Family-Year Two

Chapter 1

"So tell me again how this works Sirius?"

"Well Dan, I think the best way to describe it would be something a bit...historical; medieval even. In essence, we grant Hermione the protection of both our houses. She becomes protectee of House Potter and House Black. Kind of like a feudal lord of old, in return for letting me graze my cattle and paying a set tithe every year we offer you the protection of our Houses. Long ago it would have been with military might, however, in this day in age it will mostly be through political and financial clout." responded Sirius.

Sirius had come to respect the man in a very short amount of time. He'd shown himself to be kind and intelligent and wholly committed to loving and caring for his daughter. "Emma?" he asked. Sirius cast a glance at the mother of the current subject of conversation.

"Well, from what Amelia and Augusta have told me, there are really no downsides to this arrangement, dear. All that insane 'blood purity' wouldn't affect her as she would be, as ridiculous as it sounds, reclassified as a pureblood; dear god, Sirius, it's like apartheid or something in your world." she said a bit harshly.

"Yeah it is; Lily explained that to me and Moony, so I understand the reference. But that is essentially correct. If what Harry and Susan say is true, then Hermione is going to graduate from Hogwarts as the top academic student in the entire school. But after graduation, when she tries to find a job or career, she would be severely limited because of the fact that she's a muggle born witch. She'd be lucky to find work as a secretary or a low level employee at the Ministry. She'd more than likely be stuck with no hopes of advancement." explained Sirius.

Dan Granger sighed in frustration. He'd hated sending his daughter so far away from them; it had nearly broken him when he put his daughter on that train. Hearing about the trials and tribulations that she'd gone through enraged him beyond words. If it weren't for that unassuming green-eyed young man he didn't want to think what could've happened.

"Listen guys, I know this is difficult. But obviously the decision is yours to make. You both have to take something into consideration though. Hermione is a witch; she will always be a witch. She needs the training to be able to control the power she wields. Her teachers at school have nothing but praise for her abilities and mental acuity. It would be a waste of her talents not to allow her to continue. And she and the others have been working hard all summer to be able to defend themselves." Sirius added.

"Harry will protect her?" asked Emma.

"With his life if he has to."

"Sirius, he's twelve, I'm sorry but that sounds more than a little ridiculous." interrupted Dan.

"I know, it does, doesn't it? But Harry, and Neville too I might add, with no thought rushed to find Hermione and Susan to rescue them from a dangerous situation. When Hermione was being assaulted in her common room, it was Harry that blasted her attackers into a wall. No, Dan, it's not ridiculous, it's just who he and Neville are. Anybody would have to be suicidal to go up against either of those two." said Sirius proudly. "I can't promise she won't be in any danger. I can promise that everything within our power will be used to protect her and all of them."

"Just out of curiosity, how powerful is my daughter in comparison with the rest of the witches and wizards out there?" asked Emma.

"As she's not fully an adult it's a little hard to estimate, just because she'll obviously grow stronger as she matures. She, Susan, and Hannah are all around the same power level, Hermione being just a bit more magically gifted than the other two. On a scale of say one to ten, with one being a non-magical being and ten being someone like Dumbledore, the girls are probably around a four right now and will grow stronger as they become adults. I think they'll get to around seven or eight. To put into perspective, the average witch or wizard is probably a four or a five."

"And the boys?" she added.

Sirius considered the question before responding. "Neville is probably a five or six right now, so nine or ten when he's an adult."

"And..." she prodded.

"Harry is special, Emma. Normal rules don't seem to apply to him. He's a prodigy."

"That's not an answer, Sirius." chided Dan.

"When school started, he was probably around a five. Right now, he's almost as strong as me or Amelia, and we're on the high end of the scale at around seven or eight."

"What does that mean?"

"That there is no scale that he'll fit in, especially when he's an adult. Magic, to him, will be an extension of his very being." The two dentists looked at him in disbelief. "Trust me when I tell you that Harry is going to be a force to be reckoned with."

"Why him, Sirius? I mean really, and no offense to Harry, but what makes him so special?" asked Emma angrily. Truth be told, she was angrier at the situation, one that would see a twelve year old be the center of attention than she was at anything Sirius or Harry had done. She knew, without doubt, that had Harry not been friends with Hermione she could have easily been seriously injured and even killed.

"Who can ever fathom the reasoning of madmen?" Sirius asked rhetorically. "I know that being non-magical that what I'm about to tell you will sound ludicrous at best, so please keep an open mind, okay? A few years before Harry was born, a prophecy was made. One that foretold not only the coming of the self proclaimed Dark Lord, but also the birth of the one who would finally defeat him."

