"HUFFLEPUFF!"

There was a beat of stunned silence before the table left to the aisle broke into cheers. Jane, no matter how loud things got, could still hear Helena's voice through all of them. It was nice to know she already knew someone in the house, though her momentary high didn't last long.

How would she get there?

As if he had sensed it, Conry walked up to her, disregarding whatever tradition or rule told people to leave the student alone on the stool with the hat. He offered her his arm and she took it graciously.

"Milady," he said, his head bowed low to her side.

Taking a deep breath, Jane mustered every ounce of noble decorum she had been taught. She slid off the stool, straightened her back, stood as tall as she could and lifted her chin the tiniest bit. She forced her features to soften and adapt an easy smile, one that spoke of benevolence and grace. She certainly didn't feel that way, more terrified instead.

This, she told herself, is my first step out of the cupboard and into the spotlight.

Though she was grateful Conry had let her ascend these steps on her own, she couldn't express how relieved she felt when he'd guide her down again. While she managed to appear calm on the outside, her mind was still reeling, but the weight of all these eyes upon her she shared with Conry. Her arm on his gave her confidence, his magic at her side gave her strength. No matter how bad things would get, Jane was sure to overcome them all.

The cheering subsided a bit and no one seemed to dare and interfere with Conry. As Jane descended the stairs the next student was already sitting down on the stool again. They passed the other first years and she briefly took Ginny's hand in her still trembling one.

"See you in a bit," Ginny whispered to her.

She smiled just a tad wider and nodded.

Conry guided her to the end of the Hufflepuff house table where Helena already sat. "I've saved you a seat," she said, not quite shouting but obviously trying not to be too loud.

Conry guided her to the very end of the bench, where she sat down next to Helena, with some distance, of course. "T-Thank you," she said, cursing herself for stuttering.

"It's alright," the girl said, "Can't just leave you with a bunch of strangers now, can I?" Jane could hear the smile in her voice.

"Then I shall leave my mistress with you," Conry said to her, before kissing Jane's knuckles. "Do take care until Miss Weasley joins you," he instructed gently.

"Sure!" Helena said mock saluting to him, "I'll keep them baddies away!"

Jane managed a soft smile. Maybe she had found a new friend already.

Ginny had never been so on edge before. It wouldn't have taken much more for her to run after Jane when she began ascending the steps. Some rude guy to her left had had the gall to exclaim, "The-Girl-Who-Lived!" like he knew anything! He was still wheezing, holding his side where her elbow had hit him. When Jane seemed to falter on the steps she took forward, ready to get her out of here. Where to she would have gone, she had no idea, probably to Conry to beg him to get her away from all these people.

But Jane held strong and Ginny felt herself cheer or her. Truth was, Ginny couldn't imagine how Jane felt. Conry told her that the fear made things worse than they actually were, amplified unease to the level of true terror. It turned a simple question into a threat to ones life. Still, Ginny could barely comprehend how bad it must be for Jane, and she hated it.

She released a breath she had been holding when Jane reached the top of the stairs, genuine pride swelling in her chest. But when the Professor touched her and Jane jumped as if she had been slapped, her heart constricted and she took another step forward. Only the fact that Conry decided to step in had stopped her from running up there, to hell with it all.

And then she waited. She watched as Jane's tense features relaxed, and waited for her sorting. It seemed to take ages even if in truth it only were two minutes.

"Yes, Yes!" the hat called out and Ginny almost jumped out of her own skin, so focused on Jane she had been. "Better be "HUFFLEPUFF!"

It felt like she had been slapped. Traditionally, Weasleys were all sorted into Gryffindor and in no case whatsoever did she want to leave Jane's side. She made a rather unladylike noise through her nose as Conry approached her again. The whispers picked up again, even as the Hufflepuffs cheered and clapped. They wondered if she was really blind and who that man was. She rolled her eyes. Impatient fools.

Ginny was well aware of the hypocrisy.

Still, as Jane passed her on her way to the end of the table, she grasped her hand, trying to squeeze all the support and pride into her. "See you in a bit," she said, still trying to convince herself of that.

Would the hat just throw her to her brothers? Would it let her go after Jane? She glanced at the Gryffindor table where her brothers exchanged worried glances. Percy met her eyes. He smiled weakly and nodded to the other tables. She nodded back at him, hoping she could be sorted into Hufflepuff.

She shook her head. No matter where Jane was, Conry would always be there to protect her. It would just be nice... to always be there, too. With her girlfriend. Elven girlfriend that had very deft fingers... What in the world was she thinking now? Neither the time, nor the place for it!

Ginny noted absently that she had missed Luna being sorted into Hufflepuff entirely.

"Weasley, Ginevra!"

Ugh, right. There was that. Now everyone knew how lame her name was. Though Jane likes it. Conry may have told her that she had been named after someone rather important but Ginny had been prodding Jane's back for tickles when he had told them that one so she kind didn't remember.

Taking a deep breath, Ginny ascended the steps, trying not to look hurried. She sat on the stool and caught sight of Jane and Helena at the very and of the table. The rest of the house appeared unsure of what to do, watching Conry stalk back to the teacher's table. She glanced at Professor McGonagall, who gave her an encouraging smile before she put the hat on her head.

"Ah!" she heard in her head, "Another Weasley!"

Ginny steadfastly ignored the voice, keeping her eyes on Jane, who was haltingly talking to Helena, who appeared a bit overwhelmed, while Luna was serenely and happily talking to both of them from across the table.

"But not just any Weasley! A young woman no less!"

