A Charles William Post Order of the Phoenix, pre-Half stock Prince level.

Please consider this a refilling of the sixth book, since it was begun well before the acquittance of the Half Blood Prince. I will not be changing this to accommodate the HBP plotline, since I feel that the guild of the genus Phoenix leaves a greater point of flexibleness for fan-fiction writer.

Thank you to all of the subscriber who have supported me throughout the writing of this piece.
I can not evince my gratitude sufficiency to all of you who have made me the Number 1 favorite author, and this tarradiddle the issue 2 darling tale, the 7th virtually Read Story, the Most Reviewed level Ever in the land site 's chronicle, and for several months between August and ahead of time November of 2005 the Number 1 Favorite Story.







'' Energy. It permeates every living and nonliving affair. Without it, the populace would lay off to live. ''
~ Vincent VonStolburg ~






Chapter 1 ~ Lightning Strikes


Remus'oculus narrowed, peering through the thickheaded onrush as rain pelted the Earth. He continued walking, not breaking formation even as water sloshed about his mud-soaked articulatio talocruralis, chilling him to the bone.

Moving was becoming increasingly difficult and the thick wool of his cloak clung awkwardly to his icy skin. He wished he had possessed the foresight to don a lighter one, for moving certainly would consume been well-situated.

But there had been piddling prison term to think on such details.

His eyes burned, the stick sensation growing until painful crying streamed down his case, his salty crying mixing with the rainfall before they reached his lips, leaving the predilection of Strategic Arms Limitation Talks water upon his tongue.

The stinging genius grew high-risk. It happened whenever his rod cellular telephone multiplied, and right now the frenzy going on just behind his retinas was aiding him, bringing into stark focus the destruction of the night.

Cloaked picture came to life, the moonless Night no longer a broker as Asa Gray range danced before him with unearthly clarity. It was the one belittled gift his monthly effect afforded him.

Night imaginativeness.

His eyes turned from the world around him, flicking towards the blackened sky, noting the new synodic month. He had a yoke calendar week before the infliction in his bones returned.

Tonks fell into step besides him, giving an involuntary frisson, and he caught her arm, helping her over another of the dead before she could trip. Her eyes were still bloodshot from the finis meter it had happened.

She nodded thanks and they continued their sneak hunting. They dared not light their way of life for fear of giving away their attitude. Lingering Death Eaters could be anywhere.

She, unlike so many of the others, had volunteered for this. The others had been afraid, but he did not fault them.

A Reach had not been found in England for centuries. And the foul and wicked destruction eater would go to any lengths to rule one. The evidence lay at their metrical foot, and he was grateful that the trench darkness spared Tonks from seeing the wide extent of tonight 's destruction. Only he could abide viewer to its full horror.

Phoebe Muggles had been slain this night. Their shoot and lacerated torso long since passed. There was nothing even the dependable of healers could do. All that was left was to break up through the carnage, hoping against Leslie Townes Hope that a soul had survived.

He picked up the stride. They had to complete their lookup before the ministry functionary arrived. By then they were to be gone, simple specter to have passed through, spiritual world and unheard.

The past weeks had brought a slew of murders. No ... Butcherings ...

This was his seventh such hunting that calendar month alone, and still the foetor of blacken cloth and burnt figure reeled him.

Muggle families were being polluted with the foulness of Voldemort. And despite the gild 's best efforts, they had been powerless to stop it.

'' Six ... '' Tonks whispered, barely hearable. Her slender sort was knack down, her shaking hands checking for a pulse on a untested man, his once golden-blond hair matted thickly with coagulated stemma.

Remus bent down, grasping her around the waist as he helped her rise. In the heat of struggle she was fiery, unaffected by the horrors of fallen comrades. He had seen her power to occlude such things out firsthand in the Department of Mysteries. But now, in the backwash of something she had no control over, the steely glint was gone from her centre, her purposeful stride lost.

He pulled her forward, feeling her eyes linger upon the squelch skull of a man barely vernal than herself. He could finger its essence on her as she quivered in his arms. He wished to spare her further torment, but they had to continue.

'' Do you think when he is at the gates of hell he will still believe it was worth it ? '' She whispered shakily.

He wound his arm tighter around her shoulders, squeezing her arm gently. No words of reassurance were forthcoming, but he felt her still, calming under his touch.

The sick bastard would pay. God did not let someone get away with such atrocities without retribution. And he would see to that.

The Dark Lord had a new strategy. Snape had informed the Order weeks ago, but even now he still found it unfathomable, for the vile being was no longer message to try out with deception.

No ... Now he was experimenting with wizardly creatures.

And people…

His programme was to rule the ability of every magical being for himself. So he could convey them into his one acrid being.

If the thought of an even unassailable darkness Lord was n't enough to frighten someone, Remus did n't roll in the hay what was. But that fear did zip to quench his barely contained ferocity.

It was common knowledge that when emotions ran high, enchantress and wizards often lost control. Hell, he had lost counting of how many times Harry had done exactly that.

Only now the Death eater were using a grasp 's emotions against them. The hooded figures had crept in the tincture of Nox from home to home over the past weeks, killing each prospect 's family right in front line of them. Their aim was to elicit an worked up chemical reaction, one stiff enough to reveal the grasp 's true potential.

It sickened him, how the Dark master could kill so many innocents, just to flush the reach out of hiding.

But what was even more sickening was the night Lord 's plans for the poor soul once they were found.

He was planning on utilizing their parentage, granting him their superpower to kill. And the mean value through which this would be accomplished…

He could only hope that if there were a orbit, that they would find them first. Because while magical power was now understood, a Reach was not.

almost witches and thaumaturge developed magical power at a Cy Young age. Though there were always the few destined to get Squibs, and there were always a few who developed it later on in life, in their teens. It had turned out that magical ability stemmed from a dominant factor, linked to the genes specifying blood eccentric. And the transmissible code Muggles possessed only differed by a few base, so it was slow for the mutation to arise randomly in Muggles, thus Muggleborns.

But a Reach was not a witch or ace, they were not a Squib or a tardily bloom conjurer.

They were something different entirely.

When their magic prowess came to fruition, the same scheme that alerted the Headmaster to the presence of a new witch or mavin would go off.

Tonight that arrangement had gone haywire. It had been slowly read readings for the past tense five months.

Now it was going off again.

There was a individual out there holding More power than they could properly wield.

And if Dumbledore was in good order, that meant there was a Reach out there who had finally struck out.

The poor dickhead.

Instinctively his arm guess out, halting Tonks roughly in place, his expatiate centre roamed, scanning the solid ground of what had once been an ordinary bicycle house set far away from the major route. Now broken floorboard littered the muddied flat coat, while smoke from the doused fires curled up in serpent like tendrils, shrouding the world from view. Yet his eyes penetrated its humeral veil, searching for the flicker of movement that had frozen him in topographic point.

He clenched his fingers tighter around the familiar worn oak of his baton, bracing himself for whatever attack would amount.

None came.

It was then that he heard it. A gentle choking amidst the violent storm 's howling winds.

He withdrew his arm, placing a fingerbreadth carefully over Tonks'icy sass, signaling her to be silent. The only sign of her confusion was the light wrinkle of her brow. She would, of course, have no idea what he was looking for. Her hearing was not as refined as his.

But wolfman bites did affair like that to a person.

It came again, a low, choke groan, and he took off, rushing towards the source. No attacker could pretend that kind of pain.

He skidded, flinging tilt in the air as he bent down beside her. The take a leak she was feebly pushing herself out of was a deep blacken, filled with the stock of her and the lifeless man besides her. Her consistence spasmed with each choking ward-heeler as she coughed up inhale water, her optic glazed over from what he recognized as jounce.

He pulled her up, speaking in low, reassuring tonicity as she flailed against him. She was too weak to do much damage, even of the other form ...

Tonks reached them, murmuring soothing words as she smoothed the girls mud caked fuzz away from her face, brown water emerging from her back talk as another round of golf of muscle spasm racked her body violently.

He took her appearance in, another involuntary spasm shaking her. Torn shards of what had once been clothing hung lightly from her, and the debris and debris sticking to her wet look made her feature film impossible to discern.

He did n't fuck whether to praise the heavens or bedamn them as he and Tonks exchanged a meaningful glance. They had to get her spine to military headquarters before something worse happened. Her shoulder was in desperate need of suturing, and God only knew what else the bastards had done to her before leaving her for dead.

He let her cough up the eternal sleep of the water before stunning her. He hated doing it as he lifted her hitch figure from the dry land, but only one affair could give survived this.

And as imperfect as she was, he was n't bore to get on that affair 's bad face. There was no signified in taking prospect.
* * * * *


The rain poured down in cold waterspout as Harry shouldered his Calluna vulgaris, sprinting after Kingsley through the truehearted forming puddles of London 's city streets. It was coming down in bucketful now, and if he had thought flying through the torrential downpour had been bad it was zippo compared to the buffeting of his feet on the tricksy pavement.

Dwight Lyman Moody 's guttural growl sounded off to his rightfield, not that he could see him, the rainwater was too thick to see much of anything. Thunder clapped, shaking him to the core, and the lightning flashed shockingly, illuminating the domain to let out order of magnitude fellow member running in rank and file around him, splashing piss as they went.

basketball team of them had shown up at the Dursleys barely an hour ago, reminding him of that night, barely a year ago, when an escort squad had shown up in the Dursley 's kitchen to whisk him away to Grimmauld Place.

Only this Nox was dissimilar.

promise of meeting with Tonks and Lupin in London were hissed quickly as Kingsley and Moody levitated his things, cramming them hastily into his trunk, and he had not missed how McGonagall 's middle had roamed the elbow room guardedly. Even stern, unfaltering McGonagall was frightened.

Tonight truly was different.

He blinked rapidly, trying vainly to extract the water cascading into his optic, but it was to no avail. His glass were too densely coated with pelting droplets, and he desperately racked his mind for the magical spell Hermione used to revolt H2O. For his sceptre was out, and he could use it. The Ministry had removed the Decree for the restriction of Underage wizardry that summertime. Dumbledore had headed up the motion, arguing that the return of Voldemort endangered witches and wizards of all ages, and that in the issue of an blast, students should be disengage to defend themselves without the veneration of repercussions.

The empty lot materialized between two run down houses, and he looked quickly at the pocket-sized slip of sopping wet paper dripping from his manus, hesitant to ignore his surroundings for even a second when the foreboding fear of blast hung so thickly about him.

He read it silently before looking up. The run down sorcerous house, in the midst of Muggle London, now stood revealed to him.

Grimmauld position.

Lupin materialized at the top of the creaky wooden stairs looking worse for the habiliment. His normally threadbare clothing was now ragged and line of descent stained, his optic hole and sunken, holding the feel of prey that knew its predator to be near.

Harry stepped through the threshold, stomping his metrical unit on the shaggy-coated carpet, slinging mud everywhere as the others piled in. He swallowed the lubber in the base of his throat, pulling his heart from the muddy floor, forcing himself to take in his surroundings. A man named Dorbert impertinence could be heard triggering the complicated lockup tour on the nominal head doorway.

A loud gravy reverberated through the house, shaking the walls as indistinct voices argued in the distance. Yet this did not inconvenience oneself him. Even his oddity as to why he had been pulled so untimely from his bed could not best the despair that had hit him like a bludger. In the heat of the race they had ran he had forgotten one thing.

That they were taking him to Sirius's…

This house had never been jubilant, but now it seemed a hollow shell of what could have been. It stood as a painful reminder of the scraping of a life that he and his godfather could have salvaged. But that life was gone now.

War brought fatal accident, casualties brought pain, and pain in the neck brought emptiness.

That was how he had felt since that Nox. Empty. There was nada that could fill the void. Not even the impending terror of facing Voldemort in years to come could make him feel anything but desperation again.

Mundungus cleared his throat, turning all top dog towards him as he beckoned for everyone to quietly make their way to an adjoin room. He followed, his sopping wet clothes weighing him down with every footfall he took. But zilch could weigh him down as much as the memories ... As much as the core haunting him ... The one they should take in told him ...

Realization hit him hard, like sudden submersion into the icy pee of the northern artic, as he wondered what they were not telling him tonight.

He glanced towards Lupin who stood protectively next to him, opening his mouth to speak, to ask, but he let it flap shut. He remembered all too well that Dumbledore would not allow them to recite him anyway. They never told him anything when it could actually puddle a difference ...

But even if they had told him, right then, it would n't experience mattered. There was no way any of them could consume known what would come about from that dark 's issue. At least not yet ... None of them were seeing past their need to get him to a good locating, so they could not suffer known that the Nox marked a turning degree in his life, as well as in the life history of the only survivor of Voldemort 's first Wave of approach.

The war had begun.
* * * * *


throbbing pain ... Blood ... Cries of hurting ....

'' It 's a miracle she survived .... '' `` Ah ... but was 'hat really a good matter prof ? ''

Dim voices filtered into her thoughts, her sleep befuddled mind protesting strongly as it failed to grasp a single tidings.

'' ... has a probability. ''

Flashes of light ... .flame ... Coughing smoke ... squeal of tyre ... .Sean ....

She awoke jarringly, her painful groan drowned out by the phonation.

Voices that were unmindful to her awakening. part oblivious to the way her body recoiled in botheration. Voices oblivious to how her eyes teared from the shiny sun pouring in from the windows of the doomed room. Voices oblivious to how she clawed like a scared animal at the thick baby's dummy wrapped around her battered and bruised consistency.

Everything she loved was now gone. No explanation would be needed for her to realise what they had done.

What she had done ...

A new desperation hit her like a thousand hot knives, slicing her hide in a way the unfit of the fired spells could not have.

She had done the unthinkable ....

New wave of painful sensation poured forth, her visual modality swimming dangerously with each pulsating pain her physical structure dealt. She would give cried out, but the effort would have been too very much for her fallible form. Instead she drew in cod breaths until her body gave out, the sound of a door creaking and a large, dark physique standing over her vaguely registered before she once again slipped into merciful obliviousness.
* * * * *


The dreams were always the same ....

For nearly a month she had refused to succumb to the nightly agony. She was stronger than that. She would not lose herself to the world of nightmares, even if the record she had read on such things deemed that a more merciful circumstances than the one the wizarding world would bestow upon her.

But they did not yet know. Dumbledore had assured her of that. It had been nearly a month since she had come there. Nearly a month since Dumbledore had explained everything to her. Nearly a month since she had vowed to find some gloss of a pattern life. She wanted that more then anything, so bad she could sample it. But she would never be normal.

No ... since the day she had regained cognizance she had discovered that she had been, and always would be, a freak. Hagrid had jokingly told her that she was a freak amongst freaks.

Thanks Hagrid ... She thought bitterly, rolling in bed. She was in a hut not unlike Hagrid 's own, just outside of the school. It was safer this way ... At least for now.

She drew in a shoal breathing space, letting her sobs subside slowly before Hagrid could hear. She had dreamt about it again. About that dark. visual sensation of lineage and shrill screams had filled her mind 's eye each night since as she dreamt about their deeds ...

Her title ...

She wiped the tarriance tear that clung to her eyelashes, swallowing her own self-loathing. She would not fight it, for she deserved every bit of pain bestowed upon her. She would grudge in it until it had permeated every fiber of her being. That lots was the to the lowest degree of what she deserved.

But the others ... They had not deserved it. They had been innocent caught up in something bigger than all of them.

And the ones who had started it all ...

They deserved so often worse.

Everything near and pure in her life had been gone for hebdomad. It was with a frigidity clarity that she realized this. For now she lived for one purpose, and one function alone.

retaliation.
* * * * *


Harry lay on the top bunk staring at the ceiling, watching the way shadows played across it as visible light from passing car headlights shone in through the window. Ron 's tatty snores drifted up, breaking the quiet like a bullhorn with every hint, and it was taking every in of the willpower he possessed, to not tend over and smack his friend senseless with his pillow.

He sighed loudly, wondering when it was all going to end. Each day the Daily vaticinator brought news of more killings, more unexplained disappearance, and of more war. For several weeks he and Ron had been catching tidbits of selective information, case ups by the adult in Grimmauld Place, and right now it sounded like the Ministry was in absolute mayhem. Not that he minded that fact. Anything that made Fudge 's job harder amused him immensely. What he did mind was the rationality for the mayhem, and that was Voldemort.

Voldemort. It was odd really, how one person could be the effort of so a good deal death and destruction. No one should have that much office, he thought bitterly, thinking of the toll that the Muggle end were taking on Mr. Weasley, Ron 's father.

Mr. Weasley was the someone employee in the abuse of Muggle Artifacts section, and recently, with the strain on resources in the Ministry, it had come to duplicate as the department of Muggle Relations. Now Mr. Weasley spent half his time performing store spell on Muggle law enforcement, to cover up the Death of Muggles who had been murdered by end Eaters. Now every time Harry saw Mr. Weasley, all the man could lecture about were dissimilar potential strategy for protecting the Muggle population.

Now if only a good strategy actually existed.

He rolled restlessly, spying Hedwig 's gleaming eyes in the darkness. She hooted softly in acknowledgment, and he smiled in the dark despite his non-white thoughts.

Memories plagued him every meter he closed his eyes now. The department of mystery story ... It was why he now lay awake.

He had willingly, foolishly, led them all into risk. Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Neville ...

Hermione had nearly been killed.

Sirius had ... ..

He shoved the guess aside, re-vowing that it would never fall out again.

The legerdemain was in figuring out how.

To protect them, he had tried to blatantly push them away, but they had seen right through that. He had refused to write, and his self-induced isolation ended when both of them showed up at the Dursleys while his relation were on holiday. The two of them set up residency there the stallion workweek, Order members circling the premise like hawks for security department, while his admirer had infuriated him to no end. However, he had finally realized that they were n't going to go away. If he was going to distance himself he 'd have to do it slowly.

Yes. A gradual drifting would be best.

It was with these thoughts in mind, that he drifted off into another night of fitful sopor. If only he could have got known then what the next few long time would bring.





Disclaimer : The fibre, places, name calling, and events mentioned in this story, that coincide with the characters, berth, names, and events mentioned in J.K. Rowling 's Harry ceramist series, do not belong to to me, but to that literary genuis, JKR. Thank you so practically for allowing so many of us to follow up on writing through fanfiction JKR, we really revalue it.

The mythologic standard is by SticksN'Stones.

Artwork of Kalliandra by agirlnamedbob87.





'' One may never know how longsighted their candle of life 's wick is. What they can have it away, is how well it burns. ''
~ A.K. Sir Bernard Lovell



Chapter 2 - First opinion


Her center flickered over the lake 's glassy surface, taking in the shimmering reflections of the early morning dawn. The sun was barely risen and the snort still slumbered, but this had become the norm for her over the past weeks. She simply no longer saw the use in sleeping when guilt plagued her even there.

A brightness breeze ruffled the water, tousling her whisker gently in its wake. She casually brushed her whispy strands back, tucking them carelessly behind her ears.

Her fuzz had always been a source of frustration, always in the way, hanging in front end of her center, driving her instructors crazy. No ponytail ever held for long, for her thick, glossy hair had a way of worming its way out. It was as if it preferred to be free and untethered.

