his way to talk to Remus
and Bill about your little disappearing act.�

�How long till he arrives?� Bill asked.

�Ten minutes, maximum.�

�Okay, let me think�Bill, why don�t you go upstairs and put
glamours on the boys� rooms, just in case Albus decides to poke around, then
can you put the rabbit hutches in the garden. Harry, you can get Hedwig to fly
around for a bit and Neville, can you put away anything that gives away your
presence downstairs? When you�re done Harry, help Neville. Then both of you can
walk around for a bit, maybe do our grocery shopping and I�ll ring you as soon
as Albus leaves.�� Remus frowned, pacing
as he listed off their tasks.

Thanks to the wonders of actually being able to use magic,
once Harry had ushered Hedwig out of his bedroom window, he helped Bill out by
levitating his hutch downstairs whilst carrying Mr. Darcy and the Captain in
their carrier. After he put them back in the hutch, piling in some celery and
dandelion leaves, he met Neville in the entrance hall and grabbed his jacket
and bag, making sure to pocket his mobile phone. They both bid their
Transfiguration professor goodbye and as she stepped back into the flames,
Remus handed them some cash and a shopping list before ushering them out of the
door. It was just in time for as soon as they were on the pavement, Harry and
Neville spied the Floo flaring up again. Ducking quickly to avoid being seen
through the front window, the two Gryffindors trudged up the street towards the
main part of town.

�Do you want to wander about then go to the shops?� Neville
asked, looking at the list Remus had given them. �There�s not much on here, but
I don�t want to be carrying it everywhere if Dumbledore takes his time.�

�That sounds good.� Harry agreed with a nod of his head.
�Man, what a mess this is.� He sighed.

�Yeah.�

--.--.--

Rosalie grimaced as Esme asked her to go to the shops to
pick up some food for �dinner�. She didn�t get it personally; they were
vampires, there was no point whatsoever to them eating human food, it held no
nutrition for them and as such, served no purpose. But every now and then, they
would go out as a family to a restaurant, pretending to be celebrating
something or other, and they would actually eat the food served to them. Esme
in particular enjoyed these times because she said it broke the monotony of
both life and blood; claiming that it was nice to taste something different.
Maybe that was Esme�s power, Rosalie had thought before, to actually appreciate
the trash that human�s ate. However, she was soon proven wrong as one by one,
the rest of their family learnt to appreciate the motherly woman�s point of
view until only herself and Edward remained. Her brother just remained
indifferent, but would eat the food with a smile, if only to please Esme, but
Rosalie always protested at some point or another, for the sheer fact that it
was completely pointless and laughable.

Rosalie plucked the list from Esme�s hand and gave her a
strained smile, showing her reluctance towards eating a human meal. �Consider
this a punishment for throwing that vase at Edward�s head last week.� Esme
frowned.

�Fine.� The tall blonde huffed before finding Emmett lazily
going over a discarded fashion magazine. He was lying on their bed on his
stomach, but looked up when she began tapping her feet impatiently.

�Sorry babe.� He tossed the magazine to the side and
gracefully got to his feet. �We�ll take the jeep.� He said, having heard the
conversation already. Exiting their bedroom, the couple ran into Jasper and
Edward on the stairs. �

�Shut up!� Rosalie scowled, purposefully brushing past
Edward when she saw that infuriating smirk which was almost always present when
the brooding vampire looked her way.

�I didn�t say
anything, Rose.� He said silkily.

�Do you actually want me throw more shit at you?� Rose
asked, feeling that smirk bore into the back of her skull.

�And upset Esme?� The copper-haired bastard asked
rhetorically. �I think not.�

Rosalie was about to retort when Jasper sent waves of
calmness flow into her, relaxing her muscles and straightening her worried
brow. �Jasper, don�t do that.� She protested at her brother who posed as her
twin, wanting to keep her anger for herself. His lips too had been twisted into
a smirk and as Emmett tugged her towards his car and began driving, she
couldn�t help but feel saddened by the fact that pretty much everyone in her
family seemed to be against her, one way or another.

At a set of traffic lights, Emmett rubbed her back
soothingly and Rosalie tilted her head towards him and pecked his cheek.

�I�m fine now.�

Emmett beamed at the pretty much public display of affection
and it was that look alone that made Rosalie thing that putting up with Edward
was well worth it.

--.--.--

Neville happily munched the last of his ice cream cone, his
taste buds easily separating the taste of strawberry from the taste of waffle,
beside him, Harry was still licking at his mint ice cream at a more sedate pace,
clearly savouring the flavour (so much so that slightly elder of the two had to
wonder whether this was the first time that Harry had had a mint flavoured ice
cream). �They had spent an hour wandering
about the town centre quite slowly before they had decided to stop for ice
cream; even though it wasn�t sunny, it was still fairly hot and quite humid.

