A/N - Sorry it's been so long all, my personal life pretty much imploded. I'm going to try to get chapters up in a more reasonable time.

The Mad Peter Jr Maneuver

Chapter 2: A New Start

[Monday, August 30th, 1976]

It wasn't Bootis' first time to the Notting Hill Carnival. Although it was with that name and of course, if you were counting by year it would be his first too. Janus was a little way off from him, in the crowd, it was his first time and it was clear he wasn't enjoying it. Neither of them were enjoying it really. Over the years, they both had grown a hatred for crowds; bad things just always seemed to happen in crowds of people. What made it worse, was knowing what was supposed to happen and that Jean was there in the middle of it. Not their Jean, no, but as close as they would ever have again unless they could endure trying again, in a new world, and neither thought they had a third war in them.

Bootis watched Jean as she looked around, under the guise of enjoying the overstimulation, but he could it see it in her eyes that something was gnawing at her. His Jean hadn't gone to the 1976's Carnival, in fact, she had made sure that Lucinda and the others didn't either. Instead, Moody had attended under the hope that the conflict had a more magical spark than the Muggles had believed or would balm.

That Moody had found two Death Eaters (pee-ons really, just fucking around in their free time). One had Imperious a random young man and the other Death Eater had done the same to a Police Officer and that was all it took. Bootis didn't remember the numbers but something like one hundred officers and over fifty civilians were injured in the resulting brawl. That Moody hadn't found the two Death Eaters in time to stop the fight, although he did manage to bring the two in on his own.

Bootis and Janus were hoping to find the two before any violence could happen. They had considered if they would try to stop it, but once Jean and the others had decided to go, their decision was made for them. Hopefully, the six girls and their five chaperones would have a great night being none the wiser of what could have been.

Bootis tried not to grin as he caught Janus looking at the group of girls – really just one of the girls. He had known that Janus having a double of himself and of Patty would be hard on the man. He wasn't sure if it was the reason the man hated his double so much, or if it only made the problem worse. He would likely never know, it wasn't like he would ever be able to get the man to talk about anything close to feelings - not even with Vertiasserium the damned Occlumens.

Bootis felt the ring on his right-hand heat up and glanced down to read the message as it appeared. It only had room for four, maybe six, characters so it wasn't so much a message as it was a code: MCRR ('Mission Complete, Request Randevu'). Janus had found the two and wanted Bootis to come to his location at the earliest convince. Bootis slipped the ring off his finger and slid it up his right sleeve to meet the tip of his wand.

"S-S." He said before holding the ring between his thumb and forefinger and letting his arm swing as he searched for the tug from Janus' ring. When Bootis found Janus, it was in a nearby alley and he was rotating two stones around in his left hand.

"Everything's handled." Janus said. "I saw them trying to target people in the crowd. They were just about to try dragging someone into the alley when I got close." He explained. "It's the doubles of the two caught in our timeline and I checked both of their minds just to make sure they hadn't managed one victim already or had a third this time or something else." Janus added.

"What should we do with them? Think they'll be of any use?" Bootis asked.

"I don't know, they're nobody's but they are also true believers. I figured we should either dump them as is, into some very deep water or take all their memories and dump them in a foreign Muggle hospital."

"Right, The Ministry has Healers monitoring all the Muggle Hospitals here and would find them and move them to St. Mungo's." Bootis agree, having thought of Euphemia's stories of her days as a traveling Healer before he could ask why it had to be a foreign hospital.

"Exactly." Janus agreed. "The later would be the most secure but the former would be the easiest, of course, we could just kill them and be done with it." Janus shrugged, knowing Bootis wouldn't like that idea even if he admitted it was a very gray line from what he was willing to do.

~.~.~

[Wednesday, Sept 1, 1976.]

James, Sirius, Remus, and Trevor had just settled into a cabin on the Hogwarts Express. James and Sirius sat next to each other with their heads together, talking quickly in hushed voices. Remus had his head back against the wall and his eyes had closed for a moment while he savored the relative quiet of the cabin compared to what the platform had been like. Trevor sat next to Remus, looking out the window at the crowd still on the platform.

Frank and Alice had escorted him to the train, and he noticed that they remained at the back of the platform as if on guard. From what he heard, he wasn't sure why they didn't take the train with him, but then they could be at the gates of Hogwarts the second they wanted to be. Why spend hours on a train full of children when you didn't need to.

Trevor hadn't seen Jean most of the summer – Moody liked them separated, just in case of an attack. 'Eggs and baskets' Moody would say. Apparently, his grandfather was a Muggleborn who was fond of the proper saying as an Auror and drilled the idea into his son from an early age (the message stuck but not saying). Despite the distance, Jean and Trevor had talked every night with their enchanted planners, but he had still missed her this summer. He had seen Hagrid a few weeks ago when Gawp arrived at Hogwarts, but there had been little downtime for them all then.

He had missed Hagrid and Wemsi too and their weekly family dinners. Wemsi had managed to pop up several times a day for both of them, except on her forced day off unless she could think of an excuse. Wemsi would randomly appear with meals or snacks, or appear to chide them about sleeping and force one of her drugged Cocoas into their hands. He wasn't sure how she did it, as Hagrid had mentioned that she had been popping up just as much for him. It must have to do with the lack of the travel time and the benefits of magical prep time.

"So how was your summer?" James asked him. "Seeing that you didn't actually spend it with us?" He laughed.

"It was alright. Spent a lot of time with Al and Frank." Trevor shrugged.

"Do you think Auror Moody was just being paranoid after that attack on Hagrid?" Jame asked.

"No," Sirius interrupted, "they see them as some kind of prize." Sirius added, gesturing partly to Trevor. "I told you about France - it's a good thing those idiots didn't know it was Jean with me until we were gone." Sirius said, and then realized Remus and maybe Trevor hadn't gotten the whole story. "Apparently, Moody caught a group running down to the dungeons to take her to a different location, right after we had left and right as Narcissa and Dromeda were being taken away." Sirius added for Remus and Trevor's sake.

"Yeah, Moody doesn't want us leaving Hogwarts grounds without at least one Auror each." Trevor sighed. "And he'd prefer us to not both be outside of Hogwarts at the same time, and definitely not together."

"No Hogsmeade trips then?" Sirius asked.

"From what I heard," Trevor sighed, "Dumbledore might be canceling all Hogsmeade trips. Either that or not have them be announced beforehand." He shrugged.

"That's going to upset a lot of people." Remus sighed, thinking of how he was likely to be the one bitched at for it.