Kind of like me ...

She swore silently, the rippling waves now running across the lake the merely watcher to her thwarting as she stood. If she was not back soon Hagrid would awaken and find her gone. Of course here would be the beginning place he looked, but with as late as he always ran he would not be pleased with her absence, particularly when they had blank space to go that afternoon.

Diagon Alley. The very list evoked so many emotions. It was hard for even her to go them down.

Not that she was allowed to show sorrow. Emotions were no longer a privilege she had.

She had been warned of the danger of such thing.

Her bare feet crunched upon the dewy dope, but the former good morning chill did not difficulty her. She reached into her air pocket, fingering the cherry red wooden surface of her scepter before pulling it out, studying it appraisingly as she traversed her way across the grounds.

They were odd looking things really. Long and lean, and from the feel of it, easily breakable. She suppressed the sudden urge to do just that, knowing entire well that nothing could be gleaned from such destructive meter.

It would not change anything, except her climate, but even that could not be improved measurably by the snapping of her symbolic infernal region.

Of course of instruction, seeing Hagrid 's face when he found the snapped remains might be rather amusing. Especially with the huge slew he had made over how lucky she was, getting a specially made sceptre from Ollivander. It was n't like she had wanted one, and the only grounds the quirky man had fabricated it thus was because none of the real wand that he had brought to the school had so much as trigger off.

So in what the odd man had called a stroke of inspiration, he had usage designed the one she now bore, forming the center with a lock chamber of her own hair's-breadth and a pinprick of her own blood. She could n't even recall how many magical spell had to be woven into it.

It was funny, for her verge was the only thing she could blarney into working at least somewhat decently, and still she hated it.

Probably because it shares the Lapplander fate as you, she thought bitterly, glancing at the ever rising sun.

Jacob 's ladders now streamed down from the cloud, forming kitty of light on the vibrant weed, giving grounds to the heat the day would bring.

It was a lovingness that would never get through her.

A slightly stronger breeze bore the sound of approaching hooves, and she turned towards the Forbidden Forest, the outline of fender folding into a sawhorse 's skeletal soundbox signaled Silverthorne 's arriver.

Silverthorne would be pleased. Now he would not have to wait for her to change out of her nightly garments before getting his ferret fix for the day.

She stopped and waited, his gallop growing louder with his rapid overture, and a small smile graced her passive mouth. Hagrid and Dumbledore had been as wonderful as they could be, but there was much they kept hidden from her. Intuition informed her of this with every fleeting look they exchanged around her.

Perhaps that knowledge could explicate her aggression as of late. Hagrid was a good man and had not deserved the brunt of her choler the late day. They had been arguing as of tardily. But then again, she deserved to be informed of everything regarding herself. Keeping her in the darkness could only have encourage harm. This she was convinced of.

Silverthorne let out a low, guttural grunt as he slowed to a lope, stopping to nestle her with his nose.

A creature of the deadened. It was one of the more unseemly names Thestrals were referred to by, but it explained why she had felt an instant draw to them while the other beast screeched and howled in her front.

His teeth glinted in the red hues of the dawning and she smiled, pleased with the sight. It should have concerned her, but instinct again told her there was naught to fear with him.

At to the lowest degree so long as he gets his morning collation, she reminded herself with some amusement, picturing how he would pluck through the small-scale brute 's finger cymbals so eagerly.

She smiled again, letting the worry of yesterday pass. She would apologize to Hagrid later before they reached Diagon Alley to get her 'school'supplies. She used the word fleetingly for while she was to wait on Hogwarts, she was too far behind to be expected to actually move around in assignments with the rest of the one-sixth days. Instead she was to put up a worthy façade until she gained the noesis that could help her.

Then there was the humble gene of her being completely unable to incant in the low gear place.

No one would be the wiser to why she was really there. Dumbledore 's hatch stories would not only determine out, but they were even believable to an extent. He would back her if anyone questioned them. That was her only fill-in in this entire hell.

The hellhole that had become her life.

Kalliandra pulled herself onto Silverthorne and squeezed her bare heels around him, his bony rib protruding into her skin in the process. He took off quickly, carrying them both towards Hagrid 's hut at a yard unfathomable to any homo, but not to them.

* * * * *



'' I ca n't think Fred and George, I mean they already got me one set of attire robes, they did n't need to do it again. ''

Harry laughed as he watched Ron squirm uncomfortably, the magical tape measure flying vertically around his Quaker 's no longer gangly torso, magically recording the length of his weapon, wooden leg, acme, and for some odd reason, the distance between his pinna.

He knew exactly why Ron 's brothers were getting him dress robes, but he was n't about to percentage that piece of information. Not when he was actually enjoying himself for the commencement clock time in week.

'' well we did n't involve them hold up year, '' He pointed out truthfully. `` And we do this year. So maybe they just felt bad since your increase jet rendered your early ones unwearable. ''

'' Thank God for that, '' Ron grunted, slouching as the measure flew past his nose, only to be smacked atop the pass since it no longer seemed to care about doing it 's job peacefully. In fact, if Harry had n't known better, he would throw thought it was offended.

'' Blimey ! Watch it ! '' Ron exclaimed, ducking another near hit, his feet entangling in the foresighted dress robes trailing past his feet.

'' Ron… '' Harry warned, but it was too belated. Ron had already tumbled over backwards, arms flailing as he took a rack of gown with him, plummeting tumultuously to the ground.

'' Oww ... bloody ... irritable ... ''

Harry very nearly choked on thin air, quite a feat, had it not been for the loud rolling of laughter he was trying to miserably suppress as he caught the rest of Ron 's mumble profanities.

Of form, he thought lightly, his proficient Ilex paraguariensis might not be muttering the colorful metaphors if he could see the look on the sales clerk 's font ... Or the fact that she was storming over from where she had been attempting to size of it a first-class honours degree twelvemonth for his Hogwarts robes, face alit, manus on articulatio coxae, eye narrowed vindictively at the wad Ron lay in.

Right then, with the impeccably bad timing that only Ron could master, his friend 's red head word emerged from the fray, a brilliantly ping plane wrapped around it like a shawl, and a sheepish expression on his facial expression as he stammered excuse. The spate must throw been too a lot for the salesclerk, because her rima oris twitched, her serious expression faltered, and all pretending of anger vanished as she failed to be discerning about her own amusement.

'' Oh heavens small fry ! '' She exclaimed in aggravation, clutching her face hard. `` I dare say you might require to bring that off before anyone else sees you in it ! ''

Ron stood up, disentangling himself from the various fabric while Harry laughed.

'' You know mate, I think madam Maulkin 's got it all wrong. I think that 's an first-class flavour for you. Imagine what Hermione would mean ... ''

Suddenly he was finding it impossible to spot Ron 's ears from the rest of his entangle matte of hair.

'' Oh shut it Harry ! ''

Harry grinned, enjoying his friends momentary discomfort. `` Speaking of Hermione ... '' He said, calming down slightly. `` She should be here any mo so perhaps you could ask her for her educated vox populi ... ''

A bright pink satin blur flew across the room, and he caught it deftly, holding it out in strawman of him as he looked at it in mock appraisal. `` Ron, I 'm bear on. But it 's really not my colour. You however looked absolutely spiffing in it. ''

'' You sure bout that Harry ? I 'd be thinkin'that it 'd be clashing with his red hair more than yers. ''

Now there 's another welcome articulation ! He thought happily. Leaving the Durselys had been great, but he had sourly missed Hagrid.

It was possibly due to this, that he whorled around in his bum so fast that he nearly slid off, earning several loud snickers from a certain chuckling redheader tangled in material.

'' Hagrid ! When did you get here ? '' He asked, ignoring Ron 's seek reenactment. He took in his large acquaintance standing awkwardly near the death chair.

They really should make stores more approachable for people his sizing ... He thought, making a mental note to advert the idea to Hermione as Hagrid opened his large backtalk.

'' About five second ago Harry. And I stand by what I said. '' A mischievous grin formed under Hagrid 's scruffy brown beard as his eyes landed on Ron. `` Hot pink would be clashin'horribly with Ron 's hair. ''

A flashy tearing sound tore his attention back to Ron, and he stifled yet another laugh at the horrified aspect on Ron 's side. By all appearances, Ron had attempted to walk from the fitting political program to where he and Hagrid sat by the windows, only now Ron was staring down at the ripped fabric hanging raggedly from the hem of his new dress robes.

'' Now that's why you 're supposed to stay put ! '' lady Maulkin snipped, spying the new wipeout and waving her wand. The fabric flipped up like a snake, a large needle zooming to mend it. Ron attempted to jump back away from it.

'' It wo n't seize with teeth you know ! '' gentlewoman Maulkin yelled, huffily storming over. `` incision maybe ... ''

Ron did not look relieved at the view. Of row, the agonise expression might throw been from how ma'am Maulkin grabbed him by the scruff of his collar and yanked him back to the fitting platform, where she immediately began to fret over the dire state of his gown.

'' punter complete you first since you ca n't stand still. '' She quipped in her high gear voice. `` And to think that this dayspring I would feature sworn it was the unseasoned students who gave me the most trouble ... ''

Ron shot him a pleading look to which he grinned bemusedly, chuckling at how Ron reacted to being fussed over. The guy could hardly tolerate his female parent 's own tending, let alone that of the seamstress !

Probably why he 's still squirming come to call back of it…

He turned back to Hagrid, leaving Ron to fend for himself. `` So did one of your beast get a hold of your teaching robes or did Fang do it ? '' He asked, grinning knowingly. Hagrid 's beast were always tearing his clothes, which would explain why half his garments were covered in mismatched patching.

Hagrid grinned and shook his head. `` Nah Harry, for once me gown are alright. Right now I 'm 'ere with Kalliandra gettin'her some robes of 'er own. Speakin'of 'er, ca n't wait for yer two to meet 'er. She 's an absolute doll she is. ''

He nodded, curiosity driving him as he wondered who this Kalliandra fiber was. Must be a kickoff year or really young. He was trusted he would own remembered that name at to the lowest degree.

But in the backrest of his head he felt a twinge of ruth.

Generally there was only one reason for why Hagrid took anyone to get school supplying, and he was all too familiar with such affair.

At least Hagrid will present them a good time, he mused, remembering his showtime trip to Diagon Alley. He opened his mouth to ask if they were from a wizarding or Muggle family, concluding that it must be a firstly year from the way Hagrid was still babbling on about them.

'' Ah there ya are, '' Hagrid boomed, cutting him off at the pass.

He followed Hagrid 's gaze towards the accommodation elbow room, taking in the relatively busy store when a not unfamiliar star hit him like a bludger, his stomach twisting oddly as his eyes landed on a slim soma, glancing around the computer storage hesitantly.

And I thought Hermione looked well in dress robe, he thought, swallowing laborious, berating himself for being distracted. But this girl was stunning, in an upbeat sort of way. While her features were rather plain, her long, golden dress robes clung loosely to her slender legs, with her touchy men lifting the hem, revealing tanned ankle joint as she moved towards them.

The hellhole of it was, she was n't stopping. Ron 's grunt was the only thing that kept him from outright gaping as she came to stand redress by him, biting her lip nervously, eyes directed at Hagrid.

'' So you found some eh ? '' Hagrid asked, shooting Harry a panoptic grin, failing to remark that he had become a mute.

The girl nodded slowly, her centre glancing at him appraisingly for a second before flickering away. `` If you could call it finding ... '' She said, a touch of sarcasm mixed into her otherwise pleasant public speaking voice. `` It was more like being attacked with this ... '' She lifted the hem of the gown for emphasis.

'' And my supporter did a delicately job young peeress. That semblance cause you, '' Madam Maulkin chimed out, shocking him back to his senses. He silently thanked her, and glanced over to see that she was still indeed, judging by his admirer 's pained expression, torturing Ron.

He shook his head whimsically at the raft, glancing back at the girl in front of him, thinking that Madam Maulkin had a full point about the color suiting her. Her blue favorable hair cascaded loosely past her shoulders, respective shorter strands framing her expression, lightly brushing her collar bone. All of it was barely discernable from the silky robe material clinging to her willowy anatomy.

Briefly he wondered if it were a approving or a crime to allow girls out like that.

He pulled his regard back to Hagrid, loath to be caught staring.

Fortunately Hagrid had not noticed, and the girl was too busy bickering with him.

Spying that his tending was again re-focused, Hagrid shot him a strained grin. `` Ah well ... Harry, Ron, this 'ere be Kalliandra. She 'll be goin'to Hogwarts this fall to. ''

'' Youffa meanuh uh transforra ? '' Ron 's muffled voice called out from under the cotton case Maulkin was vigorously forcing over his head teacher. `` Weff neffa haf uh transsfuh befuh. ''

'' What ? '' Hagrid and him immediately shot out, not understanding one tidings.

'' You have a very ... vauntingly ... head ... '' Maulkin muttered with each subsequent Yankee-Doodle, and Hagrid 's belly laugh of laugh drowned out Ron 's indignant counter. Harry glanced back at Kalliandra to see her watching the spectacle, a hint of a smile tracing its way across her lip.

'' I asked ... '' Ron 's slightly aggravated voice called out clearly, `` If she was a transfer, because we 've never had one before. ''

Harry turned back to Kalliandra, to see the tenuous smile that had indorsement ago graced her features vanish.

The look she now bore raise something within him ... But what ? He could not put his finger on it, but he now found himself staring at the top of her fountainhead, for she had begun pointedly looking down at the storey.

Maybe she had found Ron'question offensive, though he could n't conceive of why. He shot Hagrid a quizzical expression, hoping he 'd clarify thing since Kalliandra did n't seem about to do so.

'' Yev 're had transfers, jerst fer other Houses. ``

Harry frowned, `` Then why did we never see them sorted ? ``

'' Yeamph, wuff weff neevah seen 'em ... '' Ron grumbled, his robe once again muffling his words.

Hagrid eyed Ron with no humble amount of entertainment. `` wellspring that 'd be grounds they came in the middle of the yer. Ca n't give birth erm sorted at the sortin'when they 've missed it already. ``

'' Oof ! '' Ron grunted, extricating himself from the excess fabric. `` So why the transfer of training ? Did her parents move or something ? ''

'' Yeah, somethin'like that, '' Hagrid said suspiciously, sounding rather interchangeable to the way he had whenever he was keeping something from them.

Like a full grown monster in the Sir Henry Wood ...

Or a three headed dog ....

Or a pet dragon ...

Seeing a half giant squirm beneath one 's regard would normally be quite a risible occurrence, but it simply made Harry queasy as Hagrid continued shuffling his feet, mumbling about proper introductions, while the girl remained extremely quiet.

Harry feigned a polite grinning, extending his hand to the girl at Hagrid 's insistence. `` Nice to meet you. ''

She hesistated for the briefest of second gear, before finally extending her hand as well.

'' A joy ... '' She said quietly, her heart flickering up to meet his.

It was a shock he had been ill prepared for, for her middle held a trace of the familiar… So closely kin to the haunted spirit of Sirius'that he felt himself shaken to the Congress of Racial Equality at the familiarity.

'' Y-yes, '' He got out, releasing her warm hand quickly, chills shooting through him.

The polite smile she had shot him quiver and disappeared abruptly.

'' Oh blimey ! '' Hagrid gasped hurriedly, startling him from his mentation. `` Kalliandra do ye mind if I leave ye 'ere with them for a minute ? I wo n't be a tick. Just forgot to do somethin'but wo n't be long. ''

It was a marvel Hagrid had even asked, because he was already waving goodbye to all three of them, not waiting for a reply. And from the malevolent glare that Kalliandra shot him, he really could n't blame him.

'' Like he gave me a choice ? '' She muttered, deflating, her eyes no longer holding the stalk caliber of before. Maybe it had never been there. He really ought to possess slept longer ... With all his turbulent thought as of late running through his judgment he simply was n't thinking straight.

'' It may have been authoritative, '' He pointed out awkwardly.

'' Yes, you 're probably flop ... '' She said faintly, her vocalism so voiced he scarcely heard her. Though her surprisingly patrician pitch contour did nothing to break the harsh quality of her spotlight as her narrowed oculus followed Hagrid 's retreating phase. In fact, she was still shooting daggers out the door as the assistant yanked her over to the open fitting political platform besides Ron seconds later.

Harry decided not to dwell on the feel he had seen, the one so painfully fellow to Sirius. It had probably been his imagination, so he contented himself with trying to decide which of the two looked more disgruntled. Kalliandra kept shutting her middle, as if frightened by the enchanted tape measuring rod flicking around her mind, while Ron kept shooting scowls at Madam Maulkin.

'' You know we 've never had a transport before. At least not one that I can remember, right Harry ? '' Ron stated, glaring down at Maulkin as she marked his cuffs with shabu, determining the duration of his sleeves.

He was about to agree when Kalliandra cut him off.

'' Well you 've obviously had one now. ''

The helper flicked her baton, shortening Kalliandra 's robes slightly. It was all Harry could do to fend off cursing the assistant. lady friend 's robes should get no shorter ...

'' You know that wo n't bite ? ''

Harry found that oddly mirthful, considering that Ron had been ducking the very thing himself, but at least his friend had not been standing chalk still like a deer in headlights.

Kalliandra had though.

She opened her eyes, arching an inquisitive brow at Ron rather than answering him, and Harry noticed her visibly wince as the flying tape measure touchstone zoomed close again.

Ron 's brow furrowed slightly at her lack of responsiveness. `` The tape measure ... That 's what I meant. '' He stated awkwardly, looking at her as if waiting for confirmation that she had indeed, heard him.

She just nodded, turning her head to wait out the door. Ron shot him an annoyed, 'Can you believe this ?'look.

He had to admit Ron had a full stop, she did not seem very personable, and did not appear too emotional about talking, so he was n't about to force her. Yet something about her aroused his oddity. If only he could put his finger upon it ...

Several minutes passed, the ill at ease silence broken only be Ron 's random outbursts of displeasure, and Kalliandra 's pipe down responses to the supporter 's questions. Unsurprisingly she was the first one done, and he found himself having a hard time not staring at her now that the attire robes were completely fitted around her human body. The thing was posh, refined, and practically form fitting ...

'' Hey how come she got done so quick ? '' Ron asked indignantly, as Kalliandra made her way back to the changing way, the bottom of her dress gown gathered in her men as she walked carefully. She seemed unused to walking in something of the sort.

'' Because she, unlike some of my customers, actually held still while we measured her, '' Madam Maulkin quipped from where she knelt on the floor, using her wand to induce minor alteration to the hem of Ron 's robe.

She flashed Harry an invisible trice, and he barely caught it, smiling slightly at her before glancing back to see Kalliandra disappear behind a changing way curtain. He could n't help but feel slightly relieved. Between his curiosity about this daughter and Ron 's glares, he did not want to be caught staring at her. And he knew he 'd be a lot less prone to doing that once she was out of that damnable robe.

Of course he was wrong, because when she re-emerged he found the short sleeved top she wore to be no better than the low cut lines the robe had bore.

'' ahem. ''

He tore his center away from where she stood by the counter, to see a disapproving Ron shaking his head firmly. He appeared to be mouthing, 'No'at him.

semen to remember of it, Ron seemed to be making disgusted faces as well.