"Harry?" asked the astonished Grangers.

"In truth, the prophecy could have been about Neville too, but there is a line in there that says that the one chosen would be marked by the Dark Lord in some fashion." continued Sirius with a nod.

"His scar is the mark?"

"Yes, his scar is what marks him as the one of prophecy." answered Sirius. "Another line in the prophecy indicates that Harry will be the only one who'll be able to defeat him."

"So this voldy fellow is going to be after him at some point?" asked Dan.

Sirius laughed, "Voldy fellow, I love it! But yes, Dan, that's what we think it means. It is also the reason that Harry and Neville are training as hard as they are. Harry, because he must. And Neville, because to do anything other than stand next to Harry would be unthinkable to him; this is also the reason that the girls have asked to join them."

"Hermione is most adamant in her desire to join the boys. Given the year she had, I can't say I blame her for wanting to learn to defend herself. But I can't say that I'm happy that that is a choice that she has to make. No thirteen year old should have to learn to defend herself because of the very real possibility that she'd have to protect her friends or herself." commented Emma.

"True and I can tell you I understand your reasoning completely. However, learning to protect herself will be a good thing for her in the long run. Just the boost in confidence, which in just the last three months is obvious to see, has been of great benefit to her already. She's a strong willed young lady and that she had to go through the things she had to I think greatly diminished her belief in herself." added Sirius.

"Emma, I'm convinced that this is the best course of action for our little girl. I know it's a bit bizarre, but it's a different world she now inhabits. Yes she'll be in danger, but with her friends around her and all the training she'd go through, I think she'll be in less danger and I'll feel a whole hell of a lot better if she can look out for herself." said Dan.

"A bit bizarre? Try seriously messed up! But I tend to agree with you too. Alright Sirius, we will allow her to continue whatever training you think will be necessary." Dan reached out a hand and placed it on her shoulder to comfort her. "Sirius, can I ask you a strange question that? If it's too personal, I'll understand if you can't or don't answer."

"What is it Emma? You know I'll answer anything you have to ask." said Sirius sincerely.

"The closeness that I see between your godson and Amelia's niece is a bit unusual? I mean, they're only twelve and yet act like an old married couple. Is this some sort of wizarding thing?"

"Yes and no. Now, before I go into that, I need you two to promise that you'll not say anything to anyone about what I'm going to tell you." said Sirius.

"Why?" asked Emma suspiciously.

"Because both Ami and I don't want them to find out certain things until we think they're ready; you'll understand a bit better once I explain, but I need that promise from both of you."

Emma cast a glance at her husband and raised an eyebrow questioningly. Dan looked at her and gave brief nod of his head. "Very well Sirius, you have our promise to not say anything to anyone."

"Good, I want you both to understand because what is happening between them is something that even we in the wizarding world don't see very often and to be honest, we don't completely understand it ourselves. However, let's start with the basics. Harry and Susan are betrothed and have been since they were babies."

"That's...that's...archaic and just plain wrong." huffed Emma. Dan seemed to agree as well.

"Yes, the practice is antiquated and hardly ever used anymore. Lily, Harry's mother, was a muggleborn witch. It appears that she was the one that secured the betrothal between the kids. Ami and I found it hard to believe that she would have done something like that to her son, especially coming from the muggle world as she did. I'm sure she thought the practice horrific as well."

"So what prompted her to do something like that?"

Sirius had to give some thought to how he'd answer that question, the answer not being something that anyone would or could readily accept. "I'm going to try to explain magic to you just a bit, at least in the context about the subject of which we are speaking. In simple terms, Harry and Susan share a bond, a magical bond."

"Are you implying that magic is forcing them together?"

"Not even a little bit. Magic is helping them." he sighed. "The first time Harry met Susan was something incredible. James, Harry's dad, showed me the memory of that meeting. Had I not seen it, I wouldn't have believed it either. The moment they saw each other, the moment they first touched, they were enveloped in a golden glow. That's magic, we think, recognizing the special bond that both of them shared with each other."

"Some sort of love magic, Sirius?" asked Dan. He could readily admit he was a romantic at heart and thought that seemed pretty cool.

"Exactly, a bond of love."

"As babies, really?" said Emma skeptically.

"Age doesn't matter. Let me ask you guys something: you love each other, right?" he asked and got a vigorous agreement from the two. "You share a bond; it's just different than the kids. A bond of marriage, parenthood, friendship. With Harry and Susan, we think it goes much deeper than that. They can feel each other, sense each other's emotions and each is secure with the love they share. They know, without a doubt, that the other loves them. It's a connection of souls."