"Jean had brought that up when Moody told her and she suggested that the teachers think of some other fun activities on the grounds that will keep the student body happy, so fewer students try to sneak into Hogsmeade." Trevor said. "It sounded like the Head Girl and Boy might be tasked with coming up with four or five events." He finished.

"Which means more work for the Prefects this year." Remus said detachedly.

"Who are the Heads, do you know yet?" James asked Remus.

"Won't know until the Prefect meeting but a lot of people thought Mary might get Headgirl." Remus answered.

"I hope Dumbledore found a Defense Teacher," Sirius said, "I think the power was going to Filches head with all of those portrait classes." Sirius said with a shake of his head.

"Yeah, but some of those were really interesting." Remus said. "Oh don't look at me like that! I was just saying that the new Professor could have a few portrait guest speakers whenever they want a break instead of assigning reading in class or other busy work." Remus defended.

"Well, it would be more interesting than that." James reluctantly agreed.

"You could suggest that, Remus." Trevor said. "I think they'd like the idea."

"They?" James asked, half drowned out by Sirius.

"You know who it is?" Sirius asked at the same time.

"Yeah, it's Al and Frank." Trevor agreed. "One's taking Gryffindor and Hufflepuff and the other Slytherin and Ravenclaw." He added.

"Well, that should be interesting on the schedules." Remus mused.

"The schedules," Trevor started again, "where done so that we get another Defense class each week and a dueling class – don't know if they made that part of Defense or actually another class, but Dumbledore had hoped Moody and Flitwick would be able to co-teach a dueling class once a week, but I don't know if they got that arranged or not." Trevor sighed. "Moody wasn't terribly happy about that idea though." He added.

"Are we all going take up that Defense study group again this year?" James asked Trevor.

"I talked to Jean about that before we left for summer." Sirius answered instead. "We thought we should see about making it an official club." He added.

"That would be great," Remus said, "but if it didn't get approved, at least it sounds like everyone will be getting twice the defense classes this year."

"How'd you do on your O.W.L.'s, by the way?" James asked Trevor after a pause.

"Oh, pretty good." Trevor shrugged.

"I bet you did better than just 'pretty good'." James argued. "Me and Sirius both got eight O.W.L.'s with five Outstanding each. We know you did better than that." James added.

"Had to of." Sirius agreed with James.

"Now Moony here, with all that studying, did really great!" James smiled.

"How'd you see my results?" Remus asked snapping his head upright to stare at James and Sirius.

"It was in your trunk." Sirius grinned.

"What'd you expect when you wouldn't tell us?" James asked, just as the cabin door opened and Peter joined them.

"Hey, guys." Peter panted slightly.

"Take a seat." Sirius answered him as he banished Peter's trunk onto the rack above them before the boy could even try to pick it up. With a thankful grin, Peter shut the door and moved into the cabin as the train started lurching forward and so Peter quickly sat down between the door and James.

"Anyway," James said as he reminded himself what they had been talking about, "Remus got an O.W.L. in each he took – and he took all of them!" James said.

"Lily and that Patty dorming with Jean did that too. Taking every test," Sirius added, "it's downright Barmy taking every test."

"So that's 12 O.W.L.'s and of those, eight were Outstandings!" James bragged on his friend.

"I was going to say you didn't have to tell us," Remus sighed, "but I think I've changed my mind."

"Took ten, got ten, five O's." Trevor answered with a shrug. "Jeany got eleven." He added before anyone could ask.

"Eleven O.W.L.'s?" James asked for clarity.

"All the above, I'm sure." Remus chuckled to himself, his voice drowned out by Sirius'.

"O's" Sirius had corrected confidently.

"I probably didn't do as well as you guys did," Peter started to James and Sirius, "but I got eight O.W.L.'s! I really owe Jean for all the tutoring – and Trevor of course for Herbology!" Peter added gratefully to Trevor. "I even got an O in that, too! Although, I think it must have been just barely because I thought I had maybe gotten an E after finishing the test." He added.

"That's great Peter!" Jame smiled. "We got eight too." James added gesturing to himself and Sirius.

"I even managed an A in Muggle Studies," Peter went on, "and Mum was so happy about my scores and my grades last trimester, that she said I had earned my own broom, and that if I kept those higher grades all this year she'd buy me whatever Owl wanted!" Peter added only a moment before the cabin door opened again.

"Found you." Lucinda grinned from the door, before closing it behind her and leaning against it.

"Captain." James greeted her with a nod to the new badge on her robes as he touched his own matching badge he had pinned to the collar of his dress shirt.

"Captain." She returned and offered her hand to him. "I hope you'll live up to my expectations." She added when he took her hand. "I do hate disappointment." She added when they separated and she resumed her leaning on the closed door.

"That offer stand?" Sirius asked flirtatiously from next to James.

"It wasn't so much an offer," She returned flirtatiously, "as a comment on cause and effect." She finished with a grin. "That's not why I came here though." She sighed, standing up straight and becoming serious. "I've done my part." She said to Trevor. "If someone should slip up, I assure you I will not be feeling forgiving in the slightest." She said coolly as she looked at each boy in the room. When she was satisfied that they all were wary of her ire, she leaned again and resumed a conversational tone. "You should know that I've told her that Trevor is gay and dating Remus."

"What?" Remus yelped.

"I did tell her you two weren't public about either detail," Lucinda defended, "so it's not like you'll need to be acting like a couple or anything. It might never even come up, but I couldn't have you acting like that if it did. And anyway there wasn't much choice, if she didn't have a good reason as to Trevor being unavailable then she would have pursued him again." Lucinda explained, her hands had found her hips as her tone had become sterner. "I could have said that he was dating some other girl, but then Trevor would have to pretend and if he didn't sell being head over heels, then it would be pointless because she would just set to getting one of them to realize they weren't happy, so that he would then be available. Frankly, I didn't think you were a cold enough bastard as to pull that option off." She added to Trevor.

"Thanks?" Trevor said.

"You're welcome." Lucinda agreed. "For everything." She added. "This way is much better, you won't have to do anything but confirm it if she mentions it. Which she would only do in private or with me or likely Jean as she would assume that Jean would know who her twin was dating." Lucinda shrugged as if to say that assumption would be natural. "But she wouldn't bring it up otherwise. The only thing that could foil this plan would be one of you making eyes at or being seen with a girl." She explained. "I figured that as you're head over heels for a girl you're choosing not to be with, that it wouldn't be a problem for you." She said looking from one boy to the other.

