Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters, ideas and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: Venus Jamie Potter – Dove Cameron

Alex Russo – Selena Gomez

Sirius Black – Luke Evans

Chapter 18:

James responded with a sheepish smile, "Well… You're probably not going to like the next memory."

Confusion was evident on Klaus' visage. "What do you mean by th…" his sharp demand trailed off and promptly morphed into a particularly incensed growl as his eyes locked on the bothersome half of the Weasley twins blatantly flirting with Venus in the dungeons, right outside the Potions classroom; Elijah and Kol weren't faring any better. The Mikaelson Men were extremely close to blowing a gasket when Rebekah matter-of-factly – and with laughter in her eyes – mentioned Venus appeared to be extremely flattered by the twin's attention and was responding in kind. That was when James decided to take pity on them and wave his hand, transforming their surroundings into the gloomy interior of the Potions classroom.

"I'd rather go back and watch sparks fly between George and Venus than this," Caroline groaned, her nose performing a twitch of distaste and her normally soft eyes narrowing into a glare of utter loathing, burning a hole into Draco Malfoy when, halfway through the lesson, he swaggered in as though he owned the damn place, his right arm bandaged and bound in a sling as though he had just arrived from battle where he emerged the victor. Her foul mood proceeded to sour when Snape didn't bat an eyelash at the asshat blonde's late entrance or even make an attempt to rebuke him, simply drawling for the class to settle down, knowing damn well that if it were the Troublesome Threesome or any Gryffindor really, that had walked into Snape's class late, detention, lost points, or some snide remark meant to mortify and debase would be emanating from his toxic mouth.

Albeit reluctantly, Klaus found himself silently agreeing with the vivacious blonde once the following discord spurred into action, fuming at the unjust treatment toward his daughter and the repulsive, acrimonious man's blatant show of favoritism. And when the snot played up his arm, prompting Snape to demand that Venus cut up his roots, the Original Hybrid didn't know who to kill first and, just as the other nine broke into argument, ranting about the unfairness of it all, a simple word, confident and defiant, permeated the air, rendering them silent and simultaneously beckoning their undivided attention.

"No."

Damon gaped, shocked and impressed, "Did she just—"

"Shhh!" Caroline, Bonnie, Jeremy and Rebekah sharply retorted, their eyes, like the others, fixated on the tension-filled scene.

Sharp intakes of breaths ricocheted off the walls as every single pair of eyes flickered from Snape, who menacingly approached the Troublesome Threesome's table, and Venus, who stubbornly maintained eye contact, not daring to look away, her expression indignant and not the least bit intimidated. "Would you care to repeat that?" he sneered, staring down his overly large hooked nose at her. Poor Neville, unlike Alex, who was watching them with barely concealed excitement, he appeared utterly frightened, his healthy complexion paling drastically as he huddled into himself.

She shrugged a shoulder. "No disrespect, Professor-" her tone implied the opposite, "-but I refuse to take part in Malfoy's deception. You may find it perfectly acceptable to cater to his whims, but I don't, especially when it sheds a bad light on Madam Pomfrey. This whole farce? Frankly, it's a complete disrespect to her abilities as a matron and I respect her way more than I do you. Besides, take that bandage off and I'm certain you won't even find a scratch." Taking note of the stiff curling of Snape's fingers into a bone-white fist, a wicked smirk broke out on Venus' face, "I must say, Professor. I thought you were smart, I mean, you are the youngest Potions Master Hogwarts has ever seen, are you not? And yet, you believe that git's baloney. Unless-" and now the curl of Venus' lips was immensely devious, "-of course, you're in on Malfoy's crooked scheme, which would be a conflict of interest as a Hogwarts Professor, would it not? Unfair treatment, blatant bias, taking advantage of your position—"

"GET OUT!" Having apparently had enough, spit spraying across their table – Alex sliding her chair out of the line of fire – Snape, face contorted with apoplectic fury, pointed a finger at the door, "Out! Out, GET OUT you insufferable witch!"

Mirthful cackles emanated from Kol as he collapsed into himself, fist banging against the illusory ground, a tear actually cascading down his handsomely chiseled face. In fact, Elena, Jeremy, Damon and James weren't far behind, the four of whom were observing the confrontation between Venus and Snape with gleaming eyes, all of which were brimming with mirth.

Huffing, Venus aggressively jerked out of her chair and collected her possessions in a brisk swoop, "Gladly." Heading toward the door, the background still impregnated with a hushed silence, barring Alex's quite cackles into her fist – the moment her hand landed on the knob, Snape snarled, "100 points from Gryffindor, and detention every Saturday until the end of term with. me!"

His incessant and loud laughter reaching an abrupt death, Kol scrambled to his feet, the mirth previously displayed on his visage one of profound horror, "That's not fair! That dirty, rotten, good-for-nothing bastard!"

Lips compressed and expression pinched, Elijah simply rubbed his temple with the ridge of his palm, head shaking in an odd combination of fondness and dread over the fact that his future would be filled with two of them. Kol was already a handful without adding Venus's apparently inherent mischievousness and impertinence.

"To play devil's advocate here, Snape does kind of have a point," Bonnie grudgingly pointed out, wholly immune to the glares of disbelief and betrayal her admission evoked from Elena, Caroline, Jeremy and Damon. "Venus did disrespect a teacher in front of her peers. I mean, we wouldn't dare do that. Not even with Tanner, you guys."

"Yes, but that odious mortal singled my daughter out. I'd rather Venus get punished for standing up for herself, thus preventing others from taking advantage of her, than be meek and submissive, easily bullied and preyed upon by some inconsequential swine," Klaus snarled menacingly, his tone firm and eyes flinty. "Regardless, this won't ever happen. Mark my words, if some bloody mortal, magical or not, so chooses to use my daughter as an outlet for rage or petty revenge, their head will no longer remain attached to its shoulders."

Shivers wracked the spines of the Scooby Gang while James smiled grimly, a hint of self-satisfaction creeping on his aristocratic features. Clearing his throat, he joined the anger-fueled debate, "Besides, Venus hit the nail on the head. There is absolutely no way Snape's in the dark. He knows how proficient Pomfrey is and as Malfoy's Head of House, he would've received the full bill of health from her. Besides-" eyes hard, James snarled out his next words through gritted teeth, "-after Venus left, he was in such a foul mood he threatened Neville's toad. Trust me, Snape had it coming."

The Ten Supernaturals suddenly found themselves in the staff room, a line of third-year Gryffindors congregated behind Professor Lupin, and sitting on one of the mismatched chairs was—

"Snape!" Jeremy groaned. "Why is he everywhere?!"

Cheekily, Venus wiggled her fingers at Snape in a mockery of a wave, "Hello, Professor!"

"She's baiting him," Elijah realized, struggling to quell a smile.

Giggling, Rebekah shook her head fondly, "She's definitely your daughter, Nik. And your niece, Kol."

Proud, Kol puffed his chest out in imitation of a peacock, while Klaus's raspberry lips quirked into an ominous smirk.

Snape glowered at her while Professor Lupin looked away, coughing back a laugh as opposed to the rest of the Gryffindors who outright laughed.

Eliminating their confusion, James, his expression illegally smug, revealed, "Upon hearing about the incident that took place, Poppy demanded that Albus cancel the detentions as Malfoy undermined her and Snape allowed him to. It doesn't help that Poppy has a soft spot for her and Venus defended her."

"Brilliant!" Kol guffawed. On the other hand, Stefan asked, "And the points taken?"

Shrugging, unbothered by the reduction of a hundred points as the Marauders lost much more back in their days, James said, "Those stayed. After all, Venus did publicly disrespect Snape."

And in comical unison, Klaus, Rebekah and Kol huffed, "Whatever."

"Possibly no one's warned you, Lupin, but this class contains Neville Longbottom. I would advise you not to entrust him with anything difficult. Not unless Miss Russo is hissing instructions in his ear," Snape sneered on his way out.

Yells of outrage coincided with Venus's and Alex's angry hiss, and just as Caroline was about to furiously initiate a long rant in defense of Neville, Professor Lupin retorted pleasantly by complimenting the clumsy boy which promoted the curling of Snape's bottom lip. The Ten Supernaturals were then given front-row seats to the introduction of another magical being – "actually, nonbeing," James firmly corrected the classification – through the ominous wobbling and rattling of an old wardrobe Lupin had the third year Gryffindors form a single file in front.

"Boggart?" Elijah and Kol parroted after Lupin, identical mahogany brown orbs traveling across the thirteen-year-olds and mentally remarking on their fearful expressions. Damon, thinking along the same lines as the two Originals, let loose a scoff before he sarcastically pointed out, "Right. Nothing to worry about…? Look at them. They look close to needing a diaper change."

Klaus maintained his silence, focusing his undivided attention on the explanation of Boggarts. His eyebrows would arch ever so slightly the more information was provided on this nonbeing, and a noncommittal hum vibrated in his throat toward the end – intrigued and fascinated by how it came into existence, yet incensed by its fear illuminating nature.

Taking the words right out of the recess of Klaus' mind, Rebekah lightly inquired, "I wonder what form the boggart will assume for Venus…"

"Uh, wouldn't it be Voldemort?" Caroline asked nobody in particular, blonde brows snapping together.

Simultaneously, a devious grin materialized on Kol's face, "I must admit, this boggart would make an excellent torture instrument. Nothing like being forced into a room with your greatest fear to loosen up somebody's tongue." A wistful expression on his face, he was completely blind to the looks of immense disgust Elena, Caroline, Jeremy and Bonnie were shooting him, along with the rolled eyes of his siblings and the identical expressions of wariness from the Salvatore brothers.

"Kol," Rebekah sighed in exasperation as third-year after third-year stepped in front of the wardrobe and transformed their fears into comedy with a single spell. Neville's boggart of Professor Snape emitted growls from the Ten Supernaturals at the realization of how traumatized the poor boy was of the caustic man who continued to utilize his position as a professor – as an adult responsible for the students! – to inspire fear. However, just as quickly, the sounds of fury morphed into a bout of uncontrollable laughter at the image of the hook nosed man clad in Neville's grandmother's clothes, the icing of the cake being the fox-fur scarf and the nauseating stuffed vulture hat atop his greasy head.

James grinned, "I always said Remus would make a phenomenal professor." While inwardly, he chuckled, 'always a Marauder at heart.'

The legless spider stopped at Venus' feet. Eyes alight, she held her wand aloft, but before the boggart could fully take shape of her fear, Professor Lupin hurried forward and stood in its path.

"What? Why did he interrupt Venus' turn!?" Elijah demanded in a mixture of indignation and bemusement.

Sighing, James removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes and only once he slid it back in place, did he offer a weary response, "Like Caroline, Remus assumed it would take the form of Voldemort and having him appear to the students would have caused mass fear and chaos."

"Assumed?" Jeremy enunciated, an eyebrow jumping upward to collide with his hairline. Equally surprised, Klaus stared at their guide. Pride vivid on his face, James smirked, "All I'm gonna say is Voldemort is not what Venus fears most."

"But apparently, Lupin's fear is the full moon," Klaus jutted his chin toward the bright orb overhead, blue-green eyes intense on the professor's fractionally wide green ones as he pondered the reason.

Leaving the staffroom, Venus huffed, a big pout on her lips, "I swear, if it weren't for the Snape makeover, I'd be ticked off."

"You mean this-" a smirking Alex waved a hand over Venus's face in a flourish, "-isn't you ticked off?"

As Venus dug her elbow into Alex's side, Neville failed to properly muffle a chuckle, prompting the honey-blonde witch to glower at him and give him the same treatment she gave Alex. "Shut up you two. Why didn't Lupin let me confront my boggart?"

However, the black cloud over Venus' head dissolved the instant the Fat Lady's portrait swung open to allow the Troublesome Threesome entrance into Gryffindor Tower. Climbing the hole into the common room, a furore of cheers and excited exclamations ensued at the sight of Venus, the congregation of Gryffindors swooping forward to yank her from her spot between Alex and Neville and into the throng, patting her shoulders, slapping her on the back, vigorously shaking her hands, and bringing her into exuberant embraces.

James, Kol and Jeremy donned giddy expressions at the sound of the Gryffindor House congratulating Venus for her belligerent confrontation with Snape, irregardless of the hundred points docked. Although, a brief scowl materialized at Hermione's insufferable comment of: "Do you know how long it'll take me to earn those points back!?" But before Kol could emit some snarky comeback or perhaps blurt out a threat, Alex retaliated: "Hey, eager beaver, zip it or I'll make you."

"Yeah, I can earn those points back with my natural affinity for magic, unlike you who prefers to regurgitate textbook definitions like a classic know-it-all," Venus sneered, mirth alight in her blue-rimmed emerald eyes.

Bonnie and Elena shared a frown. "That was quite rude; borderline bullying," Elena commented.

"Pfft, yappy deserved it," Rebekah huffed, arms folded tightly against her chest. "Always yammering on and on about herself and her ingenuity while making everyone else feel like dullards."

Discerning George Weasley approach his daughter had Klaus narrowing his eyes, a dangerous glint in them. Much to Rebekah, Elena, Caroline and Bonnie's vocal disappointment, James flipped through the scene. "Excuse me! I'd like to witness the development of my niece's love life, thank you very much," Rebekah snapped, her cerulean eyes narrowing into James like laser beams.

Kol scoffed, his expression mocking, "Of course you would. Attempting to live vicariously through Venus after one too many doomed relationships, eh?"

"Why you obnoxious rat!" Rebekah hissed, about to lunge at him. Reflexes sharp and prediction correct, Klaus quickly wound an arm around her midriff, effortlessly halting her attack while Elijah stepped in front of the bickering siblings that usually got along splendidly. "That's enough!" he intoned sternly.