"And this is why they're so close?"

"Yes, well, at least we think so. I think it's also part of the reason they're so close to each other physically as well. You've seen them, never apart, always holding hands or hugging, and I swear to Merlin I think that they can hold a ten minute conversation with each other with just a look." he replied.

"As a mother, I think I'm starting to understand Lily's motivations regarding the betrothal. She was ensuring that they were together, wasn't she?"

"Ami and I think so, yes."

"Emma?" asked Dan.

"I see it. Don't get me wrong, I still think it's a bit wrong, but I can understand. Harry's mom somehow knew what she was seeing. I'm guessing that keeping them apart would have been a bad thing?" she asked.

"We think so yes. They were obviously separated when their parents died, and as young as they were the connection they shared was probably nowhere as strong as the one they share now that they've reconnected. Now that they're a bit older and have reestablished the bond, trying to separate them could damage them in ways we couldn't even begin to understand."

"And the physical aspect, Sirius?" wondered Dan.

"Ah, you mean sex I take it? I'm not too worried. Both of them have led pretty sheltered lives, and although they act like adults, their bodies are nowhere close to being ready for that. I know my godson pretty well by now, and I can tell you he's the most principled person I know. He'd not do that to Susan or himself, they will both know when they're ready. But, on their wedding night, watch out!"

"I think we'll just have to learn as we go along. Hermione said she thought it really odd when she first met them, but that once she'd spent time with them it seemed perfectly natural." said Dan.

"Uhm, Sirius, one more question if I might?" asked Emma.

"Sure, Emma, what's the question?"

"Is there a reason your hair just turned pink?" asked Emma with a smirk.

"What?" asked Sirius as he jumped from his seat and ran to the mirror by the fireplace. "POTTER!"

OoOOooOOoo

The young couple sat at their regular spot down by the lake, Harry's back up against the tree while Susan sat before him, back pressed up to his chest. It had become a ritual of sorts, a time they'd set aside for themselves, to reconnect. It was nearly sunset and the light, diffused by the lake, cast a warm glow over the land.

"Harry, sweetie?"

"Hmmm..." mumbled Harry into her neck.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course, you know I've got no secrets from you anymore. Ask away."

"The mirror, in that room, what was it?"

"The Headmaster called it, as did Voldemort as I recall, the mirror of Erised. An enchanted mirror of some kind, he said."

"Erised...desire. Is that what it showed you Harry?"

"I think so, although the vision seemed to be something that would happen in the future."

"Will you tell me what your desire was?" she asked shyly.

Harry's face pinked a bit. "Are you sure?"

Susan moved, reluctantly, from her spot before Harry and turned to face him. "I'm just curious, I guess, and I would really like to know."

"It was a vision of you and me, having picnic." he started.

"That's it?"

"No, that wasn't all of it. We were in a field, sitting together and laughing. You looked so beautiful." he said, as he caressed her cheek. "We were much older, but I couldn't tell you how much older."

Harry closed his eyes and smiled as he recalled the vision he'd been shown. "There were two girls playing, chasing each other around the field, and we sat there laughing and watched them. I think they were our kids, Susan."

It was Susan's turn to blush a bit, but the thought of her and Harry having children filled her with such joy that it was almost overwhelming. "Two? And girls?"

Harry nodded, a smile on his face. "Same beautiful red hair as their mother, but they had my eyes."

She sighed contentedly and turned back around to regain her usual position cuddled up into Harry. "I like that. Two girls are good; hopefully a boy or two pops up sometime also."

"Susan, I'm happy just being with you. And two girls sound just fine also."

"But we'll have to have a boy, two even, to help continue the Potter and Bones family, Harry."

"What? That sounds a bit ridiculous. Why can't the girls take over the family?"

"It's just not done. All families like ours are patriarchal, only boys would gain the titles we have. Even for me, when you and I get married it'll be you who becomes Lord Bones." she said. She could feel Harry getting riled up. "What is it, sweetie, why are you getting mad?"

"Because that's just stupid, Susan; I don't want to be Lord Bones, I want you to be Lord...Lady Bones."

"It's just not done that way, Harry. It's always the boy that gets the title unless there is some sort of catastrophe and only a girl is left to carry on the name."