She saw Jane finger the medallion that hung from her neck. Ginny squeezed her own in response, hoping it would carry the warmth of her touch.

"You are not listening to me, are you?"

She wanted to be down there now, and kick that one guy that had been sorted into Hufflepuff into the bollocks, tell him to go screw himself for looking in Jane's general direction. She wanted to-

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

The sheer volume almost blew her off the chair. But she didn't care that her ears stung or that people might think she's crazy. Ginny threw the hat onto the stool and more or less jogged down the stairs, past the first years and onto the bench next to Jane, who was immediately drawn to her like a magnet.

"Thank the ancient ones you got sorted here as well," she heard her whisper.

She snorted softly, taking her hand. "As if I'd leave you alone with the crazy ones."

"I'm right here," Helena huffed. "Thank you, though."

Ginny gave her a sideways glance. "And thank you," she said. "It's going to take a while for her to get used to this, I suppose."

Helena smiled, her blue eyes twinkling. "Anytime. And if i get to kick someone, all the better."

"I'd do her."

Daphne looked up from her book, eyebrows furrowing. She turned to her friend and hit her arm with the rather thick book. "Tracey," she chastised. "Could you not?"

Tracey swept a stand of her short, red hair out of her face and grinned. "Jealous much? I'd do you too, you know? You have a really nice butt and-"

Daphne swatted her with the book again. "For the love of Merlin, stop!"

Tracey rolled her eyes. "What got your knickers in a twist? Did Malfoy try to ask you out again?"

She shuddered. "Ugh! No!" Daphne was very glad he hadn't. She detested the boy more than she could ever frown upon Tracey's flirtatious behavior. "Hopefully he won't ever again. He did get his ass handed to him by our new history teacher though."

"We get a new one?" Tracey asked, eyes drifting up to the staff table. "Who? The hot one? I'd do him, too."

Daphne sighed. "Of course you would... But yes, the tall one is our new teacher. He kicked Malfoy out of our compartment after Potter almost killed him."

Tracey looked at her, eyes wide. "That's hot. Tell me more."

Daphne closed her book in defeat. "Why are we friends again?"

Tracey grinned at her. "Cause I can tell when you need to lighten up!"

Ignoring the applause that came with a new Slytherin student, Daphne glared at her friend. "You always tell me to lighten up."

"Because you are always so stiff!" Tracey exclaimed. "Sexy too, but that doesn't help your attitude." She leered blatantly at her. "I'd always offer a massage, you know?"

Daphne rolled her eyes. She knew Tracey was overdoing it. "Once you've stopped being a slag." She observed how the Weasley girl claimed the seat next to Potter. "Also, the girl is taken."

Tracey followed her gaze, frowning playfully once she saw them. "That so?" she asked with exaggerated sigh of defeat. "Shame, really. Now tell me how she almost killed that ponce Malfoy."

The feast had been grand, the food incredible, but Jane had barely eaten at all. The stares and whispers continued on through the entire ordeal and at some point, Ginny was ready to tear that noisy little Gryffindor's head off. Collin Kick-me-in-the-Stones Creevy seemed hell bent on getting on Ginny's bad side. He and his damned camera. Their new friend, Helena, was either rather perceptive or just liked to scare people away. Either way, Ginny was sure that she had scared half the table towards the end of the feat, one boy even earned himself a place one her list, whatever that meant.

Luna's ever so odd and moreover magical presence did wonders for Jane's anxious mind.

Though it also strained Ginny's sanity. "What in the world is a cobble-... and... what did you call it?"

Luna sighed and laughed at the same time, producing a rather odd noise. "Not cobble! Cuddle! A cuddle-moose!"

"So..," Ginny began, "A... moose? I mean... aren't those quite big? How would one fit... behind my ear?"

Luna rolled her eyes so dramatically, she almost rolled off the bench with them. "It's tiny and keeps out of sight, Ginny!" she lectured. "A cuddle-moose keeps whispering cuddly thoughts to you until you oblige and it seeks out it's next target and satisfy their need for fluffiness!"

Ginny nodded a few times before shaking her head. "What? I'm not sure I follow."

Luna gave her a rather blank look, as if she was being extra thick. "Ginny," she said seriously. "You need to feed the moose. The cuddle-moose. By cuddling."

"Are you telling me you want a hug?" Ginny barely kept her lips from twitching even as her hand found Jane's under the table, who kept pocking a potato on her plate with her fork.

Luna leaned forward onto the table, getting as close to Ginny as possible without standing up. "I want you to snog the living daylight out of Jane, tear her clothes off and make her forget that everyone in this hall is trying to figure her out."

Ginny couldn't help but turn a light shade of red. She coughed into her hand. "Well... not that I hadn't planned on that already..."

Helena snorted, almost inhaling a her fork.

Luna patted her head with an easy smile. "Good girl."

Ginny batted her hand away. "Come one, I'm not Conry."

"I heard that."

Ginny only jumped the tiniest bit, turning in her seat to glare at the man that had listened in on their conversation from across the entire great hall. He raised his goblet and tipped it in her direction. Ginny simply blew him a raspberry.

"Now that we are all fed and watered, I do have a few last announcements to make."

Ginny looked up from Jane's hand and the black ring she had been toying with. "Fed and watered? Like... what?"

"Heard he's always like this," Helena supplied. "A tad barmy, pater says."

Ginny could see Conry snort up at the staff table, earning a questioning look from Professor McGonagall who was sitting right besides him.