Inherently incapable of keeping his mouth shut, his foot-in-mouth syndrome making an appearance, Damon sidled up to James, thumb pointed at the Original Siblings, "That's the family you're entrusting your daughter with-ngh!"

The sharp, piercing crack of bones breaking echoed in the Ten Supernaturals' illusory bubble. With a vexed growl, Damon pinched the bridge of his broken nose and righted it with another flinching crack. Roughly wiping off the trickle of blood with the back of his hand, Damon's dagger-like glare was fixated on Klaus who had released Rebekah to clock the irritating vampire smack dab in the face. A satisfied curl on his lips, Klaus smirked, "So, James, let's continue, shall we."

Under her breath, Caroline murmured, "You totally deserved that one." Her comment prompted Damon's glare to land on her, coupled with a sneer, to which the blonde merely shrugged, unperturbed by the elder Salvatore's reaction.

Once the rumpus reached cessation, the scenes flickered by at a rapid pace, portraying the elapse of September into October.

The Ten Supernaturals bore witness to Venus attending her lessons, and just like the Troublesome Threesome, they too shared a mutual disappointment with Potions, Divination, and Care of Magical Creatures classes.

Snape in particular, had grown particularly vicious with the trio; already holding a potent grudge against Venus, intolerant of Neville's lack of talent in the subject and surging clumsiness, and irritated by Alex's mischievous ways and utter insouciance, the story of Neville's boggart succeeded in making Snape more unbearable and aggressive – a complete nightmare.

Naturally, Venus and Alex's ensuing prank only added fuel to the wildfire. Procuring the memory of the Snape-boggart in a vial, Venus had it sent with her snowy owl, Hedwig, on a rush order to have it developed into a magical photograph, in which Snape's emergence from the wardrobe and subsequent transformation into the outfit of Neville's grandmother was captured and played in a continuous loop. To the Ten Supernaturals' and James's uproarious laughter and increasing good humor, the Troublesome Threesome duplicated the hilarious photograph and distributed them throughout the halls of Hogwarts for any and all passersby to see, and thus adding to Snape's humiliation and provoking him to constantly take away points from them inside and outside of Potions class for the most inconsequential and unfair demeanors, such as "breathing too loud," or "smiling," and during one memorable lesson, "disrupting the class for sneezing".

Snape dragged Venus, Alex and Neville to the Headmaster's Office where McGonagall was already stood, her face stern and lips compressed into the thinnest of lines.

"She's repressing a smile!" James exclaimed knowingly, hazel orbs behind round spectacles alight with mischief.

"Ah," a twinkle in Dumbledore's blue eyes, he leaned forward in his chair to stare at the trio. "Lemon drop?" he inquired genially, holding out a deep golden bowl. Genuinely beaming, Alex and Venus gratefully reached forward and popped the lemony treat into their respective mouths – "don't mind if we do, Headmaster!" – while Neville shyly refused. If possible, Snape looked more incensed, a vein throbbing dangerously in his forehead, and McGonagall looked like a smelly sock had been placed underneath her nose.

"Put away those blasted confections, Headmaster!" Snape snarled, sallow fingers clenching and unclenching into fists. "Those three-" he pointed a rigid, accusing finger at them, "-are responsible for the promulgation of those pictures of me—"

Clearing her throat, Venus cheekily cut in, "Actually, Professor, the subject wasn't you but a boggart of you. There's a difference."

"What a cheeky brat!" Kol chuckled fondly.

Simultaneously, Klaus, Rebekah and Elijah breathed out, "Just like Kol."

"Oh my God! I'd have loved to have her in a class with Tanner," Caroline remarked, the twinkle in her eyes reflected in Bonnie's, Jeremy's, and Elena's as they nodded their agreement.

With a growl, Snape pivoted on his feet to level Venus with a menacing glare, "Miss Potter you are already facing punishment for this elaborate prank, do not push it. You are uncannily like your arrogant father-"

"Severus!" McGonagall snapped, her expression severe and light eyes resembling daggers.

James smiled fondly, "Oh, Minnie."

'Minnie?' a bewildered Kol mouthed to Rebekah, who automatically lifted her hand to stifle an errant giggle.

"Actually, you cannot prove it was us," Alex looped arms with Venus in a show of solidarity, emphasizing on 'us' in an attempt to prevent him from turning the honey-blonde witch with whom he held an immense grudge with, into a scapegoat. She then nudged Neville who stepped forward, "Y-yes, ex-exactly."

Sighing, Stefan shook his head, mild pity displayed on his handsome face, "He really has to get over this irrational fear he has of Snape."

And then, to Snape's apoplectic fury and the Troublesome Threesome's smug joy, Dumbledore lightly said, "Innocent until proven guilty, Severus. My hands are tied. Unless you have substantial proof, I'm afraid I cannot do anything but tell Misses Potter and Russo, as well as Mr. Longbottom to hurry along to their next class."

And Klaus could have sworn he caught Dumbledore throw the trio a wink as they left his office.

Following the unforgettable incident, one that the staff and students still spoke about despite the passage of time, Snape could be seen flouncing around with billowing robes, looking the perfect picture of an overgrown bat, a vein perpetually throbbing on his temples. Religiously, whenever he would pass Venus, Alex, and Neville, he would bare his teeth like a bloodthirsty hyena and his fingers would clench into balls as though he were suppressing the urge to throttle them with his bare hands – to which the Originals would growl and hiss out warning threats, the most noteworthy one being Klaus' creative, "If he so much as lays a single finger on her, I'll pull his spine right out of his gaping mouth!"

However, despite Snape's flashing eyes, baleful glares and incessant bullying, Venus always managed to learn something worthwhile and performed outstandingly in the art of potion-making. Divinations classes on the other hand, were immensely lackluster and absolutely fruitless, bearing no improvement other than Trelawney's escalating histrionics whenever she so much as looked Venus's direction and, on one momentous occasion, she burst into tears after the umpteenth class of performing predictions through the utilization of tealeaves. What ensued however, prompted tears of laughter out of Kol, James, Damon and Jeremy – masking the complicated movements of their wands, the Troublesome Threesome created a deluge of balled up tissue papers, the shower following Trelawney around for a fortnight until finally, Flitwick took pity on her and cancelled the charm.

A subtle twinkle in his eyes, upon the cessation of Charms' class, Flitwick kept Venus, Alex and Neville behind and, after staring at them deeply for two nerve-wracking minutes, he grinned and, in his distinctive squeaky voice, announced, "Twenty points to Gryffindor, each. You won't implicate yourselves but I am certain you three mischief-makers are responsible for Professor Trelawney's recent predicament."

"I dunno… in a way, aren't Dumbledore and Flitwick encouraging their trouble-making?" Bonnie inquired hesitantly, not wanting to ruffle any feathers.

James' grin threatened to split his face in half, "Nah. The issue is those three rugrats are excellent at covering their tracks and leaving no witnesses behind. They can't be punished over a suspicion. But in Flitwick's case, he's awarding them for the intricacy and creativity involved in their spell-casting. What they did, it's no easy feat. A fifth-year would have difficulty casting the spell, let alone keep it active for over two weeks."

"So, award them for their talent, punish them for their mischief," Elijah hummed, evoking a betrayed look from Kol. Shaking his head, Kol jabbed a thumb into Klaus' chest, before he flickered a finger between himself and Rebekah, "Leave the disciplining to us three, Elijah. Bloody buzzkill, you'd probably extinguish the life existing inside that little ball of mischief."

In response, Elijah glowered at the Wildest Mikaelson. "Yes, as opposed to you who do not believe in boundaries or rules," he remarked in a wry tone.

"Never mind that," Rebekah suddenly interjected, eyes distastefully locked onto the scene before them. "The bloody hell is a flobberworm!"

"Why would anyone bother looking after them?" Ron groused out as he attempted to shove a strip of lettuce down the revolting worm's throat.

Full-body shivers of disgust wracked Rebekah, Bonnie, Elena and Caroline.

On the other hand, the remaining subjects became more fascinating as the days progressed, and the Ten Supernaturals enjoyed learning the two brand new magical subjects Venus and Alex had signed up for: Arithmancy and Study of Ancient Runes. Well, except for… "Seriously, who understands Norse!?" Damon complained, sneering at the chalkboard where the Ancient Runes Professor, Bathsheda Babbling – "And what kind of name is that!?" Kol huffed in disbelief – magicked the syllabus for the term, which included a month of Norse Runes followed by Numerology.

Silence ensued. All eyes were on Damon, most of their owners' expressions screaming disbelief. Electric blue orbs flickering, he huffed, genuinely nonplussed, "What?"

"Uh, Damon… you do know the Mikaelsons were Vikings before they were turned into vampires, right?" Jeremy stared agape at the elder Salvatore, head shaking minutely.

Rebekah snorted, "And here I thought you possessed at least half a brain."

"Hey!" he retorted, offended. But he received no help from his friends or his girlfriend.

Leaning closer to whisper in his ear, Elena said, "Damon, weren't you the one Mason led to the Tunnel with the Original Family's carvings on the wall. How could you forget that?!"

"Oh, come on, it slipped my mind. Happens to the best of us," Damon retorted with a dose of snark.

James chuckled and changed the scene. Unfortunately, the two subsequent scenes aggravated Klaus and afterward, James.

"This is our last chance – my last chance – to win the Quidditch Cup," Oliver Wood, the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team, was telling his team at the Quidditch meeting he scheduled in order to discuss tactics. "We've got three superb Chasers," he pointed at Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, and Katie Bell. "We've got two unbeatable Beaters." To which Fred and George Weasley emitted a sarcastic quip. "And we've got a Seeker who has never failed to win us a match!" he proceeded with conviction, staring at a grinning Venus with pride. "And me," he added as an afterthought.

At that, Fred, George and Venus pooled their efforts into complimenting the downcast Keeper. "The point is, the Quidditch Cup should have had our name on it these last two years. Ever since Venus joined the team, I've thought the thing was in the bag. But we haven't got it, and this year's the last chance we'll get to finally see our name on the thing…"

"Isn't he going a bit overboard? I mean, it's just a game," Caroline pointed out, one of her brows shaped in an arch of disbelief.

James gasped, genuinely offended by the blonde vampire's careless remark, "It's not just a game. It's Quidditch, Caroline!" When she still didn't comprehend the gravity of the sport, Elena and Bonnie wearing similar expressions, James elucidated in a tone of voice that implied the answer was quite obvious and they were purposely acting dim, "Think of it like you would a scholarship. Lily explained it to me like this once before… your Muggle colleges have representatives that come to watch your sports, yes? It's the same for Oliver. He doesn't want to win for the sake of making Gryffindor House look good, but because after he graduates from Hogwarts he wants to establish a career in Quidditch."

"Wait, there are Quidditch Championships and World Cups?" Jeremy blurted out in awe, eyes alight with excitement.

Their guide inclined his head, "Of course. Why wouldn't there be?"

Skipping to the end of practice, fury engulfed Klaus, blue-green eyes intermittently flashing between gold and back when George stopped Venus outside the locker room. "He better not initiate anything!" he growled.

Eyes bright, Rebekah caught James's blatant stare and he winked, allowing her to gain a sneak-peak to what the two teenagers would be discussing and she swallowed back a squeal of delight.

"Hey, Vee, I, uh, well, you see, I've—"

Amused by his nervous stammering, Venus, a sparkle in her eyes, leaned closer and teased, "George, are you nervous?"

"Ah, can you blame me. It's not an easy feat for a bloke to ask a girl as beautiful and ballsy as you out on a date," he retorted reflexively.

Amid the "Awwwwhhh" from Caroline, Elena and Bonnie, two simultaneous comments reverberated within the illusory bubble the Ten Supernaturals and James Potter were congregated in:

"HE DID NOT!" Klaus roared, looking absolutely manic.

Exuberant, Rebekah jumped up and down, hands clasped together against her chest, "FINALLY!"

Spluttering, Kol glared at his romantic-driven sister, "This isn't a good thing, Bex!"

"I'd love to," Venus responded promptly, her lips pulling into a cheeky smile. George however, appeared to be lost in a world of his own, his nerves blinding him to the present, "Would you like to go-" He paused and did a double take, "You would?" At Venus' vigorous nod, he beamed, "Great! There's a Hogsmeade visit coming end of October, Halloween…" He trailed off once Venus' expression turned glum, "What is it?"

Sighing, Venus said, "I can't go Hogsmeade, the animals I'm forced to share a house with didn't sign my permission slip."

"Good!" Klaus, Elijah and Kol intoned viciously.

Their comment elicited incandescent glares of fury from Rebekah, Caroline, Elena and Bonnie.

"Not good!" Rebekah shrieked, arms akimbo. "How dare you feel joy in the face of Venus' unhappiness! Date or no date, all her friends will be out enjoying themselves while she's stuck in the castle. Alone."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Klaus, through gritted teeth, declared, "Nevertheless, if I am to impose any rules in my household, it shall be this – Venus is forbidden from dating before the age of thirty-five."

The girls' glares were beginning to possess a dagger-like quality and, as Elijah and Kol nodded their wholehearted agreement, they morphed into one of promised death. On the other hand, Jeremy and Stefan adopted skeptical expressions and Damon, once again, shoved his foot in his mouth, "Yeah right. Sorry to disappoint Klaus, but the only direction Venus is going, is sexier."

Multiple hands smacking their respective faces resounded and Elena peeked through her fingers to gauge the Original Men's furious disposition.

"You really should learn when to shut up. I honestly haven't gotten the foggiest how you managed to survive one year, let alone a century," James said, matter-of-factly.