"People realize that it's almost the twenty-first century, right? That kind of thinking is out of date. There is still a lot of work to do to make things more equal and I'll be really pissed at anyone that says that you're not up for the job of running a House just because you're a girl. No, you'll stand right next to me when we take out seats in the Wizengamot." Harry ranted. "Oh, and if someone tells our daughters that 'they're just girls' I will beat them black and blue!"

Susan could only stare in awe at her boyfriend. Things in the wizarding world just didn't work the way he thought they did. But he had a vision of what that world should look like, one that gave her equality that she didn't think she'd ever have. "Harry, all my life I've been brought up thinking that I'd just be the lady of the house, raising children and being the good little wife that sits at home to attend to my husband's needs. It never even crossed my mind that things could be different." she said sadly.

"And Aunt Ami was okay with this? Teaching you this?"

"Don't be angry at her, Harry. It's just the way things are." she said.

"I can't accept that. This world is crazy, Sue, stuck in the past; it's no wonder that things seem to be the way they are, things really need to change."

"Then we'll just have to change them, won't we?" she asked.

"Yup, you and me. And Neville, Hannah and Hermione too; and we'll make new friends and convince them to help us as well." Harry said with conviction.

OoOOooOOoo

Neville was up to his elbows in dirt, a smile on his face as he tended to his garden, courtesy of his brother's fine Christmas gift. The seeds he'd given him had finally started to sprout, and he took great joy in puttering around the greenhouse.

"Hey, Nev, watcha doin'?" asked a female voice behind him in a casual manner.

"Hey, Han." he replied as he turned and smiled at her. "Just tending to the garden; with all the training we're doing, I don't get much of a chance to come out here and just...be."

"Don't remind me about the training, please. My butt is still bruised. Susan's lucky that she's got Harry to protect her assets." she said with a giggle.

"Hannah..." Neville chided.

"What, it's true!"

"She's just training hard, just like we all are. She just has an added motivation, one which gives her a bit of an edge." he said.

"Oh yeah, and what motivation would that be?"

"Voldemort coming back and trying to hurt Harry." he said coldly.

Hannah gasped loudly at the name. She still had a difficult time speaking it out loud. Try though she might, the name still sent shivers down her spine, something that was beginning to irritate her to no end. "Why can't I say that name, Nev? I try and try, but it just..."

"Harry is the only one I've ever met who didn't have a hard time saying the name. I used to think that it was just because he was raised muggle, you know? But that's not it. He's just not scared of that monster."

"How is that possible? I mean, I understand him not knowing about it from before, but even our year-mates who are muggle born or raised don't speak the name from fear of it."

"Don't know, really. I had trouble saying it too, you know. Took me forever; I'd just stand in front of the mirror and try to say it over and over again until I realized something..."

"What's that?"

"It's just a name, Hannah, that's all it is; just a name. We aren't afraid of that, we're afraid of what it represents. Baby steps, just take some baby steps." he said.

Hannah stood with her back up against the wall, contemplating the words from her friend. She watched him lovingly tend his plants, wondering how the boy she'd seen in training who seemed a magical warrior could separate himself from that and be what he was right now: a sweet boy tending to his magical garden. He walked over to some beautiful blue flowers and with a snip of his shears cut one of the flowers off. She saw him draw it up to his nose and inhale deeply. He turned and walked towards her, deliberately, holding the flower before him gently in his hands.

"For you." he said softly. He brushed a strand of hair off her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. With a smile on his face, he placed the flower in her hair. "There, that looks perfect on you. The blue suits you."

She caught her breath, unused to such intimate moments with a boy. But with steely determination she deliberately drew him near and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "Thanks, Neville, that's really sweet of you."

"Let me wash my hands and we can go in for some dinner." he said. She heard the sound of the water and the scrubbing, but her mind was still on the kiss she'd given him. She knew she was bolder than some people, but she was no courageous Gryffindor by any stretch of the imagination, so she was kind of shocked that she'd done that. She came out of her musing when she heard the sound of water cease.

"Nev..."

Neville just shook his head. "No Hannah, don't be sorry for that kiss. It was brilliant! And, with your permission, I'd like to do that a lot more if it's alright with you."

Hannah's eyebrows rose in astonishment, did she hear him right?

"Although," Neville continued, "I suppose I should ask if you'd be my girlfriend first. Hannah Abbott, would you care to be my girl..."

She never even let him finish the sentence, as happy as she was at that moment all she could think of was of kissing him again. "Hell yes, I'll be your girlfriend!"

His smile was immense. "Shall we, my dear?" he said, offering her his arm.