"I am saddened to tell you," he began, "and I'm sure you shall all grieve with me, that Professor Binns is retiring. And-"

The great hall burst into cheers and jubilant outcries which could only ever be stopped by a loud, cannon-like boom that Dumbledore released from his wand. The headmaster barely kept the mirth out of his voice as he spoke. "Yes, yes, very saddened we are indeed. However, it is also my pleasure to introduce you to your new teacher for History of Magic! Professor Conry... Grey!"

Ginny barely kept from laughing as she noticed the slight pause. "Did he forget to give Dumbledore his last name?" she snickered.

Jane giggled lightly. "I do not think he ever did. Not that he needed to anyways."

Up at the staff table, Conry rose to his full, imposing height accompanied by enthusiastic clapping from the students, most of all the female ones. Unlike Dumbledore, Conry merely raised a hand and the student body fell mostly silent. "It is my pleasure to be here at Hogwarts," he said, his deep voice echoing in the great hall with enough power to let the pumpkin juice in her goblet ripple softly. "Thank you all for the warm welcome." He paused momentarily, his golden gaze roaming over all of them. "And... no, there won't be more than one or two lessons on goblins and giants."

That, of course, earned him standing ovations from all of the older students, who seemed absolutely overjoyed with the revelation.

"I imagined that you would like that," he said bemusedly, chuckling lowly. "Many of you I shall see tomorrow, and I will let it stand to spend the first lesson of the year at ease." He bowed lightly, more an incline of the head than anything else. "Thank you all for the warm welcome."

With the feast taken care of, Conry decided to have a word with the head boy and girl of Hufflepuff, as well as the prefects. After Dumbledore sent the students to bed, he was approached by all of them, the prefects looking by far more nervous than the head boy. The head girl and one female prefect, Josephine Turner and Evangeline Benning, had been tasked with seeing the Hufflepuff students to the common room.

Conry raised an eyebrow at the head boy when he recognized his magic but remained quiet. The young man was tall, lanky, with short brown hair and sea green eyes. His angular face made him look older than he was and his narrowed eyes gave him a tired look, though Conry could see that his green eyes were ablaze with magic. If he remembered correctly, the young man's name was Michael Schwarz, born and raised in Germany until he decided to attend Hogwarts. At least that's what Dumbledore, who was still reclining in his throne-like chair, had told him.

The teen's magic, however, told a different story.

"You wanted to see us, professor?" Micheal asked, speaking up for the prefects, the other three of whom seemed rather intimidated by Conry's imposing height.

"Indeed," he said, meeting the head boy's eyes. "We have something to discuss."

"And what would that be, teach?"

Conry almost raised an eyebrow at the fifth year girl, but was momentarily distracted by the familiarity of her magic. "Miss Tonks, correct?" he asked, internally smiling to himself. It had been years since he had last seen the girl, though he distinctively remembered that her hair hadn't been pink back then. Then again, she was a Metamorphmagus. A trait that came into the Black family after an intriguing affair with-... Well, no time for remembrance now.

She nodded, her hair reddening a tad once she found herself under his scrutiny. "Uhm, yes," she said, struggling to keep her voice steady.

He smiled lightly at her. "We have met before, Miss Tonks, your mother was is a good friend of... the family, though I'm sure you were too young to remember." He chuckled. "But as delightful it is to see how much you've grown into a woman, it is not why I called you all here."

Tonk's hair turned a deep shade of red that could rival Jane's but she smiled nonetheless.

The male prefect gave her a sideways glance before rolling his eyes. "Then I assume this is about Miss Potter?" the young teen asked. Johnathan Morinth, whose family name sounded awfully familiar to Conry, was not especially tall, barely taller than Tonks, with sandy blonde hair and a rather severe looking face. Those features seemed to be hereditary, if Conry remembered correctly.

The wolf nodded once. "It is indeed. I must inform you that milady is my mistress, for I am her loyal retainer, which is the sole reason I have come to this school."

Cedric Diggory, the second male prefect, nodded to himself. "So... she is blind then, isn't she?"

"Wasn't the blindfold obvious enough for you, Diggory?" the head boy snorted, almost snidely. Micheal met Conry's eyes. "If this is about looking out for her, we can do that. We are Hufflepuffs, you wouldn't find people more willing to."

Conry nodded, ignoring Cedric's put-off expression and Tonk's giggles. "That is indeed why I wanted to talk to you. But it isn't as simple as looking out for her." Conry frowned briefly. There was always the question how much he would tell them, how much he would make them pity Jane, though she needed anything but. His mistress was a strong soul but her fame could yet break her, no matter how much they'd need it in the future. With a sigh, Conry summoned four chairs for them to sit in, doing it with a wand of grayish wood just for appearance sake.

"Sit, please."

"Welcome to our common room," Josephine, the head girl, said as they stepped out of the tunnel hidden inside a barrel.

Ginny almost laughed. The common room looked more like a huge living room, couches and comfy chairs just about everywhere save for a few desks and one single bookshelf that fit snugly into an alcove in the very back of the room. Thick carpets in warm red and honey colors covered every inch of the flagstone underneath and long, beige and honey colored widths of cloth adorned the ceiling. The cold stone of the castle had been almost hidden entirely, it made the room look very warm and comforting.

A fire burned in a huge, terribly big hearth to their left, Conry could have walked inside of it with space left to stretch. To their left was a corridor, probably for the dorms. Over the corridor was a huge window, seemingly the only one in the entire room, which proudly displayed their house emblem crafted into the colorful mosaic window.