Stefan let out a long-drawn-out sigh, "It's a question I've asked myself many times before. Still waiting for an answer."

Damon retaliated with a smack across the back of his head.

A small frown of contemplation took over George's handsome face before it, all of a sudden, lit up, "I've got an idea."

"He better not sneak her out of the castle," Kol snarled.

Bemused, Bonnie asked, "Since when are you against breaking the rules."

Not missing a beat, Kol abruptly retorted, "Since she's planning on breaking a rule to go out on a date!"

Dragging a hand down his face, James attempted, yet again, to highlight the benefits of having George as a boyfriend, "You couldn't ask for a better boy than George Weasley for Venus. He's respectful, compassionate, kind, loyal and most importantly, he knows how to live life to the fullest."

The scene then advanced to show an ebullient Venus running over to the entrance hall where Alex stood, red-faced, her stance confrontational as she leveled a mild glare at a smug Justin. Behind her, Neville fidgeted awkwardly next to the youngest Russo, Max.

"Seriously, Alex, I'm older than you, it's only natural that I experienced my first kiss before you," Justin was saying. His smug smirk grew wider, "Oh right, you haven't experienced that yet, have you."

Squirming in her spot, Alex blurted out indignantly, "Yes I have!"

"I don't understand…" Stefan frowned, head tilted in emphasis of the confusion he was experiencing.

Chuckling, a grin graced James's features, head shaking fondly, "Alex turns everything into a competition when it comes to Justin. Always have, even before Justin left for Hogwarts."

Mockingly, Justin retorted, "No, you haven't." He barked out a laugh, head lolling back, "I so have this over you now!"

Sidling up to Neville and Max, Venus addressed them in a stage-whisper, "What the heck have I walked in on?" But Neville simply shook his head and rolled his eyes, "Don't ask, Vee. Seriously, don't."

However, just as Max parted his lips to most probably explain the issue with his older siblings, Alex pivoted around and reached out for the closest person within arm's reach. Standing on her tiptoes and eyes closed, she quickly planted a kiss on the boy's mouth. Smirking at Justin, she boasted, "Now you've got nothing over me!"

Laughter resonated at Alex's antics and Rebekah's eyes gleamed happily at the boy's identity.

A moue of disgust on his face, Justin dragged Max into the Great Hall. Turning around to apologize, Alex's breath hitched at the sight of Fred, a devious smirk on his lips, "Well, well, well, Russo."

"Oh my God, Fred. I'm so sorry!" Alex smacked a hand over her mouth, eyes wide before they narrowed on her laughing friends. "Hey! Friends do not take enjoyment out of their fellow friend's moment of mortification."

Stance extremely confident, Fred's smirk didn't waver, "I love a girl who isn't afraid to make a statement. So what do you say, Alex, go on a date with me?"

Recovering her confidence, Alex grinned, "I thought you'd never ask."

"Wow. Romance is in the air this year, huh?" Caroline beamed, enjoying the light-hearted ambience as opposed to the constant doom and gloom and Dark Lord's looming ominously in the background somewhere.

Nose wrinkled, Klaus sneered, "Unfortunately."

"I think it's cute. Best friends dating twin brothers," Elena smiled, leaning into Damon's embrace.

The next scene had the mood dropping considerably. Venus decided to try her luck with McGonagall regarding achieving permission to visit Hogsmeade… to no avail, much to Rebekah, Elena, Caroline and Bonnie's frustration. Inwardly, Klaus felt sad on behalf of his daughter – discarding the notion of her experiencing her first date, he knew how it felt to constantly feel left out; all her friends and peers would be enjoying Halloween at the magical village while Venus would remain confined within the halls of the barren castle with only first and second years for company. Fists clenched to his sides, Klaus vowed that, come the changed future, his daughter would never wish for anything.

"Ah, come on, Minnie!" James huffed; he donned a mask of good humor, but truthfully, he was fuming… seething with rage at the unfairness his daughter was facing and the incessant wrongful accusations that were being made about his brother in all but blood. Sirius didn't deserve the notorious reputation he received.

Standing up and piling her papers neatly into a drawer, McGonagall, after another round of pleas from Venus, stated, "The form clearly states that the parent or guardian must give permission." An odd expression settled on her face as she looked up and met the pair of imploring emerald eyes, "I'm sorry, Potter, but that's my final word."

Disgruntled, Venus harshly bit out, "You know what Professor, Mr. Russo already enlightened me on the unhealthy fixation Sirius Black has for me." Startled, McGonagall's spectacles nearly fell off the bridge of her nose and she stared at the honey-blonde witch with wide, bewildered eyes. "Yes, that's right. I know. Someone's always after me! So if you're gonna ban me from Hogsmeade, maybe you should go ahead and kick me out of Hogwarts. God knows if I'm going to be punished for having some lunatic after my blood, you should have banned me from attending Hogwarts two years ago when Voldemort was cozily wrapped up behind Quirrell's turban. Frankly, I don't get it. My first two years, none of you showed an ounce of wanting to keep me protected, why now?!" she concluded with an impressive sneer worthy of a Pureblood.

"Damn, now that's disrespect at its fullest," Jeremy winced, head shaking. "She's got balls."

Concern clouded Klaus's features and he dragged both hands up and down his face. "It's her werewolf genes. Now that she's a teenager, she'll suffer through many bouts of aggression and anger. That, coupled with her personality, I don't know if Venus will be able to hold herself back."

Clapping the anxious father on the back, a facsimile of a smile spread on James' face, "Don't worry about it, big guy. Venus has a lot of Lily in her. She may be a Gryffindor and an innate werewolf but Venus also has the perfect balance of Mikaelson and Slytherin coursing through her veins."

"Miss Potter!" McGonagall rebuked sharply, her expression one of profound sternness. "I will not tolerate impertinence out of you. Ten points from Gryffindor! Now hurry on to your next lesson before I decide to deduct more!"

Blowing an errant strand away from her face, Bonnie shrugged, "You gotta admit, she had it coming."

"Yes. Unfortunately, if she is to grow up with Kol as a fixture in her life, Venus's insolence will indubitably increase exorbitantly," Elijah mentioned through pursed lips as he fixed the lapels of his immaculate three-piece suit. Sneering at the so-called Noble Original, Kol snapped, "Now who's quarreling with whom, brother?"

"I don't know… I don't agree with Venus's tone, but I kinda do agree with the point she's trying to make," Elena hesitantly vocalized her opinion, eliciting many expressions of surprise to be fixated on her. She lifted a shoulder, "This may sound harsh-" and surprisingly, she shot Klaus, of all people, a sympathetic look, who flinched at her next sentence, "-but until Voldemort's dead, her life will always be in danger. Venus cannot stop living her life. They might as well lock her up in a tower like Rapunzel until the threat is dealt with." And here, the compassionate doppelgänger tossed Damon, Jeremy and Bonnie a pointed glare, as the trio attempted to keep her prisoner in her own home back when Klaus's arrival in Mystic Falls, and hence, their lives, was imminent.

A wide grin pulled at James' lips, "Well said, Elena."

The Original Hybrid adopted a contemplative look. "Locking her in a tower does have merit…" Klaus mused aloud. Kol nodded vehemently, "It'll also prevent future suitors."

Bonnie shot the brothers a deadpanned look, "That's inhumane."

The day of Halloween finally arrived, and after Neville discarded Alex's suggestion to sneak off to Hogsmeade using the Invisibility Cloak by strongly reminding the mischievous girls of the Dementors ability to see through the magical artifact, the Ten Supernaturals and James watched with heavy hearts as Venus dejectedly bid her friends farewell. Their sorrow promptly morphed into anger at Draco Malfoy's parting words.

"Scared of passing the dementors?"

Venus threw him a particularly intimidating glare that had him quail, "More like your ugly mug, Malfoy."

"Priceless!" Kol and Damon chuckled. Pausing, they glared at each other and then groaned, "Not again." Again, they glared at each other, despising the fact they sometimes shared the same thoughts.

However, Venus wasn't stuck in solitude for long with only herself for company. A surprising development took the Ten Supernaturals off-guard: Remus Lupin beckoned Venus into his office once her aimless wanderings had her passing his office, the door left ajar. And while James practically vibrated with excitement, a grin almost splitting his face in half at the chance of witnessing one of his best friends bond with his daughter, at long last, the Originals didn't share their guide's thoughts.

As part of James Potter's group of friends, Lupin should have taken responsibility of Venus once her godfather got tossed into wizarding prison for his mass betrayal. Instead, he walked away and left her to be raised by her non-magical relatives who despised magic, which ultimately led to Venus growing up in an abusive household. Rubbing salt in the wound, despite their close proximity and his position as her professor, Lupin stubbornly persisted on keeping a distance from her, concealing his relationship with James Potter and treating her with utmost cordiality, like he did with her peers. To Klaus, his behavior and actions were unacceptable, and truth be told, he was mentally debating on whether or not, in the changed future, he'd allow the absentee man into his daughter's life. Currently, the answer was stuck on a solid never.

Sharp intakes from the Scooby Gang snapped the Originals out of their angered thoughts, and they followed the trajectory of their gaze to the yellow-eyed greenish creature with horns on its head and an aggressive disposition that sat in a very large tank of water. When it opened its mouth, showcasing green teeth, Rebekah shivered in disgust and took an unconscious step back, seeking solace in the body heat Klaus radiated. "The bloody hell is that, that thing?!" she demanded, nose wrinkled.

In response, James inclined his head toward Lupin who was simultaneously giving a brief explanation to the fascinated honey-blonde witch, her face, like the creature, pressed against the glass, not the least bit affected by its ugliness and aggressiveness, much to Lupin's thoughtful surprise.

Elijah breathed out, "Grindylow?"

Subsequently, Kol and Bonnie intoned in awe, "Water demon?"

Offering a cup of tea, eyes twinkling when he pointedly claimed she had enough of tea leaves, Venus put an end to the staring contest she had initiated with the cranky grindylow to glare at Lupin, her arms crossed in a petulant manner, "Why didn't you let me fight my boggart?"

"Talk about not beating around the bush," Jeremy commented. "She's a very blunt person."

Rebekah smirked, "That's part of her charm, love."

Masking his amusement, Klaus rolled his eyes, "It's a trait passed on to the women in the Mikaelson family."

"Like I said, part of her charm," the only female Original repeated slyly.

Eyebrows raised, Lupin looked and sounded surprised, "I would have thought that was obvious, Venus. I assumed the boggart would take the shape of Lord Voldemort."

The lack of fear and confident utterance of Voldemort's name mitigated the harsh thoughts Klaus entertained of Lupin. Though he still held a grudge and disapproved of him for abandoning his daughter.

At the face Venus pulled, Lupin frowned, "Clearly, I was wrong. But I didn't think it a good idea for Lord Voldemort to materialize in the staffroom. I imagined that people would panic."

She emitted a breath of laughter, "You got to admit, though. It would've been hilarious to see, right?"

Only Klaus, Elijah and Stefan properly identified the identical expressions of sorrow as well as the wistful sheen in both, James's and Lupin's eyes in response to Venus's statement. Unbeknownst to them, like their facial reactions, the dead Marauder and the Defense Professor had the same thought reverberating in their heads… 'Just like Sirius.' for Venus portrayed a dark sense of humor that bore an eerie resemblance to the black sheep of the Black Family.

"But no. No, I didn't think of Voldemort. I'm pretty sure what I fear the most are those dementors," Venus exaggerated a shudder, though her visage shone with solemnity. Lupin's thoughtful expression morphed into a smile which widened at Venus's look of surprise, "I'm impressed. That suggests that what you fear most of all is fear. Very wise."

Following Lupin's comment, confusion was the main emotion that surged within the Ten Supernaturals.

Astute eyes on James, Klaus stated, "You suspected."

Grimacing, James nodded, "I did. In time, you'll realize why."

"Can you explain what Remus meant by fearing fear," Caroline piped up, cornflower-blue eyes shining with curiosity.

A winsome smile materialized on James' handsome face. "Certainly. You see, dementors are vicious creatures, non-beings really. Their sustenance comprise of hope and happiness. Take those away, what are you left with?" he inquired rhetorically. "Dementors are the epitome of fear. Their mere presence inspires fear which is what initially attracts them to their meal."

"That's absolutely repulsive. Why does such an abomination exist?" Elijah truly did look disgusted, a sentiment which was shared by the other nine.

They then looked on as Snape intruded on their cozy setting, a goblet emitting smoke in hand, and a face full of suspicion.

Once Snape departed, Venus, her eyes transfixed on the suspiciously smoking goblet, blurted out, "I wouldn't drink that if I were you. I wouldn't put it past Snape to poison it."

Nods of agreement from Caroline, Elena, Jeremy, Damon and Kol met Venus's declaration, and a loud laugh emanated from James, twinkling hazels fixated on the honey-blonde witch.

Nevertheless, Lupin smiled kindly, "Professor Snape, Venus. He has kindly concocted this potion for me. I have never been much of a potion-brewer myself, and this one is particularly complex." Sniffing it, he took a sip and shuddered, "Pity sugar makes it useless."

"I still think it's suicidal to drink something Snape's given you." She then rolled her eyes at his pointed stare – though his lips quirked in stifled amusement. "Oh, alright then, Professor Snape. He glares at you all the time and he's desperate to take on the role of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Just saying, watch your back, Professor," she concluded with a confident nod and a bright smile, showing off the dimples indented in her cheeks.

