Author's Note:

I dedicate this chapter to ManyGrey for being amazing!

Reviews and Comments: To LifeonEarth: Finally, the first review yet again, is yours. I applaud you! I'm so glad that you loved my sibling moments between Ron and Ginny and Harry and Tonks. And me too, I think Ginny being interested in investigative journalism early on is part of what puts her on that path later on. 1000/10 on the Ron contradiction comment is high praise (I hope you're still chuckling LOL). Thanks for the Princess Bride notice, it is one of my favourite books of all time. I'm happy you liked bisexual Charlie, it's how I imagine him. Harry, he's smarter than we give him credit for and yes, he did guilt Ginny a bit lol. I love that you're re-reading! That makes me so happy! To leolion6363: "That was the most original non-cringe well thought addition I have found in fanfiction in a while" — er, thanks? To alix33: Mousewords art is so pretty, you're right! To CarpenL: Thank you, I am finding I enjoy writing Charlie and hope people like where his story takes me. As to when will Harry and Ginny do it, not for a while yet. To JohnDouglas4274: I am facepalming at that Horatio Cane reference.

To Wolf's scream: I think the brains hurt Ron more than he knew and I wanted to explore that because thoughts are very powerful. Of course Arthur keeps up the domestic tranquility. Would Tom still be able to track a DE if the arm was amputated, I like to think so. I think the mark would move to another part of them. I see it as very much alive on their body and more than just on the skin. To kittikatlova: I like the boys annual welcome back tradition. And yes, more Hinny is coming. To libs614: I'm glad I surprised you with the Slytherin boys reunion scene. To Steel: You're going to make my head big calling ASC a masterpiece of masterpieces LOL, thank you! To WinkingSkeever: My favourites are also Hinny and Remadora and now it is also Feo. To TheaTypes24: You will have to see if Slughorn is making an appearance or not. Since Remus is still the DADA teacher, it changes things. To Tiyaxoxo: I like showing a bit of the Weasley boys as they deserve some story too. Ron and Hermione… slowly but surely. To LemonDrop: It would be cool for Ginny to kill Nagini, but we shall have to wait and see. As to what Harry heard in the afterlife, well, we shall see.

To Dianne: Thank you, happy to keep you smiling! To zorica: I like to think Molly is a very lucky woman as well. To ManyGrey (Hung): Sometimes my dark mind takes me by surprise too! Bael is creepy, I wanted him to be creepy. Real smut is coming, I promise! *coughnextchaptercough* To tim2604: Thanks for the welcome back! Harry does love Zee and I want them to be a family even without Sirius in the picture. Lyra was a special character, but no, there will be none of that in this story. To speedsONEandONLY: The two that survived will be traumatized but will be okay. As to Fleur's veela blood working like accidental magic, yes. That's how I see it. I think she has the ability to turn the charm on when she wants, but usually it happens without her control. Molly doesn't think either, she's just stubborn and needed Arthur to be the voice of reason. Dark thoughts — transfigure something into Theo and cut it up, would it revert back to its previous state — interesting. I would say no, remember Crouch Jr kills his father, transfigures him into a bone and buries him on the edge of the Forbidden Forest in GofF. I thought his body then stayed as a bone. I don't think they have a student lounge per say, but I imagine there are a various common rooms used to study around the castle where students can intermingle with other houses. At least in my world, though I don't know if it's an official student lounge.

To Menna Taha: I agree, usually Charlie is one or the other but I see him as bisexual. I wanted Ginny to explore writing as an alternative and I hope you like what I come up with. Thank you! To notthatchhavi: Yes, Ron and Hermione should pull their heads out of their arses LOL. Aww, I'm glad you missed Remus. I always miss him LOL. To karithogonzalez80: Thank you! To Krazyasibe: Happy to keep you sane. Everyone's reviews keep me sane! To HPuni101: Thanks, I hope I have some surprises for you. To Ironhidensh1: I have some plans for Neville don't you worry. To xXMizz Alec VolturiXx: Thank you! I like to show different sides of characters and I refuse to read anything that has Weasley bashing or Dumbledore bashing. They are normal human beings with flaws and everyone makes mistakes. To selenao: I agree and may have a Halloween party already written. Ron won't need firewhiskey but he and Hermione will get there. To coloredwords: Ron being a seer would be funny, but that's not where I'm going with it LOL. And yes, they are boys, so it always turns to sex LOL. To LilyGinnyLunaMcGonagall: You found my story on facebook? Very cool. I'm glad you're enjoying the story. To HPLover: I hope Zee stays safe too, we shall see what's next!

To Abhinav: More character deaths will happen, I'm afraid, but you will have to wait and see who that may be. To Leapyearbaby29: They were Muggleborn children who were turned, not Muggles. As to Dean being an artist, Harry makes note in the books that Dean is talented with art. Charlie was never engaged in the books, no. To Endinium: Thank you! I appreciate you leaving your thoughts. To therosylane: "You are an expert word builder, the time and craftsmanship evident in even the smallest details" — thank you! That's just so beautiful and thoughtful! To GryffindorHealer: I like slow burns, even glacial thaws LOL. To PurpleLotus: Saying my world is better than canon is quite the compliment, thank you! To Jmcglynn522: I'm glad I've made you care for Draco. I have plans for those Slytherin boys, don't you worry (well, maybe worry a little bit) *winks and slips away.*

My posting schedule: Once a week.

Thanks to Dusk for her amazing editing skills.

As always, thank you very much for reading and please, please review!

Your reviews give me life! They give me inspiration! And they make me want to keep writing for more than just myself! Thank you for all of your continued support!

CHAPTER TWO-HUNDRED AND THIRTY-NINE:

The first day of classes went surprisingly well. Harry glanced at his father's watch, pleased to see that they still had forty minutes until dinner. His pleased expression faded when Hermione made mention of getting started on their homework.

"Yes, absolutely," Harry told her. "I just need to find Ginny first."

Hermione made to protest, but he was already taking off. To his delight, he found her exactly where he had thought she would be, in the tower room. She was curled up cross-legged on the floor, her school books opened around her on the coffee table. Harry plopped onto the couch behind her and leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

"How was your first day back?"

"Good," she told him, letting him tug her up into his lap. "Bit of a boring day as I had double History of Magic to start off. But I managed to get my notes organized and the next chapter read in my free period before lunch. Carthaginian is pretty great, I had her International Magical Relations class this afternoon. I finished an hour ago and came up here to try to get my reading out of the way."

"I agree with her being pretty great. Did you choose a language yet?"

She nodded. "I decided to go with Ancient Greek. You said that you liked it as it helped with Ancient Runes which means it sounds good to me. Are you going to learn a new one this year?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I decided to stay with Ancient Greek as well. Though I don't know what my options are yet either, so I guess we'll see. I don't have her class until Wednesday morning."

Ginny snuggled into him, kissing his neck. "I feel like our schedules are already so busy, we're never going to find time for each other."

"We will," he insisted. "We'll make time to be with each other." Harry slid his hands up her back as he kissed her, basking in her lips. "I've missed you. Stupid classes getting in the way of important snogging."

Ginny chuckled, her arms encircling his neck. "How tactless of our school."

Harry nipped at her lips, kissing the corners of her mouth and her chin before letting his mouth work it's way down her neck in slow hot open-mouthed kisses that left her rather breathless. "So tactless."

Ginny let her head fall back as he kissed her throat, his fingers slowly loosening her tie for better access. "Mmm, stop that."

Harry did as she asked, his forehead resting against hers. "Okay — why?"

Her stomach let out a loud rumble and she smiled. "Well, for starters, that."

"We could have dinner up here," Harry said, kissing her neck again.

"Mmm, no," Ginny said, pushing him away. "It's the first day of classes. We need to go down to dinner. I'm meeting with Colin about the Herald and if we have dinner up here, I'll never meet him."

"Are you trying to say that I'm distracting or something?" he asked, letting his lips trail over her throat.

"Yes," Ginny said, extricating herself from his grasp and standing up. "As I keep saying, you, Mr Potter, are very distracting."

He grinned as he stood up. He took her hand in his and tugged her towards him to kiss her again. "I like being a distraction."

"Harry," she murmured against his lips. "I have to meet Colin about the Herald."

He brushed her hair back behind her ear. "You're going to be great at that, stop worrying. Have a name picked out yet?"