�C�mon, D-Dumbledore can�t take too long; I think Remus will
be texting or ringing us soon.� Neville said as he stood from the wooden bench
that they were both sat on. Harry nodded, still lapping at his treat and
followed the other boy. After a twenty minute walk, the two teens found
themselves entering a supermarket that they had both spied earlier. Harry
grabbed a trolley with a wonky wheel from the parking area and steered it
towards the automatic doors. Both teens sighed happily as the air conditioning
hit them and began walking up and down the many aisles. After sometime, Neville
started noticed the stares that they were receiving from the other patrons. It
was the first time that either of them had gone out in public since they had
gone shopping the first time round. For once, the brunette hoped that this was
because they were untrustworthy youths as opposed to the newest citizens in
town. If this was the reaction they got in a shop, imagine what would happen
when they started school where there were more than likely ten times as many
people!

Neville snapped out of his self-conscious reverie when Harry
turned to him and asked if he could go get the dairy and breakfast items whilst
he stayed and sorted out the fruit and vegetables.

�Sure, I�ll meet you back here.�

�Okay.� Harry smiled reassuringly. �I�ll wait over there.�
He said pointing to the basket at the end of the fruit part of the wide set
aisle where several baskets of large watermelons were set.

Neville wandered off to get his assigned items, once he�d
gotten the milk and cheese, he realised that the cereals were to the back of
the store where the bread also was. Sighing, he made his way there, apologising
as he almost bumped into a couple rounding the corner. The blond woman looked
disgruntled whilst the rather large looking bloke laughed and waved his hand
dismissively, saying that it was no problem. Neville apologised again and
continued in search for some muesli.

--.--.--

Rosalie grimaced as the brunette boy left, still stuttering
his apologies, beside her, Emmett stood, looking back at the retreating figure
with a wide grin on his face.

�What?� She asked looking up at her husband.

�Nothin�� He replied with a shrug.
�I haven�t seen him around here before.�

Rosalie quirked an eyebrow impatiently. �So what? Can we
just hurry up and get the vegetables and some fruit for dessert? I want to be
out of here as soon as possible!�

�Take it easy babe; don�t let Edward get to you.� Emmett
pressed his hand gently against her back so that she moved with him towards the
area where fruit and vegetables were usually kept.

�What makes think I�m annoyed by Edward?� The female of the
two asked.

�It�s always
Edward.� Emmett stressed. �I know he can be a dick sometimes,� he continued,
ignoring his wife�s incredulous snort. �But, you do antagonise him sometimes.� The male vampire cringed as soon as
he said that, knowing it was completely the wrong thing to say. He was rewarded
by the clacking sound of Rosalie�s shoes against linoleum as she stormed off.

--.--.--

Harry smiled happily as he ticked �courgettes� of the list
and started looking for the last item he�d be able to find in that aisle;
grapes. �He groaned as soon as he saw the
green grapes that they all preferred over red ones. So far, he had managed to
avoid all of the overhead baskets, knowing he was too short to reach them, but
some git had decided to stack all of the green grapes above the red ones.
Resigning himself, Harry made his way over to them, making sure to keep the
trolley steady. When he got to the baskets, he snuck himself one of the red
grapes and grimaced; it was far too sweet. He stood on his tip-toes and managed
to stretch enough to brush the top of the top basket with his fingers. In the
background, he could vaguely hear a couple quietly argue and hoped that Neville
would return soon. Compared to his own five foot two height, Neville seemed a
hell of a lot taller than him, even though Harry knew he was just slightly
above average height.

After some time, Harry grew impatient and stepped on the
ledge that ran in front of the bottom containers. Stretching, Harry grinned to
himself as he was actually able to reach into the basket. Unfortunately, some
of the fruit in the topmost bunches were beginning to over ripen so he had to
dig deeper. Harry has grabbed the handles of a decent looking bag of grapes
when a blond woman brusquely brushed past him, causing him to lose his balance.
The young wizard was saved from the utter humiliation of falling into a basket
of fruit when two large, cold arms wrapped themselves around his midriff and
picked him up before setting him down on solid ground.

�Easy there, short stuff.� His saviour chuckled with a
booming voice.

Still holding up the grapes, Harry stared at the monolith of
a man before him in a daze.

�Yo! Are you in there, half pint?�

�Emmett! What on earth
are you doing?�� The blonde woman who had
brushed past Harry joined the brunette, holding a bag of potatoes in her well
manicured hands.