"Yes, I'm hungry too, I guess." Hannah said with an equally large smile on her face. She wrapped her arm around his and dragged him from the greenhouse.

"So, who do you think won the bet about when we'd get together?" he asked with a smirk.

OoOOooOOoo

Hermione sat in silence, reading a book, as she usually did when sitting in the compartment on the Express. She was distracted by the memories of the summer she'd just had. She felt more confident in her abilities than she had in, well, ever. She knew she wouldn't be the pushover she'd been just three months ago.

She gazed tenderly at the emblems on her school robes. The crests of House Potter took place of honor high on her left breast. Underneath, the crests of Black and Longbottom were also prominently displayed. It had taken her and her parents some time to understand the implications of what she'd been offered. Harry had basically adopted her into House Potter and the thought of being related to Harry, even if it was just through paperwork, filled her with happiness. She had a brother now and a true friend in the raven haired boy.

"Book or head?" asked a voice next to her.

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, sorry, I was just wondering if you were stuck on your book or whether you were stuck in your head." asked Hannah. "By the look on your face I could see you were thinking of something, I just wasn't sure which had you so concentrated."

"I'm in my head, I guess. Summer was a bit of a revelation for me. I learned things I never thought I'd need to learn. I mean, what kind of thirteen year old needs to learn battle magic or advanced martial arts training? But then I think about how much fun we all had, the family dinners we had every night, the birthday party for Nev and Harry, all of us going to the movies with my parents, it was the best summer of my life. So, I ask myself what kind of thirteen year old has a life like mine, like ours."

"The kind of thirteen year olds that expects to be able to stand by her family in all things that come its way; the kind of thirteen year olds that is going to stand by his brother and sisters as they change the world. Hermione, do you seriously think Harry or Neville expects us to go into battle with them? No, of course not; but they do want us to be able to defend ourselves so that they can take care of the bad guys. My guess is that it's your mind that we'll need. Harry will need your intellect and logic. He's about instinct and gut feelings, but that needs to be tempered by intelligence." said Hannah.

"And you're going to be...?"

"The comic relief; when you guys get too serious I'll bust out the Zonko's pranks."

"Oh, please no more pranks! Uncle Sirius and Harry going at each other all summer was more than enough for a lifetime."

"What did Sirius do now?" asked Neville as he rejoined the group.

"Just reliving some of the more memorable events of the summer, sweetie. Catch up to the trolley, did you?"

"Oh yeah, I surely did. Pumpkin pasty?" he asked offering it to the girls.

"Susan and Harry are sure in their own little world today, aren't they?" Neville said with a nod towards the couple. Susan and Harry were cuddled into each other, holding each other tightly as they napped.

"It's scary sometimes how close they are." said Hermione.

"Why scary?" asked Hannah.

"Sorry, I guess scary is not the right word to use. I suppose I just don't comprehend their closeness and I guess I'm a little jealous too. I'm not jealous of the love they obviously have for each other, I guess I envy the familiarity they share. And then there are times, like this one, when all I can think of is that I'm going to protect what they have at all costs. I will protect our family." she said with conviction.

"Just remember, sis, that our battles will not always be of the physical kind. We have to change people's minds. None of us can stand the whole pureblood mentality; we aim to change that and that will be a political battle that our resident know-it-all will lead. Harry and I may be the figureheads in that campaign, but you'll be the one that puts the words in our mouths."

"Really?" she asked eagerly.

Neville chuckled at her enthusiasm. "Yeah, Hermi, really; oh look, sleeping beauty is waking up."

"Shush, Longbottom, I'm enjoying a nice nap with my beautiful girl here and you lot had to wake me up."

"Us up." muttered Susan into Harry's shoulder. She lifted her head and stretched, placing a tender kiss on Harry's cheek. "You, love, make a wonderful pillow."

"Glad to be of service, Lady Bones." he said with a tilt of his head. "This shoulder is reserved just for you for the foreseeable future."

"Does that mean I get the other one, Harry?" asked Hermione with a smile.

"Sure, I've got two of the things; I suppose somebody should use the other one."

"It's a good thing she's our sister or I'd be a jealous witch right about now." Susan said trying to keep a straight face.

"So, what's so important that you guys had to wake us up?"

"Harry, what's our plan for the future? I mean, I know you and Neville want to do a lot of things to change our world, but you know me and my need for specifics so, please, could we get some specifics?"