Ginny shook her head. "No. I still have no idea. How am I supposed to choose a pen name like that?"

"You'll come up with something great, I'm sure of it."

"Colin's suggestion was Red and I thought that was much too obvious."

Harry chuckled, brushing her hair back behind her ear. "Could be, but you also are a Red Panda and a Gryffindor, so it might just be the right amount of obvious?"

She shook her head. "No, I want something else. Something that's… me but not me, something that fits in with what I'm doing. I want to be anonymous enough that people will write in, you know?"

"And you will, Ginny, I know it."

Ginny nodded and leaned in to kiss him once more. "There's something else I want to work on as well, a story, maybe. I don't know yet. I need to learn more about it."

"What's the inspiration?"

"I can't tell you just yet. When I know more I'll explain, but it's kind of a Muggle thing." At his look, she smiled and kissed him before she stood up. "Come on. Let's go down to dinner so I can overthink this even more."

Harry let her tug him along and grabbed his book bag from the ground. "Let's stop by Gryffindor first and leave our bags there."

Ginny nodded in agreement and together they snuck down the stairs of the tower and headed towards Gryffindor Tower. By the time they made it into the Great Hall, it was half full. They took a seat next to Ron and Hermione and began to help themselves to some food. Colin tapped Harry on the shoulder and he smiled at the tall, lanky blond.

"Hey, Colin."

"Hiya, Harry," Colin said brightly. "Professor Dumbledore asked me to give this to you."

Harry accepted the envelope curiously as Colin moved to sit across from Ginny.

"What is it, Harry?" Ron asked, scooping a more than generous amount of mashed potatoes onto his plate.

Harry shrugged as he opened it. It was very short and the writing very calligraphic.

Harry,

There is something I would like to discuss with you. Meet me in my office at seven.

I'm rather fond of Pink Coconut Ice.

Harry stared at the letter in surprise before passing it over to Ron. There was no name, but the phoenix symbol at the bottom told him the answer even if he hadn't already known. "Dumbledore wants me to meet him in his office tonight."

Ron's eyebrow rose. "Why?"

Hermione stared at the letter. "Something to discuss with you? Do you think maybe it has something to do with… Voldemort?" The last word came out in a strangled whisper and Harry shrugged.

"Dunno. Guess we'll find out. I can't imagine what else he would want to talk to me about though. Hermione, pass me the carrots, will you?"

~ ASC ~

Ginny sat in the little office suite of the Hogwarts Herald, smiling at everyone around the room. McGonagall had made Colin head of the paper this year and he was thrilled at the prospect of it. Other than Colin, who was editor-in-chief and photographer, they had five other people on staff: A fourth year Ravenclaw named Dev Sahni (local news), a Gryffindor fifth year named Maisie Wendall (school news), two sixth year Slytherins named Daphne Greengrass and Pansy Parkinson (fashion tips and beauty), and a fourth year Hufflepuff named Daire Donovan (sports).

"As you know, this will be the third year with the Hogwarts Herald back in circuit and I'm excited to get it underway. Unfortunately, with some of the former writers gone, we need to add a few more people to our staff. We need a new editor if anyone knows of anyone who might be interested and someone willing to do the layout and help me with the schedules."

Maisie raised her wand. "Edie might be interested in being editor. She's great with that stuff. You know, Edith Carlyle from Hufflepuff?"

"Perfect," Colin said, smiling at her. "Ask her, Maisie, and let me know. Ginny will be joining our staff this year as well and will be writing an advice column. We're going to keep it anonymous so that people will be more willing to write in."

Pansy raised her wand. "What kind of advice are you giving?"

"Whatever I'm asked, for starters," Ginny told her. "If I'm asked anything in fashion or beauty, I'm hoping that I can give it over to you or Daphne for assistance?"

Daphne nodded. "We'd be pleased to do that."

"Not to mention more qualified," Pansy said, giving Ginny a disgusted look. "Your school robes are fraying."

Colin cleared his throat. "And a reminder that all fashion and beauty tips this year need to be friendly and not in any way, shape, or form, an insult to anyone in the student body."

Pansy only smirked at this. "I thought my piece last year on how Trelawney's mothball shawls were the key to teacher fashion was rather iconic."

"It wasn't," Colin insisted. "And it's stuff like that which will allow McGonagall to shut us down. If you're going to write for the Herald, you have to do it properly which means nothing insulting or demeaning."

"Fine," Pansy said, crossing her arms in front of her chest.

Daphne gave Colin a small smile. "We'll keep it clean."

Colin smiled at them. "Great, thank you. In the meantime, I want everyone to get some ideas ready for the first edition. I want to have it printed by the end of the third week of September."

Everyone hurried out, talking amongst themselves, and Ginny moved towards Colin. "Are you sure that you still want me to do this?"

"Ginny, honestly, I think that you'd be great at it."

She beamed at him. "So do I. I just need to think of something to make it mine."

He nodded. "This is what I'm thinking. Why don't you think of your pen name and what you want to name your column. I want to include it as an introductory piece in the first edition, letting people know that we have this advice column for them to write into about anything they'd like."

"I can do that," Ginny told him. "I'm still not sure on my name."

Colin's grin widened. "Ginny, one thing I love best about you is that you always find yourself on the right path, you'll be fine."

She nodded, his words striking a chord with her. "I do find the path, don't I?"

"Isn't that what I just said?" Colin asked, his expression puzzled.

Ginny stood on her toes and kissed his cheek. "I know what I need to write. I love you, bye."

She grabbed her bag and hurried out of the room leaving her friend staring after her in bewilderment. She ran straight up to Gryffindor and found a chair near the fire, her parchment pad open before her. To her surprise, the words just flowed from her quill without hesitation. When she was done, she knew that it was perfect for her.

Ginny flipped to a new piece of parchment to write to Charlie. If anyone would understand her process it would be her brother. She used her wand to make a duplicate of her first draft to send to Charlie. She had just finished her letter when a shadow fell over and she smiled up at her brother.

"Hi, Ron."

"Hey," Ron said. "I'm heading out on patrol with Hermione. But I received a letter this morning from that healer."

Ginny's eyes widened in surprise. "That was fast! Did he have any answers?"

Ron shrugged. "You read it and let me know what you think. Like I said, it's just a strange dream every once in a while. I don't really think it's something that I need to worry about."

Ginny accepted the letter from him before he left. She knew that the dreams may not have bothered him, but it didn't mean that he wasn't curious about them. She certainly was.

Dear Mr Weasley,

Thank you for letting me know about the dreams. As you know, I warned you that this might be a side effect. Thoughts are more powerful than anyone gives them credit for. The power of the mind is an incredible feat and when those thoughts hooked into you, it became a powerful struggle. The brain wrapped around your body and squeezed the way a large python would hold its prey. But it did more than just squeeze, it left an imprint on you.

No, I do not think that it will affect you in any way that we need to concern ourselves with. However, I do believe that the dreams will continue, possibly forever. You may see glimpses into the life of the person whose brain imprinted upon you. A shared secret maybe, or a shared life in some way.

I did speak with the Department of Mysteries while treating you and after getting the runaround for longer than I liked, they did finally tell me that the brain belonged to a Muggle. He was a war hero and an animal lover. He apparently came across a nest of baby griffins and cared for them. As they grew, they trusted him explicitly, but another Muggle discovered his secret and he was killed attempting to protect the magical creatures in 1932. He was thirty-eight years old. Oblivators took care of the Muggle who had killed him and after his funeral, his brain was taken to be studied by the Department of Mysteries.

From what I understand, they wanted to know what made such a Muggle different from others — his acceptance of the supernatural, of the mythological, and of magic without question. His brain has resided in the Department of Mysteries since 1932, but as you know, was destroyed when we removed it from you. The only other information they gave me is that his name was Michael Murray and he was a Second Lieutenant in the AVC's 17th MVS of the 18th Division of the Royal British Army.

I don't know if this will assist you in any way, but it seems from what I gathered, the man was a hero with a kind heart towards animals. That tells me that the brain was from a good person and despite these shared memories you may possess, they will not hurt you. Though I do imagine some of the moments may cause emotional upheaval, depending on what kind of memories come through. I don't know if you find any of this helpful nor if it will offer you any reassurance, but I hope it at least helps puts your mind at ease a little.