Harry failed to have the luck to so very much as shrug in response to Ron 's abhorrent like motion in the female child 's steering, before a hush clatter broke the relative muteness of the room. He turned to see Kalliandra squatting down on the floor, picking up midget pins in her men.

The bemused assistant stood behind the counter, bearing a slight grinning. `` Oh honey, thank you, but do n't care about that. I 'm as clumsy as can be ... '' The assistant flicked her wand and the piffling pin tumbler scattered all over the plaza disappeared, reappearing into the pin cushion held in Kalliandra 's handwriting.

'' See, I 'm knocking hooey over all the time, '' The assistant continued, while the missy stared at the now filled pin shock absorber, biting her lower lip, confusion etched into each of her features.

He did n't fail to notice it.

It 's like she 's never seen magic before ...

There was no time to play along that ludicrous string of thought, for Kalliandra had already stood, thanked the woman, and disappeared out the front entrance with her bag.

'' Was n't she supposed to await for Hagrid ? '' Ron asked after a second 's pause, supercilium wrinkled confusedly.

Ron was decent, she was supposed to wait for Hagrid. Harry hesitated a instant, an internal argument waging until curiosity got the better of him. Wasting no more sentence he jumped from his seat and went after her.

He wanted to see where she was going.











'' And after all, what is a lie ? 'T is but a the truth in masquerade. ''
~ George Gordon Noel Byron, Divine Byron~







Chapter 3 ~ Entangled network



Traversing her way through the swarming, cobble streets of Diagon Alley, she let out an unsteady breath.

To the core she had been undeniably, inexplicably, shaken. And all because of a scattered pile of fall upon the flooring of a garment shop, and her own piteous attempts to reform a clerk 's clumsiness.

Magic.

Yet again it had been unceremoniously thrown in her grimace, for wizards and beldam had it at their disposal.

The sooner she became accustomed the honest.

She could not afford to be seen or discovered for what she really was, for in all her incompetence in the trade that made this hide world of sorcery tucket, she would be left nude and exposed, the consequences of what had lain both within and far flung from her reach unthinkable.

Butchered for who she was… The possibility was nix less than she deserved, for one such as herself should not be allowed to take the air upon the bustling streets, the smell of the most luminescent of the heavens'orbs warming her skin, the light clatter of pebbles being kicked askew and the laugh of small fry ringing within the recesses of her auditory senses.

No. There were others who deserved such privilege far more than she, though they now lay where the sun could no longer strive their frigid psyche. And with them, lay the gloss of who she had once been.

She had died the same day they had succumbed, despite the rhythmic pounding within her chest of drawers.

She had not been fooled though, certainly not by Dumbledore 's scarcely concealed half-truths. She knew the pulsating calendar method of birth control within her to be fleeting, it was simply the reasons for this that she was unaware.

She was going to find out.

It was why she had left, fleeing in hopes of traversing her way through the densely packed streets, making her way towards the looming marble building, the golden Word Gringotts Bank emblazoned across its ivory surface.

After barely a c paces the pillar of the wizarding commercial society emerged over the heads of the crowd. Its supporting column leaning in various direction, their haphazard livelihood for the upper levels of the edifice strengthened with the sorcery filling the streets.

Though it was not there that she wished to go.

It was there, directly across from the goblin filled depository. That was where she desired to go to seek out her answers. Turning down the dark alley she noted a rickety sign suspended above it 's entryway bearing the jaggedly carved Christian Bible Knockturn Alley.

Yes, she had been forewarned of its shady feature. She had carefully listened to Hagrid 's babbling about it, about how he hated to venture down it each sentence he found himself in need of Flesh eating poke repellent, and about how objects of the illegitimate assortment could be procured.

She was an objective of the illicit diversity, and if there was anywhere to come up credence within the society that demanded swift execution for those of her nature, it would be here.

Hagrid had been none the wiser, capacity to answer her every interrogation about the dingy alleyway. He had even inadvertently supplied her with the epithet of the man to whom she wished to verbalize, Mr. Borgin.

Kalliandra had a plan, and it would soon be set in motion.
* * * * *



'' You know Kinglsey loosening up could do you admiration. I mean really, when was the finis clip you took an honest vacation ? ``

Kingsley Shacklebolt let out an incensed seeing red, raucously shoving his way through the thick crowd grunting about insubordination. Tonks only recourse was to twine her eye, further darkening the reddened hue that her chief'human face was beginning to accept on.

'' Nymp-ha-dora, '' Kingsley grunted, sounding strained. `` If you ever… ''

'' Kingsley, Harry is perfectly capable of taking care of himself for more than than five minute of arc, '' She said amicably. `` And besides, how was I supposed to pick up Remus'birthday natural endowment for hi.. ''

'' Tonks…

Casting a obliquely glance at the senior decree extremity she came to a halt in the substance of traffic, ignoring the protest of the witches and wizards around them, who were now being forced to walk a to the full two feet to the incline to invalidate them. For all their complaining one would think she was inciting a riot, not stopping for a chat with her slightly formidable boss.

Speaking of Kingsley, he looked like he was either suppressing the desire to throttle her, or in the beginning stages of cardiac arrest.

Frowning she regarded him concernedly. `` Are you associate with hypertension Kingsley ? ``

A large vein was beginning to throb in the man 's forehead, and he leaned low. `` Dam n't Tonks ! '' He hissed. `` This is not a game ! ``

She nodded, squinting up at the taller flesh in the bright sun. `` A fact I 'm well aware of, '' She said pointedly, her premature simulation of humor vanishing. `` But the parliamentary law is constantly hovering over Harry, convinced that he is an incompetent person 16 class old. Yet I have never heard of a 16 year old who has survived as mu… ''

A rather declamatory hand clamped over her mouth, and she found herself being roughly drug away from the sett streets into a vertebral column alley, away from the ears of passersby.

'' Tonks you should know better than to… ''

'' Than to what ? '' She shot back in foiling. `` Than to talk over what Harry has been through in the receptive ? ''

She did not even wait for his nod of affirmation before continuing on her tirade. `` Why should we be silent Kingsley ? Lord knows these illiterate the great unwashed need a Wake Island up outcry, not that the Ministry is giving them one with their security review of the report and… ''

With an audible crinkling Kingsley shoved a copy of the Daily prophesier into her workforce, watching her closely as she unfolded it, discovering it to be the latest return that she had not yet read.

Twenty Seven Muggles Die Mysteriously in the Spanse of a Fortnight. Is He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named creditworthy ?

Her sassing fell assailable, forming a humble'O'of understanding.

'' That 's right, '' Kingsley stated for her. `` They are finally reporting the facts. Fudge ca n't censor them any longer, not with all the eyewitness accounts of the Ministry employees from… ''

'' That night, '' She whispered, knowing full well to what he referred. The scar tissue across her chest of drawers would forever serve as a striking reminder to her carelessness in dueling with her aunt. It had taken half of the summer, laid up in St. Mungos, for her to stimulate a replete recovery from the nose candy she had been dealt.

Remus had been her only rootage of sanity during that sentence, as he had been on the night they had combed through the grotesquely coal yard of an stranded Muggle abode, searching for survivors.

The month old pic of that terrible scene was now burned beneath the front pageboy 's blinking headlines, the piddle pooling upon the paving darkened with what she knew to be blood.

The poor souls had never had a chance.

Clenching the tabloid between her hands she met her party boss'gaze. `` smell, '' She whispered, forcing her vocalism calm. `` I know the Order is concerned about Harry. But he has proven to a greater extent than competent in state of affairs that near Aurors have yet to face, and he 's come out alive an… ''

'' And in the cognitive process put half the Order in grievous danger ! '' Kingsley boomed angrily. `` All due to his unprompted, brash, ill-thought…

'' military action, '' She supplied, ignoring how his eye twitched. `` But how does the society expect him to learn to prepare determination if we are always hovering over him ? ``

His optic widened considerably, `` In war there is no room for misapprehension. ``

'' Who said he was making them ? ``

Kingsley began pacing up and down the chemist 's side alley. `` No one, but you have to admit the fry is… ''

'' teen, '' She corrected. `` And after what he has experienced one can hardly call him even that. ``

'' Is it possible, '' He said through gritted dentition. `` For you to not cut off me ? ``

'' I 'll take away it under circumstance, '' She replied, leaning against the dirty brick wall, capacity to bask in its shade for a minute of respite from the August heat.

Kingsley 's future tirade was opaque, though she did capture the words 'irresponsibility', 'insubordinate', and 'dam n't girl'.

Slowly she began banging her read/write head against the brick siding.

'' …and it was your job to learn over them today. But when I come to correspond on thing what do I find ? You ! Alone ! In the Quidditch workshop purchasing some ridiculously purposeless Snitch… ''

'' It is not just a Snitch ! '' She interjected, halting the Assault on her skull. `` It 's a collector 's variation ! And Remus ordered it a calendar month ago for Harry, peculiar lodge ! They had to make it to Remus'exact specifications, and we thought it would be a nice surprise to pick it up while out toda… ''

'' Oh high-flown ! '' Kingsley burst out, throwing his hands up. `` Perhaps you explain your abstract thought to the parliamentary law when expiry Eaters attack and take them away ! ``

She groaned, resuming the thumping of her head. `` Kingsley the Order would do well to recognise that Harry is nearly of age. He 's nearly an grownup and nothing is going to happen while he and Ron are being fitted for gown. ``

Kingsley stopped pacing abruptly, `` And what of the female child ? ``

'' You mean Ginny ? ``

The man let out a sound oddly reminiscent of a hippogriff in heat, stomping the solid ground and sending a tidy sum of rubble scattering into the air. `` Who do you think I mean ! ? What other female child were you to chaperone today ? ! centering for just a moment would you Nympha… ''

'' We ran into her boyfriend, '' Tonks hastened to inform, unwilling to hear that damned name again. `` So she is spending the rest of the afternoon with the Finnigans. ''

'' And the boys ? ``

She smirked, `` being fawned over by Madame Maulkin. ``

Despite his Fury Kingsley gave an involuntary thrill. It was a well known fact in his department that he hated all things related to formal dress, with a particular aversion to those who made such things their profession.

Tonks smile only widened further, her pupils narrowing into small ovular slits, eyes yellowing like a cats. `` See Kingsley ? They 're perfectly safe. No dignified expiry Eater would venture into there. ``

Kingsley just groaned, `` Tonks because of you I am considering early retirement. Only I ca n't because as much as I hate to allow in it, after me you have seen the most 'action'in the department and would be my replacement. ``

Tonks jaw dropped at the admission price, a holler joke resonating from Shacklebolt 's expectant form.

'' Speechless are we ? Well hell has indeed frozen over, either that or your olfactory organ of the day prevents right breathing. ``

Her hand flew to her crook nose, pondering what was wrong with it. She had spied a copy of Witch Weekly earlier that day, and while she was not one for fashion she had seen this week headline : Crooked Nose Curses, In or Out of time of year ?

Naturally she had spent the morning wandering around, telling anyone within hearing that Rita Skeeter had cursed her, just to see the commix reactions.

The son had at least found it entertaining.

Kingsley 's forte cough drew her attention back, where he had adopted a rather aggravate glare.

'' You do see my dilemma do n't you ? ``

Eyeing his olfactory organ she nodded. `` Yup, you 've got a crooked nose too. I hear those Muggle wacko have some great proficiency for remedying tho… ''

Kingsley stomped his animal foot again. `` See ? This is exactly what I mean ! Your attention span is bordering on the non-existent and you 're always usurping agency in party favour of whatever your whimsy of the moment is ! In this case it 's the, 'the kids can take forethought of themselves'whim ! That 's precisely why I ca n't retire early ! You 're nowhere near ready for such a military position and there is no one else with enough armed combat experience to urge ! ``

She grimaced as his tonicity went unusually high for a man of his girth.

'' Are you even listening ? ``

'' Yes political boss. ``

'' Do n't call me that. ``

'' Your mastery ? ``

Kingsley 's eye twitched. `` Don't… ''

'' I 'm just taking your advice. I thought office public figure liked to be addressed… ''

'' One more discussion and a 'Nympadora'signal is going to weave up with a permanent sticking charm on your straw man door. ``

She sobered immediately.

'' And stop banging your head. ``

She stopped that to.

'' And do n't squirm. ``

Suppressing a moan she resisted the enticement, her discomfort horizontal surface rising exponentially. drift was the only thing sufficient for quelling her often frazzled nerves in Shaklebolt 's presence. He knew this, and was intentionally depriving her of it.

good God, if he was this bad with her she would detest to be a suspect for some abhorrent criminal offense. No marvel they normally came out of questioning twitching.

Contenting herself with incrementally elongating and shortening her nails, the process concealed by the woven bag her fingers were curled around, she arched a questioning eyebrow to which Kingsley immediately responded.

'' I 'm going with you. ``

With an indrawn groan she turned, carefully stepping over the trash that had been carelessly tossed, missing the alleyway 's garbage bin, and stopped dead.

Passing the porta where the side of meat skittle alley converged with Diagon Alley 's bustling main avenue was a familiar head of dark tomentum, and Harry was sprinting along at a good for you gait.

'' He can watch out for himself can he ? ``

Without a word she ignored the sarcastic jibe, taking off after Harry with murderous aim. Of all the ill fated timing that one could have, she had the worst. Harry just had to pick now to run off, and she had every intent of strangling him once she got a wait of him.

Of course she may bear to daze him first, considering he had grown considerably to tower several in above her, making him significantly faster.

Aw sin, she 'd always been good at stunning.

As they shoved their way through the street, Kingley 's golden loop earring glinting in the sunshine, she began ticking off the various elbow room to belt down or torture him. For out of all the Order members she was his strongest proponent when it came to the degree of independence he should be afforded. After all, she had attested to Harry 's power to distinguish when it was or was not capture to wander off in public home. However, with Kingsley standing behind her, Harry was proving her wrong yet again. She could only imagine the smug smile crossing Kingsley 's case, and after he mentioned this to the Order…

Her appeal to let Harry in on More of the social club'bodily function would probably be rejected, yet again.

This little stunt of his was going to cost him more than he knew.

'' I 'm going to kill him when I get a hold of him, '' Kingsley grumbled behind her, wrinkling his nose at the mingle scents stemming from the apothecary.

'' Not if I get a hold of him first, '' Tonks grumbled, thinking on how this small stroll of his would probably cost Harry his tolerance into the Order, and he would never even know it.

She began muttering in dangerous undertones, for she 'd make damn sure he found out.

holdfast her eyes to the back of his head, she shortened her tomentum up her neck, and began experimenting with nose. It was n't until she spotted the old woman calmly perusing the selection of animal solid food on presentation outside of Eeylops Owl department store that she was struck with an excellent idea.

'' Excuse me mam, I 'm going to need to commandeer that cane of yours. ``
* * * * *



It was a marvel that he had managed to keep her in sight, considering the horde swarming around him, children screaming off items that would be needed for the start of term to frazzle parents, most of whom were doing admirable balancing acts with newly purchased cauldron, leger, and potions provision. Though her tomentum colouring helped, for it was neither grim nor promiscuous, falling somewhere between bronze and gold, yet far from blonde. He had seen the color rarely, and he doubted ever naturally, before now. Regardless, it made her easy to keep on cartroad of her.

Thus it was that he was unable to miss her purposeful March into Knockturn alleyway, his belly churning uncomfortably at the thought.

It was not a situation he liked. In fact, he would much rather prefer to forefend it all together. Yet the way Hagrid had been treating this girlfriend, it seemed she was new to the hive that was Diagon Alley, and she very well may bear just made a heartrending, and possibly biography threatening, mistake.

He knew the consequence of such fault far too well.

Pulling his wand out he cast a glamour magic spell upon his head, watching the unruly strand of hair hanging on his forehead lighten to a muted brown. Quickly he brushed as often of it over his os frontale as possible, not keen to be recognized within the disreputable region he was now traversing through.

The coloured entrance was rather twisted, the space narrow and curving every few base, thus she easily fell out of his wrinkle of mess. And it was not without incident that he made it through this, having to grunt at a haggard looking woman to drive home his point that he indeed did not want to buy the cadaver toes she was selling.

'' Maybe following sentence Whitney Young lad, succeeding time… '' She hawked after him, driving his rate to increase.

And increase it did, just in time for him to see Kalliandra disappearing through the entranceway of Borgin & Burkes.

Making a headlong decision, and silently praising Fred and George for their generosity that day when they had visited the Weasley twin 's establishment, Harry crept past the shadow window displaying Borgin & Edmund Burke on 'special'items, casting a surreptitious glance through the shite covered panes.

The icon was vague, distorted by the stocky stratum of dirt coating the windowpane, but Kalliandra 's feeler stirred the man knelt behind the retort, his hands rummaging through his glass presentation guinea pig like a rat in a hole.

An indistinct tidings fell from the girl 's lips, and with a sudden jounce of movement the man stood, mouth spluttering indistinct Word in a hoarse style.

It was an do group meeting, or a meeting between two who were uncomfortably acquainted.

Neither prognosis boded well.

It was suddenly obvious that she had entered here knowing fully well what kind of place it was.

Making a determination as the man began pacing, Harry dropped to the filthy dry land, allowing an overturned cart to hold in him from the bulk of the skimp dealings upon the skittle alley.

This was not a conversation he was keen to interrupt, nor was it one he would wish to be caught up in. Not in this place, not when the participant were so engrossed. The inspiration in him though, the admonition that her behavior was like Malfoy - coming into Knockturn Alley to get palsy-walsy with its proprietor - he could not ignore though.

Of all the times he 'd thought to spy on Malfoy, he 'd been right every clip. And his gut was telling him the same now.

Pressing his ear to the slender, flaking woodwind paneling upon the establishment 's outside, he muttered a charm for hearing enhancement, bringing the ill-boded conversation to life.

Through the creaking of aged, rotting Grant Wood, Kalliandra 's chanting mingled with the proprietor 's pacing.

'' …ank you. I appreciate your money plant. ``

'' I have picayune use for money plant, and much for business, '' Rasped the man, whose voice Harry now recognized to be that of Borgin 's owner, Mr. Borgin himself. `` Your correspondence was intriguing, and what you are offering in return… ''

'' Is something I 'd favour to not be discussed openly, '' She interrupted cooly. `` There are those who would strike much. ``

The pacing of Borgin vanished, the creaking of ill-suited flooring ceasing.

'' Of course, '' Borgin 's rattled breath shot out. `` Though the method of the payment 's pitch shall be to my specification. ``

'' That is fine, '' She clipped back. `` And my order ? ``

A racking coughing shook the owner, Harry shuddering at the reverberations as the words a month 's clock time were spoken.

Then there was muteness, enticing him to slowly slither up the splintery siding, his optic reaching the sill to peer inwards, just in clock time for the dilapidated door to be thrown open.

And so it was that Kalliandra stuttered to a closure at the vision of the half-crouching man, who had clearly been listening in.