"Well, we know from Dumbledore that Voldemort will try to come back. Having banished him, he thinks we probably have a few years before he tries something again, he'll have to regain his strength. In the meantime, we train, we better ourselves, we make friends, and we live life. I will certainly not let that bastard dictate how I live. He places my family in danger and I will not allow that. As for the other stuff, well, that is years away. But, just for your sake, how about we make a list of things that need to be changed? In the school, in our society, in our government, in our world; think about it Hermione, as brilliant as you are, I am sure that you can come up with many things you think we should be changing."

Hermione blushed a bit at the compliment and grabbed parchment and quill from her bag. "You know, as a muggleborn, I was totally and completely unprepared for all the things that I would face once I got to Hogwarts. I'd like to see a class about my new world, one that teaches us the social requirements that I should know. I wonder how many people I angered because I didn't know any better?"

"And how about an improvement in the muggle studies class? Or the history of magic class?" added Hannah. "From what Hermi here says, muggle studies are laughably out of date."

Hermione snorted. "That's putting it mildly."

"I for one would like the Houses to be closer." added Neville. "The mistrust and hate between most of the Houses is pathetic really. I mean, why must Slytherin and Gryffindor always battle, why is Hufflepuff considered the house of losers, why are Ravenclaws so cold and logical and uncaring about joining others, and the Gryffindors why are they so pretentious and arrogant when it comes to the other Houses? I know many believe Slytherins evil, but that can't be true, can it?"

"Oh, that's a good one Nev." agreed Harry. "I for one would love the bullying to end. If I even see someone being bullied this term I..."

"Easy, sweetie, don't rile yourself up. I agree with you though, the bullying has to stop. Out of curiosity, that sort of thing doesn't happen in our House, does it?"

"Not as far as anyone can see. We're all pretty friendly with most of our Housemates, and I don't see the telltale signs of bullying on anyone. In the other houses though..." said Hermione.

"Hermione?" asked Harry.

"You all know I was bullied." she said sadly as Hannah wrapped an arm around her. "In my old, muggle, school such things were unfortunately commonplace. However, the teachers and staff were trained to deal with that sort of thing. They could tell by just looking at me that I'd been harassed and they helped. Sure, I was made into a social pariah, but at least I went through school unmolested once the bullies were caught and punished. McGonagall saw me every day; I wonder why she never realized what was happening to me. But, Harry, there are kids in Slytherin and Ravenclaw that have that look that screams 'help me' and no one does anything."

"Will you point them out to me?" asked Harry.

"Sure, but what will you do about it?"

"Help them, befriend them if they allow, keep an eye out for them."

"Shouldn't that be a professors job?" wondered Hannah.

"It should, shouldn't it? But I've never seen any of them help, except for Madam Sprout, and she can't and shouldn't be responsible for the entire student body." answered Harry.

Hermione was writing furiously. Harry reached out a hand and took the quill from her. "Hey, I was using that!"

"True, but Hermione, please just relax and enjoy the journey with us. We've many years to do the things we want to do. We'll not accomplish anything right now." he told her with a smile.

Hermione looked to Susan with a questioning look. Susan smiled at her and gave her a nod. "You, Harry James, are an awesome brother. Thanks for keeping me grounded and not letting me be stuck in my head all the time." she stood from her seat and planted a kiss on his cheek. Hannah looked pointedly at Neville who understood her unasked question. The two leapt from their seat and jumped on Harry, both planting kisses on his cheek.

"Oh, Harry James..." moaned Hannah.

"Oh, brother mine..." yelped Neville

"Whoa, hey now, Harry are you under there?" asked Michael as he poked his head into the compartment. "Need any help?"

"Must be nice to be so universally adored." joked Cedric. "C'mon, Mike, they're fine and we've got rounds to complete."

OoOOooOOoo

Neville and Susan were standing in wide eyed wonder, both of them unable to speak at the sight of the creatures that were hitched to the carriages.

"Harry...?" they both said.

"Oh, can you two see them now? Aren't they kind of beautiful?" asked Harry.

"What are they?" Neville asked.

An ethereal voice spoke from behind them. "They're called Thestral's and yes, I do believe that they are very beautiful creatures."

Harry spun around to look at the girl that had spoken. She was petite and had long ash blonde hair that fell to her waist. "You can see them too?" asked Harry.

"I can, Harry Potter. Only people that have unfortunately seen death first hand can see them. They're really docile creatures and are really protective of their young. Fascinating, aren't they?"

Susan joined Harry, taking his hand and smiling at the young girl. "Hello there, I'm Susan Bones. You obviously know Harry here."

"Hello, Lady Potter, it is a pleasure to meet you." she said with a curtsy. "I'm Luna Lovegood."