The sound muffled, Caroline inhaled sharply, wholly transfixed on the twin depressions in the honey-blonde witch's cheeks – another genetic trait Venus inherited from Klaus, thus adding more proof of her paternity. Caroline, from day one, found Klaus's dimples most endearing, and they happened to be her favorite facial characteristic in regard to the devastatingly handsome Original Hybrid. In fact, whenever he smiled, the dimples a natural after-effect, Caroline fell deeper into the rabbit hole that personified her confounding and extremely contradictive feelings toward Klaus. For some perplexing reason, one that constantly eluded her, the emergence of dimples on the devil reincarnate's face made him look more human… they enhanced his drop dead gorgeous looks, and furthermore, gave him an innocent appearance – a perfect guise that'd allow him to accomplish his evil deeds and nefarious schemes.

Dimples brandished as a weapon… who'd a thunk it?

Heart beating thunderously against her ribcage, to the extent she feared it'd shatter, Caroline tore her gaze from Venus to subtly scrutinize Klaus. The Original Hybrid had eyes for nobody and nothing but Venus Potter…his daughter.

Confusion made worse, Klaus's over-protectiveness and the genuine care and adoration he held toward his daughter humanized him and from the moment the basilisk impaled Venus with her fang, Caroline lost the ability she had been honing for the past few months since Klaus forced himself into their lives, to compare Klaus to Satan. Now, whenever she looked at him, she saw a handsome father who had no clue on how to be a father and thus, needed all the help he could get… a father desperate to give his child the world… a redeemed individual as opposed to a heartless and irredeemable monster.

Plainly put, Caroline was drowning in an ocean of boiling water and not even the thought of Tyler simmered the surging emotions she was developing for Klaus, feelings she had put so much effort into quelling since her birthday.

The sudden squeal that permeated the air snapped Caroline from her epiphany and she groaned at the scene before her: Venus arrived at the Black Lake to see a picnic laid out before her, a grinning George waiting for her. The romantic gesture and setting only made Caroline yearn for…for Klaus and his countless romantic declarations. And she hated herself. Merely thinking about dating Klaus was a betrayal to Tyler, especially with the profound enmity between them.

"Oh, Godric!" Venus gasped, a hand covering her lips as she approached the patch of grass George reserved. "You did this for me? What about Hogsmeade? You've been so excited."

A crooked grin painting his mouth, George gallantly sat her down on the tablecloth and deposited himself in front of her in a lotus position, "Nah, I can go any time I like. Actually, I would have spent the afternoon here with you but I needed to get you Hogsmeade's finest for our picnic date." He then proceeded to elaborate on the food, describing Butterbeer and Rosmerta's famous steak and kidney pie, before he listed off the plethora of sweets from Honeydukes.

Grudgingly, Klaus huffed out, "Fine. As far as teenage boys go, this Weasley isn't the worst of the lot."

"He's so romantic!" Rebekah gushed, stars practically clouding her vision.

Klaus and Elijah noticed the mischievous sparkle in Kol's eyes, but before they could prevent him from speaking with the intention of provoking their sister, the Wildest Mikaelson, a smirk on his face, said, "It appears our darling niece is much better at choosing men than you, sister."

Yeah, that'd do it.

A lethal glare marring her previously sparkling eyes, just as Rebekah's lips parted to volley back a hurtful retort that would no doubt propel Kol into a rage, James swiftly intervened while mumbling to himself about toddlers being better-behaved than "this lot", flicking his hand and abruptly changing the scene. Materializing in front of the path to the Gryffindor Tower, the traffic jam and cacophony of confusion succeeded in silencing and effectively distracting the youngest Mikaelsons.

Kol blinked in surprise, "What's with the hold-up?"

Looking pained, James let out a sigh as he nervously ran a hand through his nest of a hair, "You'll see."

"If Percy's capable of saying anything other than 'I'm Head Boy', I'll eat my hat," Venus huffed, rolling her eyes.

Smirking, Alex pointed out, "You don't have a hat."

"Then I'll eat Dumbledore's hat," Venus retorted with a 'Ha!' face.

Shaking his head, Neville, in fond exasperation, muttered, "You two are ridiculous."

Twin smirks of mischief lit up the girls' visage, and in perfect harmony, they chanted, "No, the spell to fight a boggart is Riddikulus."

"Cute," the Weasley twins intoned from behind, each boy looping an arm around their respective girl.

Klaus's eyes narrowed dangerously at the offending limb, his previous amusement dying a quick death at the twins' unwelcome appearance. The same however, couldn't be said about the other nine and James, who despite his unexpected drop in mood, managed to smile at the dynamics of the Troublesome Threesome.

Similarly to Klaus's amusement, the good mood the trio generated met a quick end when an eerie silence fell over the crowd and the irritating Weasley Prefect sharply demanded for somebody to call the Headmaster, thus indicating the severity of the current situation. Ten pairs of eyes were trained on Venus's form, occasionally flickering toward the blocked portrait and back. And when Dumbledore finally arrived, flanked by Snape, McGonagall and Lupin-

"The hell!" Jeremy and Damon gasped, wide eyes fixated straight ahead.

His wrist snapped under Rebekah's crushing grip, the nauseating sound swallowed by the echo of gasps permeating the air. Grumbling to himself, Klaus righted his lunate and scaphoid bones, not feeling an ounce of pain in the process, as he focused on the alarming sight – the Fat Lady no longer inhabited her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously, strips of canvas littered the floor, a few great chunks torn away completely. However, the subsequent discovery pushed Klaus to his boiling point.

Cackling manically, Peeves floated around Dumbledore and, adopting an oily voice, revealed, "He got very angry when she wouldn't let him in, you see. Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."

"You named that-, that vile man Venus's godfather. Are you barking mad!" Klaus roared, fists clenched to his sides in an attempt to prevent them from reaching out and strangling the oddly tangible spirit. Eyes flashing between blue-green and gold, the Original Hybrid spewed forth accusations, "You stored your trust in Black, gave him control over my daughter's life, and here he stands, thirteen years later, attempting to harm her! Do you have anything to say for yourself?!"

Placing a calming hand on his shoulder, Elijah snapped, "Niklaus, calm yourself. Mr. Potter cannot be blamed for the betrayal of others. You are using him as an outlet for your rage and unfairly so." But James's adamant head shaking prompted Elijah's eyes to narrow and become flinty, suspicion arising, especially when his lips pulled into a subtle smile at Rebekah's defense.

"You're jumping to conclusions, Nik. I, for one, am still of the belief that Sirius has been wrongfully accused," Rebekah shot back, her expression stubborn and fists similarly clenched.

Huffing, Kol sneered, "And the hopeless romantic strikes again. Like I mentioned before, you have horrible taste in men, sister."

Whipping around to glare at him, her curtain of blonde hair slashing dangerously in the air like a whip, Rebekah heatedly retorted, "It's not like that. Look, if there's one thing I excel at, it's detecting love and that man, Sirius Black portrayed such immense affection and devotion the day James and Lily named him her godfather! I refuse to believe he's capable of harming a single hair on that precious girl's head, and if that makes me foolish and blind, or a gullible and naïve girl, then so be it!"

Despite the suffocating tension between the Mikaelson siblings, Jeremy hesitantly broke it, "If Sirius is after Venus, wouldn't he have known about the Halloween feast and attacked her there? Or at least come up with some plan to catch her on her own?"

"Yeah," Caroline vigorously nodded her head. "And why would he choose to break into the Gryffindor Tower, knowing that to get to Venus there'd be hundreds standing in his way. There's too many witnesses, a lot could go wrong. It just, it doesn't make sense," she added sagely, backing Jeremy up.

Gold eyes flashed dangerously as Klaus's glare traveled from Jeremy to Caroline – taking her back as the Hybrid rarely graced her with such expressions. In a voice of forced calm that reeked of danger, Klaus inquired, "So you believe that bloody traitor is, in fact, innocent?"

However, to Rebekah's and James's utter disappointment, they abruptly replied in negative, "Of course not."

"Jer and Care are just pointing out the inconsistencies," Elena's tone of voice implied she was stating the obvious.

The Great Hall played host to one giant sleepover as students from Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin joined the Gryffindors while the search for Sirius Black was being conducted throughout the castle. Picking a squashy purple sleeping bag out of the several hundred Dumbledore conjured with an impressive swish of his wand, the Troublesome Threesome picked a secluded corner and, after crawling inside their respective sleeping bag, instigated a hushed conversation about the recent developments.

"I'm not convinced," Venus was saying, stubbornly shaking her head in emphasis. Alex performed an aggressive roll of her eyes, "Vee, trust me, Azkaban definitely drove Black insane, okay?"

Arching an eyebrow in a patronizing manner, Venus, after checking her surroundings, hissed back, her solemn gaze locked on Alex and Neville, "Look, I'm not saying he isn't crazy. But you have to admit, escaping Azkaban, a feat no one's ever done before and, according to you Nev, is impossible, he obviously held on to a shred of his faculties. Meaning he's not a hundred percent insane."

"I don't know which scenario's better. Either way, they're both scary possibilities," Bonnie stated before grabbing Jeremy's hand, immensely spooked and, much to her surprise, worried for Klaus's spawn.

"Okay, what's your point?" Neville murmured, terrified.

"My point, Nev, is if Black's after me, his execution was terrible," the words spilled out of Venus' mouth without a sliver of fear. "To get out of Azkaban, one must possess a strategic mind. But what Black did? I mean, he's had a dozen opportunities to capture me unseen today. Why blow them all and risk getting into the password-protected Tower? Something's not right."

Beaming brightly, set of pearly teeth on full display, Rebekah waved a hand in the air and shot Klaus an arrogant smirk, "My point exactly, thank you."

"He's mad as a hatter, Bex," Kol sighed in exasperation, eyes rolling in annoyance. "You can't fathom the way crazy minds work."

She threw him a haughty sneer, "Perhaps that's the reason none of us are capable of understanding your actions, brother."

The Wildest Mikaelson's sclerae turned a shade of crimson, "Touché, sister. Bravo."

"Knock it off you two!" Klaus growled, his patience already wearing thin without his squabbling siblings adding on to it.

Neville frowned, "Okay, you make a good point. But Black's mad, Vee. The level of his madness is public knowledge."

"Right-o, Nev. He probably arrived during the Feast, or got the dates mixed up. We can't fathom the way crazy people think, Vee. Don't ask me to, 'cause my mind's already a maze," Alex grumbled to her friends' amusement.

Chuckling, Kol said, "I said something similar. Great minds think alike, aye."

"No comment," Damon snarked.

Predicting Klaus's next demand, James, an air of weariness about him, nipped that line of thought in the bud, "No, I cannot tell you anything. Like I said when I first materialized before you, the higher-ups are really big on you solving mysteries by yourselves. They want you to analyze and deduce on your own or through teamwork. I really want to tell you, you have no idea, and I've never been one for following the rules, but my tongue's tied…literally." When ten eyebrows rose in creepy unison, James elucidated, his patent smirk of mischief making a brief appearance, "Spell. One of Rowena Ravenclaw's favorites, actually. So you can thank her for keeping you in the dark."

Stewing in indignant rage, the Ten Supernaturals watched the procession of subsequent events in complete silence. McGonagall's attempt to pull Venus from Quidditch practice due to Sirius Black's close proximity to Hogwarts – an attempt that was smartly averted by the honey-blonde witch's astuteness by appealing to her Head of House's competitive nature and overwhelming desire to steal the Quidditch Cup from Snape's Office – and Malfoy's underhanded, unscrupulous scheme of playing up his 'wounded' arm to prevent the Slytherin Team from playing against Gryffindor in dangerous weather, paled in comparison to Black's break-in. And so, other than grunts, annoyed scowls and noncommittal sounds, they maintained their silence.

That was until, fully prepared for another interesting lesson where Lupin would shed light on another astonishing dark creature that had been living amongst them without their knowledge, Snape stood at the front of the classroom and not Lupin. The cantankerous wizard explained Lupin fell ill with an air of delight the Ten Supernaturals and James instantly caught, and the beginning of the class was spent with the Gryffindors teaming up against Snape, combating each and every uttered unacceptable remark with a disrespectful retort of their own.

"As I was saying before Potter interrupted, Professor Lupin has not left any record of the topics you have covered so far—" He was promptly interrupted by Hermione Granger quickly rattling off the creatures they covered. Coldly, he snapped for her to remain quiet, "I did not ask for information. I was merely commenting on Professor Lupin's lack of organization."

Dean Thomas boldly announced, "He's the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher we've ever had." To which there were a unanimous murmur of agreement that only succeeded in further angering the greasy-haired wizard.

It was Alex's turn to shout out, "Your comment is totally unprofessional. But of course, you're not used to teaching, merely waving your wand to conjure instructions on the board and then demand for us to work on our potions in between insults and favoring the Slytherins."

Various snorts of amusement and agreement resonated in the dim classroom.

"Oh, that was a burn!" Jeremy yelled, excited as the others smirked at Alex's comment.

Though neither of them could be considered pleased to the extent James was currently portraying. Upon his selection as the guide for Venus's third year, Lily made him promise to refrain from insulting Snape at every single appearance and from calling him 'Snivellus' as she wanted the Ten Supernaturals to create their own, unbiased opinion of him without his tendentious diatribes. Despite his maturity, the years in between, and the limited knowledge he had gained from the higher-ups regarding the future, the enmity James felt toward Severus Snape was too strong to overcome, especially when he became aware of the fact that Snape, a grown ass man and professor in charge of the students' weal, safety, happiness and welfare, was punishing his daughter for the bullying he himself experienced from the Marauders… not to mention his envy and fury at Venus being the daughter of Lily and James, instead of him.