If you find yourself having any other kind of reactions please let me know.

Sincerely,

Healer Davos Mulroney

St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries

Ginny stared at the letter in amazement. This was actually incredibly fascinating. The man had been a Muggle war hero. She didn't know much about the wars of the Muggles, but she knew that Professor Birmingham would be focusing on the twentieth century this year. He might know more.

She made some quick notes on this Michael Murray and put the letter away. She wanted to know more about this man who had left thought imprints on her brother. She felt like he had an interesting story to tell and she was determined to find out; even if Ron wasn't.

~ ASC ~

While Ginny was in her first meeting of the Hogwarts Herald, Harry let himself into Dumbledore's office, standing on the stairs as the statue moved him up to the door. He found the headmaster's door open and Dumbledore seated behind his desk, his eyes on an old worn leather book opened before him.

"Good evening, sir," Harry said as he stood in the doorway. "Colin gave me your letter asking me to meet you."

Dumbledore looked up at him from over his half-moon glasses. "Yes, please come in and have a seat, Harry." Once Harry was seated, he gestured to the teapot on the little end table. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Erm, sure," Harry said as the teapot poured him a cup and moved towards him.

Dumbledore waited for him to take a seat before he spoke. "Remus told me about the diadem and I must say, dear boy, it makes me feel very good to know that we've gotten another step closer to bringing him down."

Harry's eyebrow rose. "Uncle Remus says that now it's about waiting."

"Unfortunately, he's right. Until Tom decides to make his move, I'm afraid that there's not much that we can do. But, we can prepare."

"Prepare, sir?"

Dumbledore nodded. "Remus was telling me that Zee's father has been teaching you to duel wandlessly and that you're quite successful at it?"

"It went pretty well," Harry admitted. "It takes a lot of energy and I was exhausted after every session."

"Understood," Dumbledore said. "As the head of the Auror department in Moscow, I imagine that Zacarias has quite a bit to teach you. And you have your first lesson with Professor Rhiannon on Thursday morning, I believe?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good, good. I think that you'll be able to learn a lot from her. As a fae, they channel their magic differently and I think that she will only make you stronger. However, I would like to work with you myself, if you'd be interested?"

Harry's eyebrow rose. "Work with me?"

Dumbledore smiled, folding his hands over the worn book on his desk. "I know that losing Sirius was… difficult for all of us and I won't pretend to imagine what you're going through. Minerva tells me that Zee is expecting twins and that brings me joy to see a shed of light amongst such darkness."

"I miss him every day, sir."

"He was a good man and a wonderful father to you. I know the prophecy has been hanging over your head and even with the Horcrux inside of you gone, we both know that doesn't mean anything to Voldemort."

"He wants me dead and he won't stop until I am," Harry said.

Dumbledore stared at him over his half-moon spectacles. "Yes, he does. But with the diadem being destroyed, we're another step closer to defeating him for good. I don't want to say it will all come down to you in the end and I know that Sirius and Remus have been telling you that it won't, but they don't quite understand Voldemort the way that we do. He doesn't know that he set the prophecy in motion by attacking you as a baby and we both know that there is nothing that will stop him from trying to kill you again. He believes that killing you will make him truly immortal in another way. He does in fact see you as the Chosen One."

"Stupid name," Harry muttered.

"It is not a task anyone would willingly want to be chosen for, I understand that," Dumbledore said quietly. "Harry, this war is happening and it may be starting small, it may be just a little bit of chaos at a time, but it is coming. Voldemort wants to take over the wizarding world and I don't know how he is going to go about it or what his next move will be, but killing you is number one in his plan."

"I know, Professor," Harry said.

"And knowing this," Dumbledore continued, "doesn't exactly make it easy to sleep at night, I understand that. We both know that no matter what happens, in the end, he will come for you and I know how terrifying of a concept that is to have to live with."

"In the end, I always knew it would be me and him, sir. I'm going to keep going until I succeed — or die. Don't think I don't know how this might end. I've known it for years."

Dumbledore stared at him for a long moment. "Harry, you will succeed in the end. We will succeed in the end. There will be cost, of course, there already has been, but you will win in the end because you have something that Voldemort doesn't."

"I know, love," Harry murmured. "But I don't know how that's supposed to help me. What do you expect me to do, scream out at him that I love people and he doesn't? Ooh, bet that's the secret to killing him, isn't it?"

"I know it sounds silly," Dumbledore began, standing up and pacing up and down his office as he spoke. "It sounds ridiculous, but the ability to love makes you stronger than Voldemort in every way. Love is the most powerful magic known to us because it cannot be forced, it cannot be concocted, it cannot be fooled. It is a force more wonderful and more terrible than death, than human intelligence, than forces of nature. It is also, perhaps, the most mysterious for it is the power that saved you from Voldemort's possession of you in June. It is the power that made him fear you and it is the love that you felt for Zee and for Sirius that made you make a Patronus so strong that it decimated the Dementors and that Harry, that is what Voldemort fears. Love is the only protection that can possibly work against the lure of a power like Voldemort's. In spite of all the temptation you have endured, all the suffering, you remain pure of heart, just as pure as you were at the age of eleven, when you stared into a mirror that reflected your heart's desire, and it showed you that only way to thwart Lord Voldemort was through love, not immortality or riches. Harry, have you any idea how few wizards could have seen what you saw in that mirror? You took the Philosopher's Stone with not a single intention of doing anything with it. That is a rare quality that makes you pure of heart in ways that he could never hope to understand. Voldemort should have known then what he was dealing with, but he did not! He knows and understands that now. You have flitted into Lord Voldemort's mind without damage to yourself, but he cannot possess you with-out enduring mortal agony, as he discovered in the Ministry. I do not think he understands why, Harry, but then, he was in such a hurry to mutilate his own soul, he never paused to understand the incomparable power of a soul that is untarnished and whole."

"But, sir," Harry began, making valiant efforts not to sound argumentative, "it all comes to the same thing, doesn't it? I've still got to try and kill him, or —"

"Got to?" Dumbledore questioned. "Of course you've got to! But not because of the prophecy! Because you, yourself, will never rest until you've tried! We both know it! Imagine, please, just for a moment, that you had never heard that prophecy! How would you feel about Voldemort now? Think!"

Harry watched Dumbledore striding up and down in front of him. He thought of his mother, his father, and Sinus. He thought of Cedric Diggory, of Viktor Krum. He thought of all the terrible deeds that he knew Lord Voldemort had done. A flame seemed to leap inside his chest, searing his throat.

"I'd still want him finished," Harry said quietly. "And I'd want to do it."

"Of course you would!" Dumbledore cried. "Because you're human. You see, the prophecy may point you as the Chosen One, but it does not mean that you have to do anything! But the prophecy caused Lord Voldemort to mark you as his equal… In other words, you are free to choose your way, quite free to turn your back on the prophecy in fact, no one would stop you! But Voldemort continues to set store by the prophecy. He will continue to hunt you… which makes it certain, really, that —"

"— That one of us is going to end up killing the other," Harry finished.

But he understood at last what Dumbledore had been trying to tell him. It was, he thought, the difference between being dragged into the arena to face a battle to the death and walking into the arena with your head held high. Some people, perhaps, would say that there was little to choose between the two ways, but Dumbledore knew — and so do I, thought Harry, with a rush of fierce pride, and so did my parents and Uncle Sirius — that there was all the difference in the world.

"How do I use my ability to love to fight him, Professor? How can I prepare for that?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Your ability to love is what makes you strong, Harry, it's what makes you a danger to Voldemort. It's what makes you a good man."

"But if I take his life, sir, if I… I don't know if I could live with killing another person, no matter how evil they truly were."

"And that is what makes you a better person than Tom Riddle, Harry," Dumbledore said. "That's why I asked you to meet me here tonight. You are growing into a powerful young man, but like all sixteen-year-old-wizards, you are still learning and I would like to do what I can to help teach you a little bit more. In the end, it will come down to the two of you, no matter what moves we can make, the fates have tossed the dice with your names into the ring. I would like to do what I can to help prepare you for that. We can discuss Tom and maybe I can teach you a few things that you won't get to learn in your classes, if you would be interested?"

"Private lessons with you?" Harry asked in surprise.