She caught Luna fiddling with a cord that hung down the wall from the ceiling. She was making faces at it, prodding the cord like it was a living thing. Helena apparently found it hilarious, patting the blonde girl on the head affectionately. The girl then joined Luna in... conversing?, making faces?, at the cord. Wow, those two certainly found each other.

The head girl was telling them about the dormitories - apparently they'd live in rooms of two, separated into boys and girls - and it made Ginny's heart beat faster. Sharing a room with Jane? Away from her parents and prying eyes? With no one to disturb them?

Morgana and Merlin almighty...

Was this what it felt like to be horny? Really horny?

She had dreamed of her first day in Hogwarts for over a decade. Couldn't wait to explore the whole castle the moment she arrived and maybe find some treasure. Suddenly the day couldn't end fast enough. Thinking about going to bed with Jane tonight made her skin crawl pleasantly, distractingly even, and she missed the head girl assign them a room.

"Uhm," she made when Josephine stared at her expectantly, Jane at her side almost instinctively moving a step behind her. "Sorry? I didn't catch that."

The head girl smirked at her, a knowing smile on her lips. Ginny squeezed Jane's hand, pulling her closer. If the girl waited for her to stammer in embarrassment, well she'd wait a damn long time.

"The two of you have room number two," the head girl said, still smirking. "Your two friends are in room number one. You as good as have the first year dorm to yourself. There's only two boys for Hufflepuff this year." The way she said it, Ginny imagined she sounded almost pleased. "Breakfast is at eight. Don't stay up too late." And with that, she walked away to her own dorm room.

Ginny wet her lips. Her mind as far from sleep as could be. She glanced at Jane, who had been a bundle of nerves all the way to the common room, but had relaxed considerably since everyone left. Ginny noted that Luna and Helena had basically left them behind.

On purpose, probably. She'd bet it was Luna's fault. Or maybe it was thanks to Luna.

When Jane pulled in her arm, tugging her into an easy embrace, Ginny decided that it was most definitely thanks to Luna.

Numengrad was a depressing place. He hated it. Built to contain his enemies. He snorted. Now the old fool was in there himself. The prison was unguarded, not a soul aside from the sole prisoner was here. Well, and he himself, of course. The wards of this place arched for him, caressed his core with icy fingers, but let go just as quickly as they came. Trying not to shudder at the sensation, he entered the prison.

It was always cold in here, even when the sun fell into the surprisingly many windows, illuminate the bare stone walls and floors. Heavy, wrought iron doors lined the endless hallways but no one lurked behind those. He ascended floor by floor, the air cooler with every level, and finally reached the topmost floor, where a single cell was located, with the sole prisoner of this place.

"Gellert," he said, trying not to sneer, "Why would you call for me? The White mages are close enough to me as it is!"

From within the cell, a hoarse and brittle voice cackled dryly. "Willst du mich nicht in deiner Muttersprache ansprechen?" the old man rasped tauntingly.

"You don't get the luxury to be addressed in that language, old man," he snarled back.

After a beat of silence, Gellert Grindelwald sighed wearily. "Fine, have it your way," he said, Gellert's English was blocky and heavily accented, much unlike his own. "I have summoned you, for there is a task you must carry out for me."

He grit his teeth. How dare that old-! "Why would I ever do something for you?"

"You answered my call," Gellert said simply.

He did indeed, though as to why he had heeded the call, he wasn't sure himself. "And that's as far as I'll go," he said shortly. "You don't get to command my around like some dog, you old fool. I may have been curious why you'd ever call on me but I have no reason to do your bidding so-!"

"Your mother," Gellert began and in an instant the young man fell silent, his teeth clacking loudly as he abruptly shut his mouth. "Your mother," Gellert said again, "was a wonderful woman, you know?"

He didn't. He never met her.

"She was always kind to me," the old man carried on, the tone of Gellert's voice sending chills up his spine. "When she asked for my help, I aided her readily." There was the sound of something shuffling behind the door before a single, awfully bright blue eye peering out at him. "Oh, you look so much like her, you know? She was distraught when they told her she'd loose you, yet here you are."

"What do you want?" he pressed through gritted teeth.

A toothless smile appeared in the small window of the door. "Just a small favor..."

"The wards have never been stronger," Albus mused absently as the heads of house, Conry included, gathered in his office for the standard meeting of the first day of the new school year. The headmaster was still impressed by the incredible boost the old wards had received once they sorted out Jane's position in the school. They were almost visible now, if the sunlight fell though them at the right angle.

"It is indeed wondrous!" Professor Flitwick squeaked excitedly from his comfy chair. "Miss Potter is truly powerful!"

"But how did you get her magic to power the wards?" Minerva asked from her own, straight backed chair, sitting near the hearth. "As far as I am aware, only the headmaster's magic can do that."

Conry, who had been nodding to a lot of portraits he had once personally known, chuckled lightly but didn't say anything on the matter. Minerva eyed him for a moment before turning a questioning gaze to the headmaster.

"Indeed," Albus said, "Only a headmaster can power the wards with his magic. Or a headmistress of course," he added, almost nonchalant, but his eyes twinkled merrily.

There was a beat of silence in the office. Professor Sprout's mouth opened, only to close again. Flitwick appeared beyond stunned and even the unusually distant looking Snape looked momentarily startled.

"Are you telling me," Minerva began, "That you instated a student as headmistress?"

Albus laughed jovially, "Why yes, I did!"

"Excuse me, headmaster," she said, "but are you quite mad?"

Conry snorted, raising his voice for the first time. "I would suspect so but it was not what moved him towards this decisions. He had a vow to uphold, after all, and this was the most comfortable decision in milady's favor."