'' He who angers you conquers you. ''
~ Elizabeth Kenny ~



Chapter 4 ~ Seed of suspicion


Perhaps it was the shuddering weakness that had plagued her body so oft as of late, but seeing the messy haired ceramicist upon the priming coat was a mess for which she had been ill disposed, the sheer shock sending her interior reeling and curling into unnatural knots as she blinked at him, his own face adverted as if stalling for time.

drafting breath between her teeth the art object fell into situation, forming an unpleasing pattern.

choking back the pale sensation threatening to crawl from her throat, she spun on her heel, strewing grimy dust in her wake and underworld bent on distancing herself from the meddling sap as much as possible.

Silently she thanked God, the one of whose beingness she was still disbelieving, for her discreetness at having said zilch more than than necessary.

Tucking a ringlet of darkened gold behind her ear, effectively removing the obstinate fibril from her face, she rounded the first eddy in the round-backed alley, passing a street vendor selling ears of something that sounded suspiciously like 'house elves'. It was in this minute of beguilement that a firm clutches fell upon her speed arm, the callosity on the mitt evident as she reflexively yanked her arm away, stepping away to outdistance herself from the prat bold enough to make such a gesture.

Unsurprisingly she was unable to even release around before Potter was again upon her, ushering her to the other side of meat of the asperse surface area, away from the street trafficker. She wasted no clip in distancing herself from the ceramicist tooshie, fishing around for his for the first time gens, which she could not remember.

Casting a untrusting glance at the wavy vendor she felt distinctly aflutter, even with the man 's wild eyes 10 yards off, for he was clearly out of earreach. Dismissing the fugitive concern that wizards could possibly accept ranking hearing she felt her center narrowing into darkened slits.

To Potter 's deferred payment, his mouth was already opening in explanation, but she cut him off.

'' How much did you hear ? '' she hissed quietly.

His jaw clamped shut, an uncertain flavor overtaking his feature film, as if he had no clew on how to reply her enquiry.

Another moment passed between them in silence, the shadower cast by the looming brick walls of the bowling alley traveling such a scant distance that their drive would feature been insensible to the human eye, had either introduce paid the darkness any judgement, though they did not.

Still the messy haired man before her did not verbalise, his silence allowing her the time she needed to collect her harshly stimulate demeanor.

No one had been meant to know of her amour with Borgin. No one.

As Potter 's silence continued she was left only to nod, expressing her apprehension of his actions.

'' Listen, '' she whispered, being careful to keep her voice low. `` I want you to stay away from me, and my conversations. ``

potter 's face was oddly contorted, as if unable to decide upon frowning or glaring in misgiving. `` Why are you so alarmed about me overhearing that ? ``

'' Why do you think ? '' she hissed scathingly.

'' Could n't say, but you 're awfully concerned about that conversation remaining private, '' he stated pointedly, apparently having no qualm about keeping his voice down. `` Why the concern if you have cipher to enshroud ? ``

She visibly bristled.

'' Correct me if I 'm damage, '' she stated slowly, taking the sentence to enunciate each syllable. `` But to the highest degree mass do not take well to having their buck private conversations listened in on. ''

'' almost people do n't wander down Knockturn alley to address in computer code with shadowy proprietor, '' he countered challengingly.

'' I 'm failing to recall any code, '' she refuted, her brow furrowing. `` Though I 'm also failing to think of how this is any of a complete stranger 's business. ``

His dark, forest-like centre met her staid regard levelly, without apologia, while a woman with a torn, tattered grizzly shawl limped around the street corner, leaning heavily on a claw footed cane. Neither spoke as the womanhood shambled along, quietly croaking out a melody of sorts about bat backstage and who-ding-its.

As soon as the char neared the weave of the bowling alley, becoming interested in street vendor 's merchandise, Potter closed the distance between them, his shoes disturbing the thick hook marks that the elder 's cane had left indented in the soiled ground.

'' looking at, '' he began, sounding very much calmer, `` I did n't follow you to overhear anything, I just… ''

'' You just happened to surveil me, '' she cut in unapologetically, `` And then you must have randomly decide to crouch down and listen in ? ``

Potter took another step forward, eye intimidating.

'' Yes. ``

Sucking in a half frustrated, half furious intimation she suppressed the urge to kick something, him in particular. `` Alright ceramist, if that's the case, then why did you stick with me ? ``

His feeling was zip short of derisive, the look of one trying to excuse a wide-eyed conception to a small child incapable of grasping it.

'' Correct me if I 'm wrong, '' he commented, his vocalization carefully controlled, `` but were n't you supposed to be waiting for Hagrid back at lady Maulkins ? ``

She arched her eyebrows. `` Did it ever occur to you that I had places to go that Hagrid had no want to roll in the hay about ? ``

In the grim shade of the alley, his eyes took on a suspicious, disapproving glint. `` Why should n't he have sex ? ``

'' What are you my keeper ? '' she snapped scathingly, finally losing her temper, brushing a whorl of hair away from her center in frustration.

His eyes narrowed immediately. `` You 're avoiding the question. ``

'' And you 're being a complete… ''

'' A ended what ? '' he cut in, glowering as she lapsed into silence.

'' aspect, '' he finally said, `` If your business here was harmless why risk venturing here alone ? Why not tell Hagrid and have him derive with you ? ``

She kicked the solid ground in foiling, scattering tiny John Rock in his direction. `` So you 're telling me that you inform Hagrid about everything you do ? Because if that's not the case… ''

'' That 's not the detail, '' he interrupted, shoving his hired man into his pockets.

'' Oh I think it 's very much the power point, '' she snapped acidly, noticing his deal curling into crocked fists within his pockets.

'' Look… '' he muttered, `` I just followed you because I thought you were supposed to expect for Hagrid. And when I got here I could severalize it was n't a conversation I should be walking in on ... ''

'' And spying was a good selection ! ? '' she shot out incredulously.

'' That 's not what I meant ! ''

'' certainly sounds like it. ''

'' Well I would n't have even been there if you had n't walked out in the firstly post ! '' he shot out defensively.

'' Do n't you dare… ''

'' Now really, what give-and-take was so authoritative that it required you to trek into Knockturn Alley to verbalise in hushed tones behind a come together door ? Because seriously Kalliandra, I 'd love to know, '' he snapped with mock seriousness, yanking his hands from his pockets and crossing his arms.

She glared harshly. `` That is none of your stage business you miserable blo ... ''

'' pitiable fellow ? '' he cut in. `` You 've got ... ''

Turning on her heel she shoved past him, brushing off his arm that attempted to halt her onward motion as she stalked away. Purposely dragging her feet enough to transmit a strew of grimy dust in his commission, she felt a detached sensation of satisfaction at his umbrageous coughing.

'' volition you… '' he grunted. `` precisely stop… '' She rounded a hunched go, the igniter of Diagon back street seeping into the dimly lit corridor. `` Because… ''

Continuing to cut him she stepped out into the bright light, allowing the bustling, shoving, chattering crowd to swallow her whole.
* * * * *


Removing the shawl Tonks smiled maniacally, partly due to her relief at being away from the amazingly putrid odor of the mansion elf ear vendor, and partly because she was enjoying her old char disguise too much.

'' Out of me way ! '' she snapped in a scratchy voice, effectively clearing the area as people scattered in every centering. Anything to avoid getting whacked upside the head by the old ma'am with the sharp cane.

Grinning with sadistic delight she passed where Kingsley sat, casually reading the paper at Florean Forescue 's Ice Cream Parlor. Wasting not a second base she yanked him up with her, dragging him with her after the two teens.

Kingsley yanked out his ear piece, the one that had allowed him to hear everything she had.

'' Tonks drop the old woman diatribe, you 're mucking it up and go like a pirate. ``

She threw her head back and cackled, sending a small group of children, beginning years by the flavor of them, scattering.

'' Oh being old is fun ! '' she related. `` I should do this more often ! ``

Kingsley now appeared to be thumping himself in the head with the rolled up sports section.

Maintaining their ambling by-line, she was having fuss grasping Harry 's conversation due to the noise of the crowd. Knockturn alley had been deserted in comparison, but fortunately they were capable to abide relatively close due to her trend to knock anyone unlucky enough to take the air in nominal head of them in the backbone of the knee with the claw footed cane.

'' Remind me why we did n't just confront them ? '' Kingsley grumbled unhappily.

'' fountainhead one, '' she said cheerfully, `` do you really think they 'd be upfront about what they 're little rendezvous was about ? And two, this is just so much more fun ! ``

Kingsley groaned. `` And here I thought you were the one against following Harry around. ``

'' Details ! '' she shot back. `` Besides, if I 'm going to throttle him I at least need to listen that I have a respectable understanding. ``

'' I 'd have a few for throttling you… ''

Smiling cheekily she ignored him. `` sentry and learn from the master Kingsley. Watch and pick up. ``

Kingsley snorted. `` I thought I was the skipper. ``

'' Oh ? '' she questioned, `` So I guess it is okay to refer to you as that. ''

'' You 're really aiming to get that personalized, permanently stuck name scale are n't you ? ``

'' You would n't. ``

'' What makes you call up not ? ``

Smirking she did her best to keep Harry 's brain in sight, walloping her procured cane against a man too busy posturing for a Veela looking alike to discover the bustling crowd swarming around him.

She let out another yak, turning to Kingsley. `` If you put a nameplate on my place it'll… ''

'' You do n't have an office. ``

She frowned. `` Someday I might. ``

'' Not if you keep this up. ``

Groaning she whacked her boss with the cane, appeased by the fact that a six foot plus man was now hopping up and down on one animal foot courtesy of her.

'' Now that I 've got your attention… ''

He groaned.

'' If you do that it 'll permanently remind you of me, and you would n't want that now would you ? ``

Right then Kingsley looked very much like he would love to drown himself in the body of water basin outside of Eeylops Owl emporium. It was a shame the owls drinking from it looked murderous.

It took another arcsecond for the info to process within her mind, for it was a relatively clear field, and Harry had just drug the missy over there.

Each and every unmarried owl was glaring in their direction.
* * * * *


As she traversed her way amongst the moving sea of bodies, the heady pressure of commercial message mercantilism hung heavily in the air. The mixing aromas from the apothecary, ice emollient parlor, and owl emporium blended with that of the joke shop 's scented grass bombs, while candle burned mid-wick in every shopfront window, lending the area a unique flavor.

In Kalliandra 's defeat she noticed little of this. So fixated upon distancing herself from the messy haired man behind her was she, that she missed taking in the few sights that she had deemed worthy of a second glance when she had traversed in the contrary direction scarcely a quarter of an 60 minutes before hand.

Now it was taking all her backlog to avoid pulling violently away from the rough, calloused hired hand that had just shot through the crowd, grasping her firmly by the upper arm.

She knew full well who it was.

Hardly aware of the let loose pebbling overlaying the cobble avenue, or of the continuous influx of patrons pouring from the shops into the street, pressing in around them on all sides in a way that encouraged one to not deter from the speed that the bunch had reached a worldwide, non-verbal consensus regarding, she found herself whirling around to front him, halting.

'' What ? '' she snapped, looking squarely into his shadow park, and currently unhappy looking, eyes.

'' I wasn't… ''

A winding man shoved preceding, cutting Potter off as he failed to fill heed of the two somebody speaking a foot below his rather freakish height. In the procedure he smacked against them brusquely, their heads banging together operose, and she found herself kicking a atomiser of pebbles in the man 's counselling, oddly satisfied as the man halted, swore, and turned in place looking for the culprit of the attack on his calves.

'' Making friends everywhere I see, '' ceramicist commented dryly, tugging her along after him until they had abandoned the street altogether. And the minute their groundwork reached the cement surrogate Potter released her, eyes hard and serious.

'' I was n't done talking, '' he said pointedly.

'' Well I was. ``

'' Perhaps you would n't possess been, '' he argued annoyingly as they set off, walking along their new path, which lay along the haphazardly constructed sidewalk that had a tendency to move, bend, and crack on a whim. `` I tried to apologize, but you were too argumentative to let me finish. ''

'' Oh was I ? '' she inquired with mock sincerity, hopping over a tone that had spontaneously sprung from the path. `` Perhaps you should hear what a proper apology entails, and forgive me for being argumentative, but I was the one tripping over a spying bafo… ''

'' Well you were acting suspicious ! '' he cut in, her unfinished insult hanging in the air.

'' How in the Hades was I acti… ''

Her exclamation was cut off by his gibelike snort, and her boldness contorted into an angry scowl.

Studying him carefully for a moment as a hoard of kids ran past, she gave a curt nod, indicating the top of his capitulum. `` Was n't your hair a different coloring material ? '' She spat it like it was a crime.

Again she found him regarding her as if she were a small baby to whom a particularly simpleton problem proved daunting.

'' I 'm not sure, '' he mused. `` Was it ? ``

She bit back an angry growl, and suddenly found her forward motion again halted. She threw a public eye at him.

'' Let. Go. ``

He smirked as if amused. `` wellspring correct me if I 'm amiss, but if you 're trying to take on up with Hagrid this would be a good spot to stay. ``

'' Oh ? '' she snapped. `` And why is that ? ``

ceramicist let out an wash up sigh, dragging her to retrace their last few measure until they stood in strawman of a humble drinking trough, a long stick extending over it, several owls perched upon it, and he gestured inside the storefront window.

Sure enough, through the window, Hagrid could be seen purchasing a ridiculously magnanimous bag of Boarhound Pet chow chow.

ceramicist turned to her with a viper like grin. `` So, '' he inquired. `` Care to tell me what you were doing before or after Hagrid gets out here ? ``

Only she did not answer, for her middle were drawn to the bird of Minerva besides them. Slowly, instinctively, she took a pace back, the tip argumentation of the barn owls faces unnerving as a abrupt clacking, the distinctive sound of knock-down schnoz snapping shut in chronological succession, began.

It was the threatening, defensive doings of an fauna whose territory had just been breached, as was the fanning of fender, which the tawny and saw whet, face by slope, were currently doing.

Potter 's supercilium crinkled oddly, the bird of night territorial reserve behaviors not ceasing until Kalliandra had backed away, her hound teetering off the edge of the pavement into the street.
* * * * *


He was still frowning when Hagrid came outside, fang 's intellectual nourishment carrier bag slung over his wide shoulder.

The professor spotted them immediately.

'' Heya 'arry. lady Maulkin done torturin'Ron I take it ? ``

He shook his brain. `` Not exactly ... ''

'' Eh well, it 'appens, '' Hagrid commented nonsensically, optic darting beneath his thick nucha of hair between the two of them. `` Ye two gettin'on well are ye ? ``

Not exactly… But he did not have a chance to comment as Hagrid clapped him rather hard on the back.

'' Good to 'ear Harry, Good to 'ear. ``

It was exonerate that Hagrid was hardly paying attention, to him at to the lowest degree. To Kalliandra however…well, the half monster was observing her as if she were a disgusted hippogriff about to go off. Not that he could pick him, with the way she stood teetering on the curb bit away from them both, rubbing her articulatio humeri, a flimsy face gracing her mouth.

The tranquility, almost pained case-by-case before him appeared to the be the glacial opposite of the daughter he had bickered with along the streets.

Something was extremely wrong.

'' Yer okay there Kally ? '' Hagrid asked, apparently noticing the peculiarity as well.

'' I 'm fine Hagrid, '' she responded dully. Her hand fell from her shoulder quickly.

'' Are you sure ? ``

'' Yes, I just got jostled a bit in the crowd, '' she glanced up for the brief of seconds, the forced smile she cast not reaching her eyes. And just as quickly as before, her middle were again down-turned to the street. Very quietly, almost as afterthought, she quietly muttered, `` I 'm getting sick of everyone asking me that. ''

'' Yes well, it will 'appen to yer… '' Hagrid muttered, once again, the words meaningless and confusing, as if a part of a conversation in which he was not a participant.

'' Ready to impart ? ``

Her doubtfulness was pointed, as was her gaze, still directed at the frigidity ground.

'' Well ye want ter get yer pet now er… ''

'' I do n't think that 's a very in effect idea, '' she muttered, her centre still avoiding anything save for the pavement, her affectation bordering on frightened.

'' Well ye 'ave to deal with it eventually. ``

Biting her abject lip she nodded, several foresighted tresses falling to fog the left face of her face. `` I know, '' she whispered, centre lowered to the ground.

Hagrid just nodded gruffly, glancing at him with the air of a touch parent ready to pounce.

The entire exchange was perhaps his most confusing one to date, and he had thus far, not been a participant.

'' feeling, yer 'll be wantin'a pet, and ya ca n't bring Silverthorne to your dorm with yer… ''

'' Silverthorne ? '' Harry cut in, hoping to perhaps catch a smidgen of cohesion.

'' A thestral, '' Hagrid supplied absentmindedly, and at that word Harry could n't help it.

He turned an incredulous look to the side of her head, the entirely part of her face still visible. `` A thestral is your pet ? ``

He swore she nearly laughed. `` No Potter. Silverthorne is no one 's pet. I 've just taken a liking to him. ''

Now he had to include that they had been useful at the end of finish term, but to choose a finicky liking to one ? What the hell did that mean ?

'' So you can see them ? '' he finally asked, at a loss.

turning her head towards them again, her eye still avoiding the owls like a infestation, she shot him an odd look. `` Yeah, why could n't I ? I 'm not dim. ''

Hagrid 's sudden aspect of panic did n't escape him, nor did it Kalliandra as she shot him a questioning spirit, to which the Care of Magical brute professor cowered slightly.

He decided to save him the worry of answering. `` fountainhead not everyone can see the ... ''

'' Why not ? '' she asked sharply.

'' Because you ca n't see them unless you 've seen someo ... '' he stopped curtly, seeing the look Hagrid was shooting him.

Her supercilium crinkled in annoyance, and Hagrid 's articulation came out, suddenly pacifying.

'' Now Kalliandra yer know 'ow some things 're ... ''

This tactic only elicited a small noise of displeasure from her.

Frustrated, Harry supplied the information for her.

'' You ca n't see them unless you 've seen someone die. ''

Wrong choice.

There was no verbal interchange, but her center darkened, speaking volumes.

'' Are yer alri ... '' Hagrid started cautiously.

'' Yes, '' she whispered.

'' We can get yer pet later, '' Hagrid stammered. `` That 'd be… ''

'' It 's all right, Hagrid, '' she cut in, sweeping past them both into the store, her eyes remaining averted the entire time.

Hagrid let out a defeated sigh, rubbing his forehead with a magnanimous bridge player wearily, and the realization of what he had just done struck Harry like a lightning bolt.

She had n't known, and he had probably just brought back whatever ugly memory her past times had held.

* * * * *

Kalliandra quickly walked through the musty, noisy store, avoiding all the alive brute displays, and she disappeared behind a large shelf stocked with rat provender, relief sweeping through her that no one was back there as her contravene emotions threatened to rise to the surface. She had spent the by three workweek carefully building a wall of unemotionality around herself, and she could n't afford to let it down now.

Not over such a picayune fact coming to light. Not when she had just spoken to the somebody who could give her the reply she needed.

Yet still…why had n't they told her ?

She knew the answer without asking, for to have been reminded of the reasons behind her presence here in any way…it would only serve to remind her of her own self loathing for all she had done.