He knew how powerful a wizard Dumbledore was and the opportunity to have private lessons with him was incredibly rare. Dumbledore had taught both Defence Against the Dark Arts and Transfiguration in his youth, not to mention his work with the Ministry of Magic. Harry knew that Dumbledore was an exceptionally powerful wizard, maybe even the most powerful wizard.

This was an opportunity he wouldn't dare pass up.

"Yes," Dumbledore said simply. "I would like to work with you. I think that we have a lot of things that we can discuss and I hope that there's a few things yet that I can teach you. I'm not an Auror like your grandfather, but I did come across a dark wizard once before."

"Can I ask you about Grindelwald?" Harry asked, his eyes on the headmaster. "You defeated a dark wizard, sir, not just came across him, and I think that your expertise could be helpful."

Dumbledore hesitated before he moved to sit back down behind his desk and only then did he finally answer. "I think that's going to be a big part of our lessons, yes. I may have won the duel against Gellert, and ultimately defeated him, but that takes a toll on a person as well. I think that I have a lot to offer you, Harry, if you'd give me the chance."

"Yes," Harry said, grinning. "I think it sounds brilliant. I'd be honoured, sir."

Dumbledore smiled, clasping his hands together. "Excellent. I cannot guarantee our lessons will be every week, but we will meet often, I assure you."

Harry nodded. "All right then. What kinds of things are you going to teach me, Professor?"

Dumbledore chuckled. "All in good time, Harry. First, I would like to show you this." He closed the book on his desk and passed it across to him.

"What is it, Professor?"

"That is the pages of Tom Riddle's diary."

Harry's head shot up quickly. "What?"

Dumbledore tapped his fingers on the desk. "The orphanage where Tom lived as a child was shut down about a decade or so ago. The home has been closed off and abandoned since then. The Muggles have finally decided to take down the house. I had left my name there many years ago, asking for anything that had once belonged to Tom Riddle to be sent my way. At the beginning of the summer, this was sent to me. It seems that it was found underneath the floorboards of Riddle's old bedroom. They found it while they were demolishing the house by a stroke of luck, I'd say."

Harry stared at the worn black leather in his hand. "I thought that he turned his diary into the Horcrux."

"He did," Dumbledore said carefully. "But I believe that he transferred his diary into the book he chose to be the Horcrux, so that the Horcrux held his memories, but could also be used against anyone who tried to write in it. However, as we know, once he moved part of his soul into the book, he could no longer write in it. This book is not an ordinary diary either. Open it."

Harry did so, the spine cracking a little at the movement. He found himself staring down at the familiar cursive writing he had once read years before. "It's dated January first, 1934."

"Flip to the last page, Harry."

Harry did as instructed and his eyes widened. "October 31st, 1981. If this was left beneath the floorboards at the orphanage, how did he write in it fifty years later?"

"It's enchanted," Dumbledore told him. "He obviously held another book where he wrote in it, and it was then subsequently recorded in the one he left behind. I've spent the last two months reading it. I've read it through three times now and it is… disturbing and fascinating to say the least. Unfortunately, he no longer records his thoughts as nothing new has been added since that fateful day."

"So, there's no new information on what his plans are," Harry said, understanding.

"Yes, and no," Dumbledore said carefully. "He outlines a lot of ideas for a future in there; a future where he reigns as Lord Voldemort. I think that you should read it and let me know your thoughts and we'll discuss it further. I suggest that you make some notes on it as well, anything you think might be important or any questions you may have; any places he mentions, any people… I don't want to leave anything to chance and you might see something in there I missed."

Harry nodded. "Okay. Can I show it to my friends?"

"I had thought that you might ask me this, so yes, you can discuss it with them. But first I would like you to read it all the way through. Then after we discuss it at length, you can share it with your friends."

"I suppose that's fair," Harry told him.

"Harry, I would also advise caution when showing it to Miss Weasley. I imagine she already knows most of what the early years of the diary pertain or at least pieces of it, but I don't want its existence to alarm her. I promise that it is incapable of hurting anyone and it is only a diary."

"She may not want to see it, Professor, and I won't force her to read it, but Ginny's stronger than that."

"Miss Weasley is a remarkable young woman, I agree with you on that. As I said, let's keep this between us for now and then we'll get others to take a look at it after we've discussed it in length. I want your thoughts on it first."

Harry nodded. "Yes, Sir."

Dumbledore tapped his fingers on the desk. "Good. That's all for tonight, Harry. I will contact you again within the next two weeks about meeting me and we'll discuss the diary. Hopefully, you will have read some of it by then. For now I bid you goodnight."

Harry stared down at the diary in his hand before he stood up. "Thank you and goodnight, Professor."

He tucked the diary under his arm, feeling rather ominous to be carrying such a thing around with him as he made his way back to Gryffindor tower. A glance at his watch told him that Ron and Hermione would still be out on patrol, but he wondered if he could convince Ginny into having a good snog before bedtime.

For it only being the first day back to classes, he felt like a week had already passed and he missed his girlfriend as if he hadn't seen her within the span of that week. The quick moment with her before dinner had hardly counted.

Harry was delighted to find Ginny waiting for him in the common room as if she had read his thoughts. She took his hand in hers and tugged him upstairs to his empty dormitory, surprising him.

"Hey, what's going on?"

"I needed to talk to you," Ginny said, a big smile on her face. "I think I figured out my column."

"That's great!" he said, tucking the diary into his trunk and closing it before he turned to give her his full attention. "What's your name going to be?"

Ginny pushed the parchment pad towards him. "Compass. Read it and tell me what you think."

Harry accepted the pad from her before he tugged her close to kiss her. He deepened the kiss, holding her close and letting his left hand slide up her side to brush her breast.

Ginny sighed against him. "You're a terrible distraction. It's really getting out of hand," she said, moving away from him. "Please read this for me."

Harry kissed her lips again. "Can I keep you here while I do?"

Ginny smiled at him and snuggled into his embrace, her arms around his waist and her cheek resting over his heart. The position allowed him to keep his arm resting just above that firm bum and smell her flowery scent as he rested his chin on her head. He held her for a moment, enjoying the feel of her against him. She shifted slightly, brushing against him in just the right away and he felt himself harden.

He wasn't sure how she could do so little and make him want so much. An image of his fantasy from the night before washed over him and he almost groaned at the image of her knelt before him. He pushed the thoughts aside as his cock reacted and instead looked down at the pad he held in his other hand.

He needed to focus.

His eyes fell on her lovely writing as he read:

Point Me!

Is there something bothering you? Are you afraid to ask your friends? Is there something you want to know, but you just don't know how to go about it? This is your chance!

Write to Compass and get a response without anyone knowing it was from you. Need help dealing with the stress of your academics? Ask Compass. Need advice on that good-looking fancy of yours? Ask Compass. Do you need to talk about something, but don't know who to ask? Ask Compass.

Compass will be here to answer any of your questions, to give advice on anything that you might need.

Why Compass? Because a compass represents the four directional paths a person can find themselves on and can offer endless assistance to those in need. Looking for some wisdom and a taste of home? Easy, a Compass will always point you North. Looking to hit up that passion and creativity? No worries, a Compass is there to help you guide your ups from your South. Need a little inner reflection and a change of pace, don't worry, a Compass will point you the West way. And lastly, do you need a push to get on a new path, to find your inspiration and start a new beginning? Never fear, a Compass will always orient you on your path East. Worried none of these directions are for you? Never fear, sometimes we need to move Southwest or Northeast — don't let anything or anyone stand in the way of your goals and remember: Compass will always show you the true path.

Write to Compass and let Compass "Point" your way.

Harry couldn't imagine a better pen name for her. He loved the idea of her being a compass. She was home to him and his compass in every way that mattered most. He liked the idea of her being the one to point others on their path.

"Gin, this is brilliant!"

"You think?" she asked, moving out of his embrace and wringing her hands together nervously. "It was something that Colin said to me about how I always find myself on the right path and it just came to me — Point Me — like the spell. So, I've decided to use a compass as my writing column. My pen name is Compass and I'm going to call my column 'Point Me.'"

Harry's eyebrow rose. "Ginny, trust me, I don't need a compass. I just look at you and I'm already pointing."

Ginny goggled at him. "Harry!"

He grinned. "What? Bad joke?"

"The worst," she said, but her eyes were twinkling in laughter. "But really, you like it?"