A part of James couldn't wait to watch the fireworks when, in the new future, Snape realized Venus was genetically the daughter of Niklaus Mikaelson, the Original Hybrid. The retribution from the Originals would be beautiful and intense to witness if – or quite possibly when, Snape starts his verbal attack on Venus.

"Alex makes an excellent point," Elijah's modulated voice broke through James's internal happy dance. "From what we have witnessed, that man does nothing but verbally abuse the students. I have yet to see him teach anything; simply berate them for their failed or mediocre potion."

"Thirty points from Gryffindor, Russo!" Snape snarled, baring his crooked yellow teeth.

Venus donned a mock scowl, "Yes, Miss Russo, how dare you speak the truth! What are they teaching you at Hogwarts…? Next time, lie." Laughter ensued and Snape deducted another thirty points, promptly removing another ten when Venus piped up, a mocking quality to her tone, "Jeez, leave a few points would ya. If you deduct them all, you'll be left with no more points to remove and be devoid of your favorite hobby."

The Ten Supernaturals' amusement and Klaus's and Kol's surging pride dimmed, morphing into utmost intrigue when Snape announced the subject he would be teaching – werewolves.

"You petty bastard. You-, you son of a blasted bitch," James sneered, his complexion a mottled red in his endeavor to bottle up most of his anger and hatred toward the wizard. Confused by their guide's stark reaction, Kol uttered, "Well I for one am immensely interested. Salazar barely touched on the matter of how magical werewolves differ from innate ones; he mostly elaborated on the prejudice of Wizarding Britain."

Murmuring to himself, only the Original Siblings, Stefan, Damon, Elena and Caroline overheard the odd statement that expelled from James's mouth, "In no time you'll be experts at differentiating between them."

Unfortunately, the ensuing fracas resulted in a limited explanation that unfortunately, failed to satiate their thirst for knowledge.

"Which of you can distinguish between the werewolf and the true wolf?" Snape inquired. Everyone sat in motionless silence; Venus and Alex merely glared back at him, and only Hermione jumped into action, her hand shooting straight into the air. He blatantly ignored her hand, as usual. "Anyone? How disappointing-" Receiving an interruption from Parvati, Snape snarled, "Silence! Well, well, well, I never thought I'd meet a third-year class who wouldn't even recognize a werewolf when they saw one. I shall make a point of informing Professor Dumbledore how very behind you all are…"

"Please, sir," Hermione spoke up, hand still in the air. "The werewolf differs from the true wolf in several small ways. The snout of the werewolf-"

"That is the second time you have spoken out of turn, Miss Granger," Snape said coolly. "Five more points from Gryffindor for being an insufferable know-it-all."

Just like the class, the Ten Supernaturals glared at Snape with a large dose of loathing. Neither of them particularly liked the Granger girl, but to watch a professor insult her, mock her, and berate her for knowing the answer to a question he asked, it only prompted their hatred for the wizard to skyrocket into epic proportions.

"That shriveled dick made her cry! How is that acceptable?" Caroline glared daggers at Snape, her lips morphing into a moue of distaste. "What's Dumbledore thinking allowing that…that asshole to teach children!?"

The sudden support Hermione received managed to eliminate the tears from her eyes. The Troublesome Threesome lost their mask of boredom to join their peers in glaring at Snape. And Ron Weasley, who made it a point to argue with Hermione at least once a day, said loudly, "You asked us a question and she knows the answer! Why ask if you don't want to be told?"

"Because he likes forcing his authority over us. A natural bully," Venus sneered.

Emitting a scoff, Alex added, "God, social services would have a field day with you."

"Does the Wizarding World even have social services?" Bonnie asked all of a sudden, hazel-green eyes landing on an extremely proud-looking James.

He dipped his head, "Of course. However, I am loath to admit, Britain's social service pales in comparison to the States and Europe." He shook his head, disappointment as evident as a cloudless sky, "The British Magical Community is in desperate need for a thorough overhaul. We've become lax, especially with the numerous Dark Lords and the prejudiced bigots preaching blood purity."

"Something to look into," Elijah murmured to Klaus, who nodded agreeably. They had founded New Orleans, built the town up from the ground… transforming the Magical Community of Britain should be easier in comparison. Shouldn't it?

Suffice to say, the three Gryffindors received more loss of points and detention each. Upon leaving the classroom, following Hermione's stuttered thank you, Venus donned a tight-lipped smile, "Look Granger, nine times out of ten we might not get along, but we're Gryffindors, and at the end of the day, we protect our own."

"But don't read too much into it, we still can't stand you" Alex couldn't help but add, and while her tone was snarky, she smiled genuinely at the bushy-haired girl, taking the heat off her words.

As the Troublesome Threesome made their way to their next class, a sly grin pulled at Neville's lips, "We're pranking Snape, right?"

"Oh, hell yeah," the two girls chanted, determination sparkling in their eyes.

The Ten Supernaturals' indifference in regards to the dangerous weather the first Quidditch match of the season would be playing under morphed wholeheartedly when they saw for themselves the horrible conditions Venus was expected to play in, the seven Gryffindors having already donned their uniforms and stepped into the Quidditch pitch.

"You're bloody joking!" Klaus snarled, facepalming himself…hard. The wind was keening and the rain had mutated into a torrential downpour, and despite the early hour, the sun was eclipsed by an endless stretch of gray mass in the sky. To make matters worse, the distinct rumbling of thunder resonated from above. "How are they expected to fly around in bloody brooms in this weather? Venus in her emaciated state barely weighs anything, and the only thing protecting her from being blown away into the ether is a twig!"

In vehement agreement with his brother, Kol snapped, "That's bollocks, that's what it bloody is!"

A weary sigh emanating from him, James pointed out, "That's Quidditch. Rarely, in the worldwide history of the sport, has a game ever been cancelled because of weather."

"With her luck, I wouldn't be surprised if a bolt of lightning hits her," Damon remarked, head shaking in wonder as he analyzed the weather in their illusory bubble where, weird enough, they weren't affected by the deluge or the biting wind. Stefan facepalmed at his brother's tactless remark, and Bonnie huffed, "Smooth, Damon. Real smooth."

Discerning the color draining from the newly discovered father's face and making a conjecture from his expression, Rebekah heatedly stated, "If you're entertaining thoughts of forbidding her from playing this bloody sport and keeping her locked up, forget it."

At Rebekah's words, James's complexion matched Klaus's, though for different reasons. The mere thought of Venus becoming banned from playing Quidditch was a horrifying one. However, much to the guide's relief and the remaining nine's surprise, Klaus delivered the conclusion he had come to in a strangely calm voice, "Of course not, sister. I wouldn't dream of being the source of Venus's unhappiness. No. If she prefers to chase after a golden walnut on a twig, then by all means, let her."

Suspicious, Caroline slowly articulated, "What's the catch."

"Ah, it's simple really…" Klaus's lips curled into a devious smirk, his cunning side showing in spades, "I'll have a witch cast a powerful protection spell on Venus."

Lie.

While the Scooby Gang looked impressed by Klaus's fairness and open-mindedness, as well as his astute utilization of magic to ensure the honey-blonde witch's safety, his siblings and James detected the proposition as nothing but a veil concealing his unknown true intentions. Eyebrows arched in suspicion, Elijah, Kol and Rebekah decided to question him at a later date, once they were a good distance away from the Scooby Gang as they had yet to trust them with future secrets and Venus's safety.

To Bonnie's profound amazement and a mite of horror, she was actually entertaining thoughts of helping Klaus by offering to perform the spell on Venus. Yes, she hated Klaus – that hasn't changed…yet – but Venus was an innocent young girl targeted by a plethora of evil. Bonnie couldn't judge and condemn Venus for her paternity. Just like Bonnie couldn't be condemned by her maternity because her mother chose vampirism as opposed to dying untainted and joining the Spirits in the Other Side.

To the Ten Supernaturals' unanimous stupefaction, Damon's flippant remark wasn't too far off.

Throughout the span of the match, the lone hybrid and seven vampires deftly followed the Snitch's trajectory, effortlessly shadowing Venus's movement as she, despite being soaked to the bone, managed to keep ahold of her Nimbus and intermittently catch sight of the Snitch. Another clap of thunder and Klaus continued to stare straight ahead, eyes unwavering from Venus's drenched form as she flew through the turbulent air, avoided Bludgers and likewise, rolled out of the way of forked lightning – each roll accompanied with nails digging into his forearm courtesy of Rebekah.

"Snuffles?" she gasped, the shock in her voice breaking through the tumultuous air, heard clearly over the wailing wind.

In synchronization, they lowered their gaze until their eyes locked on the silhouette of the shaggy black dog Venus found in Little Whinging the night she ran away from the Dursleys after blowing up the walrus' odious sister with her accidental magic.

Hazel orbs behind round glasses brightened up immensely and James's heart fluttered with a mixture of relief and joy.

Elena sucked in a sharp breath, "That can't be." She then whipped around, wide eyes flickering between each individual, "How's that possible?"

"Must be a magical dog," Bonnie shrugged, the idea not too farfetched after witnessing Hermione's cat – half-Kneazle, according to James – display shrewdness, appearing magically whenever Ron's revolting rat was around.

"Or, maybe it really is a Grim," Kol pointed out, his tone hesitant.

But before an argument could erupt between the eleven spectators with Bonnie fiercely refuting the existence of a Grim, Klaus growling menacingly at the thought of an omen of death stalking his daughter from the mundane to the magical world, and James repeating in exasperation that there wasn't a Grim after Venus, the honey-blonde witch and the Hufflepuff Seeker, Cedric Diggory, raced through the roaring wind after the Snitch, the action quickly followed by an eerie silence that succeeded in impacting the illusory bubble encompassing the Ten Supernaturals and James.

Rebekah, Elena, Caroline and Bonnie gasped loudly, hands covering their respective parted lips and eyes wide in a variety of negative emotions. James started moaning "no" in repeat, like a broken record. Stefan, Damon and Jeremy stared at the scene, their expressions grim; the younger Salvatore brother alternating his wide-eyed stare from Venus to Klaus. Blood oozed out of five crescent-shaped marks punctured into Klaus's skin as the hand Rebekah had curled around his wrist squeezed in fear. Elijah and Kol donned an emotionless mask, their identical mahogany orbs alerting anyone to the fear gripping their heart, and each brother laid a hand on Klaus's shoulder in a silent sign of solidarity.

For his part, Klaus felt absolutely numb. All the emotions of uselessness and helplessness that overcame him when Venus battled the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, catapulted him. An overcast of gloom settled heavily on the Original Hybrid. Here stood one of the most powerful creatures in the world, and all he could do was watch, utterly powerless, as a swarm of dementors – at least a hundred of those foul fear-inducing, happiness-absorbing abominations – descended on his daughter… on his flesh and blood!

And then, the familiar heart-wrenching voice uttered the brave last words that had embedded deeply in the Ten Supernaturals' heads, a permanent blemish in their memories.

"Not Venus, not Venus, please not Venus!"

"Stand aside, you silly girl … stand aside, now."

"Not Venus, please no, take me, kill me instead–"

"Not Venus! Please … have mercy … have mercy…"

The shrill voice laughed and laughed and laughed as Venus fell off her broom and began plummeting over fifty feet down to the ground.

"NO!" Tearing his fearful, desperate blue-green eyes from the plummeting, motionless form of his daughter, Klaus viciously pivoted on his feet to glare at the calm guide who, despite his comportment, looked wretched. "How are you so bloody calm?"

Clapping him lightly on the back, dodging the hands of Rebekah, Kol and Elijah that had yet to leave the Hybrid's stiff form, James shot him a tight-lipped smile, "Don't worry, mate. She survives this. Look…" He jutted his chin forward and the Ten Supernaturals swiveled their frantic eyes in time to see Dumbledore rise to his feet from the teachers' stand and violently bring his wand down, his spell instantly slowing the unconscious witch's fatal fall and allowing her to softly land on the damp ground. Twinkling blue eyes now incandescent with rage, the incensed Headmaster viciously banished the dementors – wispy silvery swirls the shape of a flying creature emitting from his wand – and promptly reached Venus's side in order to levitate her into the welcoming warmth and safety of the castle.

For once, Rebekah didn't squeal or make any form of wistful comments at the sight of young love. Uncaring over George's sleeping form by Venus's bedside at the Hospital Wing, the blonde Original turned to James, "Why do the dementors affect Venus this much? This is the second time she fainted from their presence."

"And what about Lily's pleas, why did you have us hear it again?" Elijah inquired crisply.

Morose, eyes brimming with sadness, James said, "You still don't understand, do you? I didn't conjure Lily's last moments. Dementors sense and feed on positive emotions in order to survive." Ten nods met his explanation, this being the third reiteration; they motioned for him to 'go on'. "Upon close proximity, dementors evoke unpleasant memories, forcing their victims to relive them over and over again." With a saddened expression and pained hazel eyes, James delivered the final blow, "Venus, who had a miserable childhood and copious bad memories, is affected the most by their presence. And unfortunately, despite her age, she heard Voldemort's attack on our cottage, an echo was left behind and those fiends forced her to understand them."

"Oh my God!" Rebekah, Elena, Jeremy, Stefan, Caroline and Bonnie gasped, horror-stricken by the disclosure of the dementors' intricate capabilities.

Gnashing his teeth together, Kol demanded what his half-brother could not, as he was consumed by thoughts of his own. "Didn't Dumbledore ban them from Hogwarts?! What the bleeding hell were they doing there!" And wasn't that a shocker, the self-proclaimed heartless Mikaelson concerned for, not just his niece's wellbeing, but the hundreds of students as well.