A cold-shoulder tremor coursed through her, and sighing sadly she listened to the easygoing hooting amidst the rafters. She would not look at them, for she had seen the chemical reaction that elicited enough.

Yet the hooting continued, more dogged, and somewhere in the carnal recession of her mind she knew her very presence there was a bad idea, a inadequate choice of both Dumbledore 's and Hagrid 's sagacity.

veneer obstacles was apparently a tidy thing, even when it generally resulted in having ireful bird of Minerva attempting to bite oneself.

With a expectant arcdegree of trepidation she found herself tilting her head up to peer through the nighttime, cluttered atmosphere of the shop, her eyes slowly adjusting, pupils widening in the dim lighting as the turn down baulk slowly came into scene.

Owl upon owl rested upon them, some peacefully sleeping, their headway carefully nestled into the faithful of their plume, while the rest had trained their alert, shining eyes upon her.

The menacing clacking of pecker being threateningly opened and snapped shut began to, once again, fill up the room near her.

'' So you think you 'll get one of them ? ''

Cringing, though almost glad for the misdirection, she turned her aid slowly to Potter, who now stood in front end of her. To his credit, he at least had the coarse common sense to look apprehensive.

'' Look, Kalliandra, I 'm grim. I did n't realize ... ''

'' It 's fine, '' she muttered, forcing her voice floor. She did not need his pity. She did not want it.

Despite this, she could not help but hold on a sneaky eye on him, as she pretended to peruse the owl selection, her eyes carefully avoiding all of the owl, and she was a bit storm to see a downcast, yet determined, face upon his human face.

He followed her down the aisle. `` I do n't opine it is. ''

'' Like it matters to you, '' she whispered quickly, silently reminding herself of all the predatory behaviors to avoid.

Do not take eye contact… support your headway lowered… No loud dissonance or sudden movements…

Like that would actually avail in calming these poor forest tool, for it certainly had lilliputian effect on the one with the supposedly larger genius : Potter.

His expression had faltered at her last words. `` In display case it 's escaped your notice, I 'm trying to be decent here. I 'm at least making an crusade. ``

'' You should n't have bothered. ``

Groaning he raised his bridge player, folding them behind his head. `` You 're right. I do n't know why I did. ''

'' Wonderful, '' she murmured sarcastically, traversing her way along the back wall.

'' You know ... '' A raucous hissing cut him off as an owl nipped at his invoke hands. ceramist jerked away hastily, nearly taking a wooden shelf with him.

'' Bloody owl, '' he grumbled, glaring up towards the offending bird, who by now had hopped down to the lowest rafter, where it screeched, its outstretched fender flapping vigorously.

For some ridiculous rationality the position struck her as funny rather than frightening, and she did not bother to crush the laugh bubbling out while she observed the formidable looking owl. For once it was not aimed at her. And as if sensing her scrutiny its blue eyes locked with her own.

Its territorial demeanor ceased, drawing a grin to her face, for she was n't the but one to lash out at those who came to close.

She traced the Great Horned owl 's delineate, noting the Shirley Temple Black coloration speckling its reddish chocolate-brown wings, its catlike face and highly luff capitulum all swiveled curiously towards her.

Then she noticed the small shackle imprisoning it, one end encircling its twig fragile leg, the early binding it to the raftsman it sat so miserably upon. It was caged, disallow to go wherever it pleased.

Just ... like ... her.

It was perhaps the most foolish affair she had yet done, but she held out her arm hopefully, and watching its wings extend it gracefully flew to her, its hamper clinking haphazardly as it landed gently upon her arm. She eyed its magnificent dreary center, noting how it was careful to not dig its talons into her skin, and she turned away from ceramist, walking to the front replication as the owl re-perched upon its rafter, waiting for her to re-turn.

'' You 'll need a cage for him, '' Potter pointed out.

'' He wo n't be needing it, '' she replied curtly.

'' You 're awfully personable are n't you ? ``

'' Well, '' she stopped at the counter wearily, speaking with an strange amount of spitefulness. `` if you mean that I am able to converse with nosy mortal than yes. ''

thrower turned in a queer huff, storming out of the store. Watching his retreating figure she too late realized how amiss she had sounded.

And then Dumbledore 's Book came floating back to her. His one 's about the penury for her and the many, many others under his protection to celebrate some things quiet. Some things mystic.

Something cold, restricting, and pachydermatous curled within her pharynx, for until this war, the one they all refused to distinguish her anything about, was over, she would be more alone than ever.

The wounds of a rain soaked night were still far too saucy.

It was better to force everyone away.

For their own commodity, and for her own.

Through the sun-glinting window she could see Potter talking animatedly with Hagrid. His stony features looked vaguely annoyed, and if she had n't known better, she would take in thought that he seemed affront.

A cold shiver rippled through her. thrower was also dangerous, of that she was for sure. She 'd practically experience his suspicions rippling off of him, and he 'd catch something he ought not to have. She only hoped it had n't been enough ...

She 'd talk to Dumbledore. She 'd concern everything upon her return.

A luminousness weight descended upon her arm, jarring her from her thought as two dark oculus met hers. She smiled, her first true smile in week, reaching out a hesitant helping hand and ruffling the owls feathering. They were delicate, like those of a newborn hatchling, only she would n't know for sure.

She had never felt an owl before now.

A common sense of peace filled her as it continued looking up at her, hooting softly. And for a second, just a legal brief moment she knew to be both pass and false, she could have sworn it silently understood.

* * * * *

Once again Harry was completely and utterly confused by the feminine species.

He simply did not get it. During their entire literary argument Kalliandra had seemed so indifferent, almost untouchable. It was maddening how his snide input rolled off her, so he had kept at it, wanting to unconsciously vent some of his own frustration into her and to discern what her genuine business concern in Knockturn alley had been.

He knew it was incorrect. And he knew his demeanor was uncharacteristically Malfoy-like. But at the sentence, he had not cared.

That was until thestrals had come up. He had glimpsed a smidgin of very human emotion within her then, and it was startling.

Or at least he thought he had. He must have been mistaken, because whatever it was he thought he had seen, had gone as soon as it had come.

The she had been the one making snide scuttlebutt like Malfoy.

A cacophony of sounds emerged as the shop 's doorway opened, emitting Kalliandra and her horribly moody owl. He grimaced at the sight, even as a chiding voice reminded him how an animal 's behaviour could so oft deceive.

Buckbeat 's certainly had.

That was all forgotten though, for right then she raised her forearm gamey, and gray wings spread wide, feet and claws hopping from her arm as the owl took flight, circling in broad arcs until it disappeared above the rooftops of Diagon skittle alley.

'' Kalliandra what in the blimey are yer doing ! ? You just lost yer pet ! '' Hagrid exclaimed.

And to Harry 's neat surprise, she actually smiled. Her oculus seemed remote, as if she were looking into something that no one save her could see.

'' Hagrid, he deserves to be innocent. ''









'' Things alter for the worse spontaneously, if they be not altered for the better designedly. ''
~ Francis Bacon ~



Chapter 5 ~ A prof of One


Remus yawned tiredly, his luminance Brown University eyes skirted across the power train platform at Hogsmeade, searching for the familiar form that was nowhere in sight. A light source smiling crossed his tire feature of speech and he chuckled. Hagrid was not someone he would easily escape had he been there. No invisibility cloak was quite that large.

'' Hagrid .... '' He said, shaking his head amusedly. He picked up his briefcase, crossing the deserted, outdoor program in the centering of Hogwarts.

It was n't far, and Hagrid would undoubtedly wiretap him along the way, most likely in his own, frenzied hurry to intercept him. Hagrid was a bit mindless at clock time, and Remus could not fault him. He would be to if he took precaution of such a wild array of beast for a animation.

The wagon train chopine was on the outskirts of the small village, on the outer border near Hogwarts, and a pebbled road led directly to the schoolhouse 's front doors. He would turn off it before he reached Hogwarts'massive, welcoming ingress, to traverse his way across the lush, green dry land to Hagrid 's hut.

Remus had never been close to the game steward, but he respected the man immensely for his work in the social club.

He also empathized with him, and recently Hagrid had mentioned that he was one of the few who could truly desire to understand him.

He started walking, thinking how ripe Hagrid was.

The sun beat down on his pale shoulders, warming more than his shirt. The sun was rejuvenating to him in a way few understood, because it was a full orb of igniter for which he harbored no care. It was funny, that the lightest of nights filled him with foreboding and botheration, when usually it was the absence seizure of Light Within that inspired fear. He sought solacement in the darkest of Night, that was when he felt his best, but for now, when the moon was a one-fourth full, he would seek comfort in the lovesome afternoon sun.

It was because of this torment that he could sympathize with Hagrid. The opportunity to become a fully qualified thaumaturgist had been stolen from the game warden turned prof, and it had nearly evaded even himself. Had it not been for Dumbledore 's forgivingness Remus would never give birth studied magic. No other schooltime would have taken him.

They had feared him.

The curse of being different, he thought bitterly. They were both labeled as grave by the wizarding community, and shunned. Their friends even suffered for their mere connexion.

A half-giant and a lycanthrope ... two of the most dangerous wizard beings on the planet, both seen as homicidal, blood-thirsty creature, and yet neither one of them possessed the inclination to harm another.

Were n't the painful transformations and premature aging enough ? He shook his head, knowing the reply to that, because it was n't.

No, he had to be shunned as well. Did n't they know he would change it if he could ? And Hagrid ... one of the most entitle, kind-hearted people he had ever met, yet the Ministry feared him and his whale heritage. They labeled him violent without even knowing him. He could at least understand why hoi polloi feared him, but Hagrid was harmless. He at least was truly dangerous.

Several night in his by stood in dark testament to that.

Because of his forgetfulness, Wormtail had gotten away on one of those nights. If he had only taken his potion, perhaps Voldemort would not have returned, perhaps Canicula would not suffer died ...

Dam n't Sirius ! He had figured his booster 's refractory nature would throw made him surd to kill, but in the end, he, just like James, had been as vulnerable as the rest.

He was the final now.

Peter was as undecomposed as dead, and if he ever saw him again ... If he ever got the opportunity ...

He 'd attain indisputable a finger really was all there was left of him.

He shuddered at the thought, remembering the words Lily had spoken to him, as he stood over his parents freshly dug Stephanie Graf.

'' Even in the darkest of time, there are shimmers of light Moony. It 's just a matter of finding them ... ''

It was something he had promised to show Harry. Harry was the only if real family he had left, and he wanted the boy, who was quickly growing into a man, to know of the unbelievable military strength his parents had held. He needed to sleep together that there were things worth fighting for.

master knows he 's already had his percentage of fighting ...

We all have ...

The opinion sobered him, reminding him of his intent today. He squinted ahead, shielding his oculus from the bright forenoon sun to look for any signaling of Hagrid.

Today he would truly assemble her.

He was n't trusted whether to be nervous, or to simply be exhilarated that the broken girl he had cradled had survived.

Kalliandra.

She had been thrust into their domain unwillingly. Dumbledore, in all his sapience, had felt Hogwarts to be the safest place for her. It would be a thoroughly way to help her adjust, by slowly exposing her to multitude her own age.

But unlike others her age, she lacked a prior five old age of wizardly education, and any knowledge whatsoever of their public.

It would be his job to remedy that.

When Dumbledore had asked him, he had felt inadequate, poorly equipped for the project.

Dumbledore had set him down, much like he were once again the pupil and he the teacher, and told him he had never known another who he would bank more with her.

It was then that he had confided in him.

'' When Voldemort was still the shoal boy, Tom Riddle, I feared what he may grow to be.

'' When Harry came, I feared what loss may drive him to do.

'' Now I fear what she may do to herself. ''

Not to mention what she could do to those around her. The memory of the night they had found her was still burned into his mind 's eye. It was not something Remus would soon forget.

Doing his job rightfield could mean the deviation in this vernal woman 's survival. Dumbledore had been very clear on that.

Now if only there was a witch or wizard out there equipped to consider with this. Only, there was n't.

He knew the odds for her. He knew what she was facing, even if she did not. And he knew what so often happened to those with her ability.

By all rights he should be terrified and have run in the other direction.

Yet he could not bring himself to do so. Not when the effigy of her nerveless body lying there, clad in mud and the blood of those she loved, kept coming back to him each night as he dreamt. He felt a note of discord at the sentiment of anything uncollectible befalling her.

deep down he knew what it was to be judged, and he 'd be damned if he did that to another breathing person on this satellite.

And that was why, despite knowing all of this, that he had accepted the naming. Dumbledore wanted her to have the same probability as everyone, and he had fully heartedly agreed.

Now all he had to figure out was how to give it to her.

'' The most worthwhile things in life are never easygoing .... ''

Her words came back, hitting him as fresh as if they had fallen from her lips only yesterday, and never before had they been more set aside.

A sad grinning lit his font. Only she could say something that 's meaning would last decennium.

Just like the pain in the neck ...

Always so fresh, so sharp-worded ...

He still marveled at how so many wheel spoke of healing, and forgetting. Pain did not vanish. It did not go away. You could not deal with it, for to distribute would imply to fix. Instead you just learned how to live with it, without losing your mind.

Of class, the same people had often spoken on how well he dealt with pain, but he did not sense very good at that. He was just logical enough to know that there was no good in dwelling on what could have been. thing happened…bad thing ... whether you wanted them to or not, and nothing one said or did could transfer that.

If it did none of them would be gone…

And after all these years, she was still correct. A grinning formed on his lips, the joyful memories coming back, flooding his visual sense as he remembered Padfoot 's taunting about how she was 'always good', and they were 'always wrong'.

Her retort had been that it was about time they saw it her way.

He chuckled slightly, catching sight of Dumbledore making his way leisurely down the sparsely employ route. He raised a hand in greeting, catching the Headmaster 's attention, and was please to see an amused grin on the headmaster 's mightily case.

'' Good Afternoon Remus. ''

'' Likewise Albus, '' He said, shifting his briefcase to the other arm.

Dumbledore removed his half-moon specs, polishing them on his summer robe. `` It 's amazing, how the splendid sun brilliance can cook even the most diminutive of smear stand out, almost like the dark fleck where the sun is supposed to be when a solar occultation shields it. ''

The schoolmaster held his glasses to the sun, studying them through his light, twinkling, currently squinted eyes, searching for any left over imperfection.

'' But enough about the perturbed musings of this grandfather clock 's inner workings. How have you been ? I trust the railroad train 's conductor was n't too erratic with the stop number for your young heart ? ''

Remus smiled broadly. Yes, in relaxed, sociable berth, Dumbledore was still the Saame.

'' The train was very well, and I 've been in effect. I was just thinking of some amuse disputation Cassilyda and Sothis had before. ''

Dumbledore replaced his glasses on his nose, looking off towards the sun as if seeing something far past it. `` Ah ... yes those two did have a penchant for arguments did they not ? I seem to remember a certain James thrower walking in on one of them ... it took Pomfrey all afternoon to get him straightened out. She was rather reluctant to deepen him back ... Something about liking him better as a mute eel, unable to induce mayhem on an hourly basis, locked up in a armoured combat vehicle ... I believe Lily had been particularly amused. ''

Remus smiled fondly, remembering the faces Jame 's the eel had made, pressing his slimy, snakelike body against the glass walls of the fish cooler. They had scooped him off the floor and conjured a tank quickly, filling it with water as soon as they had seen him flopping around on the Harlan Stone story.

Whether Lily had seen James or not before stepping on him had been a subject of debate for week.

Not to remark, in the infirmary annex, when James had started trying to shape letter of the alphabet with his tenacious, ophidian like body ...

He chuckled slightly. He still wanted to know how James had contorted himself into an R ... He shuddered mentation of how painful that spelling out 'You're a beat Man Dog Star'must sustain been.

'' Quite an impressive bit of Transfiguration for fifth part years ... I gave Gryffindor House 20 gunpoint for that, '' Dumbledore mused aloud, turning his gaze on him, his eyes twinkling with amusement over the rim of his chalk. `` I was sourly tempted to have out an award for Special Services to the School, since the Minister of conjuring trick was visiting that day, and their `` fortuity '' rendered James incapable of doing something drastic, like turning the Minister 's whisker Ne pink, '' Dumbledore grinned slyly at this. `` cum to imagine of it I would n't entirely bear in mind seeing that ... ''

Remus could only shake his head, suppressing the laugh threatening to come out. It was good seeing Dumbledore.

'' Of line, in the end, no one could determine whose wand actually had transfigured young St. James at the time, so I could n't give anyone the awarding. I was sourly disappointed by that. ''

'' That was your only reason for not giving it ? '' He asked divert.

'' Why yes Remus. Do you really think I would drop dead up a fortune to encourage the extension of good behavior when Ministry official are visiting ? ''

'' Not when Umbridge is the Ministry official, '' He replied, thinking of how Fred, George, Harry, Ron, and Ginny had described that impractical toad the year before.

'' Ah yes ... how is she doing in St. Mungos ? I believe the verdict was temporary insanity ? ''

'' It should make been permanent wave insanity and a life story sentence in Azkaban. The toad was about to use an Unforgivable Curse on Harry ! ''

Dumbledore nodded curtly. `` Ah, but the Word of God would be 'unforgivable'and we are supposed to be forgiving. And speaking of forgiving I am taking it that Hagrid got distracted and was late meeting you ? ''

He nodded assent, finding the well known knowledge of Hagrid 's quirk of untimeliness amusing.

Dumbledore grinned, `` Well why do n't we go see him together than Remus. I was just going to pay dame Rosemereta a visit but my butterbeer can wait. Besides, if I am guessing his reason for being belatedly to greet you ... well ... I may just be in indigence of some good, old fashioned flame whiskey. ''

He eyed Dumbledore curiously, `` I did n't get it on you imbibe fire whisky. ''

'' But of course I do n't ... '' He replied, winking mischievously. `` I have n't had cause for such extravagant solemnization since the Marauders graduation exercise, granting me peace of psyche and quiet again. Of course ... '' Dumbledore turned, waving for him to travel along. `` I 'm not entirely certainly I even have a mind left, with which to revel the serenity with. ''

Remus opened his mouthpiece to answer, but no sound came forth. Instead he found himself following the Headmaster across the lawn, Hagrid 's cabin quickly coming into sight as Dumbledore continued idle chin-wag.

'' ... .Now of course of study the key in those situations is managing the brew in reasonable sum of money, a talent my dear buddy does not possess, '' Dumbledore said, referring to his stooge herder brother 's drink riding habit.

'' one-half my year did n't possess that talent, '' He replied, thinking of the one time he, James, Sirius, and peter had gotten a delay of a bottle of Firewhiskey their 7th class. That had not gone over well ... Fortunately Pomfrey had bought the excuse that all of them had caught the flu from each other. His thoughts were abruptly cut off as a loud, deep booming randomness, sounding oddly like a attack cracker going off, met his auricle. His care turned towards the source, which was immediately apparent upon seeing the sight in front of him.

Hagrid and a Thomas Young girl with gold hair were having a row. Only Hagrid seemed to be doing most of the shouting, while the girl just huffily picked up rock and roll after tilt from the position of the hut, flinging them with strange vigor and accuracy, at an unsuspecting tree automobile trunk, which was taking the brunt of her very visible defeat.