�I think I broke him.� The bloke who Harry now knew as
Emmett said humorously, gesturing towards him.

Snapping out of his shock, Harry huffed at the other man�s
comments. �I am NOT short!� he scowled indignantly.

Emmett�s grin grew wider. �Sure you aren�t, titch.�

Harry was about to retort when he heard his name being
called, he wheeled around to find Neville making his way towards them with a
relieved expression on his face. His arms were laden with food items which
Harry helped him load into the cart.

�Hi again,� Emmett greeted him. �We ran into each other
earlier, I�m Emmett, and this is my girlfriend, Rosalie.� The woman he gestured
to nodded in acknowledgment.

�Hey.�

�Oh, um, hello.� Neville said, unsettled by the conversation
starter. �I�m Neville, and this is Harry; we�ve just moved here from Britain.�

�Cool, well, we should get going, Mom�s expecting us. But I
guess we�ll be seeing you and Neville around school.�

�You�re still in school?� Neville asked, shocked. The couple
looked like they should be in university at least.

�Yes, we�ll be seniors in September.� Rosalie said,
examining the tips of her hair.

�What about you two? You look like you�re in your last years
of middle school, Harry.� Emmett questioned, unknowingly causing the growing
indignant expression on the black-haired teen�s face.

�Actually,� Neville laughed sheepishly, �me and Harry are
the same age. We just turned sixteen a few days ago. We�ll both be entering
school as juniors - it is junior, right Harry?�

Harry�s glare intensified towards Emmett who didn�t look one
bit apologetic. In fact, Harry swore his grin grew even wider.

�Y-you know what?��
Neville began. �We should really be going now. Bill�s expecting us soon
and we still have lots to get! C�mon Harry!� Neville speech became nervous and
hurried as he tugged Harry along with him and out of the aisle.

Harry himself winced as Emmett�s booming laughter followed
their exit.

)(0)(

To the Monstrahl family,

I hope you have settled down well in America, Forks is a location which I find is
reminiscent of the UK.
Unfortunately, I regret to inform you that a letter recently arrived addressed
to you with several tracking charms from Albus Dumbledore. I have ordered my
own personal Aurors to intercept any and all letters from that man and remove
them. Whatever that man has planned cannot be good. Unfortunately, he still has
the favour of the British public and his position is protected by their laws.
We cannot fully prosecute him as there is simply not enough evidence.

Wishing you all well,

Allan Sinclair

--.--.--

My dear Harry,

I hope this letter finds you well, but I implore you to
please see reason and return to England
and Grimmauld Place immediately. I know you
are upset over the death of Sirius Black, but that is no reason whatsoever to be
reckless.

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian
Dumbledore,

Headmaster of Hogwarts
School of Witchcraft and
Wizardry

--.--.--

Lupin -

The Headmaster has asked me on multiple occasions to provide
him with Veritaserum.
I believe his intentions are to use it on Petunia Dursley and others who may
also know of Potter�s whereabouts. As such, I have provided him with a false
batch. If I were you, I would prepare for a visit from him shortly.

S. Snape

--.--.--

Dear Remus and Bill,

I am not sure if you have been informed, but shortly after
you left for your new place of residence, it was discovered the Messrs Potter
and Longbottom had not returned from their visit to Petunia Dursley�s abode.
This news is indeed regretful and I can assure you that the Order�s most
important objective is to find Mr. Potter and bring him back to Grimmauld Place.

Unfortunately, the strangest thing occurred. I looked up
Harry�s records in the Ministry, and the only information I could procure was
that Mrs. Dursley is no longer his sole guardian, and his new guardians are
both anonymous. I also discovered that Mr. Potter was successful in being taken
off of the Hogwarts Register and is in immigration.
Regrettably, the Unspeakables have refused to give
out any further information. It is therefore my belief that Harry may soon be
in contact with you. When he does send you a message, you must inform me as
soon as possible, and if he visits you, you must keep his position for as long
as possible. I shall be visiting you soon to discuss this further.

From Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore

--.--.--

Headmaster Dumbledore,

I regret to inform you that I shall never be attending
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry again. I do not appreciate you
trying to initiate a correspondence with me either. Expect this to be the last
time you hear from me.

Boy who is gladly studying abroad,

Harry James Potter

--.--.--

Albus,

Neither Bill nor I have heard from either Neville or Harry.
Are you sure that they have left the country? However, I know both of my former
students well and am confident that neither of them would do something so brash
without good reason.

R.J. Lupin

--.--.--

Harry �

I know we�re not meant to be sending you mail, but �Mione
found this charm so that only the people we want to can read what we write. I
had to get Shacklebolt to put the spell on this; I can�t wait until I�m seventeen.