James' indignant response on behalf of the Headmaster was swift, "Of course he did. Albus's main stipulation when Fudge forced him to accept stationing dementors at Hogwarts was that they were to stay as far away as possible from the students and the Grounds. However, the Quidditch match's atmosphere was impregnated with excitement, it provided a feast the dementors were incapable of resisting. Not that they would've bothered to try. Dementors hold no loyalty, not to anyone or anything; their main concern is sating their hunger and propagating fear."

An imperceptible shudder ran through Klaus, traveling down his spine, and a chill suffused through his veins and into his bloodstream. Another important factor on Klaus's to-do list, was overcoming the trauma of his childhood, Mikael's abuse and Esther's betrayal. He couldn't have any weaknesses if he was to take custody of his daughter and protect her from those abominations. If he were to, God forbid, come across a dementor in the changed future, he couldn't allow himself to be affected by them, nor could he become paralyzed by the memories of his haunted childhood. If only there was a psychologist he could defer to… there wasn't anything he wouldn't do to be the perfect father to Venus.

"There is a way to combat them, yes?" Klaus finally uttered in a calm voice, the genuine tranquility he radiated after observing the horrifying scene shocking the others to the core. At James' curt nod, Klaus flashed them a wicked smile, sparkling white teeth bared for all to see, "Excellent. Then once Venus is of age, that shall be one of the very first spells to tackle, one she will become proficient in." James didn't find reason to explain to the Hybrid that grasping the Patronus Charm was difficult and impossible for a child – to Venus, nothing was impossible, and in the care of the Originals, she shall become a formidable witch… he knew it. Klaus' next inquiry however, met opposition, "And there is a spell to kill them, yes?"

"Actually, no. There isn't," James regrettably enlightened them. "They can only be temporarily driven away by the Patronus Charm. It's the spell Albus just cast and how Remus got rid of it on the train. But physically, they cannot be killed. Not even with the Killing Curse."

Klaus was undeterred. He waved a hand aside, "There will be. Once we are done here-" blue-green eyes focused intently on his siblings, all of whom donned identical expressions of determination, "-we shall discover a means of dispatching them permanently. If not, then we will create a spell or weapon. Those abominations shall rue the day they decided to feed on MY daughter."

A blinding smile settled on James's handsome visage, "And that's why the decision to show you the future was made. Only you would move heaven and earth to keep Venus protected and happy, leaving no stone unturned to ensure that."

"This is so surreal. I feel like we've stepped into the twilight zone," Bonnie murmured to Elena and Caroline, not knowing that her best friends were beginning to warm up to the Hybrid and the Originals in general.

Naturally, shock coursed through the Ten Supernaturals and they groaned aloud when, upon Venus's awakening, her main concern was her Nimbus 2000 – which looked like a chainsaw made good work of it before the remaining pieces were donated to a colony of starving beavers – and whether or not they won the match – they didn't.

"Shot in the dark, Venus needs to sort out her priorities," Kol drawled out, an air of disbelief surrounding him.

"Okay, Vee. What gives? You hate, hate, hate! this house of horrors. You usually avoid this place like the plague. But according to Pomfrey, you've been fit to leave yesterday," Alex groused, forcefully depositing herself on one of the chairs by the honey-blonde witch's bedside, Neville calmly taking the other chair, his pudgy face shining with consternation.

Instead, Venus deflected, "Where's Fred and George?"

"Doing whatever the twins do when they aren't pranking anyone," Neville shrugged, unperturbed by their absence. "Now answer the question."

Fiddling with the coverlet, Venus kept her eyes on the movement of her erratic hands, "I worked out whose screams I keep hearing whenever I get too close to a dementor." Looking up, Alex and Neville inhaled sharply at the sight of tears staining Venus's face, "I've, I've been hearing my mum. When the dementors attacked, I-I heard her pleading with Voldemort to-, to spare me." She then broke into violent sobs, prompting Alex to wrap her arms around her while Neville sadly squeezed both her hands, consternation strong on his kind features.

"The poor thing," Rebekah had tears of her own streaming down her light complexion.

"I-I-" she hiccupped, resting her face in the crook of Alex's neck, "-I don't know how I'm supposed to go back out there and pretend like, like everything's okay. Everything's not okay. I mean, at some level, deep down, I knew my parents didn't just step aside and let that dark tosser get to me. They died fighting… preventing him from getting to me. That's how I got my scar, innit?" she harshly stabbed her forehead where the lightning-bolt scar was emblazoned. "My mum's sacrifice. They died because for some sick reason that monster wants me dead, and now I'm hearing it happen. So I'm hiding here…from the real world."

Searing a hole through the wall adjacent to him, Klaus willed the tears away, still unused to portraying weakness to anyone, especially not in front of his enemies – because despite their hesitant understanding of one another and the miniscule olive branch distributed until the viewings' cessation, the Scooby Gang are considered the Originals' enemies.

Rebekah and the other girls however, didn't have any issues with bawling their hearts out, sympathy and pity for the thirteen-year-old consuming them.

Thankfully, the scenes that followed were mirthful and imbued with humor.

Leading to the Hogsmeade trip before the students were to depart for the Christmas holiday – Yuletide, according to James – the Troublesome Threesome sought justice through a spate of merciless pranks against Slytherin House and their contemptible Head for their Quidditch team's despicable and unsportsmanlike actions, Snape sanctioning their underhanded methods, and Malfoy for his gleeful and boisterous celebration of not just Gryffindor's loss, but Venus' fall. Observing the blonde ponce imitating Venus's descent from her broomstick using both hands by doing spirited animations – him having finally taken off his sling in order to celebrate with full use of both arms – had the Ten Supernaturals itching to either murder the boy or give him a hard spanking till he learned empathy. However, watching Ron fling a crocodile heart at him during Potions was extremely amusing and cathartic, despite the resulting loss of fifty points.

Alex sent Hedwig to Waverly Place in America with a request to her best friend from home, Harper Finkle, to send gallons of the strongest adhesive she could find. They then bore witness to the Troublesome Threesome sneaking around the castle with bucketfuls of adhesives, positioning them strategically in the dungeons. For the entirety of a week, Snape, whose greasy hair had been shorn off by the trio – "I don't know what he's griping about, bald is a better look on him," Alex chuckled. To which Venus added, "Yeah, at least now there isn't a risk of sliding on a puddle of his grease." – grudgingly stalked the halls of the castle with a large fluffy head of chicken feathers that, regardless of the plethora of spells casted, wouldn't vanish and thus, he couldn't regrow his hair.

"Arrogance. If the magical way isn't providing success, then it's obviously non-magical," Neville chuckled, the month of nonstop pranking boosting his confidence.

Wiping tears off his face, Kol burst out, "They are amazing! Mini pranksters give me a run for my money." He then stared imploringly at Klaus, "Nik, we have to make sure those three become friends before their eleventh birthday! Okay, okay, oka-"

"Yes, yes fine," Klaus huffed out, though he appeared to be more amused than irritated, blue-green eyes sparkling with life once more. That spark of life burgeoned the moment Lupin gave in to Venus's plea and promised to teach her the Patronus Charm on the start of next term.

Next, the Troublesome Threesome snuck into the Slytherin Dungeon, Venus using Parseltongue to dismantle the powerful protection runes and litany of detection spells that'd alert Snape to intruders in his snakes' common room. Uproarious laugher ensued at their discovered intention. The trio transfigured Malfoy's refined robes down to his underclothing into articles of clothing in lewd pink and orange, decorated with an excessive amount of frills and ruffles, his underwear transforming into lacy thongs. While Alex and Venus gave Malfoy's wardrobe a complete makeover, inscribing barely noticeable runes on them for a longer lifespan – a perfectly excellent reason for Venus to take Study of Ancient Runes in Kol's opinion – Neville ducked into the bathroom and poured rainbow dye into Malfoy's bespoke hair potion and an excess of tan spray into his body wash.

The outcome of the Troublesome Threesome's extreme makeover evoked a long spell of uninterrupted laughter from the Ten Supernaturals and James, as well as most of Hogwarts' denizens. In fact, after weeks of unexcused absences, Draco Malfoy had to be forced into attending classes when magic failed to completely restore him to normal. To everyone's utter delight, the vain Slytherin lost his regular swagger and his comportment became meek. Focusing his entire effort on casting cosmetic charms on himself to temporarily mask his Cheetos-colored complexion and flashy, multicolored head of hair, Draco Malfoy no longer spewed forth barbed insults at those from opposing Houses. Naturally, Snape and Malfoy attempted to pin the blame on the Troublesome Threesome, to no avail. Unfortunately, as per the norm, they were baseless and circumstantial, lacking the tangible proof needed and thus, the odious duo were reduced to glaring daggers at them whenever they happened to be within close proximity.

The good cheer blanketing Venus, however, was short-lived at the announcement of the Hogsmeade trip on the very last weekend of the term. Her heart going out to her niece, Rebekah made a half-hearted attempt to instill optimism, "At least Venus won't be alone during the holidays." For the Russo siblings and Neville chose to remain at Hogwarts and keep the honey-blonde witch company, as well as keep an eye on her since Venus appeared wholly unconcerned – compared to them – in regards to the deranged mass murder that was claimed to be after her blood.

"There's always gonna be a psychotic mass murderer after me, guys. I'm not gonna stop living every time one pops out of the woodwork," was Venus's not so sage reasoning. Furthermore, it didn't provide either friend with comfort.

The scene changed, and the Ten Supernaturals studied their surroundings with intrigue as they stood in a section of Hogwarts completely unknown to them, two familiar shapes peering over at Venus from behind a curious statue of a humpbacked, one-eyed witch. "That's an eyesore," Caroline commented, wrinkling her nose at the horrid art piece.

The sudden stiffness of Klaus's form relaxed at the sight of two redheaded menaces, as opposed to the one who seemed to be testing every single scintilla of patience he possessed. Initially, he had been under the mistaken assumption that James obscured a crucial scene depicting Venus and George planning for a private rendezvous while most of the castle's denizens were away at the wizarding village. In contrast, Rebekah huffed, palpably disappointed, and she lightly stomped her foot to good effect.

"Why aren't they at Hogsmeade with the others?" Jeremy inquired, eyes squinting in bemusement. Whereas George's reason was understandable, Fred's wasn't, since his girlfriend left for the wizarding village while the former's was forced to remain sequestered in the barren castle.

"Georgie, Freddie? What happened to Christmas shopping and Lee time?" Venus approached them, arms akimbo. Snaking an arm around her, George smirked, "Still underway, ducky."

An impressive scowl clouded her features and she smacked him with enough force to make him sway, "Stop calling me that!" Pulling away from his grip, George intervened, his quick reflexes – almost on par with the youngest Seeker in a century – grabbing ahold of her and he dropped a chaste kiss on her forehead, slightly mollifying her.

Rolling his eyes in amusement at the couple's antics, Fred took over, "We've come to give you a bit of festive cheer before we go."

"What are those two up to…?" Bonnie mused aloud, twinkling hazel-greens flickering between the twins that never failed to evoke a smile out of her.

Wide hazel eyes intent on the familiar piece of parchment being brandished around by Fred with a jaunty flourish, James feverishly breathed out, "Nothing good. I assure you." He found himself pinned by a plethora of odd looks, but before any questions could arise, he promptly hushed them, hands gesturing manically in emphasis. "Listen!"

"Odd fellow, don't you think?" Elijah murmured to Klaus.

Having heard him, James tossed him a sour look, insulted.

Venus brought her hands together, eyes alight with curiosity and anticipation, "Oh, goodie! You've finally decided to share the 'secret to your success', eh?" Her finger quoting elicited simultaneous eye rolls from the twins and George silenced her with a swoon-worthy kiss.

As expected, Klaus, Kol, and Elijah growled their vehement disapproval at the public display of intimacy. Likewise, Rebekah emitted a squeal-like cheer, a hand pumping the air. These reactions prompted the Scooby Gang to roll their eyes at the Originals' predictability. On the other hand, James was vibrating with poorly concealed excitement, his incandescent stare burning a hole into the worn parchment held aloft in Fred Weasley's hand, in complete approval of the twins' reverence.

Hearing the recounting of the Weasley twins' tale on how they got ahold of the innocuous-looking paper elicited snorts from Jeremy, Damon, Kol and Caroline, especially when George utilized the adjective 'innocent' to describe their first-year-selves. However, when one of the mischievous redheads pressed his wand to the parchment, only Elijah discerned their guide soundlessly cantillate the peculiar incantation, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good" in tandem with the twins, as the other nine were too preoccupied with the unfolding of the future happenings.

Gasps permeated the air and, after shooting a furtive look of suspicion at James, the eldest Mikaelson allowed his mahogany orbs to land on the curly green words that slowly materialized on what previously appeared to be a blank piece of parchment.

Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs

Purveyors of Aids to Magical Mischief-Makers are proud to present The Marauder's Map

Elijah instantaneously deduced the mystery of two… perhaps three of the aforementioned 'Purveyors', and Klaus didn't appear to be far behind. Whirling around, ocean eyes pinned their guide with an indecipherable look. The nostalgia and wistful longing in those hazel orbs were too much of a giveaway for them to remain lost in the dark.

"You," Klaus uttered. "You're one of the Map's creators, aren't you?"

Rebekah snapped her fingers, "Of course! Too many times did Lily refer to you and Sirius as Marauders."

The resulting smile Rebekah's statement evoked was wide and bright, almost face-splitting; James performed a mockery of a bow, "Guilty."

"Lupin is the third, naturally," Elijah voiced his suspicion. At James's surprised reaction, he elaborated, "The way you speak of him is extremely telling. You are obviously close friends. My only inquiry is of the fourth's identity."