"I do," he told her. "I think it sounds perfect. You've encompassed all four directions in your article and given people the opportunity to know that they can write in and ask you about anything. It's going to be great. Did you show Colin yet?"

Ginny shook her head. "No. I wrote it after the meeting and sent a copy off to Charlie, but I wanted to show you first."

"I think it's brilliant," he repeated, tugging her towards him and kissing her. She leaned into the kiss, deepening it, and he sighed. "But really, I am definitely not pointing south at all right now."

Ginny smacked him and he laughed. "Prat."

"There are so many jokes about this, I can't promise not to make more."

Ginny twined her arms around his neck, standing on her toes to kiss him. "I'll allow it, but only because I'm too happy right now to protest."

"So, I should get them out of my system?"

She nodded, pushing herself against him and feeling exactly what direction he was pointing. "Exactly. Besides, right now I think that you're pointing in an eastern direction more than north."

Harry's eyes darkened. "That's because my trousers are a bit confining at the moment."

Ginny slid her hand down his chest, cupping him and he groaned. "So, if I were to free you from this little prison, you would point west?"

"North," he hissed. "All the way fucking north, you minx."

Ginny smirked and kissed him. "A minx, am I? Keep that in mind the next time you decide to tease me, Mr Potter."

Then she was stepping back and leaving him hard as a rock in the middle of his dormitory.

"Get back here!"

Ginny only tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I need to get to bed, it's late, and I have an early class." Her eyes twinkled at him mischievously. "Goodnight, Harry."

Harry's eyes stayed on the sway of her bum as she disappeared out the door and he groaned. She had enjoyed that teasing and he knew he had deserved it which somehow made it that much worse. He opened his trunk and grabbed his toiletries.

And now he deserved a shower. A nice hot one where he could deal with the situation at hand. No pun intended, he thought, but he couldn't stop himself from grinning as he headed into the bathroom.

~ ASC ~

Harry felt a little strange keeping the diary a secret from everyone, but he did agree with Dumbledore's thoughts on taking it slowly. He was a little nervous to see how Ginny would react to it, not to mention that he still wasn't sure what he was supposed to learn from it. He did agree with Dumbledore on one thing: It was both fascinating and disturbing.

The first entry had been written when Voldemort was nine years old. It started off with a brief history of his life: How his mother had come to the orphanage and given birth only to die after naming him, how he didn't know anything else about her family or who his father was, and how he already had a lot of thoughts on why he was better than the other orphans. He claimed they were "miscreants and peasants" whereas he was destined to be an important figure; how one day he would learn where he came from and be destined to do great things.

He wrote about how he could do things others couldn't; how it made him special. He spoke of his magic as his gift, as an ability that allowed him to control others. He called it a gift rather than magic and spoke of it in reverent awe as if he believed it made him god-like. The first few entries showed that he was young when he first wrote in it, but within a few entries, Harry could see the beginnings of a very disturbed child.

April 1935

I can see what they truly think of me; feel their fear. I don't know how it works, but if I make eye contact and concentrate, it's like I can push into their minds. I can force them to do things for me.

It doesn't work on everyone, which makes me wonder if the weak-minded ones are easier to fool. Mrs Cole for example, often bends to my will easily and I see the fear in her eyes, which is fascinating. The eyes are interesting, the windows to life, to souls... animals have them too. I found a little mouse up in the attic last week and I stared into its beady little eyes and I squeezed it until the mouse's eyes bulged. It bit me, but it was worth it.

I watched the life disappear from its little eyes and I knew that it was done. I knew that I had killed it. I wonder if life disappears from all eyes in the same way? If I wrapped my hands around the neck of one of the annoying little beasts here, like Anne maybe, or Jasper, would the light disappear from their eyes as well?

The diary continued on: He whined about the other children, a roommate he was particularly not a fan of, and how this rabbit that one of the children had was so revolting. A few entries later, he described in explicit detail how he had killed the rabbit, describing how it had felt, what the neck had felt like when it snapped, and how Tom had felt when it was done.

It was definitely very disturbing.

Harry found himself staying up late reading it that first night and his dreams were fitful in contrast: A mix of past and present that left him lying awake feeling restless and full of more questions than ever.

He made notes on the diary and when he woke the next morning, his mind was still on some of what he had read. But he kept his word and didn't tell his friends about the diary and instead mentioned that Dumbledore was going to be teaching him. Ron was particularly interested in that when Harry told him.

"What kind of brilliant things do you think he'll teach you? I bet he knows how to do something awesome like control lightning!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I don't think anyone can control lightning, Ron."

Ron shrugged and grinned at Harry. "Dumbledore is basically Zeus in wizard form, he could! But really, the rumours about what that man can do — you have to let us know!"

"I will," Harry told them. "First he says that we have some things to discuss and he said that I can ask him questions about Grindelwald. I think learning any spells won't be for a while yet."

Hermione looked thoughtful. "Knowing about how he defeated Grindelwald could be quite fascinating. You know, there are no books on it. Dumbledore's never given any formal interviews and always refused to say what really happened outside of him disarming Grindelwald and him surrendering. What he has to say could be extremely illuminating!"

Harry nodded. He knew that his friend was offended at the thought that there were no books on something so vital. "And it could help us win the war against Voldemort. I mean, I know that they're not the same, but they are both dark wizards and that has to account for something."

His friends agreed with him on that and he wondered just what else he could be learning from Dumbledore in the coming weeks.

He spent his free time between History of Magic and dinner going over the diary again. The references that young Tom Riddle used in comparing his gift to something akin to God-like were incredibly interesting.

August 1937

We went on a trip to the shore. Mrs Cole claims that it's good for us to enjoy the English sun on our faces; to remind us that good things are coming. I convinced Amy Benson and Dennis Bishop to come exploring with me. Amy is only eight and always yipping at me, telling me that she's going to learn all of my secrets and Dennis, he's nine and thinks he's so great. I wanted to teach them a lesson. I pushed my mind into Amy's and she almost fell into a trance, it was like I could control her. Dennis thought it was a game and claimed it was brilliant until I shoved Amy into this dark corner in the cave. I don't know how I did it exactly, but I wished her to be trapped there - and she was. She kept screaming to be let out and Dennis started to yell at me too, said it wasn't funny. I told them it was a game and to just calm down. I found it strangely exhilarating because I held the power and they knew it.

The bats were a surprise.

They flew down and startled us all, but then suddenly I reached up and one seemed to gravitate towards my hand without me doing anything. It was like I had ordered it to me or something. I felt like Zeus himself, all powerful, all knowing. I held it and I imagined snapping its neck, watching the eyes die in my hands, but Dennis and Amy were staring at me in horror. I told them that I was a god and that not even the bat could hurt me and then I squeezed the bat's neck hard and it cracked under my grip. I felt it slacken, and then feeling emboldened, I put the head into my mouth and bit it off. I don't know what possessed me to do it. I thought that maybe the blood would make me feel more powerful, but it just tasted like the copper of pence. When it flowed down my throat, I felt like I wanted to be sick. Instead, I spit the head out into my hand and chased Amy and Dennis around, screaming that the bat would give them rabies. Amy started crying again and demanded that she wanted to go home. I pushed into her mind again and got her to shut up.

I don't know how I did it, but it was like there's this wall and if I just pushed past it, I could make her do what I wanted. I told her to take off her shirt and she did. Then I made her take off her skirt and she did. She stood there in her undergarments as if she was just waiting for me to tell her what to do next. Dennis kept telling her to put her clothes back on; said no one wanted to see her little girl bits but Amy didn't even flinch. It was like she was completely under my spell. I know spell is a weird word, but it did seem almost like I had bewitched her or something. Almost as if I was like Loki, tricking her into doing what I wanted; as if I really do possess the powers of the gods.

I shoved the bat at Amy and made her rub the bat's blood all over her arms and chest. I don't know why, I think I just wanted to see if I could really make her do it — and she did. She didn't even argue or try to stop herself; it was like she was in a trance.