How�s America?
I hope you�ve settled in alright, wherever it is you are mate. When everyone
found out you left, things went a bit mental. I think Mum�s had a bit of a
breakdown. She made six cakes yesterday, six! She can�t stop cooking! Dumbledore�s
been having loads of meetings lately, at least two a day, and he keeps trying
to ask me and �Mione questions about where you are. We just said that we didn�t
know. I think so far only the Order knows that you and Neville are gone.

McGonagall's been acting weird too; she keeps avoiding
Dumbledore and hanging out with Snape, that git. Though, I can�t say that I
blame her. After what he�s done, you gotta admit, the
headmaster is turning out to be a bit of a creep. Why do you reckon he did
that? Forge the prophecy, I mean. He must have been desperate for something. It
takes a lot of ancient magic and if he gets found out, I bet Dumbledore�d get the Kiss.

Anyway, I�d better go, Mum wants me to floo Charlie to see
if he knows where you are. To be honest mate, I don�t think he even knows
what�s going on! Oh, we told Seamus and Dean the spell for the letters and to
send the letters to the International Owl Port. They heard about Neville�s
grandma and I guess they�re pretty worried.

Say Hi to Moony, Bill and Neville for me. And before I
forget, tell Bill he�s in huge trouble for not telling Mum he transferred out
of the country. I don�t think I�ve seen her that angry, even at Fred and
George.

Send a reply soon, okay?

Ron

--.--.--

Dear Harry,

How are you, Bill, Remus and Neville?� I hope you are settling into our new home.
Gosh, it�s odd to think that you won�t be joining us at Hogwarts in September!
Oh, don�t worry about this letter being traced; I got Tonks to put some spells
on it. I made photocopies of the book I used at the library when Tonks took us
into Muggle London the other day after we went shopping. They should be in the
envelope, but the book they are from is really useful.

Dumbledore (I�m not sure if I can bring myself to call him
Professor anymore) has been asking a lot of questions about where you and
Neville are. I�m not sure whether he knows that we know that the prophecy was a
fake. Professor McGonagall knows now that she was obliviated,
but Professor Snape has made her promised not to confront Dumbledore about it. He
(I mean Professor Snape) thinks that another memory charm could cause permanent
brain damage because she�s had so many. Madam Pomfrey
said as much. So far, only Professors Snape and McGonagall, Tonks, Auror
Shacklebolt and Madam Pomfrey know. We had to tell
Madam Pomfrey because Professor McGonagall�s
condition was so precarious. She�s really upset. I guess that she�s gotten
attached to you with all the time you�ve spent in the Hospital Wing.

I was thinking about the fake prophecy, and I was wondering
if Professor Trelawney knew anything about it. Even if her subject is complete
and utter rubbish, you did say that she was the one to make the prophecy in the
first place. She doesn�t seem like the type to do something like that, but
neither was Dumbledore. I�ll look further into this.

Make sure you all stay safe,

Love from Hermione

--.--.--

Neville,

We just heard about your Gran, mate, and we are so sorry. We
know how important she was to you. Ron wrote that you�d moved to somewhere in America with
Harry, but he won�t tell us why. He told us not to tell Dumbledore that we were
writing to you, so I (Dean) think he�s got something to do with it. Seamus
isn�t sure, but he�s keeping an eye on all of the wireless broadcasts and
newspapers. They�re still covering You-Know-Who�s return and the incident at the
Department of Mysteries, but there�s been nothing about you or Harry going
missing. Seamus doesn�t think that Fudge is going to last another term and he�s
been keeping track of all the deaths and people gone missing.

Can you honestly believe that Malfoy�s dad has gotten out of
prison, scot-free! It�s bleeding ridiculous. We�re thinking of setting up the
DA again this year - we�re not sure who�ll be teaching us, but we want to learn
some extracurricular spells. We�re not sure who we�re gonna ask to lead; it
won�t be that same without Harry (make sure you tell him that, Nev),
but we reckon Ron and Hermione will do the trick.

Make sure that you and Harry both take care, yeah? It�s hard
finding people to trust nowadays. Say Hi to Professor Lupin for us too. (And
tell him he�s still the best Defence teacher we�ve had!)

Don�t forget to reply,

From Seamus and Dean

P.s. Not sure whether Ron�s told
you yet, but Ginny and Dean have started going out. The bugger didn�t tell me
until the other day - Seamus :)

P.p.s. Not sure whether you�ve
figured it out yet, but Seamus is a nosy git who can�t keep his mouth shut! -
Dean

Oi! (Neville grinned at Seamus�
script which was jarred, as if the parchment and quill were being fought over.)