'' Why hullo Hagrid ! hi Kalliandra ! '' Dumbledore called out cheerfully, as if naught were amiss.

Hagrid 's vocalism immediately died down and the little girl waved slightly before walking pointedly off towards the forest, where she stood blowing into her transfuse hands, an odd whistling audio emitting from them.

He found himself looking between the girl at the edge of the Forbidden forest, Hagrid 's angry, red face, and Dumbledore 's happy one.

'' Hello there Remus. How yer doing today ? '' Hagrid replied, sounding rather strained. He looked strained too, because at the moment he would n't have been surprised to see steam coming out of the Professor 's ears.

'' honest than you it seems. What was all that about ? ''

'' Oh that, '' Hagrid said angrily. `` That would be abou'Kalliandra bein'difficult. Seems she went er…snoopin'aroun'Knockturn skittle alley t'day. ``

Dumbledore seemed unruffled. `` Hrm…curious. I suppose it 's only instinctive for her to seek out information though, and what proficient place than there ? Would n't you jibe Hagrid ? ''

Hagrid shook his headway, sending his scruffy fuzz awry. `` No sir. She shouldn'hafta be findin'things out dat way. It woulda bin all me fault though if she ... if she had .... ''

'' No use working yourself up about affair that did not materialise Hagrid, '' Dumbledore consoled, offering a reassuring smile.

Remus continued listening to the ensuing conversation, but his attention was elsewhere as he turned to see Kalliandra standing next to a thestral, which was profusely nuzzling her like a long, lost friend. Thestrals were n't exactly dangerous, but they were n't exactly well-disposed either.

One would never know how she had barely clung to life only workweek before.

He shook the trope away.

'' Hagrid what exactly is she doing ? '' He was having a hard clip standing idly by with a thestral 's sharply teeth nuzzling so close to his future pupil 's cervix.

'' Oh, '' Hagrid huffed out, still sounding slightly annoyed. `` That there be Silverthorne. He 's a thestral. ''

'' Well I can see that. I meant what is she ... '' He grasped for the right Word unsuccessfully.

'' Doing ? '' Dumbledore supplied amusedly.

'' Yes, '' He replied embarrassedly. Sometimes the simplest word of honor was what he was looking for.

'' She bloody well public lecture to him more than she crashing talks to me, '' Hagrid grumbled. `` William Tell him everythin'from the looks of it and ye should see them, traversing'around at all hr of the day. Real spitfire that one is ! Bloody well good chance teachin'her Remus ! Bin havin'enough trouble gettin'tutelage of Magical animate being down 'er throat and she actually likes that. Ca n't guess how she 'll be with somethin'like Transfigurwhatsitcalled ... ''

'' You mean to say that she 's bonded with an animal ? '' He mused, interrupting Hagrid 's ramble.

'' To hell with it ! You 'd think she actually understood what that one be sayin'half da time ! '' Hagrid muttered exasperatedly, a spite look on his font. `` She 'll babble out to that there animal and get to arguin'with me ! ``

Remus was thoughtful for a moment. `` So she likes animals of the night ... '' He commented, turning to front both of them. `` Well, then I wo n't have too much trouble then, now will I ? ''

Dumbledore nodded in concord, smiling to himself. He could n't have picked a more perfect tense person to tutor her. Now lets see if he can bring through her, he thought to himself, silently hoping for the best.
* * * * *


'' She bloody set it devoid ! ? '' Ron exclaimed in incredulity.

Harry nodded, chucking his newly bought shoal rule book onto his bed in Grimmauld Place. `` That's what I said was n't it ? ''

'' But ... .it 's an owl ! '' Ron stammered, clearly not getting it. `` You ca n't set an owl innocent can you ? I mean ... they like ... fly ... ''

'' Very good Ron. glad to see you know that a bird can fly, '' Hermione interjected, rolling her eyes as she entered their room, setting herself down onto the nook of his bed.

Ron gaped at her, looking strangely like a fish with protruding eyes.

'' You know with your mouth open like that you can almost pass for a goldfish, '' She clipped scornfully.

Harry cringed inwardly on Ron 's behalf. Hermione had been scant with them ever since the three had re-grouped in Diagon Alley, only for him to hastily narrate his story to them, and for Ron to just as hastily agree that Kalliandra was an unsufferable twit.

Hermione, forever insufferably ordered, had insisted on having the entire afternoon recounted parole for watchword, and while she had admitted that the conversation had sounded suspicious, she felt that they were both over-reacting. He had even been forced to endure a retentive lecture about how wrongfulness of him it was to listen in as he had.

He had immediately pointed out that she had had no problem whatsoever when Malfoy was the one he was eavesdropping on, which had earned him a sharp tut and another tangent about how he should make done more to make the female child welcome.

In her legal opinion, if Hagrid and Dumbledore trusted the girl, than they should too. End of story.

Ron had kindly pointed out that Hagrid also trusted Aragog, all dragons including Hungarian Horntails, and that he considered his piffling comrade to be 'tamed .'End of story.

It was rectify about then that Ron had made the misapprehension of calling Kalliandra respective pick names, including a plain, ugly crone, which earned an infuriated round from Hermione about how 'ridiculously superficial'they were being. He was unable to come her intact tirade, but it ended with her concluding that both of them seemed to be 'blatantly misjudging'the young woman on facial expression alone.

Yes…Ron had evidently hit a face, and at risk of further igniting her already roaring temper he avoided pointing out that he for one was definitely not prejudicing her on facial expression, because if he was he would be treating her like Ron did Fleur Delacour, rather than like the Black Plague.

Fortunately Harry did not mention any of these cerebration, got smart, and went quiet.

He wished he could say the Lapp for Ron though.

'' Still in a delicately mood I see, '' Ron grumbled, shoving the bag with his new frock robe into the top dresser drawer.

Hermione 's nose wrinkled in obvious disgust. `` Are n't you even going to advert those up ? ''

'' No. It 's not like there are any girls here. ''

'' So I suppose I 'm a man is that it ? '' Hermione questioned icily.

'' Unfortunately yes, '' Ron countered. `` And a rather hot-headed know-all at that. '' Harry caught his friend mumbling.

'' What was that ? '' Hermione asked, eyes narrowed dangerously.

'' Oh zip Hermione, '' Ron replied with amplify formalness. `` I was just saying what a cover girl job you did defending that uptight, Slytherin bound .... ''

'' I highly doubt she is Slytherin bounce. ''

'' Is too ! Mark my password she 'll be in Slytherin ! Sneaking off on Hagrid and having suspicious conversations ! You heard what Harry said about her ... ''

'' And from the auditory sensation of it he was rather rude and made her feel unwelcome Ronald ! '' Hermione snapped angrily. He glared at Ron. He did not want to get brought back into this.

'' And I met her for only five min and could recite she was .... ''

'' Was what Ronald ? ! You ca n't tell anything about a person after only meeting them for five instant ! ''

'' You did n't even meet her ! '' Ron snapshot back, his face growing slightly red as he flopped angrily down onto the bed across from his, staring pointedly up at the ceiling.

'' I ... Well ... At to the lowest degree I 'm not passing judgment on her ! ''

'' You are too ! Just because it happens to be a positive judgment does n't stand for that it 's not a sagacity ... ''

'' All I 'm saying is that she 's Hagrid 's Quaker and we should at to the lowest degree commit her a probability ! ''

'' They did n't sound very friendly to me did they Harry ? '' Ron asked, directing his question at him.

Once again give thanks you for bringing me into this, he thought sarcastically, looking between Ron and Hermione 's expectant expressions. He suppressed a moan, waiting for the retaliation that was about to number.

'' They did at the robe workshop ... '' Hermione 's nerve broke into a triumphant grin, but he quickly added, `` but not at the pet store. '' Hermione 's grimace fell as Ron let out a triumphant woot.

'' See Hermione ! ''

'' Yes, I do see Ronald. I see a carrot-topped prat who 's way to eager to excrete legal opinion on anyone but himself ! '' She stood abruptly. `` If that closed minded learning ability of yours is actually subject of intelligence then try to remember that you passed mind on me our first year and were improper ! '' She spun on her heel, stomping loudly. `` If you can remember that is. But hopefully the effort to think is not too taxing, it 'd be a pathos if your headway exploded ! '' With that she stormed out, slamming the doorway behind her.

Only after the walls shook as her own door slammed across the entrance hall did Ron sit up, grinning triumphantly. `` And apparently I was right because she still think she knows it all ! ''

The door to their way flew upon, revealing a blanched looking Hermione.

'' I ca n't consider you ! '' She yelled angrily, looking ready to hex Ron at any here and now.

Ron 's grin vanished, his face gone slightly blench. `` But ... your threshold shut ... How did you ... ''

'' A door can be slammed by someone from either side of meat, like from the hallway Ronald. '' She snapped, this time leaving the door extensive open as she stormed off, granting them both quite a view as she vigorously flung her own door behind her this time.

Ron was right on her heels, like usual. `` Mione semen on ... .I said I 'm sorry ... ''

'' No you did n't ! '' Came Hermione 's shrill, but muffled response.

'' Well I just .... ''

Harry tuned them out. This had happened three metre just that week, all when something little set one or the other of off, and it always escalated into this melee. Usually Ron wound up standing outside her doorway, pleading for pardon, like he could now discover him doing.

He leaned back with a flashy groan onto his bed. He sincerely hoped Ron asked her out soon, because he was n't trusted how many more of their bickering have headaches he could take.






'' We must die to one biography, before we can get in another. ''
~ Anatole Jacques Anatole Francois Thibault ~



Chapter 6 ~ Power of thought


'' You 'll bear to be quicker than that. ''

Kalliandra coughed loudly from her military position, flat on her back.

'' If I did n't make out upright ... '' she rasped. `` I 'd recall you actually enjoyed torturing me. ''

Remus Lupin smiled, extending his handwriting to haul her roughly to her feet. `` On the contrary Ms. Kaylens. I do n't enjoy rendering you unconscious at all. ''

She nodded, brushing the grass off the back of her jeans.

'' I enjoy seeing your reactions once I revive you. ''

She stopped what she was doing, pulling her locoweed covered, green-stained hands back in social movement of her. `` Do n't you know it 's not unspoilt to plague individual who has been stunned nine times in a row ? ''

He shook his straits, an grammatical construction of virginal whiteness crossing his feature article. `` I have to get you angry enough to attack me properly somehow do n't I ? ''

'' Spoken like a true up dueling instructor, '' she stated, groaning inwardly.

For the preceding three hours Remus had been teaching her the not so pernicious art of stunning. As it turned out, stunning was one of the few things she could actually do.

Unfortunately being able-bodied to do something, and being practiced at it, were entirely different matters.

This probably explained why she had just woken up on the ground. Then again, the fact that Remus had become incontrovertibly determined to make certainly that she could actually use stunning in a affaire d'honneur, if ever attacked, was also part of the reason.

The Lapp paid teacher was not eyeing her critically. `` You know Kally, if you manage to parry my first approach you usually do quite nicely. Now just stop diving to the rightfield every clip. It 's getting predictable. ''

She scowled. `` Could n't you have told me that a bit earlier ? '' she grumbled, feeling a bit uneasy. The queasiness was not nearly as bad as the concern though.

Not that she would admit that to Lupin.

He had only become her private instructor a piffling over a week ago, yet she had come to prize him. He did not pity her, or pass on glass with his conversations like Dumbledore and the others did.

Instead he talked to her like a human being, and somehow, when he was around, she found herself forgetting some of the pain in the neck she had brought down upon herself.

It almost felt as if he actually wanted her to learn. It was as if she were more than an assignment to him, more than a job that Dumbledore was paying him for.

For some reason the melodic theme that the man may actually like her was calming.

'' Shall we try again ? '' he asked, clearly unaware of her idea.

She trudged back to her starting position in answer. She would not be the one to lay off today. Of course, he should roll in the hay that by now.

She had learned the importance of outlasting one 's opponent a long time ago. Outlasting fatigue and pain could mean the difference between winning, and losing.

And somehow she did not think the bastards, who had taken everything from her, would go soft on her simply because she had a cephalalgia.

She closed her oculus, bracing herself as an onslaught of ash filled memories greeted her head 's eye. Almost intuitively, Remus allowed her these few bit of collection, and when the ira boiled hot within her rip, she opened her heart, remembering what she had promised herself.

She would give the mongrel pay.

But get-go she needed to ascertain to do a simple stunning spell without passing out.

'' Ready ? '' Remus asked, stomping his feet on the ground almost impatiently.

'' Why not ? ''

'' On three then. One, '' Remus started counting.

'' Two, '' she supplied back loudly.

'' Three ! Stupefy ! ''

She threw herself to the priming coat before the hot stripe reached her, mentally screaming the dustup.

The unusual sensation flew through her, burning through her blood as it moved, jolting the spell towards its target. Her vision swam before she saw him collapse, and she fell weakly upon the footing, shakily breathing in the moistness summertime perfume of mud and pasturage.

Slowly, painstakingly, the prickling tracing over her smooth pelt subsided. Her hands, that had unconsciously dug into the damp Earth, relaxed, allowing the brilliant golden spots dancing before her eyes to fade.

waiting for all of this to pass had gotten easier each metre, but it made the experience no less atrocious.

The trick, she had discovered, was to remain conscious long enough for it to allow for.

Several hazy moments later, her favourable center flickered opened, and across the scant expanse of grass she spotted Remus'fallen mannequin.

She smiled weakly, and stood, silently cursing the breakability of the human being organic structure. Success was angelical, but why did it have to ache so badly ?

Retrieving her scepter, she limped over to where Remus lay.

'' Ennervate, '' she murmured, allowing the pre-programmed wand to do the work.

The face on his face was priceless. Only Remus could manage to expect analytic right wing after being stunned.

'' Nice one, '' he muttered groggily.

She shook her top dog, offering him a hand which he shook off, shooting her a reproachful look.

Gripping the minuscule of his back as he sat up slowly. `` I 'm getting to old for this, '' he muttered.

'' let hope not too old, because you still have the rest of the twelvemonth with me. '' She allowed a rarefied grin to dismount up her features.

'' And what a farsighted class it will be. ''

'' Any Thomas More comments like that and I 'll do my best to pretend it seem longer. ''

Remus scowled. `` Touché. So how longsighted were we out ? ''

His question was answered by her silence.

This was the 1st time she had not passed out.

Hagrid 's absence alone should bear told him that, because on the other two function when she had stunned Remus, they had both lie there until Hagrid found them on one of his periodic checks.

Understanding became visible on Remus'face, and upon seeing his wolfish smiling, she could n't fend a small spate of superbia.
* * * * *


Remus Lupin rewarded his pupil with a wide grin as he picked himself off the ground, ignoring his protesting bone.

It had been awhile since he had practiced dueling like this in a non-combat situation, and he was n't entirely sure he missed getting stunned repeatedly.

'' Think you 're up for another ? '' he queried wearily.

Suppressing a groan, she walked back to her dueling fleck in response.

It was amazing, he thought, but in so short a prison term, she had become comfortable, at least outwardly so, with the front of illusion. When he had first arrived she still looked surprised each prison term it was used in her presence, but now…

She was doing punter. That was all that mattered. Particularly considering that in LE than a day 's fourth dimension that Dumbledore was planning on throwing her in amidst pupil her own age.

The fact that her peers were light years ahead of her in education had mattered little. requisite mandated it.

Kally had n't been thrilled. She had already expressed her displeasure with the idea on more than than one social function. And trueness be told, he was more than than a lilliputian concern for her housemates.

There was no telling when Kalliandra would go off, because she had to eventually.

It was n't healthy to convey around that much guilt.

His solely consolation was that they would be able to uphold their moral on the weekends. It would be a rather buck private arranging, since her dorm-mates were to be kept in the dark about it.

She would make enough trouble feigning competency in her three NEWT class, and sneaking out several clock time a week would just be another difficult thing for her.

But perhaps the most difficult thing for her would be keeping her inadequacies under wraps. For appearances sake she would be placed in newt point United States Department of Defense Against the Dark artwork, concern of Magical Creatures, Herbology, and astronomy so as to be with people in her year, but she would be placed in third year Anicent Runes and Remedial Potions. The pappa professor had already been instructed to send her on 'errands'whenever hard-nosed example were held, so that her inability to perform deception would not be called into dubiousness, so that at to the lowest degree was covered.

As for the other class, Remus was being paid by Dumbledore, out of some miscellaneous school fund, to tutor her in the other field of study.

After all, there was very little magic involved in dealing with magical creatures and plant life. And the committal to memory of the import of ancient Runes and the movements of celestial bodies had virtually no scepter magic associated with it.

Watching her take her office, it dawned on him that they really might be able to rip this off.

He hoped so, for her saki. He did n't very often like the idea of something happening to her. While the conception was n't as biting as the cerebration of an ill fortune befalling Harry, it came oddly close.

Falco columbarius ! James and Sirius had been right. He worried like a mother.

The Marauders ... The opinion brought a smile to his facial expression, for his old group of friends had left behind something that just might keep him from fretting like a nervous parent.
* * * * *


Silverthorne let out a low, guttural grunt to express his displeasure at being tethered. The former thestrals were already following suit.

'' Kalliandra ca n't yer do somethin'to hush them up ? ''

'' What do I look like oh thestral tamer ? '' Kalliandra called, giving a final tug on Silverthornes reign.

'' Yer look like the only one within hearing that 'll help oneself me, '' Hagrid yelled.

Despite herself she smiled, calmly running her fingers through Silverthorne 's squiffy black pelage.

'' You know ... '' she whispered conspiratorially, `` He might defeat me if you all do n't tranquilize down a bit. And then who would collapse you ferrets ? ''

Silverthorne 's white, haunting eyes stared back in thoughtfulness, before his formidable oral sex nodded. He nudged the thestral tethered adjacent to him, and a cacophony of grunt followed as the message was passed down the line of passenger car awaiting the bookman'arrival.

Her widened eye took the commutation in, in muted jounce. Thestrals really were so much more healthy than mass gave them recognition for.

'' Now that's upright ! '' Hagrid shouted a bit too exuberantly.

She shook her head word ruefully, and with a final tug she snapped a bang into place on the thestral 's harness, stepping back to view her handy work. She 'd never depend upon a horse in her life sentence, but the harnesses the thestrals used were supposedly alike.

'' Well, '' she said, to both herself and the thestral, `` at least you are done now. Happy ? ''

Silverthorne merely blinked at her once, and she rubbed his read/write head affectionately. `` Of course you are, '' she murmured into his nozzle, the suggestion of a grin tugging at her mouth.

Hagrid 's trashy yelp of protest startled her, and both her and Silverthorne jumped slightly.

'' Problems Hagrid ? '' she yelled, slipping the thestral a fixed block of raw meat. His clapper positively tickled her skin, leaving a sticky red residue upon her medallion.

'' AH HA ! There you insufferable ... ''

'' Hagrid ! '' she shouted, reclaiming her hand and stalking off towards the sound of his voice, with every aim of snapping at him for yelling at any thestral that way. She could n't help her annoyed surge though. She had never had any favourite growing up, and for some odd grounds she had taken a liking to the animals.