Harry and Susan both looked at the young girl with raised eyebrows. "Did she just call me Lady Potter?" whispered Susan to Harry?" Harry just nodded.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Luna. Uhm, aren't you supposed to be riding the boats, you are a first year, aren't you?"

"They've all already left. They left me behind. They said they were all full." she said sadly.

Susan held tightly to Harry's hand, knowing full well that he'd explode if he thought this young girl had been tormented. "Well, if that's the case, how 'bout you join us for the trip up to the castle. We've plenty of room."

"Please, Luna, please join us?" asked Harry sincerely.

Luna's eyes widened and misted over, Susan knew she was trying to hold in the tears.

"Hey Luna, did you miss the boats?" asked Hannah as she and Hermione walked up to the group.

"Oh hello, Hannah, yes I did miss the boats. Harry and Susan have very kindly asked me to join you. I hope you don't mind?"

"Not at all." she said to Luna. "Guys, Luna's mother and my Mom were really good friends. Unfortunately, she passed away a few years ago." she whispered to her friends who all nodded in understanding.

"So, Luna, you looking forward to Hogwarts?" asked Hermione. "What House do you want to get into?

"I am, very much so looking forward to school. It will be nice to use my wand for a change, Daddy allowed me to practice a bit under his supervision." she said. "As for House, I don't suppose it will matter very much. The hat will put me where he thinks I will benefit the most."

"That's true Luna, but you can ask him to put you in any House you want. He does take your own wishes into consideration." said Harry.

"He does?" she asked in wonder.

"Yup, I had to tell him to put me in Hufflepuff. I think he wanted to put me in Gryffindor." Harry mused. "I think I would have been fine anywhere so long as I had my Susan nearby."

"And she will always be nearby, Harry." said Luna. "You and she are bonded."

Hermione, Neville, and Hannah were all deep in conversation and hadn't heard the sprite-like girl's last sentence. "Bonded?" asked Susan.

"Don't you both feel it?" she asked. "It's obvious if people would look closer and open their minds. People overlook many things because their minds can't process what they see." she said in her delicate voice.

Before they could question her further, they'd arrived at the castle. "Luna, you're going to want to follow this hall all the way down that way, the new students should be there waiting to go into the great hall. Remember, no matter what House you get yourself into, you'll always have some friends in Hufflepuff." Harry told her.

"Friends?" she asked. "You'd all be my friends?"

"Why wouldn't we?" Susan asked her. "Everyone needs friends, Luna, and we'd be happy to become friends with you."

Luna's demeanor seemed to change at that statement, a look of determination in her eyes that was not there earlier. "Friends." she said happily before turning and skipping to where Harry had indicated the firsties were gathering.

"Was it just me or did that look, well, kind of intimidating?" asked Hermione.

"No, that was rather intimidating if you ask me." replied Neville. "I think we may have seen one of the new 'Puffs. C'mon, we should head to the hall for the sorting."

Harry held Susan back from their friends but followed them at a distance. He looked at Susan and noticed that she seemed to be deep in thought. "Bonded?" he asked.

"Yeah, that's what I was wondering about too. Any ideas?"

"No, none that I can come up with in any case; should we mention this to the gang, I think Hermione might be someone we could ask. I'm sure that if she didn't know she'd be more than willing to help us find out more information." he replied.

"I'm okay with telling everyone, Harry. If Luna joins our group, which knowing you she will, she'd probably tell us what we want to know." said Susan.

"What do you mean knowing me?" he asked in a huff.

Susan rolled her eyes at him. "Oh please, I knew I had a new sister the moment she mentioned she'd been kicked off the boats. You just can't help yourself. And it's okay, sweetie, I liked her too and I'm sure the others will be fine with it as well. You said we needed more friends, seems to me we just made a new one."

"Am I that easy to read?" he asked.

"Just to me, and it wasn't like you were keeping your emotions in check when we were talking to her. I could actually feel your compassion and sympathy for her overtake you. Can I ask you something?" Harry nodded. "Can you feel her?"

Harry closed his eyes and let his magic fill him. He reached out, calling to mind Luna's aura, and searched. Sure enough, he found her. "I can." he answered.

"See, I've got a new sister." she told him with a smile. "Hannah, looks like Harry has expanded the family again. Would you let your mother know to expect one more student?"

"Luna? Already Harry, you've only just met her." Hannah teased.

Harry just shrugged his shoulders. "What can I say, something about her just called out to me. You said her mother was a friend of your mother's?"