Dennis was crying now like a little baby, begging to go back. I told him that he was a coward and that if he wanted to go back then he had to lick all of the blood off of Amy. He said no, but when I stepped towards him, he immediately moved away. He was afraid of me and I liked it. I had control over both of them. I could make them do whatever I wanted. Dennis licked off all of the blood and Amy just stood there, as still as a statue, until I stopped pushing into her mind and then she seemed to realize that she was covered in bat's blood and started to scream. She jumped into the pool in the cave to wash herself off and then put her clothes back on, sobbing like a baby. She and Dennis ran out of the cave as if I'd poisoned them. They told Mrs Cole that I did mean things to them, but I pushed into their minds again and they shut up about it, not telling her exactly what happened in the cave. Mrs Cole was angry when they stopped talking and she called me a rotten, horrible little bastard. I told her not to say things that she would regret for God protected me. She sneered at me.

She'll get what's coming to her one day, I swear it.

My gift is something more than what it seems. It is a power like God. Maybe not as powerful as the Almighty Himself that the deacon is always going on about, but more like the ancient gods… the pagan ones who controlled fire and lightning, who tricked and plotted… they had the real power. I can't control just anyone and I never know how long I can make them do what I want, but it fascinates me. I am eager to see what I can make someone do next and just how far can I make them go?

Harry shivered a little as he read those words. Voldemort had a natural ability for mind control even as a child. That was something to be a bit worried about. He wrote down a few questions as he went along: Natural Legilimens? Was he using a variation of the Imperius Curse? Why the blood? Need for control? Comparison to gods?

He had just turned back to the diary to read more when the charm sounded to tell him dinner was being served in the Great Hall. This diary was definitely giving him a lot to think about.

~ ASC ~

Harry was eager for Professor Rhiannon's Wandless Magic class on Thursday morning. As he looked around at the faces around him, he could see most of his classmates seemed to be as well. For an elective class, it was fairly full. He took a seat in the middle of the class in between Ron and Hermione and waited for the woman to get started. Once everyone was settled, Rhiannon smiled warmly at the students.

She was incredibly beautiful. She had long black hair that gleamed in the light and eyes a deep turquoise green. Her pointed ears were her only distinguishing feature making her look less than human as she took a seat on her desk at the front of the class.

"Good morning, class. I am Professor Rhiannon and I'm here to teach you Wandless Magic." She folded her hands in her lap, her bright eyes roaming across the room. "Wandless magic is what we Fae use on a regular basis. Unlike witches and wizards, Fae don't have magic wands to wield for every little thing. We're taught to hone the magic in our blood from a young age and to narrow it, to direct it, and to piece it together the way that it is meant to be. Each and every single magical being has the ability to perform wandless magic. Each and every one of you has done it before. You call it accidental and it may have been something silly you did as children, it barrelled out of you without warning and without intent. You're all still capable of doing that, but I'm going to teach you how to do it with intent."

She snapped her fingers and all of the floating lanterns distinguished making the class gasp. The morning sunlight coming in through the window still lit the room to some extent so Harry watched as she waved her hand and all of the lanterns once more were illuminated.

"It's about Control. It's about Focus. It's about Intent."

As she said each word, a piece of chalk moved to write them on the blackboard.

"Some of you will be more susceptible to using wandless magic than others. Do not be discouraged by this. It doesn't make someone more powerful than someone else, it simply shows that they have better Control. They can Focus better. And most importantly, they have the Intent to use it accordingly. Some of you will excel at it and be able to move from your wand to no wand without fail, others will wandlessly do basic things, but need your wand for more powerful spells. This is okay. A magical wand is that which it is called for a reason, but the wand isn't the magic you wield. The wand is attracted to the magic you have flowing in your veins. The wand is called to you and each wand is unique to the person who wields it because it connects to your blood. It finds attraction in who you are and what you are capable of."

She turned both of her palms up, raising her arms; and the desk and chair in front of her, with Mandy in it, rose up off the ground. Rhiannon held it floating for a moment before she lowered it back down.

"Fae magic is different from yours only because we as Fae define our magic through the four elements: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Nature is a big part of who we are and how we live. It affects us, it influences us, and most of all, we use the magic of nature as a stepping stone in our magic. Witches and wizards do as well, but not in the same way. Harmony and balance are needed much in the way that Focus, Control, and Intent are. Some Fae still like to have that magical force channelled. Warriors in particular like to use swords that have powerful cores in them, some advisors like to keep staffs, both much like a wand used to channel their powers. Each of us have our own magical signature and our own desire to use it in a way that is comforting to us. It doesn't matter how you decide to wield your magic, it matters that you wield it clearly, with Intent, Focus, and Control."

Rhiannon stared around at them for a moment, unblinking, before she stood up. "How many of you use wandless magic on a regular basis?"

Harry wasn't surprised to see that over half of the class had raised their wands.

"I bet you don't even realize how much you use it. You might use it on your hair, or to help glamour away that pimple you don't want anyone to see. You might use it late at night without realizing it, making a light or bringing something closer to you. The magic is a part of you. Now, those of you who didn't raise your wands, I'm willing to bet you use wandless magic and you don't even know it. We're going to take things slow and see what you're all capable of. Everyone take out their quills and place them horizontally in the centre of your desk."

Harry did as she instructed and briefly noted his classmates all doing the same.

Rhiannon waited a beat before she continued. "One of the most basic charms is floating. You know the incantation and you know how to do it with your wand. I want you to do it with your mind. Make your quill float." She pointed to the blackboard behind her. "Remember, it's about Focus, Intent, and Control."

Harry let his eyes fall to the quill on the desk, focusing on it, and in seconds it was floating high above his head.

Rhiannon smiled at him. "Five points to Gryffindor, Mr Potter."

Hermione gave him a scathing look. "How did you do that?"

"Think of the incantation, Hermione. You can even say it aloud. Like Rhiannon said, the magic is in you."

Hermione looked skeptical, but she stared down at her quill intently before she said, "Wingardium Leviosa."

She squealed in delight when the quill rose a few centimetres above her desk before crashing back down to the wood. Hermione looked crestfallen as Harry's quill was still floating around the classroom.

Rhiannon moved over to her. "See. Miss Granger verbally said the spell and her Intent worked, but she didn't keep Focusing on it and she lost Control. The most important thing to understand with wandless magic is that you can't learn it from a book. It's about trial and error and understanding the power in your own blood. Again."

Harry exchanged a look with Ron as he snickered. Telling Hermione that she couldn't learn something from a book was akin to telling her that the earth wasn't round. He leaned back in his chair, rocking it back onto two legs in a typical Sirius pose, as he watched his quill float aimlessly around the classroom. Harry had a feeling that his friend would be taking this class entirely to heart.

~ ASC ~

Percy was annoyed.

He'd spent the last twenty-four hours going over every sentence of the new documents sent to him by Miranda Jameson, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation. He'd spent the last two years working in the department first as an intern to Bartemius Crouch Senior then, as one of his personal assistants to the only personal assistant to the new department head, Jameson. Now on top of his work, he had been given the quest of making sure all of the departments within the new Defence Department were communicating with each other.

As it had been his idea a few months ago in the Wizengamot session, he knew that he needed to cover all of the bases. The problem was implementing the new communication system. He'd come up with a colour-coded memo system that involved sending floating messages from department to department and so far it had been a success. Each head of the division would initial and stamp the document after reading and provide any questions or further information before they would send it to the next division. Each memo was charmed with a code that could only be opened by the person it was meant for.

The weekly meetings were going quite splendidly as well and he was quite proud with how they'd been going overall, the only problem was Scrimgeour. The Auror had a habit of not showing up to the meetings, pushing Percy aside when he tried to communicate new changes, and taking over everything. Normally Percy didn't mind this as long as things were getting done, but it meant that the Terra Troops were not coordinating with the Wing Guards or the Aqua Protectors and that the Spooks weren't being discussed - at all; that was something that he wouldn't stand for.

As the last meeting finished up, he stacked his notes and marched down to the lifts and straight into the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Rufus Scrimgeour had worked as an Auror in the department for the last three decades and since Bones had been elected as Minister of Magic, he had taken over for her as department head. Kingsley Shacklebolt was Head Auror of the Auror Division and Percy knew that he and the department head often didn't see eye to eye on how things worked.

It was this difference of opinion that Percy was tired of. Rather emboldened by his anger at being shunted to the side yet again, Percy stepped out of the lift after lunch and marched pointedly towards the Auror office. He recognized Tonks and Higgins, but he kept going through the bullpen, past the cubicles and crowded desks and straight to the door at the end of the room.