And to the Ten Supernaturals' conglomerated astonishment and bemusement, the air around the dead spirit morphed into a suffocating chill as James's visage became blank. Instead of gracing them with an appropriate response, he stiffly said, "Let's get back to business, shall we." And not offering room for any form of rebuttal, he resumed the scene. Fortunately, the ingenuity of the Map was a great distraction, grabbing their undivided attention as they attempted to grasp its wondrous machinations and the sentient magic it continued to possess, even years after its creation.

Realizing the Map portrayed the whereabouts of every single denizen of the castle, Kol cheerfully exclaimed, "This is a nifty tool for mischief. You, my dear guide, are a bloody genius!"

Bonnie however, was only too quick to burst the bubble of giddiness encompassing Kol, "Yes. And a nifty tool for either of its creators to break into the castle, unseen." Unimpressed eyes stared between the Mikaelsons, "Sirius Black helped bring that Map into creation! Meaning… we've finally solved the riddle of how he got in during Halloween and bypassed the dementors!"

"You really know how to kill a mood, witchy," Kol harrumphed, though belying his petulant retort, his face grew serious.

Only James and Rebekah felt undisturbed by the revelation, the former in possession of the true traitor's identity and the unabridged circumstances that led to that Halloween night, and the latter confident in her gut and the level of devotion Sirius had for Venus.

While initially approving of the plan for Venus to sneak into Hogsmeade through the tunnel situated underneath the statue of the humpbacked witch, the unearthed revelation had the nine Supernaturals wary. The vulnerable feeling of uselessness rushed through Klaus for the umpteenth time since the disclosure of his paternity. An idle spectator, he could do nothing but observe as Venus exuberantly ran headfirst into danger. In contrast, the excitement on her pretty face was infectious; the warmth her happiness evoked intermingling with his anxiety regarding her safety.

Finally in Honeydukes, Venus stared, mouth agape and emerald eyes abnormally wide, as she took it all in, the infusion of color and influx of chocolate and candy a mesmerizing sight to behold.

Elena, Bonnie, Caroline and Jeremy adopted a dreamy expression, and a figurative line of drool could be seen sliding down the corner of their mouths and dribbling past their chins.

"Heaven…!" the three best friends echoed in a trance.

"Hmm, you think Vee'd want a blood lolly?" Alex's inquiry could somehow be heard over the hustle-and-bustle of excited students. Neville responded with a half-hearted shrug, his expression actually thoughtful, "I wouldn't be surprised. She fancies the weirdest things."

The jaws belonging to the eight vampires dropped in comical fashion. They proceeded to blink a couple of times to ensure they hadn't imagined the hundreds upon hundreds of tantalizingly crimson lollipops crammed into a neat array of jars on one of the many shelves that belonged to a corner of the shop where the emblazoned sign 'UNUSUAL TASTES' stood. Ultimately, their astonished gaze traveled across the illusory bubble and came to a screeching halt on James.

"That's artificial blood, right…?" Kol sounded uncertain, though James easily detected the hopeful glint buried deep inside the Wildest Mikaelson's soul. Contrary to popular belief and the intentional historical evidence provided by said Original during his many rampages, Kol preferred to feed without the killing. Dead, James was provided a limited amount of insight into each and every one of the Ten Supernaturals in order to understand them better. Unfortunately, the bloodlust replaced the chasm, the gaping hole, the abrupt, painful and unpermitted loss of his magic – a euphoric sensation replacing another euphoric sensation. With the discovery of blood-flavored food, James knew Kol was entertaining thoughts of another method of curbing his unquenchable desire for blood.

"What else would it be?" James teased, not wanting the others to hone in on Kol's moment of vulnerability. "Though sorry chaps, lovely ladies-" he grinned at the men and winked at an extremely flattered Rebekah, and amused Caroline and Elena, "-it's not human. It's a magical beast… rumor has it, dragon. From what I hear, it's a hit with the vamps." He shrugged, "You'll have to experience it for yourselves. I, for one, can't stand it. It's an acquired taste, or so I hear."

Caroline giggled into her hand, eyes twinkling, "You're incorrigible."

"Lily enlightened me of that. It's part of my charm," the guide smirked, hand cupping his mouth as though it was a secret.

"You got that right," Alex chuckled, reaching over for another jar on the shelf below. "Cockroach Clusters it is."

Expression contorted with revulsion, Rebekah deadpanned, "Let me guess, that's not artificial either."

"You'll find that not much is in the magical world," James snickered, taking enjoyment in the Ten Supernaturals' disgust.

Venus chose that moment to reveal herself, "Definitely not!" prompting the sneaky duo to jump in fright. Alex gushed, wholly impressed, "Vee! How?"

The honey-blonde witch proceeded to explain with much relish the intricacies of the Marauder's Map and while Neville appeared wary at first, unable to help but voice his concerns over Sirius Black, it didn't take long for him to share in Venus and Alex's excitement.

"To Rosmerta's we go!" Alex declared with gusto. She then pinned Neville with a scary look, her lips a compressed line that signaled doom in his future if he chose another destination. Amused, Neville mimicked her, "To Rosmerta's we go!"

Tugging her along, each thirteen-year-old holding on tight to a hand, Venus shot a longing look over her shoulder until the door closed behind them and obstructed her view.

Only the Salvatore brothers and Jeremy caught onto Venus's reaction to the peculiar sweet, as the Mikaelson brothers had zoned their attention on the Troublesome Threesome's irresponsibility with a mass murderer out and about, the best friends had yet to snap out of their sugar-induced trance, and Rebekah was absorbed in her conflicted musings.

The Hybrid huffed, arms tightly crossed against his lean chest in irritation. He was grumpy and very much annoyed, "So much for Neville being the responsible one out of the three. I never expected him to encourage their self-destructive behavior."

"You never had a problem with their propensity for mischief and their total disregard for the rules before now, Nik!" Rebekah retorted heatedly, crabby and cantankerous and impatient for the revelation of Sirius Black's innocence. Her unwavering defense for the wizard verily confounded her, as did her profound belief regarding his innocence. It wasn't a romantic notion. She felt it in her bones. He is innocent!

Before a winded argument could break out between brother and sister, James cleared his throat and dejectedly pointed at a sign that clung to the inside of the sweetshop the Troublesome Threesome vacated, "Dementors patrolling the streets every night after sundown. Trust me, he wouldn't enter through the trapdoor."

Snorting, not really feeling the notice's scripted felicitations, Caroline said, "Who ends a horrible notice like that with Merry Christmas. It's anything but merry. It's horrible. The poor people will be subjected to those…those things." She shuddered. However, the heated words barely escaped her when a gasp of wonder suffused the air, "Holy wow!" she gushed, in complete awe of the Wizarding Village, and of how snow blanketed almost every single inch of it. "It looks like a picture straight out of a Hallmark card!"

And it did. The Ten Supernaturals were mesmerized by the idyllic scenery. Hogsmeade had such a picturesque appearance, which was only enhanced by the layers of crisp snow and holly wreaths, it looked like the embodiment of what Heaven was popularly imagined to be.

Unfortunately, Venus's luck had finally run out not even five minutes into their arrival at the Three Broomsticks.

Imbibing the heavenly warm ambrosia, Venus barely managed to enjoy the rest of her drink or even get started on her meal as a heavy gust of wind smacked the trio in the face, courtesy of the three professors and the blustering Minister of Magic.

"What's Fudgehead doing here?!" Alex hissed, repeatedly smacking Venus's back as she had choked on her Butterbeer in surprise.

"Rotten luck," Kol grumbled.

Shaking his head, Neville, eyes widening in alarm, hastened to shove the honey-blonde witch under the table, "Forget that, Alex! Venus isn't supposed to be here. Remember!?"

Sheepish, Alex shrugged a shoulder and hurriedly passed the abandoned tankard of Butterbeer under the table, "You may as well get comfortable, Vee. Looks like they'll be a while."

"Gee, thanks," Venus muttered dryly, a pout decorating her lips.

The expression of dread plastered on their guide's face immediately evoked feelings of concern. "Please don't tell me Venus gets caught," Rebekah stated, pinching the bridge of her nose. "My poor niece is drenched in bad luck. It's getting utterly ridiculous!"

"No. No, that's not it," James replied mournfully, sorrow engulfing him over the conversation his daughter would soon become a witness to. Tilting his head at the newcomers' table where Madam Rosmerta graciously accepted the Minister's invitation to join them, all he could offer was a woeful, "Listen," managing to increase the feeling of dread that permeated their illusory bubble.

What followed was the insight the Mikaelsons had been curiously and impatiently waiting for long before the news of Sirius Black's escape from Azkaban Prison became known; from the moment they had the misfortune of observing the gruesome murder of the Potters and Venus's subsequent placement at the Dursleys' doorstep. Wholly unaware of the three eavesdroppers they had attracted from the neighboring table, one of which was shrouded by the table's shadows, McGonagall, Flitwick, Hagrid, Fudge and Rosmerta initiated an in-depth discussion regarding the unpublished crimes of Sirius Black and the betrayal that led to the death of the Potters, prompting the unveiling of many horrific revelations.

It all started with a plaintive comment Rosmerta made, her disbelief profound for all around to see and hear;

"Do you know, I still have trouble believing it. Of all the people to go to the Dark Side, Sirius Black was the last I'd have thought… I mean, I remember him when he was a boy at Hogwarts. If you'd told me then what he was going to become, I'd have said you'd had too much mead."

Elena's lips pinched into a moue of disdain, "I can imagine."

"Yeah. He didn't look like a maniacal murderer when we first saw him," Bonnie added, in complete agreement with the brunette. Rebekah had to bite into the inside of cheek to repress the fiery denials that yearned to be volleyed back at the judgmental and naïve duo.

And from there, the ball of yarn began to unroll, the unfurling thread a representation of revealed truths finally coming out in the open. The ceramic tankard emitted a dull clanking sound, reverberating from the Troublesome Threesome's table as Venus dropped her drink in shock, almost paralyzed by the discovery of her father, James Potter, and Sirius Black, the mass murderer that was currently after her blood – or was it head? – being not just best friends, but inseparable, a relationship that uncannily reminded her of herself, Alex and Neville.

Similarly shocked, Alex and Neville simultaneously and subconsciously threw a leg out to kick her into silence. Enraged, she blindly smacked one of the offending feet and attempted to bite the other.

"She's bleeding!" Klaus snarled through gritted teeth, his oceanic eyes turning a volatile shade of gold. As, extremely shocked and hurt by the carelessly hurled information, Venus continued to curl a hand around a ceramic shard, and her rage numbing the pain, the little witch remained unaware of the crimson sluicing down her hand and onto the tiled floor.

"Ouch, did you-. You bit me!" Alex exclaimed, one wide eye of the warmest brown peeking down at the honey-blonde witch. Out of spite, she kicked her, prompting Venus to release the shard of ceramic and stare at her crimson-drenched palm in surprise. "Merlin, Ve-"

However, at that moment, Hagrid's booming voice echoed in the din, prompting Venus to harshly shush the brunette. "Fred and George Weasley could give 'em a run fer their money. Or Venus, Alex an' Nevill; those three, I tell you."

"Yes, James would be proud of his daughter's mischievous ways," McGonagall stated forlornly, a wave of sorrow sweeping their table.

Demonstrating the truth of his favorite teacher's assumption, James firmly declared, "I am."

"As am I!" Kol piped up, an impish sparkle in his mahogany orbs that belied the grim line painting his compressed lips.

The lighthearted moment alas, wasn't meant to last as another nugget of truth made itself aware to the eavesdropping orphan who was currently battling a miasma of negatory emotions.

Indignant, Fudge exclaimed, "Potter trusted Black beyond all his other friends. Nothing changed when they left school. Black was best man when James married Lily—

"'Course he was!" James sounded equally indignant, offended at the mere thought of anybody else standing in Sirius's place. Naturally, his comment generated anger and mild confusion from Klaus, Elijah, Kol, Elena, Bonnie and the Salvatores, while Rebekah, Caroline and Jeremy adopted a thoughtful frown.

Why would James defend Black if he was a murderer hell-bent after his daughter…?

Unfortunately, they were nowhere close to receiving their answer, just more confusion and a surfeit of questions.

Then they named him godfather to Venus. Venus has no idea, of course. Can you imagine how the idea would torment her."

"What?" Venus's shriek of despair was muffled by the forearm of her unhurt hand that she had pressed tightly to her mouth, silent tears cascading in slow motion down her woebegone face.

Head shaking from left to right in vehement disapprobation, Elijah sternly voiced, "She should not have to discover such alarming news in these circumstances. The teachers are being careless. One would have thought they'd be astute enough to scour their surroundings before conversing about matters of such a delicate nature, no?!"

The crucial piece to the puzzle connected with Fudge's next utterance, one that not even the Ten Supernaturals had been made aware of. The imparted knowledge rendering them utterly speechless.

It wasn't the matter of Sirius Black becoming in league with Voldemort that had him deigned a 'traitor', but his literal act of betrayal that played a prominent role in James and Lily's death, and Venus becoming an orphan. Thus, the explanation of the Fidelius Charm came out in the open, distracting the Ten Supernaturals from their conjoined horror and impatient need for the entire truth, and creating a fascination and thirst for more knowledge regarding the complex intricacies of the Charm Flitwick elaborated on.

"It sounds similar to being denied entry into someone's home," Damon shrugged, not sharing the other's interest.

An eyebrow jumped at the hotheaded Salvatore's dismissal of the Fidelius Charm. "Actually it's not even close," James huffed out, head shaking in amazement, never having met a blasé and blatantly disrespectful individual in all his life, as the vampire Damon Salvatore. In response, the raven-haired vampire shot the guide a sarcastic look, "Enlighten me."