"Making her headmistress? One of my own house?" Professor Sprout asked incredulously.

"Her magic is too grand to stay within these wards without seriously affecting them in a negative way," Conry said, waving his hand dismissively. "This way, the wards get strengthened and Albus doesn't lose his soul for being idle in face of milady's discomfort."

Snape swiveled in his chair as if he had been slapped, looking at Albus with wide eyes. "You put an oath to your soul?!"

"I did indeed, Severus," the headmaster confirmed calmly. "It was the least I could do for her. I only wish I could have done more than just that."

"Just that!?" Severus exclaimed, voice rising uncharacteristically. "You chained your very soul to the whim of a sixteen year old girl!"

"Watch your tongue," Conry growled from across the room. "You will address milady with the proper respect. Especially you, you who should be begging to take the very same vow." Severus reared back as if struck, eyes wide as he met the wolf's golden ones. "Mistress Jane has specifically ordered me not to harm you, but harm would have been the least thing I'd do to you, Severus." Conry rose from his chair, to his full height, looming over the potion master like death himself. "I will never forget what you did, boy," he sneered. "Keep yourself in check or I will see myself disobeying milady's orders."

He sat back down, leaving a terrifying chill in the air. Snape looked like he could barely compose himself, Flitwick was actually shacking in his chair and Pomona had almost fainted dead away. Out of all of them, Minerva had fared the best, her lips merely thinning considerably, while Albus did his best to appear unaffected, though the twinkle in his eyes had dimmed somewhat severely.

The headmaster cleared his throat as the silence threatened to stretch on endlessly. "Now, the sole purpose of the meeting this year is indeed Miss Potter. The issue of her magic affecting the castle has been adequately resolved and the castle herself shall see to her accommodations. However, there are a few more things to consider." He glanced at Conry, who was still scowling, and received a curt nod. "Her obvious lack of sight will hinder her education here to a degree. I have been told she is perfectly capable of the written word and the ability to ascertain knowledge of the same through magic does not prove to be an obstacle. It is merely the way she is to be taught that we need to adjust slightly..."

Their room was bigger than she had expected, but Ginny merely glimpsed at the cozy bedroom for a second before Jane enraptured her attention. They were finally alone, behind closed and locked doors. Jane stood taller, her smile easy and coy again, and lightly danced around the room, brushing along walls, the two cupboards that stood against the wall, the soft tapestry that covered most of the stone walls, and finally bumped into the first of two beds,

Jane smiled, brushing her hand along the soft duvet. "It's so soft," she whispered, brushing a strand of her hair behind her now long and delicate ears. "Why not join me?" she as good as purred and Ginny found her heart beat erratically in her chest.

Ever since she had met Jane and Conry, Ginny's understanding for magic had grown explosively and with her dabbling in wandless magic, her sensitivity for it had increased as well. She could feel it clearly for a short while now. Jane's magic was reaching out to her, latching onto her own and... part of it felt as if something remained behind. A gentle tingling of the skin whenever Jane was near, but not from the outside, but as if Ginny's blood hummed at the very proximity. Not to speak of the bliss every little touch brought.

Just as Ginny was about to throw herself onto the bed with a vengeance, Jane's small faltered the tiniest bit and her posture slouched. Ginny almost tripped over her own feet, managing to lean onto the bed somewhat gracefully.

"What's wrong?" she asked, taking Jane's hand. "Are you feeling ill?" It wouldn't be a surprise. Crowds did tend to make her nauseous aside from anxious, which was putting it mildly really.

Jane sighed, flopping onto the bed, smiling weakly up at her. "A bit... perhaps," she admitted, "But that is... not bothering me right now."

Ginny laid down next to her, patiently waiting for her to continue, and played with a strand of her amazingly soft hair.

"I'm not sure I can do it," Jane confessed, "All these things I will have to do."

Ginny frowned. What Jane had to do... There was a lot that she didn't really grasp yet, but fighting untold evils or something like that did really sound like a tall order. "I believe you can do it," she said confidently. "I dunno what kind of evil thing might rise from... beyond, I suppose, but I know it won't stand against us." Her family had allied itself with Jane, for better or worse, and she'd be damned if she didn't stand right there with her when it all came crashing down. Even though Ginny had no idea what would come.

Jane smiled and Ginny's skin tingled, soft flames licking her skin in a way that made her head swim. Jane's magic was so... so potent, for the lack of a better word, nothing seemed to compare. "It is not the fighting I worry about," Jane said, the smile dimming a bit, "But what is expected of me." She watched her swallow thickly.

"What else is there?" she asked, gripping Jane's hand tightly.

"I'm trying my hardest," Jane whispered, "But I'm not... Merlin, I'm not even Emrys. I can't lead the people like they could."

Lead? Why would she need to lead the people?

Jane continued, voice growing anxious. "I'm not like them, I can't lead a whole country. I can't even walk alone through the great hall without shaking!" Jane threw her free hand into the air helplessly, glittering sparks following the motion.

"But... why would you need to lead the, uh, country?" she asked. Wasn't that, like, too much? Whose Idea was that?

Jane turned her head and smiled sadly at her, scooting a bit closer. "The people have forgotten," she said, "Strayed from the path that was theirs and theirs alone to tread. They have proven to be incapable of returning on their own. Like Merlin once lead wizards and witches into order and safety, I will have to do the same. That is my destiny." Jane huffed, suddenly sounding very annoyed. "That and a lot of stupid prophecies see me in a lot of important fights that stay the balance of the world or something."