"I think we'll manage." Remus agreed slightly uncomfortably.

"Good." Lucinda chirped. "Anyway, I have my own cabin to be getting to. Katie won't be back for at least month and maybe not until after Christmas – she has to catch up on what she missed and what she forgot and then take the O.W.L.'s before she can return, and then, of course, she has to learn what she'll be missing now. So you have a while to prepare yourself." She added more to Trevor than the others before she turned and left.

"She is both strange and …" Jame's voice fell off as he looked for the right word.

"Terrifying?" Remus offered.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed, "but in a good way..." He grinned widely.

"Yeah, she's good people." James agreed as he pulled out and played with a purple Aster from his pocket. "Confusing as hell, but good...I still don't know why she hasn't told Lily... honestly part of me wished she would have."

"I think she's rooting for you." Trevor shrugged back into his seat. "But she knows Lily isn't open to it being you yet."

"I don't know why she didn't tell anyone." Remus said quietly, but all the boys heard him and knew just what he was talking about. "She knew before you and Jean," Remus said to Trevor on his right, "she knew before you guys ever did..." He added to the three boys across from him. "Who at eleven finds out something like that about someone they barely know, and doesn't say anything about it?" He added.

"I think you underestimate people." Peter offered quietly. "I mean, I wouldn't risk it, but I do think a lot of people wouldn't tell anyone – or if they did, that they'd only go to Dumbledore and then stay quiet when he said to." Peter finished more confidently.

"Yeah," James agreed, "if I found that out about some kid I barely knew in another house, I might have asked Dumbledore about it privately – but I wouldn't have spread it around or anything."

"Yeah." Sirius agreed. "I mean, if it was someone I hated I might have, but I wouldn't have ruined some random kids life." Sirius added firmly.

"So have you planned out the spells?" Remus asked James instead of trying to find something to say on the topic at hand. "You wanted protection spells right?" He added to solidify the change in topic.

"Yeah," James agreed, "just with the Dementors and the breakout, on top of all the attacks and stuff, I thought it would be a good idea." James shrugged as he rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean Mum was saying how this drought the Muggles have been having all summer was actually a really good thing because it kept the Dementors away from most Muggles."

"They don't like the heat and especially not a dry heat like it's been." Remus agreed with a nod.

"So, I guess I need to figure out what all we can put into it." James said.

"Well, it being magically forged Platinum will help with that." Remus mumbled as he thought. "Out of all three, this would be the ideal one to infuse with protections." He added.

"Good." James nodded. "I had been wondering if I should get another made, one that I could pick with these spells in mind." James admitted.

"No, I think Platinum would actually be the ideal metal – I'll check some books, but I can't think of one better suited." Remus said as he waved James down. "I mean the flower won't match it so much, but that won't affect the spell work at all."

"White Heather," Sirius sighed, "we had considered it, and junked it for its potential to be taken as an insult." He finished.

"I wouldn't change it to that," Trevor said, "it might match more, but giving an item enchanted with protections and giving that item in a form that means 'protection' could be taken completely differently. You want to be seen as thoughtful, not demeaning. One says you care and the other says that you think she needs your protection." Trevor said seriously.

"You know it's a bad idea when you get Trevor channeling Jeany." Sirius laughed. "I don't know how Lily would take it, but if it were Jean the White Heather would be asking for one major dressing down at the least." He added.

"I don't understand girls." Peter said as he shook his head slightly.

"I'm not sure I do either." James sighed. "Why does my every action have to be taken in the worst possible way?" He complained, throwing himself back into the seat with the dramatic sigh.

"Because she thinks you're a git." Trevor answered. "If, you were her best friend she would assume the best in everything you do."

"That explains a lot." James sighed sourly.

"You just have to play it safe until she thinks of you as a friend, then we can stop overthinking everything." Remus soothed.

~.~.~

(Hours Later)

Whispers filled the Great Hall from the noticeable number of missing students. At the Slytherin table: Jean, Lucinda, Patty, Severus, and Reggie noted that their table only had one Seventh year. They had expected both Avery and Wayt to be returning but they were absent, as were the three female Seventh years that Jean had never spoken to or bothered to learn the names of. It was only Thomson left. Lucinda was happy that if Slytherin would have only one Seventh year, that it would be the one she thought had some Quidditch value. Looking for the four other Slytherin Sixth years, they found only Wilkes, but Patty told them that she had seen Aubrey on the train for the Prefect meeting and had then done rounds with him (Patty having officially taken the prefect badge from Bella Burke this year). Patty and Aubrey were officially Prefect partners.

Reggie noted that two in his own year where missing. All of them but Jean (who had no idea) agreed that the youngest three Hogwart years looked lacking as well in their House. Jean only noticed that the two boys she knew would later be famous had both returned: Ludovic Bagman the future Quidditch star and Ministry employee and Lorcan d'Eath the half-vampire, who would be famous for songs like 'Necks to You'.

The Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables also looked a little thin, but the worst numbers were in the Slytherin Seventh. Jean had known that Mulciber, being dead, and Flint being a convicted Death Eater wouldn't be at Hogwarts. Even with Flint currently being at large with the remaining escapees that Moody hadn't caught.

At the Gryffindor table James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, and Trevor had been surprised when Lily and Trish sat near them with a friendly greeting from both girls. James and the other boys had hidden well, any shock at both Lily's use of 'James' instead of 'Potter', and her sitting in the nearest seat, which was next to James, instead of going around the table to sit next to Remus (which would be much more normal). At first, the group of seven had thought that their remaining Gryffindor Sixth year was missing with so many others but Sarah Samson appeared at the same time as Aubry, a few minutes before the first years were to file in for the sorting.

"Sarah!" Lily had called to the girl with concern at the girl's puffy eyes and raw nose. "Sit here." Lily instructed the girl into the seat next to her as she scooted closer to James to the give the girl more room. "What's wrong?" Lily asked the moment the girl was seated.

"They weren't allowed back." Sarah sniffled. "Their parents said it wasn't safe, and locked them up at home and they're going to homeschool them until all these attacks stop and the Dementors and the Escapees are all taken care of." Sarah added as she dabbed a balled up tissue at the side of her nose. "I mean I'm happy they're safe – I am - but the three of us have been inseparable since we were babies! They're like my sisters, and I don't know when I'll get to see them again!" She added, doing her best not to start crying again.

"I know it will be hard, but it will be alright." Lily comforted. "And you're more than welcome to stick with Trish and I, you know." She added.