--.--.--

Dear Mr. Potter,

I am pleased to inform you that had you stayed on at
Hogwarts over the next two years, you would have become the Captain of the
Gryffindor Quidditch team. You would have made Mr. Wood very proud indeed.
Unfortunately I have had to give this position to Ms. Katie Bell. Ms. Weasley
was also in the running for this title. However, I have enclosed a gift of both
my congratulations and condolences and hope that one day you and Mr. Longbottom
will freely return to us at Hogwarts.

Minerva McGonagall

Deputy Headmistress and Head of Gryffindor House

(Harry gently tipped the envelope�s contents in his hands
and smiled widely as not only the Gryffindor Quidditch Captain�s badge slipped
into his palm, but also a small, golden ball, easily identifiable as a snitch.
Neville came in the room then and Harry showed him the letter as well as his
OWL results which had him listed as having the best Defence against the Dark
Arts score in the country. Neville grinned and said that not only had he
managed to pass Potions, he had managed to achieve full marks in Herbology.)

)(0)(

Severus exited the International Floo grate at the British
Ministry of Magic and made his way to a domestic grate. He called out the
address of his Hogwarts quarters and disappeared in a bout of green fire. Once
the spinning sensation had stopped, he entered his office in his quarters and
promptly exited through the portrait hole. He had spent the last few hours with
Lupin and the rest of their ragtag family, (reluctantly) celebrating as all of
them (even Longbottom) were able to successfully thwart his attempts to enter
their minds. After some cake and tea, he had to take his leave as he was called
for yet another meeting of The Order of the Phoenix.

Severus quickly made his way to the Headmaster�s office
where Order meetings were now being held. Since Lupin had left, Potter and his
Wolf had allowed Kingsley and Tonks tenancy of Grimmauld
Place. The two new tenants had promptly refused entry to anyone
who didn�t currently know where Potter was and had renewed the Fidelius charm,
erasing the location from many people�s minds, including Albus Dumbledore. When
Dumbledore confronted them; Tonks said that unlike Black and Lupin, both her
and her colleague enjoyed their peace and did not appreciate having people walking
about at all hours of the night.

Severus had to commend her; he had never seen a more
affronted expression on the old man�s face before.

Reaching the gargoyle, Severus gave the password (�Fizzing Whizzbees�)
and stepped on the rotating staircase. The door at the top was closed, but
Severus opened it anyway, without announcing himself. He was glad that he did
as he saw Dumbledore sitting with his back turned to the doorway, holding a
ring above his head so that it would catch the light.

Severus� heartbeat quickened as he felt that ring exude an
aura that was achingly familiar to his ex-lover and master�s. He knew
immediately what it was, and as he announced his presence and Dumbledore
whirled to face him, hastily stowing the ring away on his desk, Severus knew
that he had to get that ring.

He had to get that Horcrux.

)(0)(

A note on ages:

All of the Harry Potter characters have had their birthdates
bumped up by ten years, making this the start of this story take place in 2006.

The birthdays were taken off of the Harry Potter lexicon so:

Remus - March 10^th 1970 (instead of 1960) making
him 36 having had his birthday.

Bill - November 29^th 1980 making him 25, not
having had his birthday yet.

Harry - July 31^st 1990, making him 16 after his
birthday.

Neville - July 30^th 1990, making him 16 like
Harry.

This means that Twilight characters will have their
birthdates bumped up by a single year so:

Bella - September 13^th 1989 (rather than 1988) -
will be 17 upon arrival in Forks, having had her birthday.

The vampires will more than likely keep their birthdays.
Also, the thing about vampires eating was an exploitation of my creative
licence. The Cullens pretty much eat for Esme�s sake
and to keep up appearances though they avoid eating human food whenever
possible e.g. at work or school. I�ll explain later on how the whole digestion
idea works.

I�m doing a poll for the additional pairings, the choices
are:

Neville with Jacob Black, James the vampire nomad or Angela
Weber,

Draco with Jacob, James, Angela, Leah Clearwater or a member
of the Volturi (let me know which one).

This poll will be ongoing and the results will be tallied
with the polls on my LiveJournal and my
fanfiction.net profile. I will not be releasing the results at any point. Also,
please note that I am open to the idea of threesomes.

Remember, it you want to be added to the mailing list you need to clearly state it in a review and put your email in the actual review. Several people haven't been added to the mailing list because I couldn't get their email addresses which didn't show at all on the site.

Thanks go to Kaikan and SoapieSleeps for their amazing help with editing!
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