Ginny tried to process what she had just been told but it was... hard to warp her head around it. It didn't seem... real. Nevertheless, she nudged Jane's head with her own and said, "Well, you don't have to do that alone either, you know? You've got my family, allies and all that, Conry that old dog wouldn't leave your side if you ordered him to and... well, I'm here too."

Jane smiled at that, her coy, wonderful smile that only Ginny ever got to see. A wave of her hand darkened the room and Ginny didn't have the time to wonder how she could even do that without context or comprehension of the rooms brightness when she swiftly undid the blindfold that hid her eyes. "I know," she said softly.

Even in the dim light her eyes were clearly visible, actually glowing softly. Ginny couldn't look away, not even when Jane placed a hand on her side, lightly tugging on the shirt she was still wearing. The way Jane bit her lip ever so softly made her heart jump in circles and she really, really wanted to bite Jane's lips right this instance but she couldn't. Not yet anyways.

Maybe in less then ten seconds.

"We-... I won't let you go through this alone," she said earnestly and just as Jane's lips parted slightly in a gasp, Ginny sealed them again with her lips.

There it was again. Magic. It coursed through her skin, liquid heat that tingled her nerves with a vengeance. Her own accepted Jane's magic as if it were a part of her already, like it had always meant to be this way. She didn't need to open her eyes to see stars as her head swam in the untold comfort that Jane's touch and magic brought. And, from the depths of her heart, Ginny hoped she had the same effect on her.

"So that's it?"

The woman didn't turn around to them, yet they could see her smile sadly down from the hill they stood on, overlooking what had once been the suburbs of London, the remains still smoldering. A wave of the woman's hand quenched the remaining flames almost instantly and she said, "Not yet. We haven't lost yet."

The determination in her voice was subtle, but the magic that coiled around her, piling upon her higher and higher, it left no doubt in their hearts.

"But will it be enough?" Luna asked of her, "I have seen and yet I have not. What comes beyond this point is a mystery in itself."

This time the woman did turn around, eyes of solid gold shone like the very sun itself. "Only time will tell, dearest Lilith," she said with a tiny smile and vanished in a shift of the wind.

...

When Luna woke the next morning, she didn't remember her dream, but words entered her mind, unbidden, almost the moment she awoke. "Only time will tell," she said quietly to herself before nodding. "Yes, I like that."

It was autumn, yet somehow the eastern coast of Greece managed to cook him alive. This "small favor" would be taking a while. Curse that old bastard! What did he even care for something that Herpo the Foul had once possessed? If not for his mothers, then-

He shook his head, squinting against the rising sun. Did it have to be so humid here? Wasn't this land supposed to be pretty barren? This here was worse than the tropics! Magicals and their stupid hiding places. Like aparating into a freaking thorn thicket was all kinds of funny. As expected, the runis were hidden underneath a pretty powerful ward. Not that power was any problem for him. His wand, black as the night and just shy of twelve inches long, appeared in his hand and he begun going through the many many layers of magic that had been piled upon this place, protecting whatever artifact Gellert wanted him to destroy.

Destroying it was the last thing he had thought he would have to do. Bring it to him or give it to the pesky White Mages that kept following him like rabid dogs, just whiter. Those people took their title far too serious and really wore nothing but white and the occasional light grey. Terrible fashion sense, those.

It took just about ten minutes until the ward came apart at it's seams and fell away, revealing... a cave. Great. Couldn't it have been one of those marble temples the Greek tended to build just about everywhere?

Morosely he descended into the cave, which was barely anything more than a hole in a mountainside, and at first glance there didn't seem to be anything inside aside from some bats, a goat and-

"Is that a dragon?" he asked aloud.

He wasn't sure if he should believe his eyes. The cave was pretty big, yeah - and so was the Merlin damned dragon - but maybe it was just another illusion. But after trying to find any magic that would deceive his senses, he found nothing at all. Nothing but magic so old he couldn't even understand it. If this, the damn dragon, was the artifact he was supposed to destroy... well, he was pretty much fucked. So, hoping that the old bastard hadn't talked about what appeared to be an either slumbering or outright dead dragon - it was really hard to tell, they barely even breathed when they "hibernated" like that - he searched the cave.

The more he searched, the more the cave appeared to be a dome, carved from within the mountain, obviously either by human hand or dragon claw. Aside from the occasional shiny stone and water that had accumulated in there, there wasn't anything noteworthy. But, behind the dragon, he could see something that might just be a pillar, a man made one. The only problem was, the dragon was sleeping snugly against the wall, leaving no room for him to crawl past without risking to wake the beast.

Dragons were known to sleep like mountains, the older the deeper, and judging from the discolored and fading scales, this dragon was incredibly old. Oh man... there was a lot he could stomach. Sleeping dragons were one thing, grumpily woken ones were on an entirely different scale of Fuck me sideways. Shit... couldn't he just lie to the old bastard? How dare that piece of rotting filth hold his own mother above him like that!

Well, here goes nothing...

Conry observed tensely as the students came into the hall for breakfast the next morning. His mistress was notably calmer than the day before, even as she traversed the halls on her way here. Dumbledore was arranging his goblet in a particular fashion, transfiguring little figures into the golden surface and enchanting it to fill itself whenever he emptied it. The house elves would go crazy, someone enchanting their tableware, so he probably did that every day anew. McGonagall eyed him nervously, glancing from him to the door more often than was strictly necessary. Though it was nice to know that someone worried for milady as well, he probably worried for ten at a time.