"Thanks, Lily." Sarah smiled sadly. "I know I probably should have spent more time with you guys, instead of always being with Cordelia and Aurelia."

"We've always understood." Trish rushed to say. "If I had grown up with other kids, and came to Hogwarts with friends, I would have spent more time with them then my new roommates too."

"Exactly," Lily agreed, "I kind of did the same with Severus at first, and would have done more if the Slytherins had been more accepting." Lily added.

"Quiet please!" Dumbledore called from in front of his chair. "The shorting is about to begin!" He announced just before the large double doors opened and the tiny first years filed in, one by one, as they tried to look at everything all at once.

Neither Jean nor Trevor really paid much attention to the shorting. Jean clapped politely with the other Slytherins anytime she heard the hat call out her house. Trevor did much the same, clapping loudly with the others anytime 'Gryffindor' was announced by the hat. Both, however, snapped to attention at the last name called. There was only a small blonde girl with tight springy curls flowing out of her pigtails. Neither the childish hairdo nor the baby fat in her checks disguised her from the two of them once the name was called. The girl looked nervous as she twisted her robs in her fingers – they both still itched to curse the girl.

'Umbridge, Delores' is what McGonagall had called. It was those two words that set both Orwell's jaws clenching as they tried to hide their intense hatred for the little girl before them. 'You cannot attack a first year', both Jean and Trevor mentally reminded themselves several.

With the hat on her head, falling past her squished nose, the seconds ticked into minutes and the hall grew a radiating hush. The hat considered the girl for a long time before it made up its mind. The room had strained to watch her lips twitch up and down as the silence grew.

"HUFFLEPUFF!" The hat roared, the Hufflepuff table cheered and clapped for the girl who didn't look entirely happy with her placement. Jean noticed the girl give a short but longing look to the Slytherin table before she took her seat with her fellow Hufflepuffs.

When Jean looked at the Gryffindor table and then her brother, she found Trevor already looking at her. As their eyes met, her hand caressed the wand in her pocket and she felt her mind slip into his.

'It worked. I can't believe it.' She thought in awe, and he could feel her smiling.

'Well, she was loyal to Fudge, and did work very hard to traumatize children.' Trevor thought bitterly in return.

Jean almost thought about the horrible woman but managed to keep her and Trevor firmly out of her memories.

'We're getting better at this.' He thought, having noticed the slip. 'We're still going to watch her right? Make sure that this actually changes things?' He asked her.

'Of course, she could still be a monster, and if she is she'll never be in any kind of power or have anything to do with children even if I have to sterilize her myself.' Jean thought darkly. 'If this doesn't fix her, and she becomes a problem I have no problem turning her into a Lockhart level of harmless.' She added.

'I shouldn't be picturing strangling that little girl - it's wrong and horrible but … I'm afraid that part of me would greatly enjoy it...' Trevor admitted.

'...Me t-'

"Orwell." Severus said sharply as he snapped his fingers in front of her face, making her jerk back into her own mind. "Alright?" He asked in an attempted pleasant tone, that did not hide from her that he knew damn well what she had been doing. He had told them how to do it after all, even if he wouldn't attempt the technique himself.

"Just lost in thought," she excused to his approval, "did I miss something?" She asked with a sweeping look to the others.

"Do you think we should return to the Slytherin dorms? Or take up our private dorm again?" Lucinda asked.

"Seeing that Dumbledore said we would have the choice, and it appears all of our problems haven't returned to school this year." Reggie added.

"I don't know." Jean admitted. "It was nice, but part of me would like to see Slytherin change for the better, and I don't know if that can happen without us."

"I very much agree." Lucinda said. "For years our house has been festering." She added with distaste. "It's time someone did something about it."

"Well, I'd be happy to watch you whip them into shape." Jean grinned at the other girl.

"Quiet! Quiet down everyone, I have just a few start of term notices for you all." Dumbledore called. "First, let me introduce our new Professors this year. Replacing Professor Plante, who retired at the end of last year, is Professor Pomona Sprout!" He announced to polite applause. "This year, Defense against the Dark Arts will be taught by two Professors – both rising stars in the Auror department, and past Head Girl and Boy that many of you will remember – Professors Frank and Alice Longbottom!"

"Al?" Lily gasped, at the announcement as both she and Trish strained in their seats to look at the head table.

"Do you think we'll get Frank?" Sirius asked James.

"That would be great." James whispered back with a grin.

"There is one last change to staff." Dumbledore called. "Our Professor Phineus Chelem decided to retire this summer as well, and while Divination will not be offered this year, a new class 'Cultural Magic' will be offered this year which will include study into the different approaches to Divination, but will not be limited to the topic of Divination. It will be an entry-level class for all students Third year and higher, and you all have one week to sign up for one of the seven times available. Classes will be mixed years, and taught by Professor Vadas." Dumbledore explained. "Now before we get to the things I say every year, I must inform you that there will be no Hogsmeade visits this year, due to the risk to the student body. However," he called out over the groaning and yells of outrage, "your Head Girl and Boy with the Prefects will be planning ten events, to take place on school grounds. Five events will be for all years, and five will be for only those old enough to attend Hogsmeade trips."

~.~.~

That night, in the Slytherin Common room, Patty and the other Prefects had corralled all the students together. Most of the oldest students claimed what seats there were, leaving the youngest years to sit on the floor or to stand in the back. In front of the mass of students stood Lucinda and behind her Jean, Patty, Aubrey, Reggie, and Severus.

"Thank you, Patty." Lucinda smiled at the girl from over her shoulder before she addressed the room. "Most of you know who I am, and will have guessed by now that things are going to be different this year." Lucinda smiled at the group. "For the first years, if you have been told stories by your parents or siblings about their time here, forget it all now – for this is my Slytherin now – welcome!" She greeted with her arms outstretched for a moment.

"In, my Slytherin." Lucinda continued. "Certain things will not be tolerated. Don't look so worried." She chided some of the older students. "My expatiation here are much the same as on the field. On the field, I have never tolerated cheating. Not because it's morally wrong but because it is weakness and I am not weak, and I will not allow my team to be weak, or to harbor those that are not only weak but are happy to stay as such. There is only one place in which cheating is acceptable and that is in a fight when your life is on the line." Lucinda finished with a bite to her words but quickly was back to sweet smiles. "You will have noticed that most of the seventh years in this house did not return to school this year and we are down our two oldest Prefects. On the subject of those people missing, I say good riddance to most of them. For they were weak and they strived to make Slytherin weak as well." Lucinda paused, with a look to Patty and Aubrey.