Elena smacked Damon against the chest. "Behave!" she hissed, chagrined by his snarky attitude, utter insouciance and disrespect.

"Thank you, Elena," James smiled broadly, evoking a hint of envy in Damon, to which the Marauder incited his green monster by throwing the doppelgänger a roguish wink. "An invisible barrier erected in order to deny entrance to a vampire without an explicit invitation is nothing like the protection barrier the Fidelius invokes," he prefaced in a didactic tone.

Furrows of bemusement were introduced to Elijah's unblemished mien, "And how, pray tell, have you become a connoisseur of Vampire and Wiccan magic, Mr. Potter?"

One cheekily worded response explained everything, "Esther." Sucking in a deep breath, immensely grateful for the temporary distraction from the unveiling of Sirius's assumed crimes that proceeded to tarnish his best friend and brother's reputation, James continued, "As Flitwick explained, the Fidelius Charm's main ingredient is the Secret-Keeper. Information, an object, a house, a town, a bloody country even, can vanish from sight and mind. Roughly, it is the magical concealment of a secret inside the Secret-Keeper's soul. Unlike the magical invitation barrier where an invitation can be tricked into the open, or compelled—" instantly, the experienced vampires recalled the plethora of incidents where they achieved entrance into a human's home through compulsion, torture and coercion, "-the Secret-Keeper has to voluntarily divulge the location."

Entranced, Bonnie slowly held a hand aloft, as though asking for permission to speak, "What do you mean by vanishing from sight and mind?"

Pondering for the perfect example, James snapped his fingers together upon achieving success, "Take Mystic Falls as an example. Let's say I want to keep the entire town hidden from my enemies, yes? I select a Secret-Keeper who performs the Fidelius Charm. With the town under Fidelius, the thousands of residents and visitors will forget Mystic Falls ever existed. The town would disappear from books. Basically Mystic Falls would be erased from memory. And only the Secret-Keeper could divulge the location. So, if I were to disclose the location to you, you'd suddenly remember your hometown, but it would be visible only to you. If Elena wasn't informed of the location, and the two of you stood right in front of the opening to Mystic Falls only you, Bonnie, would be able to enter, while Elena would remain blind and ignorant to its existence, despite her position beside you, and her years growing up there. Does it make sense?" Ecstatic by their comprehension and respect to the ingenious Charm, James concluded, "There's no place safer than one under the Fidelius Charm. Your location would be invisible, intangible, unplottable and even soundproof."

"That's...amazing!" Jeremy breathed out, Kol, Stefan and Damon – who changed his tune – nodding in unison. Furthermore, a plethora of ideas for the future safety of their family assailed Klaus and Elijah, their eyes adopting a shrewd glint and their expressions contemplative.

Then, realization dawned on Klaus, "If that were the case, how did Voldemort find you?"

On the same wavelength as his brother, Elijah snarled, "Because you trusted Sirius Black with your location, with your family, with Venus's safety. He was your Secret-Keeper, wasn't he? And he turned traitor, betraying you to Voldemort!"

Due to Rowena Ravenclaw's tongue-tying hex, James couldn't breathe a word that remotely resembled the truth. Forced into silence, James turned away from the sea of disappointed and enraged faces. The lone tear that squeezed out of his eye and slid down his face only augmented their belief of Sirius Black's guilt, and even Rebekah appeared conflicted. How were they to know that James wept for his brother's suffering…?

"So Black was the Potters' Secret-Keeper?" Madam Rosmerta whispered.

In response, McGonagall nodded, "James Potter told Dumbledore that Black would die rather than tell where they were, that Black was planning to go into hiding himself… and yet, Dumbledore remained worried. I remember him offering to be the Potters' Secret-Keeper himself."

"That would have been the smart option," Klaus growled, throwing a side-glare at their morose guide, unable to forgive James's blind devotion resulting in orphaning his daughter and introducing her to a world of abuse, the exact same treatment he swore before he became an immortal being, that his children would never experience.

Unable to keep a leash around his anger, and wishing for his sweet Lilypad by his side, his steadfast rock, James snapped, "I stand by my word!" Shocked, hazel eyes widened from behind their glasses and he stared above, his lips quirking into a subtle smile, realizing that Rowena sympathized with his plight and the verbal attacks he was subjected to, thus allowing him the chance to express himself, if only temporarily.

That statement elicited a look of contemplation to grace Rebekah, Caroline, Stefan and Jeremy's features. There must be a reason why James was adamant in trusting Sirius and portraying affection even after the death of him and Lily, and the revelation of his betrayal.

Caroline and Stefan shared a glance… was it possible Sirius Black was innocent?

Before the Mikaelson brothers could assemble a cutting retort, James resumed the conversation.

"He suspected Black?"

Her tone dark, McGonagall revealed, "He was sure somebody close to the Potters had been keeping You-Know-Who informed of their movements. Indeed, he had suspected for some time that someone on our side had turned traitor and was passing a lot of information to You-Know-Who."

Scowling, his expression one of potent rage, James nodded in affirmation, "There was." Too dark was his visage, his fists clenched and fingers bone-white, teeth bared and looking as mad as Sirius Black was rumored to be, the Ten Supernaturals smartly kept their mouths shut and their questions to themselves.

From there, Hagrid bellowed his tale, describing the accursed Halloween night and of how he was the first to reach the remains of the Potters' home and come across a supposedly mourning Sirius holding baby Venus in his arms. Subsequently, the fate of Peter Pettigrew, the fourth friend and suspected Marauder, was disclosed.

"I hate to say this, but something doesn't add up. If Sirius turned traitor, why did he rescue Venus from the house and why allow Hagrid to borrow his bike to take her to safety?" Elena vocalized, confusion vivid on her face. "I mean, he had the perfect opportunity to finish her off. She was unprotected and from what we've seen, Hagrid doesn't have the magical ability to defend himself."

Damon shrugged, "Don't ask me to fathom the way a crazy person's mind works."

Scoffing, Caroline threw him a pointed glare, "That seems awfully hypocritical, Damon. You are crazy."

"Why you—"

"Enough!" Elena and Stefan snapped, impatiently glaring at their respective best friend and brother as they had been listening intently to Fudge's description of events during his inspection of Azkaban and thus, his interaction with a surprisingly polite and sane Black.

James smiled internally. Seemingly, Azkaban hadn't broken Sirius, and the Marauder had a sneaky suspicion that his brother in all but blood enjoyed alarming the blithering idiot of a Minister… forever a prankster at heart. While he knew the wizarding prison succeeded in implanting adverse side-effects in Sirius, James felt confident in his strength and fortitude. After all, if Sirius had been severely weakened by the harsh conditions of the dementors, he would have never been capable of escaping; naturally, James knew of his method in performing the impossible, even if he were ignorant of the prominent happenings that would occur in the future.

Her tone a mixture between a stifled gasp and a shocked exclamation, Rebekah stared at the Minister with wide cerulean eyes, "Missed doing the crossword…that-, oh, that wizard!?" There was no denying the palpable fondness in her voice for a man she had absolutely no interaction with and Kol had to literally bite his tongue to prevent the sarcastic and heavily insulting retort from ejecting his lips.

On the other hand, Klaus agreed wholeheartedly with Fudge's unnerving exchange with the supposed insane mass murderer that somehow earned the esteemed title of his daughter's godfather. However, Klaus, while feared immensely, he didn't earn his venerable reputation through sheer strength and cruelty alone. No, the Original Hybrid possessed intelligence, a strategic mind, and the ability to detect a threat, among many other advantageous qualities. Therefore, Klaus discerned the inconsistencies in the many revelations concerning Sirius Black. And not all of them added up; like a puzzle containing pieces from a different landscape. Clearly James wasn't suffering from feelings of betrayal, love and respect and sorrow for Sirius Black emanating from him in thick waves. Add Hagrid and the complete idiot, Fudge's recounting of their interaction with the wizard… suffice to say, the picture of a deranged, heartless murderer wasn't painted perfectly in the Hybrid's head.

Glancing at his sister, Klaus grimaced. He no longer stood 100% certain of Sirius's guilt. While he still believed him guilty and feared for his daughter if she were to ever find herself in the same vicinity as the escaped prisoner, Klaus's resolve was beginning to weaken, and from the look on Elijah's ever so composed face, he appeared to be sharing similar doubts.

They needed more evidence before they could fully deduce the level of the man's guilt. Nevertheless, neither one of them wanted him in close proximity to Venus.

Upon the cessation of their conversation, and once each one of them departed from the Three Broomsticks, except for Rosmerta, who simply returned to managing the bar, Venus almost toppled the table over in her rush to escape her confined surroundings. Her face mottled red and streaked with tears, hair a complete mess, and spots of crimson adorning her clothes due to the bloody clenched hand she had pressed to her abdomen, Venus whipped out of the pub as though the Hounds of Hell were nipping at her heels.

"Vee, wait up!" "Venus!"

To no avail, Alex and Neville attempted to keep up with the distressed honey-blonde witch's pace, but as the bell that hung on the door of the Three Broomsticks clang merrily behind them, the two teenagers were left standing in their spot, staring agape at the picturesque Wizarding Village that lacked the object of their pursuit.

"How-! She's like the roadrunner," Alex huffed, angrily swiping the errant curls from her eyes to better search for Venus.

Confused, Neville blinked, his head cocked to the side, "Who?"

Swiping a hand in the air, Alex groused out, "Ugh, not the time, Nev!"

"Come to think of it, compared to a mortal's average speed, Venus is an incredibly fast runner," Kol mentioned in forced nonchalance, though his eyes held a wary quality.

Fear and worry gripped Klaus's heart, "It appears that her werewolf traits are not the only qualities she inherited from me that are emerging."

"Actually, Venus has always been a fast runner," James smiled in attempt to console the concerned newfound father. Unintentionally, his comment evoked memories of the plethora of times her obese cousin and his gaggle of dimwitted friends chased her around with the intention of harming her. James winced, and Klaus mimicked him, rearing back as though slapped.

Abruptly eliminating such morbid thoughts and the desire to rip apart a bunch of infants – as currently, Dudley Dursley and his fellow mates were no older than two years of age – Elijah pointedly said, "It's her vampire inheritance. Venus is a product of a vampire. Unlike us, she wasn't turned by magic, remember."

"How could we forget," Kol snarled, and this time, it was Elijah's turn to flinch, cringing at his mistake. From what he managed to deduce throughout the millennium, Kol never recovered from the loss of his magic. It was his hope that, with Venus's inclusion and the unique brand of magic accompanying her, Kol would finally begin to heal.

Running, her sobs lancing the air, Venus haphazardly ran out of Hogsmeade. In her grief, she hadn't bothered to return to the castle via the clandestine cellar in Honeydukes. Instead, she blundered past the village and into the Forbidden Forest.

"What the bloody hell is she doing?!" Klaus growled, eyes a potent gold once more as the wolf within howled in misery, fearing for his little wolf, his eyes roving their surroundings for any sign of Sirius Black or dangerous beasts.

The deeper she ran, the thicker the foliage and the darker the air became. She didn't stop. Sobbing and keening, Venus would occasionally mutter words along the lines of "get my hands on him," and "kill him," and "nasty traitor!" when suddenly, she tripped on a thick root and fell palms first onto the ground, nettles sinking into her already deep cut.

"Ouch!" Venus cried. She, however, didn't cradle her hand, but kept slamming it onto the rough ground while emitting piercing, unintelligible screams. Unaware of how long she remained huddled into herself on the ground of the Forbidden Forest, Venus was too blinded by tears to notice the shadow looming closer as a dark beast prowled towards her fallen form.

A/N: FINALLY BACK!

I know, I know. It's been ages, almost 2 years ages, and I truly do apologize! But like I kept reassuring y'all, this story is not, nor will it even be abandoned (Neither will my others, P.S.). I am sorry for the long hiatus, but life got in the way. University, social life, work, and then I lost my muse. As a gigantic apology for my long unexplained absence, I initially planned on completing The Prisoner of Azkaban, but it was taking too long and I kept getting Reviews and PMs regarding this story's continuation and I decided it was better to give you something than keep you waiting for a week more.

As you can see, I deviated from Canon (as I promised I would); (1) Venus is a little brat, huh? And the Troublesome Threesome, how awesome are they?! Did you enjoy their pranks and Venus's insolence to Snape? XD (2) Also, about Lupin; I'm honestly not a big fan. I don't hate him, so there won't be any bashing to his character, but it's gonna take time for Klaus to warm up to him. After all, it's a reflection of my feelings towards the wizard, as I hated how he abandoned Harry, even after meeting him in his third year. And then him wanting to abandon a pregnant Tonks? Forget it!

Some people are probably frothing at the mouth over me pairing Venus with George and Alex with Fred. That was always the plan. And it's funny as I recently received a Review where my lovely fan stated they didn't want that pairing 'cause they're meant to be with the Gryffindor Chasers. Be patient, nothing is set in stone, especially for Venus. She is going to go through stages in her life but I promise, you will be shocked by the trajectory of her love-interest. No spoilers, though. XD

Anyways, I'm gonna keep this short as I'm so excited to finally post this chapter and read your reactions AT LONG LAST! My concluding note is this: After I post this, tomorrow I'm gonna start on The Doppelgänger Diaries, and then The Ember Diaries as it's been a while (I'm planning on regularly updating my stories. Though some need complete editing, so be patient please). Once those two are posted, I'll begin on the third and last part of The Prisoner of Azkaban. So my estimation for the next chapter is one to two weeks tops!

I truly love y'all for your devotion and your patience, and I admit, I do not deserve you.

R&R.