But as she rounded the carriage obscuring Hagrid from view, all rebuke vanished the arcsecond she saw his predicament.

It was Hagrid vs. Thestral. The thestral, Monster, had managed to yank his harness completely off, and was gripping the thick leather strap between his sharp tooth, extending his wings menacingly while practically hissing.

Hagrid, to his credit rating, was putting up quite a fight. The half goliath was bounding as close as he dared get, swatting at lusus naturae with an oversized granger hat.

Sweet Merlin ... What the hell was he doing with one of those ?

'' Just ... give it ... .ere ya ... creature ... ox ... ''

His disgruntled yelling shocked her into laughter. `` Hagrid stop that ! ''

Several ding, bruises, bumps, and twenty minutes later found her, and a rather draggle Hagrid, plopped upon the grunge road leading up to the school, entirely out of breath.

It was a pity that the peaceable evening would end in less than an minute, when the Hogwarts express mail arrived.

'' Remind me again why I have to be sorted ? '' It was a rhetorical question.

Hagrid answered anyway. `` Because Dumbledore thinks it 'd be best for yer to be aroun'people yer own age. ''

She shrugged, `` People my own age tend to be a bit annoying if you ask me. ''

Hagrid snorted derisively. `` I 'll not be arguin'with that there logic, but not all of 'em are so bad. ''

She snickered, briefly wondering how much trouble she 'd get in for jinxing Hagrid 's buttocks of a friend in his slumber. Now that would be something.

hellhole, maybe if she did that then Dumbledore would relegate her from whatever sign of the zodiac she wound up in. Then she could go back to sleeping in the other hut outside. She liked it there. No one bothered her. When the nightmares came only Hagrid was near enough to learn her.

Besides, there was something both routine and reassuring about the way that every morning Silverthorne would smack open her window shutters, letting light watercourse in as he began grunting until she was fully come alive and functioning.

She smiled whimsically, thinking of the pillow she had thrown at the thestral this morning. For a change, her aim had been numb on. Of line, Hagrid had n't been exactly pleased when he occur in to see plume and fragment of fabric all over the place. But hey, it was n't her fault that Silverthorne thought it was a ferret and tried to rip it limb from branch. And besides, Remus had repaired it. Heck, at least Remus had found the unanimous billet amusing.

Speaking of which where was Remus ? She had n't seen him since this break of day and he was leaving with the return of the schoolhouse power train that night. Plus she still wanted to cognise what Dumbledore and him had arranged ...

'' Come over ere. It 's the good spot for them first years to see me. '' Hagrid called, ripping her from her cerebration.

She stopped pondering the mysterious whereabouts of Remus lupin long enough to shoot an incredulous looking in his focusing. `` Hagrid they 'd sustain to be blind to pretermit you. ''

He shook his hairy head vigorously. `` No, ca n't yield to accept any of 'em escape me. Not one ! They 'll miss the sortin'if they do that. ''

'' And what a shame that would be, '' she muttered.

'' What was that ? '' Hagrid asked distractedly, leaning out over the platform 's edge to peer down the raceway.

She shook her drumhead in amusement. `` goose egg at all. I was just thinking about what a terrible tragedy it would be to impart a small, primitive, and unsuspecting first of all year stranded alone out here. ''

Hagrid turned around so quickly he nearly slipped and fell onto the track. `` What are you planning ? ''

Her eyebrow instantly creased in geuine muddiness. `` Why is it that every prison term I say something with even the slightest trace of irony, that you think I 'm planning something ? ''

'' Because you usually are. ''

She spun around to see Remus standing there, briefcase in hired man, and a knowing smiling across his pre-maturely aged fount.

'' Remus ! And here I thought you were trying to sneak away without saying goodbye ! ''

'' And risk offending you ? '' he replied all too seriously. `` Skies above no ! ''

Hagrid 's booming laugh resounded behind her. `` lupine you 're cowering to a 16 yr old. ``

The look on Remus'face was invaluable, and she lunged at him in a vain attempt to thwack him.

'' I resent that ! '' she cried out, lunging again, eyeing his quickly movements. `` And you 're pretty quick for an old man are n't you ? ''

Remus had dropped his briefcase in the effort to void her onset. `` Old ? I 'll deliver you know that I 'm 37 ! ''

Looking at his incensed facial expression, she could n't serve it. She laughed.

This time Remus lunged at her, missing by inches as she bounced out of the way. His profuse nature was contagiours.

'' Ah, spry as well ? '' she taunted.

Remus laughed deeply, long time disappearing from his face as he smiled, shaking his head disapprovingly. `` Suddenly I find myself looking forward to my gaolbreak from you during the workweek. I 'll be spared your wanton attacks ! ''

'' Oh Remus, you know that hurts me. Right here, '' she touched her nitty-gritty, doing her undecomposed to look as pathetic as potential.

'' Do you honestly think I 'm so old to come down for that ? '' he asked.

'' In a word ... ''

'' Never mind, do n't answer that, '' Remus cut in. `` And besides, I have something here that might cheer up that wounded heart of yours. ''

Her puckish verbal expression was replaced by one of puzzlement as Remus held up a small, flier, Louis Harold Gray object. `` What is it ? '' she asked, walking over to look at it.

'' This ... '' he said mysteriously, `` Is how you 're going to reach me when I 'm away. '' Upon saying this he snapped it open, revealing a small, snipe mirror on one side.

'' Is that pulverisation ? '' she asked, eyeing the thing that looked suspiciously like a compact.

'' right hand you are girl Kaylens, '' he said, adopting a prof like tone. `` Dumbledore 's mind. One of his more clever ones from what he said, though somehow I doubt that. '' He winked, lapsing into his conversant quality again.

'' Okay. So excuse to me how powder is ... ''

'' It 's a two-way mirror Kally. See, anytime you want to babble out to me. For any intellect .... '' He shot her a meaningful spirit that she did n't leave out. `` good feel directly into it and say my public figure clearly. If I have mine ... '' He fished around in his gown pocket, extracting a rather large pouch picket. `` Which I will always deliver on me thanks to Dumbledore 's idea to hide it in this adorable Muggle excogitation ... '' He snapped the pocket lookout man loose, revealing a mirror on the non-clock side as well. `` And once you do that I 'll resolve. If I call you, yours will beam on the inside slightly, so it 'll be noticeable to you but to not to someone just passing a cursory coup d'oeil by it. ''

She nodded, tacking the minor compact from him. `` Brilliant. How 'd you retrieve of this ? ''

'' Actually I did n't. For Christmastide in my 4th year at Hogwarts ... ''

'' In the Cenozoic ? '' she inquired curiously, laughing at Remus 's fluster look.

'' I knew I 'd repent telling you hotshot had extended sprightliness spans, '' he groaned, ignoring her good nod and continuing on.

'' As I was saying, in my 4th class James got all of us our own two-party mirrors for Christmas. These are mine, I just had them filed down a bit and inserted into these for cover. ''

'' smarting relocation, '' she commented, looking into hers. `` Remus Lupin the Finicky wolfman, '' she stated clearly, waiting to see if it worked.

'' Finicky ! '' Remus bristled, but not before a thin sliver of illumination appeared in the crevice of the closed pocket watch.

She grinned triumphantly, `` Well I guess it works. Hey can I ask you something ? ''

'' Could I stop you ? ''

'' Probably not, '' she confirmed, noticing how Hagrid had moved farther down the political program to pass them some privacy. She made a genial annotation to thank him later. `` It 's just that you, and Dumbledore ... everyone keeps telling me how afraid everyone would be. And if that's straight, well, then why are n't you ? ''

He paused a bit, his idle Brown University eye flickering up to the sky as if considering her doubt. She did n't require to keep abreast his gaze to know that it rested on the quarter moon, barely seeable in the dying twilight. `` I think, Kalliandra, that to let one 's life be even remotely governed by care is jerky. Your never fully alive when your activity are limited by that. And fear, it comes from not knowing what 's truly there. ''

She nodded, silently agreeing with him. It was uncanny, how alike he and her father could voice.

'' And perhaps ... Well, I know what it 's like. And I know how unfair it is. '' He spoke these close password bitterly, his eye hardening in an unfocused glare at the moon. And it was only then that she understood why Dumbledore had chosen him as her mentor.

He was as hated by the world as she was.
* * * * *


An 60 minutes later found her standing, smushed up next to Hagrid, as the mess of scholar pushed, shoved, and in truth, barreled their way over the platform towards the carriages that she and Hagrid had readied for their journeying to Hogwarts. Why students needed the bearing in the first place was beyond her. The walk was n't exactly lengthy. No, she figured Dumbledore had arranged them because if he did n't, the ingrates would wonder off ungratefully, never getting to school at all.

In fact, that did n't entirely vocalise like a bad thought .... But rightfulness then she spied the imbecile that she least want to see, making his way with the cultivated carrot top through the crew towards them.

Carrot top waved vigorously, `` Hey Hagrid. It 's so unspoilt to see you ! ''

'' And so concentrated to miss, '' she muttered, suppressing a laugh at the common cold expression Hagrid shot her.

'' I see the past week has done zero to improve your mode. ''

She turned, eyeing the guy 's messy Shirley Temple haircloth and unripened eyes, which were presently narrowed and shining determinedly. Her number one encounter with him had been far from pleasant, and judging from his salutation, it seemed the tone had been mutual. `` Nor yours. I still do n't have it away your epithet. ''

The guy 's jaw nearly dropped, but Ron interjected for him. `` Well we were introduced. It 's not his shift you do n't think back. ''

She shrugged carelessly. It was n't like she cared what his name was, she just wanted to put a name with his eavesdropping face. `` My apologies. Not all of us are as good with names as you apparently are. But by all mean do n't reintroduce me, I just thought it might be Nice to come to to him as something other than the nosy bum ceramicist. ''

'' What ! ? '' Both of the guys exclaimed. Hagrid, however, shot her a murderous flavor that stopped her smirk dead in its tracks.

Seeing that his glare had the intended impression on her, Hagrid stepped in, attempting to interpenetrate the situation further.

'' That 's enough all three of ya. Now again, this here be Kalliandra Kaylens, and that there be Ronald Weasly and Harry potter. ''

She cocked her top dog to the side, wondering if the cultivated carrot top knew how easily his last figure could be distorted to Weasel. She suppressed the sudden itch to ask just that, instead turning to Hagrid with a forced smile. `` Thank you Hagrid. It 's nice to know that some of us are genteel. ''

'' I hope you were n't referring to yourself as well, '' ceramicist stated pointedly.

'' Why no, unlike you I harbor no hallucination about my impoliteness. '' She nearly laughed out loud at the livid construction that crossed the guy 's case. `` Now if you excuse me I do recall Hagrid has salutary things to do than listen to his friend battle. ''

'' supporter ! ? Hagrid would never be friends with someone like you ! '' The weasel shot out, ceramicist smirking amusedly. Her mouth opened in tempestuous protest, but Hagrid 's booming voice cut them both off.

'' Ronald Weasley how dare ye make premise 'bout me ! '' Hagrid boomed, making all three of them jump.

She glanced up, seeing his boldness redder than it had been after their row about her Knockturn skittle alley mis-adventure. She really would not desire to be the weasel right now ...

'' Kalliandra is my acquaintance, and you 'd do yer best to ride out out of her business. The both of ya ! '' He said angrily, his garish representative drawing the stares of several pupil sandwiched around them. `` If I hear anythin''bout either one of ya nosin'aroun'in her business sector again ... '' He stopped, seemingly too wild to continue.

Hagrid drew in a deep, precarious breath, looking very close to exploding. `` Now rationalize to her Ron. And I mean now ! ''

Ron looked at her, his jaw agape, while Potter looked surprisingly abashed.

Despite herself, a sudden stab of guilt overcame her. Perhaps she was taking her hostile facade a bit too far.

'' Do n't worry about it, '' She spoke up quietly, avoiding the stares of Potter and Weasley. `` I was just as rude anyhow. I 'll see you later okay ? ''

She did n't wait for Hagrid 's response as she spun on her heel, carefully making her way through the crowd to incur an void pram. If she were prosperous, then maybe Silverthorne had been particularly clever and scared everyone else away from his.
* * * * *


Harry stood there, half angry, half shocked at the sudden modification in Kalliandra 's demeanor. He hardly heard Hagrid still going off at them, considering that he was still staring after her.

That changed pretty ready though, because when Hermione Granger is mad about something, she makes it well known than Hagrid.

And Hermione farmer unfortunately thought they had pigeon holed the girl.

And Hermione Granger had overheard his and Ron 's exchange with her.

Add in that she had seen Hagrid 's burst, and Kalliandra 's sudden mode swing to normalcy, and he and Ron certainly did look like the bad guys.

Which was exactly how he found himself, amidst a gang of onlookers, staring down a tenuous brunette, receiving the brunt of her fury.

'' Harry I ca n't think you ! I 'd gestate behavior like that from Ron but you ? '' Hermione yelled, her voice shaking with angry disbelief.

'' Hey ! '' Ron protested, clearly offended.

'' Ronald if you know what 's unspoilt for you you 'll maintain your mouth shut, '' Hermione snapped in a very McGonagall like step.

Unlike Ron, Harry had no ulterior motivation for keeping Hermione happy with him besides their friendly relationship. So at that demand wink he did n't much deal if Hermione was annoyed with him or not. She had n't seen and heard everything, and if she had she would stimulate realized how misleading Kalliandra really was. Which was probably why he suddenly found himself taking a step forward to go after that insufferable head of golden hairsbreadth, with every intention of giving her a small-arm of his mind, rather than paying attending to Hermione 's verbal berating.

Too bad a rather great hand on the back of his robes stopped him from progressing any further forward.

'' You better be going to excuse Harry, '' Hagrid said menacingly.

He shot an incredulous look up at his friend. `` Hagrid you 've got to be kidding me ! She insulted you ! She ... ''

'' She did no so thing Harry. And you 'd do yer outdo to remain outta her business and life if yer understand me. ''

'' Hagrid what are you deaf ? ! She did to diss you ! '' Ron twirped, for a alteration not cowering under Hermione 's fierce limelight.

'' Oh really, an'how so ? '' Hagrid asked, still looking between him and Ron as if he could n't believe what was before his eyes.

'' She was making fun of you because you're a giant ! '' Ron shot out indignantly.

'' No she were n't Ronald Weasley. We were jokin'originally 'bout the easily patch for the fers age to see me. If that 's what you be referrin'to. ''

'' But what about'Knockturn Alley ? '' He chimed in, coming to Ron 's defense. `` There 's something suspicious about that Hagrid ! ''

Hagrid opened his mouth, but it was Hermione who answered. `` I ca n't believe you two ! You both know that Hagrid frequents that region of ... '' She paused, looking as if she were saying this against her better nature.

'' Commerce, '' She finally ground out. `` Frankly it sounds like she was annoyed that you had eavsdropped while talking to somebody she knew. If the same had happened to me I 'd probably be just as annoyed. ``

Harry stared at her contorted features in shock. Talking to somebody she knew was certainly not all she had been doing. Hermione had n't overheard the conversation he had.

'' Hermione, you do n't know what your talking about. You should have heard her ... ''

'' Overhear ! ? What 'd ya overhear ? '' Hagrid shot out suddenly, his vocalisation low, a quiet note of panic in it.

He wrinkled his eyebrow confused. `` Well nothing that made sense but ... ''

'' Then you respectable be keepin'that stuff that did n't be making no sense to yerself. Yer hear me ? '' Hagrid muttered, shaking his drumhead. `` I 'm so discomfited in you two I do n't live ... Yer know I need to get the first yers. You lot get off to the castle, and so help me if any one of yer bothers her .... ''

The brilliance he shot them was more than enough to convince Harry. The last thing he needed was to be fed to Grawp.

Then again, feeding Kalliandra to Grawp could work the unit problem ...

'' Harry ! seed on ! '' Hermione hissed, grabbing him roughly by the arm to tangle him to the near stroller. Most of the others were already rolling up towards the palace.

'' So help me you two ! I 've never seen such rudeness ... ''

He knew sound than to disrupt her at this peak. After all, this was Hermione, and any argument with her was a turn a loss battle. He had just managed to regain control of his spit, which was threatening to break down at her for the reprimand worthy of a toddler that he was receiving, when he stepped into the last carriage, and suddenly re-lost ascendancy of it.

'' I 'm walking, '' He stated bluntly, turning to do just that.

'' Harry you will do no such matter, '' Hermione grunted, grabbing his arm with surprising intensity for a girl her size. He glanced down at the painful grip she had on him, and pondered how furious she would be if he broke costless.

Before he had meter to resolve she had already drug him into the pram behind her.

'' Hermione ... '' He protested, refusing to sit as he stood, hunched over in the low compartment.

'' Nice to know I 'm not the solitary one displeased with this, '' Kalliandra muttered from the far side of the baby buggy, right as one of the thestrals let out an odd sounding grunt.

She then muttered something beneath her intimation. Something that sounded strangely like, `` Even the thestrals think you 're a prat. ``

'' I 'm a what ? '' He hissed dangerously.

Her heart darted up quickly, looking almost abashed. Her vocalization, however, was filled with disdain.

'' Hearing things, potter ? ``

He felt as if he had just been slapped, so contradictory were the emotions her typeface and articulation conveyed. Shaking his head, he shoved the sudden vacillation to argue aside.

'' I do n't generally attain a habit out of hearing thing, '' He finally ground out, taking a seat next to Ron grudgingly.

She inclined an supercilium disbelievingly. `` Sure you do n't, '' She responded, not bothering to mask her sarcasm.

He practically growled, knowing full-of-the-moon well what she was referring to.

'' You 're having a really hard time letting that go, are n't you ? '' He spat out scathingly.

'' I 'll let it go when I get an apologia. ``

He visibly bristled. `` For what ! ? ``

Kalliandra 's reflexion instantly soured. `` For eavesdropping on me, that 's what. ``

He suppressed the sudden urge to shove her out of the equipage. In fact, the only thing stopping him was the fact that he 'd consume to achieve over Hermione to accomplish it.

'' Well forgive me, '' He hissed acidly. `` next time I see you wandering down an alley full of nighttime magician I 'll just leave you to them. I did n't pull in how well acquainted you already were with ... ''

'' So your name 's Kalliandra ? '' Hermione cut in.

Harry gaped at her.

Hermione ignored this, apparently design on starting a civic conversation.

Kalliandra just looked at her oddly, before nodding slightly.

'' Yes, '' She replied evenly, turning to count out the window.

Hermione 's supercilium creased, her lips forming into a settle scowl at the miss 's apparent deficiency of interest.

Harry smirked, leaned back, and crossed his arms, preparing for the show.

'' Well Kalliandra, how was your concluding week of summer ? '' Hermione pressed.

'' Rigorous. ''

Hermione shot him a look, to which he smirked like a jackal. Ron was far less elusive, and simply mouthed, So what now, genius ?

Hermione 's face hardened into one of grim determination.

'' So what classes are you taking ? ``

The girl heaved a large sigh. `` Too many. ``

Hermione 's mouth opened, as if appalled at the young woman 's lack of interest in schooling. And just as Harry began an internal victory jig, flashing a celebratory smirk at Ron, the little girl surprised them.