The petite young woman who sat at the desk looked up at him. "Mr Scrimgeour doesn't wish to be disturbed at this time."

Percy ignored her. He walked around the desk and banged loudly on the office door. It only took a moment for Scrimgeour to open it, his eyes wide.

"Weasley! What in the blazes! What on earth do you want?" Scrimgeour demanded.

Percy raised his head up as he adjusted his glasses. He pursed his lips before he spoke. "I want to talk about you skipping my weekly meetings."

"I have a lot to do and I don't have time to sit there and talk about how we can communicate better. I sent Proudfoot."

"And he didn't show up because he caught a break in a case," Percy said sharply. "The Minister asked me to coordinate better communication between the divisions and that's something that I cannot do if the heads of those divisions don't bother to show up."

Scrimgeour's big blond eyebrows rose up over his eyes. His mane of hair and bushy brows only made the expression look fierce. "I am running the division as I see fit, Weasley. Shacklebolt was there, was he not?"

"Shacklebolt is coordinating the Spooks, not the Terra Troops, therefore his role does not influence yours."

Scrimgeour's eyes narrowed slightly. "Are you an Auror, Weasley?"

"No, sir."

"Have you ever hunted a Dark Wizard?"

"No, sir."

"No, you haven't! You're nothing but a young paper pusher who still holds onto his mother's apron strings! I know how to run my bloody division and I know how to run my bloody department and I don't need some curly-haired gingered know-it-all telling me how to do my damn job! Now get lost and and send me a memo, I have things to do!"

Percy's face flushed when Scrimgeour turned and to his surprise, Percy found his hand on the door before the Auror could slam it in his face. "I am a paper pusher, an official one, and if you're not at the weekly meeting next Monday, I'll push your papers to someone who can actually lead the Terra Troops because a competent leader doesn't let too much work stand in the way of leading his team!"

Scrimgeour's eyes flashed angrily before they dropped to the folder in Percy's hands. "Talk to me like that again and you'll regret it, boy."

Percy pushed the folder into the Auror's hands. "I'm not a boy. I'll see you on, Monday, sir."

The door slammed behind him and he let out a slow breath, shocking himself. When he opened his eyes he saw that most of the bullpen was staring at him in amazement. Kingsley was leaning against the door of his office with a smile and when he toasted him with his coffee mug, pride soared through him.

Percy turned around to look down at the young woman who had originally tried to stop him. She had sleek dark brown hair twisted up in the back with a few loose tendrils that had escaped and she was staring at him with wide brown eyes as if she couldn't quite believe anyone would be bold enough to speak to her boss in such a manner. He cleared his throat, feeling slightly embarrassed by his outburst.

"I apologize for my rude behaviour. If you could make sure that he signs those papers and get them sent up to me in the Department of international Magical Cooperation, I'd appreciate it. Thank you, Miss."

Then he marched back out of the department, his head held high and his cheeks flushed. He hoped to Merlin that his stubborn tenacity wasn't about to get him fired.

It was well after six by the time he finished up his own work that evening. He pulled his glasses off, pinching the bridge of his nose and rifling his hands through his unruly curls when the young woman startled him. He put his glasses back on and looked up at her. She was tiny, he noted, slim, and in black high heels with a black skirt and a violet blouse under her open slate grey Ministry robes.

"Er, hello," he said, finding himself staring at the dark lashes surrounding her wide brown eyes.

"Hello," she said politely. "I've come to return the paperwork you left. Mr Scrimgeour signed every page."

Percy tried not to look surprised as he accepted the folder. "He did? I mean — of course he did, thank you."

Her lips, painted a soft pink, twitched at the corners. "You had him in quite a tizzy all day. He came out of his office and called you a few rude names and then Savage and Proudfoot spoke up about how the meetings were to better the troops and how they had learned a few things going in his place. When Mr Shacklebolt put his two Knuts in, well, Mr Scrimgeour wasn't exactly pleased. He took the folder from me and locked himself in his office for the rest of the afternoon."

"Good. I didn't mean to… I apologize for being rude to you, I just wanted him to listen to me."

"It worked," she said with a grin. "All from a paper pushing, curly-haired gingered know-it-all who wasn't afraid to give him a good swift kick in the arse."

Percy smirked at that and pushed his glasses up his nose. "I usually just go by Percy."

She laughed and the sound made butterflies flutter across his stomach. "Well, Percy, thank you for telling him off for being a prick. He's a great Auror, but sometimes he forgets that he needs to have manners."

"Er, you're welcome then," he said carefully, still not quite sure how to react to her statement. "And you are?"

"Audrey," she said with a bright smile. "Scrimgeour's secretary and personal house elf."

Percy snorted. "I didn't think the Ministry hired witches to be personal house elves."

She scrunched up her face in a way that revealed she had two brown freckles on the left side of her nose. "Tell that to Scrimgeour. This morning I had to pick up his dry cleaning in Diagon Alley."

"I'm sorry to hear that."

Audrey shrugged good-naturedly. "Ah well, the things we do for our work. Percy, it was lovely to meet you and I promise that if you coordinate all paperwork directly to me I will personally make sure that Mr Scrimgeour sees it. Have a good night."

Percy watched her head out of his department, a small smile on his face. It looked like his decision to tell the head of the DMLE off hadn't been a total write off after all. And if he thought about how pretty Scrimgeour's secretary was on his way home, that was just an added bonus.

~ ASC ~

Zee made her way through the Ministry of Magic that Friday, smiling at people as she went. She'd learned quickly that if she just smiled and kept walking, the less people would approach her to give her their condolences. But now people were staring at her for something else. At five months along, her belly was starting to let people know that she was pregnant in a way that she could no longer disguise.

And that made it worse.

The congratulations were so genuine before the pity would come into their eyes when they realized what had happened to the babies' father.

She prowled out of the lift and into the DRCMC, turning only when a rough voice called out her name.

Zee turned to offer a small smile to Amos Diggory. He'd been on a vacation with his wife since the middle of June. He'd returned sometime last week, but she hadn't seen him. His eyes widened at the sight of her.

"Holy Helga! Black knocked you up?"

Zee placed a protective hand over her stomach and glowered at him. "Sirius and I created life, Amos, yes, how kind of you to notice."

He realized his words because his cheeks flushed. "Er, I mean, I apologize, Zacarias, that was... congratulations. Children are the light of your life. You'll see."

She nodded, her anger evaporating when she saw the flash of hurt in his eyes. He and his wife had taken off for the summer, both distraught with the one year anniversary of their son's death.

"Thank you, Amos. I can't imagine how tough this summer was for you and Piper."

Diggory nodded. "Thank you. Er, meeting in ten in the conference room for all department heads and level three agents."

Zee thanked him and made her way to her office. Lady Godiva made herself comfortable on the large lounge pillow by the wall taking up the only extra space in the office as Zee moved behind her desk. Her eyes fell on the photos she had there. One of Sirius with his arms around her on the beach in Barbados and the other of her, Harry, and Sirius in Moscow. The photos of Sirius winked at her and she smiled back. Seeing him was painful, but it brought joy to her as well in a way that she couldn't explain. It made him feel like he was still close by.

She grabbed her parchment pad and self-inking quill before she made her way down to the conference room. She was only a little surprised to see Minister Bones there.

Amelia Bones had reportedly been having full conference meetings with every major department in the Ministry over the last two weeks, but Zee hadn't heard anything about her sitting in with the DRCMC. She looked for an empty seat and her eyes widened when she recognized Charlie Weasley sitting there. He patted the seat next to him and she sank into it gratefully.

"What are you doing here?"

"I'm a man of mystery."

She laughed. "In other words, it's a surprise?"

Charlie only shrugged in response.

Lou Bannerman, the Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, stood up, claiming everyone's attention. "I thank you all for coming. We have a few important topics to discuss today. Minister Bones has kindly agreed to sit in on our meeting and may have a few thoughts to bring to the table. As you know, a good portion of you have been working with the new Defence Department to help with the different units. This is a new and bold move for the Ministry and more than ever we need to make sure that we're allied with all magical creatures."