"Aubrey and I," Patty said, "with Professor Slughorn will be picking one male and one female student in 5th year or higher to be Prefects this year so that Slytherin has the same number as the other houses. Either Professors Slughorn or Dumbledore will call the selected two to meet with them next week." She finished.

"Now," Lucinda started again, "my Slytherin will be strong, educated, and united in respect if not friendship with all of Hogwarts." She called out clearly. "We will protect each other regardless of house colors, or heritage, or upbringing. I expect you to forge strong relationships throughout the school that will foster your future, your schoolmates future and by extension Wizarding Britain's future." She added sternly. "What I expect of you is not much," she informed them, "and so failer will be highly disappointing, and I do so hate disappointment." She added far more coldly then she had said the same to James earlier.

"You can't dictate to the whole house!" One from the crowd objected.

"There are no rules against anything she has done or proposed." Patty countered as she stood straighter and adjusted her Prefect pin so that it was perfectly straight on her chest. "In fact, she is only taking a more direct approach to what has happened for years in this house." Patty added.

"Thank you, Patty." Lucinda agreed. "For any of you that are thinking about going to Slughorn about this, it will be a waste of time." She informed them. "While you were all gathering, I already met with him, and he was thrilled with both my vision for our House and with the news that I will finally be able to attend his private gatherings now that I am Captain." Lucinda added what all the most knew meant she'd finally let Slughorn collect her and he wasn't going to give her up for any of them.

"So you have absolute rule." The new female Prefect said.

"I do." Lucinda agreed. "And I will not allow what happened last year to happen again. I will not allow this House – MY house – to be a place where people are dragged from their beds by an angry mob." She said firmly. "Welcome to the new Slytherin - I make the rules now and failer will not be tolerated but you can call me Queen Bitch if it makes you feel better." She added with an extra sweet smile.

"Without repercussions?" One voice asked curiously.

"As long as you don't forget the title." Lucinda answered.

~.~.~

[Sunday, September 5th, 1976.]

"Are the effects of the moon lessening?" Sirius asked Jean as they lay in the tall weeds behind Greenhouse five.

"I don't know, I think I'm just less stressed in general and less disturbed by the changes." She answered after a moments thought. "Like I can smell you more than I should be able to at this distance, but it's not extreme and it's not bothering me. I can smell these grasses and weeds too but it's not choking, it's very slight." She added.

"I meant more the effect of Hartz trying to come out and play at bad times, but it's nice to know that I don't smell too bad." Sirius turned his head from the sky to grin over at her.

"I think that's not a problem unless I'm emotional. I mean, I have learned to stop it faster when I feel it starting, but I think most of the difference is not being such a wreck." She gave a hollow laugh. "Although, a little before the last moon, I turned on Gideon."

"Really?"

"We had been stuck inside together because of the heat, and he was weird one moment and annoying the next, and I just felt like if I stayed in that tiny hotel room with him for another moment that I was going to Hex him." She ranted. "So I was going to go down to the hotel bar for a bit, and he got all 'it's literally my job to guard you. How can I do that when you run off on me all the time?'" She mocked a masculine voice. "Which was why I had to get away from him in the first place because he wouldn't shut up about it, even after I apologized." She added. "Anyways, he pulled me away from the door, closed it, and then closed me in with his body and I just snapped - it was enraging. I changed into Hartz before he could say or do anything else, and I growled down right into his shocked little face." She said, pausing as Sirius readjusted into a position were laughing so hard wasn't so awkward. "He stumbled back and fell right on his arse and I changed back and told him that the next time he wants to throw his weight around he should remember just which of us can win that game anytime she damn well pleases." She finished primly.

"And did that help?" Sirius asked.

"Yes and no." Jean sighed. "He was even more weird and annoying, but I sure felt a hell of a lot better. Plus a week later he stopped trying to piss me off with everything he did."

"Was he actually trying or did you just feel like he was?" He asked. "Because I can't image he'd try to piss you off when he knows that he has to be around you every other day all summer long."

"Fine, maybe it just felt like it." She sighed. "It all started when I told him off for treating me like a child when I'm 19 and he's only like three years older than me. After that, he did stop treating me like a kid, but it was like he didn't know how to behave anymore – and my god he's a prude! I am never going to a beach with him again!"

"Really? I never picked him as one to be prudish."

"Well, I could only visit the beaches on Fabian days, because Gideon was so obviously uncomfortable being on the beach with me. I mean he was nice enough not to say anything, or to refuse to go, but it just ruined my enjoyment." She sighed.

"Go to any topless beaches?" Sirius grinned.

"Sirius, all of the good beaches in France are topless beaches." She told him seriously.

"Huh." He thought.

"What? You pictured me the prude, did you, Sirius?" Jean laughed.

"Seemed likely. You prefer loose and modest clothing, and seem uncomfortable when Lucinda or anyone else puts you into something semi-revealing." He shrugged.

"Did I seem like that, with my dress for the wedding? Or with the Proulx Ballgown?" She questioned.

"No." He said after a moment.

"Or being naked when we were captured?"

"I thought that was just bravado." He shrugged.

"What about when they were dead?"

"It was just us." He reasoned.

"Fair enough." She shrugged. "The point was, that I have no problem with nudity or sexual or revealing clothing if in an appropriate situation, but school is not an appropriate place, and since we live at school, then weekends and breaks just mean no uniform but still call for 'school appropriate' clothing." She stated primly and Sirius laughed.

"Tell me," He said after a long moment when he had rolled on to his side to look at her, "just which parts were lies?" He asked seriously.

"It's not like I can list them off, Sirius. I'll tell you the whole truth, whatever you ask, but I'm just doing my best to keep straight who can know what." She said honestly.

"Your name, you and Trevor, your family, your childhood." He listed. Knowing the answer to the first one, and some of the rest.

"I was born Hermione Jean Granger on September 19th, 1979." She said. "My parents where Dentists, Helena and Richard, and I was an only child – but I told you that part didn't I?" She asked and he nodded. "Right, well I never suspected I was a witch, and neither did my parents, but after I learned that I was one I started questioning things. I remember books being too high for me to get and then later finding them in my room – I had thought one of my parents had seen me trying to get it and left it for me... When I was packing up for my first year at Hogwarts, I discovered that my desk lamp wasn't plugged in but the light was on - when I realized that, the light went out. It had worked fine for years, never even needed a new light blub and then I remembered that when I got the lamp (I was so excited I had saved up money for months to get it) I was called downstairs as I was crawling under the desk to plug it in – when I came back into the room it turned on when I hit the light switch, and it did that every time after that."