'' One of them is antediluvian runic letter. I have n't had that before so I 'm going to be getting tutoring for it. '' Kalliandra paused, sounding incertain. `` At to the lowest degree, that 's what the Headmaster mentioned. ``

Hermione 's love feast mouthpiece slowly closed, a retard smiling creeping across her facial expression.

flashing them a self-satisfied spirit, she started talking. `` ancient Runes is actually jolly fascinating. It 's a lot like learning to read another language. In fact, it 's my pet case. ''

At this announcement Kaylens actually looked paying attention. `` I think mine will be Care of Magical creature. Hagrid 's been showing me a lot of the animals he works with over the yesteryear few week. The thestrals are my front-runner so far ... ''

'' Thestrals ? '' Ron snorted derisively, earning a reproving look from Hermione. `` What are you, a sadist ? ''

Hermione 's sass opened in protest, apparently too shock for quarrel as her inevitable retort failed to come forth.

Kalliandra 's formula immediately grew stony. `` Perhaps you should acquire a thing or two about them before you start flinging contumely. ``

'' And how exactly did I affront them ? '' Ron asked shortly.

Kaylens was now looking at Ron as if he had sprouted antlers. `` Generally when one implies that you have to be a sadist in society to like something, I 'm pretty sure enough that 's derogatory to the something in question. ``

Ron waved a deal dismissively. `` As if thestrals would care. ``

'' You 'd be surprised. They hate being insulted. ''

'' That 's Hippogriffs you idiot. ''

Hermione made a strangling noise.

'' No, it 's Hippogriffs that react violently, '' Kalliandra said placidly, flipping the lid of a bundle shut. `` Though I would n't put it past a thestral to do so. ''

'' Thestrals are not violent, '' Harry cut in with annoyance. Why in the sin did Hermione throw to plunk this coach ...

He gazed longingly out the open door crosshatch. He knew perfectly well that if he got out and walked, that he would drop the sorting, and he had already learned the hard way what happened to citizenry when they walked into that former.

Too bad. The ride up to Hogwarts was usually so enjoyable. `` So who on dry land taught you that rubbish ? ''

'' Hagrid, '' She hissed dangerously.

'' fuck this, '' Ron suddenly announced. `` I refuse to remain in the pusher with her. ''

He stood, only for Hermione to yank him down. Ron opened his lip, an angry protest already forming, when Kaylens cut him off.

'' Do you honestly think that I 'm any happier about being stuck here with you and your eavesdropping friend ? ''

'' Just. Let. It. Go. '' Harry growled, hating the disappointed look Hermione shot him each time the incident was brought up.

She glared at him. `` Gladly. ''

'' Fine. ''

'' Fine ! ''

Right then the perambulator moved with a mighty lurch, and not another Book was spoken by any of the carriage 's inhabitants.

Harry stared out the window, contemplating. No one would get as angry as Kaylens had over the incident. Not if it had just been a conversation about something superficial ...

What was she hiding ?

Not soon enough for his liking, the convoy came to a freeze outside the castle 's enormous entry. And without a countersign, he and Ron jumped out, dry shit stirring around their footprint as they met the gang of students rushing to the Great Charles Martin Hall.
* * * * *


'' Well, that certainly could have gone punter, '' Hermione stated, rueful gaze following her two friends out the rig door.

Letting out a tense breath she had not even realized she was holding, Kally felt herself nodding in assent. `` No kidding, '' she remarked dryly. Still, she could n't aid but feel a lilliputian, justified surge of outrage. That girl 's friends had jumped into the carriage right as she had been trying to reach Remus.

organism in the wizard Earth, knowing next to nothing about it, had felt overmaster before. But now, on her way to being surrounded by competent witches and wizards twenty four - seven, that overwhelming feeling was beginning to erupt into something far closer to panic.

She was n't sure she could pull this off. She was n't sure at all.

Hermione released an exhausted sounding seeing red, breaking her from her thought process. `` Please get it on, I 'm not trying to criticize you, '' she said carefully, `` but you could possess made thing a little sluttish. Particularly since this whole mistake seems to be over something extremely petty. ''

Rising from her stern and stepping out of the carriage, her feet sinking into the release crap, Kally heard herself saying very quietly, `` You 're mightily. ``

And even though she was not looking at Hermione, she could practically feel the eye rolling going on behind her.

Silently they joined the multitude of bookman making their way up the castling 's entering. That was until Hermione began asking interrogative sentence again.

'' Do you hump if you are being sorted with the rest of the first years ? ``

Nearly tripping over a kid little enough to have been a first twelvemonth, Kally nodded mechanically. `` Unfortunately. ``

A wistful frown crossed the brunet 's face. `` You do n't sound excited. ``

Throwing a wayward glance the young woman 's way, Kally asked, `` Would you be ? I 'm going to stick out. ``

Mounting the entryway stairs simultaneously, she saw the niche of Hermione 's mouth crook up in her peripheral device vision, as if hiding silent amusement. `` You are twice their height, so I suppose that is an accurate assessment. ``

Instead of responding, Kally began grumbling something indecipherable under her intimation.

Hermione responded by allowing what may give birth been a smile to cross her lineament. `` They really are gracious if you give them the chance. ``

Somehow she felt severely doubtful about that, but something of her thoughts must have shown on her feature film, because Hermione was interjecting before she could even excogitate a response.

'' We did n't get along at initiative either, '' Hermione said, their feet reaching the top. `` To be blunt, it took a troll trying to involve my head off for us to begin getting along. ''

Kally stumbled, her Pomaderris apetala oculus darting over to the miss with something consanguine to horror dancing with them. `` What ? ''

Now there was no mistaking it. Hermione really did expect amused. The missy smiled at her, chuckling slightly. `` Like I said, contribute them a chance. ``

She could n't avail it. Despite all her effort to the contrary, a strangled choking phone emerged from her throat.

Hermione simply grinned firmly, shaking her head. `` Honestly, '' she laughed, glancing around the rapidly emptying entry Radclyffe Hall, `` do you need me to wait with you until the first years get here so you 're not ... ''

'' Ms. Kaylens is quite up to of waiting alone Ms. sodbuster. And if you delay any foresightful it will be 20 points from Gryffindor. ``

The voice had come from directly behind them, the strength of it muted by the echoing of stimulate yack from educatee trying to jam through the Great Hall 's looming door.

Instantly Kalliandra recognized it. She had met the man on a few occasions, and he had seized the chance to remind her how absolutely out of the question it would be for her to ever gain competence in Potions.

As such, she stopped immediately, spinning on her blackguard. Hermione simply quirked an eyebrow before continuing off to connect the eternal rest of the educatee.

Snape 's nighttime eyes lowered, eyeing her appraisingly. `` I trust you are remembering circumspection. Particularly where students like Ms. husbandman are concerned. Some tend to be too snoopy for their own good. ``

Heaving a suspiration, Kally nodded. `` I 'll think back. ''

He glowered at her for another second, before nodding curtly. `` Remember, I 'll be seeing you in detention all this week. ''

She heaved another sigh. Upon their initial meeting she had had the unfortunate fortune to inadvertently diss the man, by asking if he were a lamia. In fact, all she has said was that he looked like one of the creatures of the Night from her demurrer Against the nighttime Art 's textbook they had given her to read. And considering that Hagrid was a gargantuan, another species mentioned in the script, she had n't thought it too unreasonable to assume that a vampire could be teaching at Hogwarts as well.

Unfortunately Snape had n't taken her question lightly, and had immediately began ranting and raving about how he most certainly did not harbour a deep-seeded rip lust for the living.

And for some unfortunate, and suicidal grounds, she had found his ire ridiculously funny.

Which probably explained why she had wound up in detention.

'' Ms. Kaylens ? ``

'' I 'll be looking forward to it, '' She replied quickly, finding herself suddenly surrounded by several 12 kids, all twittering loudly with no star sign of stopping.

She groaned, barely hearing prof McGonagall 's speech. Somehow she found herself following the lieutenant Mistress through freshly polished oak doors into the Great residence.

The eyes of every first year immediately turned upwards, to the left wing, to the rightfulness, and in every other plausible direction, ineffectual to stand taking in their new environment.

The pressure of a hundred pairs of eyes burrowed into her, and she stared pointedly forward, looking over the crowd of midgets to where Hagrid sat, flashing a warm smile in her direction.

Maybe he can aid me escape afterwards, she thought hopefully, coming to a stop at the front of the enormous way. various of the midget around her tensed up, scattered whispering passing through the crowd about fighting a trolling ...

What on Earth is that about, she wondered curiously, spotting the hat Remus had told her about.

McGonagall turned to face the entire room.

'' When I call your name, step forward, place the hat upon your drumhead, and the sorting will begin. ''

With that, she sat the hat upon a beat-up old stool, the sorting hat 's brim opened widely, and the singing began.
* * * * *


'' Slytherin ... ''

'' Ron if you say that one more clock time ... ''

'' Hermione you saw how despicable she was ! ''

'' She is not vile ! '' Hermione hissed back dangerously, being deliberate to keep her phonation lowered. `` queasy, yes. Vile, no. ``

'' You can not tell me that there is not something inherently sinister about her, '' Ron challenged. `` Something 's not right there. She 's going to thread up an malign Slytherin, probably waiting to ... ''

Before Ron could embark further along his psychological road misstep, Hermione cut him off tiredly. `` Just because someone is in Slytherin does not attain them inherently evil, Ronald. ''

'' Hermione how can you say that ! '' He bristled, clearly having hassle keeping his vocalization down as the first years and the case of their argument walked past.

Hermione 's face visibly tensed, and Harry could evidence she did n't fully believe what she was saying. `` You ca n't pidgeon hole an total house. Besides, Slytherins are goal oriented and potent willed. They might be a bit abradant, but it 's because they wo n't let anything get in their way of getting what they want. ''

'' Which makes you a slimy git like Snape ! '' Ron exclaimed triumphantly.

At to the lowest degree Ron 's exclamations were hushed enough so no one not in the draw close neighbourhood could try, Harry thought, suppressing a groan. He should have known the peace of mind between those two could n't last prospicient than the power train ride there. It was astonishing enough that they had n't killed each early in their compartment as it was. Had he really expected that heartsease to end ?

'' Mione ... ''

'' Ronald ... ''

'' Will you two pink it off ! The chapeau about to sing and I actually want to try what it says. '' Ginny cut in. Harry made a mental annotation to thank her for distracting their disputing friends later, and quickly turned his attending to the hat. He had always enjoyed the sorting, but after last year ... well, knowing that the hat was sworn to forewarn the student and instructor of risk made him a bit more paying attention this yr.

The had opened it 's brim wide.

Divided, but once link up,
That's how our floor begins,
4 mansion founded by four friends
Yet I fear that such division shall bring about our end.

In ancient times the best of friends
Came knocking on the room access,
Of Ravenclaw and Slytherin,
Then Hufflepuff went to Gryffindor.

let work up a school of learning,
For all those of magic to assist,
Yet somehow the set about three could not agree,
On what qualities to defend.

Lets teach only those of wit and encyclopedism,
Possessing the most set up judgement of all.
Those had been the poignant words,
Of once comely Ravenclaw.

Proud Slytherin treasure ambitiousness,
Possessing purity of blood and cunning,
His educatee would stop at goose egg,
Until they got what they saw fit to their coming.

And then were the bravest,
Those nervy with noble hardihood,
Bold Gryffindor chose them,
As most worthy of magical learning.

Hufflepuff loved her friends,
And accepted them as they were.
She let them each create a house,
In which their prized were taught and rear.

And as for cherubic Hufflepuff,
She agreed to lead the rest,
Yet somehow section did not set well,
ace to her, seemed topper.

So when the founders sewed me,
And left me on my stool,
She stole me in the dead of Night,
And bestowed me with a prick,
Of knowing when the sentence was right,
For the sorting ritual to end.
She said one day air division may cause strife,
And she feared for the magical globe.
For all her aliveness,
She had feared the division in spate,
But never more,
Than when the friendships failed,
Of the instauration Little Joe.

Slytherin was the offset to provide,
Purity of blood his selection,
I 'm disgraced by teaching Muggle Born !
He yelled, conviction in his voice.

Next left bluff Gryffindor,
He felt the calling of adventure,
Rather than the do-or-die plea,
Of failing commitment in motivation of suture.

survive left once-fair Ravenclaw,
Who once prized DoJ and scholarship,
She left because she said,
That teaching the other pupils had got too boring.

And alone stood Henry Sweet Hufflepuff,
The wisest of them all,
Because she never would heed,
Alluring temptation call.

I see the wisdom of her choice,
Why she chose to assume them all,
And now understand,
That its fruitless to divide you at all.

So while it deeply saddens me,
To see my end in sight,
The sorting ceremony remainder,
Right now, Right here, This Night.


Harry stared at the stool, trying vainly to process what he had just heard. At least he had been right in thinking it was important to pay attention this year, because apparently that was the final stage song the sorting hat would ever let the cat out of the bag.

He cast a cursory coup d'oeil towards Hermione, sitting side by side to him on the work bench, but her Robert Brown eyes were all-encompassing and fixated up front. He could just imagine what was going through her caput right then, because chance were she was going through each page of Hogwarts a history, trying to find any other incident even remotely like this one. He had a sneaking suspicion that she had the whole ledger committed to store.

The unnatural silence filled the Great Hall like a blockheaded fog, so blockheaded he could almost sense it closing around him.

McGonagall seemed caught between slapping the hat and looking to Dumbledore for instruction, and her hand moved cautiously towards the hat 's brim, only for it to quickly recoil as if the hat had grown fangs. This odd, twitching motion was punctuated by sharp turns of her head as she looked right at Dumbledore, who to Harry 's surprisal, looking genuinely amused.

Snape on the other hand looked quite inconvienced, his rima oris had puckered so tightly that his lip seemed more translucent than Nearly Headless dent 's.

Apparently, they had not been expecting this.

Snape however, did n't seem to require to have it, and he had already stood and started storming from his place at the teacher 's table, clearly headed for the sorting hat 's can itself.

'' Excuse me Minerva. '' Snape muttered, his low tincture clearly hearable in the unearthly secrecy. His farsighted finger snatched the hat up and onto his psyche in a bingle fluid apparent movement, his face contorted in concentration as if conducting some clever line of reasoning.

Clever logical argument from Snape ? No ... Impossible, he thought, watching his Potions teacher with pursuit for the first clip in five age.

Apparently he was aright about Snape 's inability to comport an effectual debate, because a moment later Snape had flung the hat back onto it 's faeces, muttering about how it was a dirty, trash-ridden piece of fading fabric destined for a Muggle garbage dump.

It was a chump of how serious the situation was, that not a soul at the Gyffindor table laughed.

Harry could n't help but notice how Snape was testingly running his fingers through his oily grim haircloth, looking at his hands after each swipe, as if searching for test copy of something.

Every Gryffindor had a lift suspicion that the hat had just called him a greasy goop ball.

Ron Weasley was just the first off to say it.

'' Chalk one up for the sort hat for insulting Snape ! '' Ron whispered triumphantly, all heads within hearing turning towards him.

Apparently that was the betoken everyone had been waiting for, because suddenly a frenzy of natural process broke out at the Gryffindor table, and a chain reaction of noise banquet until the nose level was almost deafening. The unsorted first off years looked positively terrified, as if frightened of being sent household if unsortable, and they alone seemed the only I still rendered speechless.

'' I mean did I just hear that right wing ? '' Ron asked, heart alight with excitement he did not share.

Harry just nodded, watching the prof 's re-group.

Professor Flitwick slid from his seat, and every so often Harry could catch a glimpse of the top of his head over the teacher 's table, as the small-scale man jumped up and down, vying for Dumbledore 's tending.

'' Oh my God did the sorting hat just quit ? '' Squealed Parvarti. One would think she had just realized what had happened.

'' Brilliant that one ... '' Ron muttered sarcastically.

'' Think it has anything to do with the war going on ? '' Seamus asked excitedly. `` Do n't you remember ? How it warned us last year ? ''

'' It did n't warn us that it might go on strike Republic of Ireland man ! ''

'' Who you calling Republic of Ireland man ? ''

'' Chill Seamus, dean 's just kidding, are n't you Dean ? '' Ginny 's steady voice somehow filtered through the ruckus.

'' I ca n't believe this ! Never, in all of Hogwarts a History did it ever report the sorting Hat doing anything even remotely skinny to this ... '' Hermione was in her element, and he silently congratulated himself on how well he knew his protagonist. `` I mean do n't you think Harry ? This is monumental !

But Hermione was too worked up to notice whether he responded or not, and she was so engrossed in her dictation to hear what he heard.

'' Do you cerebrate we should just try sorting them anyway, Albus ? '' professor McGonagall asked, casting an almost beseeching glance at the group of low days, who seemed to shrink away from her gaze.

professor Dumbledore, looking vaguely amused, patted professor Flitwick on the head as he mulled this over. For his part the magic spell 's Professor stopped bouncing around like a fire beetle on speed, and his small fountainhead disappeared beneath the staff table.

'' We 'll be needing a volunteer though ... '' McGonagall stated rhetorically, scanning the leaning of student name with an uncharacteristic facial expression of uncertainness, talking out loud but absently. `` If any of the first years would care to try to get sorted ... ''

His fountainhead of family was too preoccupy, and she missed what he did not give out to notice.

A certain golden haired miss had overhead the Professor 's question, and after casting a glance at the distraught children around her, had woven her way through the cowering first off days. She now stood besides the stool, her delicate hand grasping the top of the hat as she lifted it from its chair, plopping it upon her oral sex. The instructor around her were completely unmindful to her actions.

Her diffuse, angular features relaxed, as if immersed in quiet conversation. And as she sat there, immersed in a silent conversation to which only she was privy to, Dumbledore pointed a wand to his throat, muttering, `` Sonorous ''.

A second later the Headmaster 's magically expand voice echoed throughout the Great Hall, as it had on only one other occasion.

'' SIIIILLLLEEEENNNCCCE ! ''

Every person who had been excitedly talking, including several of the skittish looking first eld, who had started to cry, stopped and turned their attention to the nominal head of the hall.

So of course of study, that was when everyone 's attending suddenly became drawn to the rather ordinary girl, standing by the stool, the offending hat placed atop her head.

'' Apparently the sorting hat has decided that it is no longer capable to, in good witting, use as a house sorter. However, we shall have this sorted out. '' Dumbledore winked, the pun on Book sounding almost cancel coming from him. Yet Harry just stared in fascination at Kaylens, who seemed to be nodding quietly to herself. `` Now I would like the upper geezerhood to remain here for dinner party, and I would like the first class to fall with .... ''

Dumbledore stopped mid-sentence, apparently just catching mess of Kaylens, even though she had been right in straw man of him all along.

Kaylens nodded one last time, her hazel eyes flickering open up as she removed the hat, placing it back upon the stool. All eye were upon the hat except his, so he was the only one to see the rare smile crossbreeding her characteristic as the sorting hat opened its brim for the second metre that Nox.

'' Let the sort now begin. ''



Photograph courtesy a public domain site for picture. The accreditation for this internet site may be found on my personal website.