At everyone's murmurings, Bannerman continued. "The Werewolf Capture Unit will be working closely with the packs in the Terra Troops and with the Hit Wizards in the DMLE. I want every wolf registered with an address and contact information within the Werewolf Registry as we go along with these new measures. The DMLE has reported wolf attacks all over the country in the last few months. Some of them have even happened when the moon isn't out. The Alphas have assured us that this isn't them and as there have been multiple reports over the years linking Greyback and his rogue wolves into doing this, I believe them. We need a concrete list of which wolves are on our side both for the safety of our allies and to help us distinguish who we can and cannot trust, especially after the kidnapped children disaster we had in August. Yes, Walters?"

"The packs have all come forward and registered with us no problem," Elizabeth Walters, an agent from Werewolf Support Services, explained. "Some of them were hesitant, but with the new program teaching them to Apparate and the Basic Magical Training courses for them being put into motion, they want to help. By lumping them in with Greyback, we're only falling back on our old ways."

"I agree," Bones said standing up. "And that's part of why I'm here today. As many of you have noticed, the construction on the new fountain is almost complete. I want the fountain to show that we are supportive of change. These changes are slow moving and they won't happen today, tomorrow, or even six months from now. We have laws in place that are centuries old and if we're going to make changes, we need to overhaul everything. And I want to first start with this department."

Everyone stared at her and Bannerman spoke up. "The Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. Who can tell me what's wrong with our name already?"

"Sir, with all due respect, magical creatures do need to be controlled and regulated. Why just the other day the centaurs were fighting elves in Ireland! If we hadn't stepped in, a war might have broken out!" Diggory exclaimed.

"The centaurs are one of the few magical creatures who refuse to cooperate with us," Bannerman said. "And in time, I hope that we will be able to make peace with them. But in the meantime, we need to cut back on the control and regulations we do have in place. Some of the wolves have expressed an interest in joining the WSS and I agree with it. We have two goblins from Gringotts willing to come forward and work in a goblin based department. I want magical creatures to be able to come here in peace and welcome, to work together with witches and wizards to help create a better life for themselves and for our community."

Zee raised her wand. "Sir, does this mean that we'll be able to take another look at the House-Elf disposition I presented at the beginning of the year?"

"Yes, Zacarias. We want to bring that forward immediately and urge all of you who have house elves in their employ to come forward. We want to have a new department just for elves."

Bones smiled at everyone. "I know that it seems overwhelming. I know that half of you are thinking that I've lost my marbles. That one's bonkers, you're thinking. She's nothing but a plunker. It may sound crazy. It may sound like the worst idea imaginable, but I can promise you: If we come together, to use our abilities as one, it will better us."

The room quieted a bit at her words and Bones looked reassured by this.

"Now, at the moment the DRCMC is divided between a few different departments: Beast Division, Being Division, Spirit Division, Pest Sub-Division, Pest Advisory Board, Office of Misinformation, Goblin Liaison Office, Centaur Liaison Office, Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creature, Dragon Research and Restraint Bureau, Ghoul Task Force, Werewolf Capture Unit, Werewolf Registry, Werewolf Support Services, and the Office for House-Elf Relocation. We will be doing a serious re-haul on all of these divisions. I am not dispersing of any of these divisions. No one will be losing their jobs due to the changes here. There are many magical creatures out there who are dangerous and need to be sorted accordingly, but those with the ability to communicate with us, those who appear human — they will be given back their voices."

Bannerman nodded. "Agent Downing, I heard Shacklebolt wants you and two of your best agents to set up a meeting with him. He wants to discuss the Spirit Division. The Magical Menagerie will stay as such. That is the safe boarding home for all magical creatures to come and be kept safe, to be treated and to be fed and watered. Agent Zacarias, you proposed a change to it?"

Zee stood up, her hand over her stomach. "Yes, sir. I've had the task over the last few months of going over some of Scamander's original notes on classifying beasts and one of the things that I found interesting was that he created habitats for them. We've done that here as much as we can, but the underground is vast. I want to expand, offer more spaces for the creatures. The Merpeople have expressed an interest in helping us study aquatic creatures. We are still working on making a true alliance with them and I think that this could be a great step in helping to show them that we want change. They've agreed to potentially let us study the Realm Glass that they use to travel between portals and dimensions and how it affects those around them."

"We've already had to create a bigger reserve when we brought the giant in," Diggory said.

"And the giant is doing great," Zee said. "He's healed of all of his injuries and Agent Hoffman, who can speak Jötunn, has been speaking to him about why he chose to follow Voldemort. The expansion is for the better."

"I agree with Zacarias," Charlie said, raising his wand. "Charlie Weasley, Dragonologist. I work at the reserve in Romania in the Village of Blue Fire, but as of late I am leading a unit in the Wing Guards and working with a task force from my reserve and the one in Sicily to talk to the DRRB. Dragons are incredible creatures and yes, we should fear them, but respecting them is most important. Expanding the Magical Menagerie will not only help magizoologists study creatures more thoroughly, but help get them back where they're supposed to be. I heard two of your agents saying that they found a fwooper in a Muggle hardware store? Fwoopers aren't meant for the city. We need to find their home and let them go back to it. Because a world without animals is not a world that I want to live in."

"Well said, Mr Weasley," Bannerman said. "And I agree with you, Zacarias, the menagerie does need to have more support. It's why I'm promoting you. I'd like you to take over as Deputy Head of the Menagerie to work more closely with the head of the Magical Menagerie, Goldwin Oliphant."

Zee's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?"

"Yes," Bannerman said. "You've done exceptional work over the years and according to Oliphant most of the changes and plans made for the Menagerie over the last year have been under your orders and your plans. We'll talk details this afternoon."

"Yes, thank you, sir," Zee said, unable to control her big smile.

Deputy Head was a huge step up. Not to mention that it would mean less travel, more pay, and it would still allow her to work with animals on a regular basis. She would even get the opportunity to train some of the new recruits. She rubbed a hand over her stomach. It would mean that she would have more time to work and be with the twins, which was something that had been worrying her more than she wanted to admit. As a single mother, juggling work and motherhood was going to be a chore. Being able to stay in England and in a set environment would be a huge help in making it a little easier.

Diggory's voice jolted her out of her daydream and she focused back on the meeting around her.

"So, what are we changing our name too?" Diggory spat. "The Department of Creature Love? The Department of Magical Creature Pushovers?"

"Agent Diggory! Your distain has been noted and frowned upon!" Bannerman said sharply.

Diggory's face flushed. "I'm not opposed to change, Lou, I'm opposed to letting the creatures take over!"

Bones stared at him cooly. "Magical cooperation does not make us pushovers, Agent Diggory. That's what we're looking to do, is to cooperate. Your new name is going to be the Department for the Reconstruction and Cooperation with Magical Creatures, still the DRCMC. And I can assure you, it will not make any of you pushovers. Any questions?"

Some people were nodding now, looking pleased, and others like Diggory hardly looked impressed.

"Zacarias," Bannerman said, turning his attention back to Zee. "Let's start with the house elf legislation again. I think that it's an excellent starting point for us and it could help us break up the new divisions from then on out."

Zee nodded, summoning the paperwork from her office. "As you mentioned having Goblins and Werewolves as members of the departments where they are prominently featured, that's what we're asking for house elves and hopefully, for the other divisions as well. Miss Granger outlined an incredible starting point that I think we can all learn from."

Bannerman gestured for her to take the floor and Zee cleared her throat. She had a feeling that it was going to be a rather long morning.

By the time the meeting let out, Zee was grateful when Charlie offered her assistance to stand. Her arse was sore from sitting and her back hurt.

"Thanks."

He nodded. "No problem. No offence, Zee, but you look about ready to pop already."

"There's two in here, Charlie Weasley! Two! I am not ready to pop yet and I'm only going to get bigger!"

Charlie grinned. "Did I mention how much pregnancy becomes you?"

"Better," she said, making him laugh. "But flattery will not get you anywhere."

When he only smirked at her, she gave him a look.

"If you're not in a hurry, you should come to my office with me. I'd love to pick your brain on some of these new menagerie ideas and new department divisions."

"Sounds great," he said. "Congrats on the promotion, sounds like you deserve it. I wanted to tell you what my team is working on as well. I think that we could be a great help to each other."

Zee smiled warmly at him. "Perfect. Let's see what we can put together."

End Author's Notes:

Jötunn = language of the giants (I chose it because it is used as a word to describe giants in Norse mythology)

Thanks for reading and please review!