Would the prefects handle the situation correctly? Would the wandering stairs let her pass without problems? Did some foolish boy try to approach her?

He growled under his breath. He should be with her! Flitwick flinched with a squeak in the seat to his left while Snape tried to look anywhere but at him. Conry shook his head. He needed to calm down. Ginny was with his mistress, so was Luna and the newest addition to their circle. Helena's magic was rather powerful for a pure human and if he judged her correctly, she would be a powerful ally- no, a good friend to Jane too.

Allies. No, they wouldn't have something as simple as allies. Mistress wouldn't trust something as simple as allies. Riddle had allies, followers and those he forced into servitude. Bellatrix... mh, Mistress would free her eventually. The Black family had suffered enough already and saving one of their own from insanity was only natural.

Nymphadora Tonks stumbled into the hall just then. She was a bit clumsy, perhaps a side effect of having to keep her whole body together at any given time, but Conry knew she was a Black at heart. Cunning, loyal, honest and terrifyingly loud when angered. Sirius' mother had been like that. It had been far too long since he had visited Andromeda and he still resented that he hadn't intervened when they married off Narcissa to the Malfoys. If not for the purge, things could have gone very differently...

He shook his head. Past failings wouldn't drag him down. He had a mistress to serve.

Just as he thought of her, she came into the great hall, Ginny glowering at every student that looked in their direction, while Helena and Luna trailed after them, the latter animatedly talking about the danger of pink pudding to the male potency.

A blonde boy from Ravenclaw chocked on said pudding, almost falling off the bench

They shuffled over to the Hufflepuff table, were there was a convenient spot in between the female prefects and the head girl. As they took their seats, the whispering picked up again. Everyone was still eager to eye that beautiful girl that had survived the killing curse and "vanquished" the dark lord. Conry eyed the Gryffindors as they settled in. The Weasely's among them hissed more or less viciously at anyone that was pointing and whispering in Jane's general direction, Percy flashing his prefect badge every five seconds and the hourglasses that kept track of the house points showed that Gryffindor was rather steadily losing points. Not that there were many to lose yet.

What almost surprised him was Snape's vicious glare that roamed up and down the Slytherin house table, staring anyone into submission that so much as dared to whisper loud enough to be overheard. Almost surprised him, yes, for Conry remembered all too well the man's attachment to mistress Lily. Even after he had been told of the circumstances and James' heritage. Trying to keep and elf from their destined was a crime in his eyes, one he'd never forgive if he could help it.

Breakfast was odd. Jane could feel all those eyes on her, almost taste their whispers in the air, yet somehow it wasn't the same as yesterday. The stares were less piercing, the whispers more subdued. All in all, Jane thought she could actually handle this kind of being in public. Of course she knew that, in time, she would have to be unaffected, confident and strong in face of the public eye. But that time hadn't come yet. Wouldn't be tomorrow, wouldn't even be next week, probably not even next year and years after that.

What did come now, however, was a sweet apple pie for breakfast. That she could deal with. The plate she found easily enough, her fingers found what she assumed to be a fork or a spoon, and swiftly lead the sweet, sweet pastry in her mouth.

A noise of delight escaped her. Oh! This was soooo good! "Thank you, little lost ones," she whispered quietly. She needed more of that!

"Here," Luna said from her left, "Have some more. This will make the sun too bright to see!"

Okay. Jane had to admit that she didn't fully grasp what Luna had meant with that, but the extra apple pie she could practically smell on her plate was just too delicious to put off any longer. She thanked Luna quietly and with a sincere smile and continued eating, indulging her sweet tooth.

"You really love sweet stuff, huh?" Helena asked humorlessly. "There are strawberries over here, too, you know?"

She stopped the fork mid motion. "Strawberries?"

Helena laughed. "Yes, strawberries. Should I... push them over to you?"

She nodded eagerly.

"I wonder where you put all that," Ginny mused aloud. Jane could hear the smile in her voice.

She blushed, couldn't help it, but managed a cheeky smile in Ginny's direction. "You are just jealous of my metabolism."

Ginny paused, obviously as surprised as Jane was about the teasing. Then she snorted. "Oh, well, maybe I am, but-," She leaned closer to Jane, whispering in her ear, "-as long as it's keeping your butt as nice as it is, I won't try to take it from you."

Ginny's breath was hot against her ear and for a moment, Jane forgot that they were surrounded by at least three hundred curious students. She turned to fully face her, an easy smile stretching her lips. "Worry not," she said affectionately, "It's all yours."

Then reality caught up with her. She squeaked quietly and hid her face in her hands. The stares were everywhere, but when Ginny laughed quietly, taking her hand under the table, it wasn't half as bad anymore.

"Wow," Helena huffed, "That was hot."

The first class Conry got to teach that day just so happened to be the second year Gryffindors and Slytherins. The animosity between the two houses was almost palpable, though it seemed a lot tamer than when he had been here with Master James in his seventh year. Predictably, Hermione positioned herself at the very front of the classroom, Ron had been unwillingly dragged along, though appeared at least genuinely interested. Well, the young Weasley had already sat in some of his lessons before, so he knew he could teach him a thing or two.

Daphne Greengrass had dragged her friend - who was winking blatantly at him - to sit on the table next to Hermoine and Ron, just where the two houses were splitting in the classroom. It would be nice to see them mingle one day.

He waited patiently for them all to be seated, keeping an eye on the young Malfoy, who took a seat as far away from him as possible and, after the attempt of interaction with his mistress, Conry was just fine with that. For the sake of appearing more sophisticated, Conry had combed his hair back, capturing it in a low pony-tail which he fastened with a blue chord. According to Ginny, it made him look older, though she might have said that to spite him. He hadn't bothered reading her thoughts to that.