"If it wasn't for that muggle house I would have no understanding of any of that. It was odd the lights not just turning on when I came into the room."

"Yeah, you and James and Peter kept leaving the lights on in every room." She sighed. "Poor Remus was following you all around turning off the lights until 'Emia told him that you all had to learn to do it yourselves." Jean laughed.

"Not as bad as us all just sitting in the dark until Moony came in and flipped the light switch, but back to your story." He prodded.

"It was just stuff like that, expect what I think was the first time I used magic... I was seven and the week before my friend's cat had died. I was told 'that's what happens when animals are hit by a car'." She shrugged. "People should be more careful about what they say to children." She added. "So, I was playing in front of the house with my dog and I don't remember how but I see him get hit by a car, and he drags his back legs as he pulls himself out of the road and to me. He was concerned about me and started licking my face. I was sobbing because he had been hit by a car, and animals that get hit by a car die. Not might die, but die." She clarified. "I threw myself over him and howled, and sobbed, and begged him not to die...My mother came running, she thought I had been hit by the sounds I was making... when she pulled me off of him his legs weren't so bad anymore. He was still bloody and cut up and the vet said one of his legs had a fracture, but I remember him dragging them – I had convinced myself that it was a false memory, but then McGonagall turned into a cat in my living room..."

"What about your parents?" He asked.

"They were wonderful, I was their everything and I could have ended up such a horrible child." She laughed. "My Otter Patronus is my father, Harry was the only person who ever knew that. It's strange, but when you see one that is someone you can feel it in your bones. My parents had their own practice and would work different days so that when I didn't have school I wasn't with a sitter or something, and I was with whichever of them was off that day." Jean explained. "After I started school, I was bored a lot. One day we would learn something and that was great and then the next two to three days was just that same thing over and over. So when that was going on in every class and I was dreading going to school and having to sit through that, my dad would call me in sick and we would go and stop by the Library on the way to the Zoo and there we would look at all our favorite animals and then we would pick a place and read our books from the Library until we got hungry and went to get Ice cream at one of the stands - no matter how cold it was." She smiled. "Some days we'd spend hours at the Zoo and some days we'd go just long enough for Ice Cream and then go to a museum to escape the heat or the rain or the snow." She finished.

"Such a swot." Sirius laughed to himself as he pulled her closer to him.

"I think you'd really like the London Transport Museum if you got over it being a Museum." She informed him sternly.

"It's nice to hear about good parents." He admitted as he nudged her into continuing on about her dad.

"He said it was our secret, something just for us, so I never told Mum." She admitted. "Later though, when the war got bad and I was going to run off with Harry and Ron … before I left I Obliviated my parent's memory of me and gave them new names – new lives. I took every memory with me in it, or with me mentioned, and that day I learned Mum knew about the 'Daddy Daughter Days', it had been her idea – not the Zoo itself – but her father had done something similar and it had been so special that she wanted us to have something that was just ours, too." Jean said blinking with a strained smile.

"What about her?" He asked.

"Every morning before she went to the office, she'd get me up with her and we'd have breakfast while dad slept in an hour or so. We'd talk about everything as we made our breakfast, and ate, and then cleaned up... and just before she would go upstairs to wake dad before she left we'd have one of my favorite biscuits. On days she was off, Dad would wake us just before he left, and we'd do the same. It was always just the one, but we did it every morning. Besides those times we only really had sweets on special occasions, but that just made that one biscuit every morning seem so special...Dad would always pretend not to know about it." She laughed. "He'd joke about her kisses being sweeter for some reason when she was leaving for work."

"If I have kids, I want to be like that... I don't want to be anything like my parents... I know I get so angry sometimes, but I just don't ever want to be someone who would hurt their kid..."

"You won't." She assured him.

"How can you know?"

"The same way I know you would never be a Death Eater. The same way I know you would never betray your friends... it's just so completely against who you are at the most basic level." She insisted, and he didn't answer started playing with her hair and she knew he didn't know what to say.

"What about you and Trevor?" He asked after a long pause.

"Oh, you're right, I missed Trevor – or I guess I should say, Neville. We met on the train, we were very alike in a way, we both were dying to have real friends and we were both lost on how to get them. That brought us together, we were never thick as thieves or anything but we were always there for each other... It's hard to explain being close to someone and caring about them, but not necessarily wanting to spend all your time with them."

"Sounds like he was always like a brother." Sirius hummed in thought. "What about Harry and Ron?"

"They didn't like me at first – like I said, I was desperate for friends and I thought what I needed to do was to be confident and helpful... only it came off as more overbearing and rude. Anyway, Ronald Weasley was the sixth child and son of the Prewetts youngest sister Molly and her husband Arthur Weasley. He and Harry were fast friends. Harry had a hard life. His parents were killed by Voldemort before his second birthday. He was raised by his aunt and uncle, they were muggles and they hated magic, they could have been worse – there are people worse – but it was not a good home-life. They would give him chores to keep him busy and out of their way, and when they were angry with him they would lock him in his room – which until second year was the cabinet under the stairs. They'd lock him in for a few days only letting him out to use the bathroom and to give him the blandest meal they could – lots of cheese and crackers with an apple... He didn't get real presents, they counted his glasses and any clothing that weren't hand-me-downs as his gifts – sometimes the hand-me-downs too. The magical world called him The Chosen One because Voldemort had tried to kill him after killing Harry's parents. Voldemort disappeared that night and many had thought that he was dead and that Harry because he had survived the killing curse, had somehow vanquished 'The Dark Lord' as well - as a baby...He hated the way people looked at him – treated him..." Her voice trailed off as she mentally braced herself. 'Best to say it quickly, like ripping off a band-aid', she thought. "His name was Harry James Potter and he looked so much like James but he had Lily's eyes." She said in a rush.

Sirius knew that, too.

"But that wasn't him right?" Sirius asked when he couldn't find better words. "That's not my James, that's a different James, just one possibility out of thousands, right? That's what you said before, wasn't it? That nothing has to happen the same way."

"Yes," Jean agreed quickly, "and even if it wasn't, I would do everything to keep that from happening." She promised.

"I know." He whispered as he distracted himself with playing with her hair again. He ignored the weight on his heart, as he promised himself that this world was the one everything was going to work out in. They all would make sure of it. He would help Jean and Trevor save the world, and he would help Bootis and Janus save the Orwells.

"The first time I did magic," he started after a stiff pause, "I was almost six, I remember because she was yelling at me that bad boys didn't get birthdays, and I didn't care and I said so and that's when the Whale slapped me across the face. It dropped me to the hardwood floor, my hand stung as much as my face, and I tasted blood." He said slowly, pressing his forehead into the side of her head. "When I looked up at her from the ground where I had landed she had this look and even then that hurt so much more than the act itself. That was the moment I first remember hating her, it flooded me in a second when I saw that proud look on her face, and then she was suddenly thrown back into the wall." He said. "That was the last time she ever tried to punish me without a wand in her hand, it might have been the first, I don't know." He admitted. "I remember before that knowing that she was a bad mother and that I preferred it when she wasn't around."

"In a way, I've met your mother." Jean admitted. "She had a portrait done before she died, you where the last Black besides her and I guess she wanted to keep control over that house, so she put it up with a permanent sticking charm to a load bearing wall in such a way that the whole wall was one piece. We had tried to remove the wallpaper and then the drywall but neither worked."

"Why would you ever be in that house?" He demanded. "That's not where you got..." he trailed off realizing his hand was over the scar in question, he could feel the letters under his fingers. "How's is not visible but I can feel it? I thought it was cursed."

"Muggle makeup," Jean shrugged, "they call it foundation, women use it to cover up blemishes or smooth out their skin tone – it's a colored powder and I just put it over the scar and then I can charm that powder with an impervious charm so it won't wash or wipe off." She answered. "And no, that happened at Malfoy Manor. Your double that I knew before, he gave Grimmauld Place to Dumbledore to help with the second war. It was our Head Quarters." She added.

"Who?" He asked simply but she knew what he wanted to know.

"Bellatrix." Jean answered. "Narcissa had married Malfoy and had a son named Draco – my school bully – they all watched, Lucious liked it when I screamed, Narcissa looked like she was just tired of listening to people being tortured, and Draco – the boy that first called me a Mudblood and wished I would be killed in our second year – he looked sorry... he watched like it was penance. Somehow, that helped almost as much as hearing Ron scream my name from the basement... Just knowing that even he knew it was wrong...that even he would have stopped it if he could – not out of any fondness for me, but just because even he knew torture was wrong and that it made him feel sick."

"I'm going to kill her..."

"I already did." Jean rasped. "I caught up to her after she killed Jane, we hit each other at the same time and when I came too she was bleeding out from my cutting curse that had gone high – probably from me being thrown up a foot or so right when it cast." Jean sighed. "Anyway, I got this idea and so I took all of the memories I could from her head before she died and then I gave them and her body to Moody. The Bellatrix that is out there now is a spy, it's this guy Moody trained and then lost to a group in the Ministry that even he isn't supposed to know about. The guy had quit because he couldn't trust that they were telling him to do the right thing anymore, but when Moody asked him to help he agreed."

"Jeany?" Sirius asked hesitantly after a while.

"Yes?"

"Harry's Godfather, the reason you see the Thestrals...it was … a me wasn't it?"

"Yes." She whispered.

~.~.~

(Late that night)

"What did you tell James?" Remus asked Sirius as the two entered the Forbidden Forest.

"That I had a girl to meet." Sirius shrugged. "What'd you tell Jeany and Lily and your little study group?"

"That I was getting a migraine and was going to the Hospital wing for it." Remus answered. "I don't like being in here – you remember what the Centaurs did to Jean."

"They said they made sure the Centaurs wouldn't be a problem for us, and as long as I stick close to you nothing else should bother either of us."

"I'm so happy my Medical Condition makes you feel more comfortable, Pads." Remus muttered back dryly.

"That's the attitude, mate!" Sirius beamed and jabbed him in the shoulder.

"Where did they say exactly and how are we supposed to find it or them in the dark?"

"They said you should be able to find them." Sirius shrugged, continuing as Remus stopped dead.

"One, how am I supposed to do that? And Two, were you going to tell me I was the one leading the way?"

"Nope, Bootis said not to tell you and I think I trust myself." Sirius snickered.

"Well, how are we going to find them now, Padfoot?" Remus huffed.

"Just like when we're sneaking around in school and you always know when someones coming before we do." Sirius shrugged. "There are two other people out here with us in this general area – so where are they, Remus?"

"I'm a Werewolf Sirius, not a bloody bloodhound!"

"Really?" Came the voice of Severus Snape – a Severus Snape, that is – as two men appeared only a few meters away. "Because you were headed right for us." He added.

"He'll get the hang of it, Janus." Bootis spoke up for Remus.

"When Jean twists his arm again?" Janus asked snidely.

"It won't be again for him - or for Jean." Bootis said.

"Can you two not talk as if we aren't right here, freezing where we stand?" Remus asked.

"You win." Janus shrugged, seemingly speaking to Remus but handing Bootis a coin.

"So to the point of our little meeting, then." Bootis said as he distractedly pointed his wand at different parts of Sirius and Remus, placing warming charms on their clothes to a perfect 24 degrees Celsius.

"You needed more information on whats going on." Janus said, pulling out two rolls of parchment. "These will help you picture the basics, you may not keep them, but while we talk you can go over them as you like and ask any questions you may have." Janus continued talking so that neither boy could thank Bootis for the charm work. "I think first we should cover when we got here and what we have changed so far."

"Yeah sounds good." Sirius agreed as Remus nodded along with his words.

"Well," Bootis started, "the first thing we did was get Jean and Trevor to save Dumbledore – or save him better than they did last time at least... or would have done..."

"Yes, simple lightning spell and some lucky timing and Dumbledore wasn't hurt at all this time from the fall." Janus continued. "Next change would have been saving you," He said to Sirius, "from saving him." He said moving his gaze to Remus.

"When was this?" Sirius asked.

"That day in Hogsmeade with Grayback - Jean in that dress for the wedding." Bootis answered with a grin. "I was on the roof of the dress shop and made a glare on the window of the store across from the shop so that Jean would notice what was happening sooner than last time – it worked great."

"And so you didn't get taken by the port key instead of Lupin here, and spend a few weeks running back to Hogwarts." Janus added.

"I was only gone a few days."Bootis argued.

"It was a week, and you lost your wand." Janus corrected.

"Well, yes that's true." Bootis admitted. "Took years to get this one to warm up to me." He muttered as he looked over his wand and how it set in his hand.

"You staked all that not happening on Jean noticing a glare?" Remus asked baffled.

"Of course not, I was there in the alleyway ready to destroy the port key and modify all your memories." Janus assured.