"Good morning, class," he greeted them while the last few students trickled into the classroom. He stood behind his desk, arms behind his back. "While we all have met yesterday, I am still going to introduce myself again. I am Conry Grey, you newly appointed History teacher," He bowed slightly to them, "and, as promised yesterday, this first lesson is mostly for general questioned you have on the subject."

He could have expected it, but Hermione's hand was the first to shoot up into the air. He smiled at her. "Yes, Miss Granger?"

"Your name, Professor," she began, "I may have heard it before, read about it probably, and I was wondering, does it really mean Grey Wolf? Or is your name written differently."

Well, that was a rather odd question. "It does indeed, Miss Granger. My name does mean Grey Wolf. It is a name my ancestors have carried down their line for many generations." He thought for a moment, about the right way to continue this. His name, Conry, came up in some history books. All of them he himself, of course, but his immortality was a secret. "Twelve of them came before me so far."

Another hand was lifted hesitantly a few rows behind Hermione, who was scribbling down what he had told her. "Uhm, Professor, what exactly are we going to cover this year?"

He smiled at the girl. "Well, Miss Brown, I had dearly hoped someone would ask me this question." She blushed rather brilliantly, ducking her head. "In history of magic, we will cover just that, the history of magic. The focus is less on history of wizards and witches, but the magics of the past, great spellcrafters and inventions that have graced the magical world. But we won't stop there. I intend to show you the magics of goblins, elves, unicorns and dragons. As you learn spells in your other classes, we will also cover them here and I will show you how they came to be, perhaps who crafted them, and what magics hide behind the spells themselves."

The class was silent. A satisfactory reaction. "Assuming you have no other questions-" Someone on the Slytherin side, Tracey Davis sitting besides, Daphne, raised her hand. "Miss Davis?"

"Are you single?" she asked bluntly, staring inquisitively.

He smiled softly, for a moment his mind wandered. "I am a widower," he said after a slight pause.

Davis' stare faltered and she blinked in surprise. "Oh," she mouthed, leaning back in her seat in an uncomfortable silence that followed.

"Do not feel bad about asking questions," he said. "Do not apologies for things like this. You didn't know, did not ask uncomfortable questions on purpose." He gave them time to ask another question, but no one raised their hand. "Then let us begin with one of the oldest things I can teach you, the magic of the forest and elm..."

Jane's first lesson of the day was transfiguration. To avoid human contact as much as possible, she left the hall early, her friends - now including Helena - in tow. They arrived well before the others from their year did, more because the wandering stairs guided them correctly and wandered off again when the other students came than leaving ten minutes early.

Walking more or less glued to Ginny's arm through a castle that brimmed with magic was as delightful as it was scary. Every step she took she passed through the magic of hundreds of students, some of them even felt familiar, some of them were familiar. Very much so. But she tried not to think about it, squeezing Ginny's hand tightly as they walked into what Jane assumed to be the classroom. It sounded empty, safe for the smell and presence of one single thing.

A cat.

Oh. Yes.

She was gonna pet it, come hell or high water.

Professor McGonagall had been eager for this lesson ever since the schedule had been finalized over a month ago. Teaching Jane Potter, interacting with her, getting to know her. It could only have been better if she'd been sorted into her house. As she did with every first year class, she perched herself atop her desk in her animagus form, a tabby cat with curious, spectacle-like marks around the eyes. She had barely gotten comfortable when the first students walked in.

As expected, it were Jane and her friends. The young Potter did look rather timid, clinging to Weasley like a lifeline, though mere moments after entering, she suddenly straightened, her nose twitching visibly. Without any prior warning, the girl suddenly walked forward, just short of jogging.

"Jane!" Miss Weasley called after her but any worry seemed unfounded when Jane breezed by the desks and chairs without stopping.

Minerva almost jumped when she glided past a chair that had been directly in her path. How was she doing that? And what was she going for in the first place? The girl came to an abrupt stop right in front of her, just short of barreling right into the table. That was seriously impressive, but, moreover, scary. Minerva managed to keep herself from scooting away when Miss Potter reached out with her hands an... petted her side.

That... was new. In her three decades of teaching, no student had ever so managed to so much as brush her fur while she was in her animagus form. And... why was she purring? Ah, that spot right under her chin was... mesmerizing... What deft fingers she had...

Minerva shook herself, trying to gently push the hands away, but they just found a new spot that should not feel the way it did. Was she... using magic? It certainly felt like it.

"You have such soft fur."

Well, another first. No one had complemented her animagus form before and- Wait! Had the girl just meowed at her?

"And such beautiful magic as well," she heard, definitely meowed at her. "Want to know a secret? I can do that as well."

The girl smiled at her, an unperturbed, wonderful smile, before her hair bristled slightly and she changed in front of Minerva's eyes into her animagus form.

Oh my... Two radiant green eyes stared at her, eyes that were even brighter than Jame's had been. Minerva wanted to be surprised, but given that her father had been an animagus and Conry's presence in Miss Potter's life had basically assured her becoming an animagus.

Behind the animal Jane had become, Miss Weasley pumped her fist in the air. "I knew it!" she exclaimed. "That flea bag owes me a galleon!"

A/N: So? What will Jane's animagus be? Putting it out for a vote!

Cat, Wolf, Owl, Raven or... uh, How does a Snake sound? Strange, right? Wouldn't fit. Good thing I hadn't intended to do that at all.