"That's ...comforting." Remus muttered to himself, but both Sirius and Bootis snorted in response.

"Anyway, we also made sure this reality's Snape found out about Jean sooner than in our time." Bootis said. "Have you met with him and Jean yet?" He asked Sirius.

"No, not yet, but Jeany is setting it up." Sirius answered. "But I don't get why he's so important in this all." Sirius added. "Like Jeany says he helps them plan and brew Wolfsbane – which is great for all the Werewolves but how does this help you improve the timeline?"

"He played a pivotal role in all the realities of all the Orwells." Bootis answered. "I'll leave that story up to Jean – it should be the same one I was told." He added.

"Besides addressing that," Janus added, "and the effects to certain minor personal details, that are not relevant." He added as he fixed his robes. "Having the Wolfsbane potion out there will keep most Werewolves out of the war and those that do fight will mostly be on our side instead of Toms." Janus explained.

"It also has already changed Reggie's fate in this timeline, I'll remind you." Bootis said. "My brother was marked this summer and almost went mad playing the spy."

"It also means that the Orwell's minds are better protected from intrusion." Janus added.

"I think we should wrap this up, you two good with rapid fire?" Bootis asked Remus and Sirius who both nodded. "Good. Let's see – Bellatrix us dead and in her place is a spy; that one was my doing but I had to make Jean think she did it - along with giving her the spy idea in time this time around."

"We stopped that Outbreak of Dragon Pox that killed most of the elderly and young survivors of the attack at the Wedding in our time." Janus listed. "Plus several at the wedding who had died in our time we managed to save this time – including Katie Parkinson which means your Trevor is far less of a mess right now than ours was at this point in time." He added.

"We made sure that Hagrid wasn't captured and injured in a way that would kill him after a year of suffering." Bootis said. "Again better for the Orwells – plus I always liked the bloke." He shrugged.

"But it also means his half-brother is here now and won't leave when he dies – so the hope of having him to talk to the Giants still stands." Janus added.

"You might have noticed some 7th and 6th year Slytherins are missing." Bootis added. "Ones that aren't secretly dead since the attack on Hogsmeade and haven't been kicked out of school and are currently on the run with the other escaped Death Eaters." Bootis clarified. "Those we made sure disappeared or are now some Imperiused Spys to save the fake Bellatrix if the Death Eaters start to suspect a leak." He finished.

"You're Imperiusing People?" Remus demanded.

"Would you prefer more of your friends die as this war drags on for years?" Janus sneered.

"It's necessary." Bootis insisted.

~.~.~

(Elsewhere that night)

"What do you think they're all doing right now – or you know what I mean..." Jean said from her end of the couch.

"Looking for us, mourning us, trying to move on from the war." Trevor answered.

"I hope Harry and Ginny are together – he loved her so much, and I know she was crazy about him... I hope they work out." Jean said softly.

"I think McGonagall will be Headmistress and be busy fixing up the school so that students can come right back." Trevor said. "She'll act like everything's normal, but I hope those who are left will know how much she needs them." He added. "At least her and Sprout and Pomphrey have each other."

"I hope George is somehow ok." Jean sighed.

"Me too. I honestly don't know how he'd come back from that." Trevor admitted.

"I wish they could all know that we're alive. I hate to think that people are wasting time looking for us, or think that we died in some horrible way to Death Eaters at escaped... or that we just ran away from them..."

"It's terrible but a part of me is glad that Gran wasn't alive to miss me, and that Mum and Dad were never in any state to miss me." Trevor sighed.

"...I'm so happy I Obliviated my parents – I don't think they could survive losing me... I don't think your Gran could have either..." Jean croaked as tears slid down her cheeks.

"I've realized just how much it changed her – losing them like that... your right, she wouldn't have been able to take losing me too." He said.

"I like to think my parents adopted a child." Jean said with a small smile as she whipped her cheeks dry. "It had been their back up – if they couldn't have their own children then they would adopt the children no one wanted: the older kids and siblings, and children with behavior problems or learning disabilities...I like to think they have a house full of children off a beach somewhere in Australia. I like to picture them with a boy a lot like Sirius, someone in desperate need of loving parents, and with three girls who are siblings - only a year apart from each other with bright red hair – children who were deeply loved but lost their parents in a car crash or a fire or something... I picture them with these four. That as the boy goes off to university and the three girls enter high school that they find more children who need their love. I picture them old and gray with albums full of children – of their children and their grandchildren... I picture them surrounded by love and happiness every weekend and holiday...Never feeling lonely or forgotten."

"Maybe that's exactly how it will be for them... if not for your parents, then at least a double of yours should get that, right? Anything that can happen will happen, right? And that's not just anything, it sounds that they likely would adopt a bunch of kids."

"Yeah." She nodded. "Multiple realty theory says that there are thousands of perfect copies of my parents with that life just each living in slightly different worlds. With thousands more of them with one child or grandchildren different... it somehow comforts me that there are countless versions of them who have a wonderful life..." She sighed into the cushions of the couch.

"What if Riddle won't let us be?" Trevor asked.

"You know he won't."

"Yes, I guess I meant what if that's going to be a problem?"

"I have a feeling that it probably will be a problem." She sighed.

"I know that sigh, that's your 'I have a plan but I don't like it' sigh." Trevor almost groaned.

"I think we're going to have to fake our deaths before we leave or just after we leave Hogwarts." Jean said with a final small sigh.

"I thought you might say that." He groaned, flopping his head into his hands and rubbing his face harshly.

"I don't want to... it will hurt them all so much - but if we don't... things won't only be worse for us. Riddle would kill all of them to get to us, and I don't know if I could bear losing even one more friend." Jean admitted.

"This year or next?" Trevor asked resignedly. "Which would be best for their safety and for us getting things done in the war?" Trevor added hopelessly.

"The sooner the less of a target they will be, but war wise I see no advantage with this year over next. I think as long as it's before graduation, our friends will be as safe as they can be... but something could happen that changes that." She warned.

"It would have to be staged either with him or with Death Eaters to witness it, and it would have to be like Wormtail, no body - we don't have to cut off a finger do we?"

"If we saw a good healer before and after a finger could be regrown but then the best answer could mean cutting twice, losing the second and re-attaching the first." Jean answered clinically.

"Of course, you've thought about that."

"Also, if both of us were reduced to one finger each it would be a little suspicious." She added.

"I don't even want to know – whatever you decide I'll do, just don't tell me how much of myself I have to cut off for it ... or how many times either."

~.~.~