"Yeah, Selene Lovegood; Luna is quite like a younger version of her. She was a potion mistress and very into research. It's how she died, caught in an explosion from an experiment gone wrong. Luna was home at the time, witnesses he mother passing away." she said sadly. Hermione and Susan both gasped, Neville just shook his head sadly.

"Then you're doing a good thing, Harry." Hermione said.

OoOOooOOoo

Sirius was enjoying a glass of brandy in James' office that evening, sitting in the chair that his best friend had sat in when doing paperwork. Said paperwork was piled high on the desk. He'd forgotten how much work went in to running the family estate, and he had almost eleven years of it to catch up with. He smiled at Amelia, who sat with her legs curled up beneath her as she too was going through some files that she'd brought home from work. Sirius thought Harry lucky to have Augusta doing the job for him, although he remembered fondly the look of terror on his godson's face whenever he had to go to his estate management classes with his Regent.

He tried to recall the last time the Marauder's had spent time in the office together and was saddened when he couldn't. His last actual memory of his time in this place had actually been in the company of Lily and Harry. He smiled at the memory; he'd been in his grim form lying on the floor with Harry as he napped. Lily had been such a great mother, so loving and protective of Harry. He felt a great sense of sadness that Harry would never be able to meet her and bask in her love. When James had come home that night, he made a beeline to his son and took over Sirius' place at his side. Letting the two of them spend some time together, Sirius had accompanied Lily to her own office. Her 'laboratory' the boys had dubbed it, an oddity of a room as it was outfitted for potions and charms. Cauldrons and assorted ingredients lined one half of the room, large blackboards and books filled the other half.

"Pass me that book, would you Pads?" she said pointing at a large leather bound tome.

"Sure Lils, wow, heavy bastard. What's in here, secrets of the universe? Or have you decided to take over the world and those are your notes?"

"Oh, you know, it's a little of this and a little of that..." she said mysteriously. She walked over to the fireplace and tapped a couple of runes that had been etched into the mantel. They flashed brilliantly for a few seconds before a drawer opened up.

"Keeping secrets?" he smirked.

"Keeping treasure, Pads." she replied seriously. "Unlock the heart."

"Huh? Unlock the heart?"

"Just remember those words if you ever need to get in there, okay. If anything should happen to James and I..."

"Nothing is going to happen to you two. He's too stubborn and you're too mean to let someone like Voldemort..."

"If something should happen to us, remember those words, okay Sirius?"

'Remember those words' he thought to himself as he came out of his memory. He took a sip of his brandy when he realized something.

"Uhm, Siri, is there a reason you're spitting out brandy all over the place?" asked Amelia from the couch.

"Come!" he shouted at her. He rushed out of the room before realizing that Ami hadn't followed him. "Well, are you coming or not?" he asked when he returned to the study.

"I'll not be screeched at like that, Sirius Black, and you'd do well to remember that if you don't want to spend the night on the couch." she said testily.

"Okay fine, I'm sorry, now could you please follow me?" he said looking at her with puppy dog eyes.

She stood up from her comfortable position on the couch. "Where exactly are we going? I've still got a ton of paperwork to go through and at this rate I'll be at it all night."

"You could stay there if you like. I'm just going to go down to Lily's lab and get her journal, you know, the one that we've so desperately been trying to find."

"Well why didn't you say so?" She grabbed his arm and dragged him to their destination. "Where?"

"Mantel, fireplace." he indicated. "There should be some runes inscribed on there somewhere. How's your runework?"

"Better than yours, mutt; c'mon and help me find this."

"Here," said Sirius pointing at the spot he recalled from his memory. "Password is 'unlock the heart'."

Amelia pulled her wand and placed it against the rune set. A brief glow followed by the phrase he'd given her and they were both soon looking in bewilderment at the open hidden compartment. "She must have charmed it with some sort of enlargement charms."

"You think?" Sirius asked sarcastically. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you, I'm just a little mad at myself for forgetting about this. Do you think this is what we've been looking for?"

"Well, let's hope so. Grab the book, I'll see what else is in here." she told him. He grabbed the large book and set it down on one of the workbenches.

"Sirius, we're going to need a pensieve, there's a ton of memories in here." called out Amelia.

"Michael?"

"My Lord Black?" said the elf as he popped in.

"Is there any chance that James or Lily had a pensieve?"

"They did, My Lord, but I do believe that they took it to Gringotts for safekeeping right before they left." he said sadly.

"I guess I'll have to get Augusta to go down to his vault soon. Who knows what could be in those vials?" Sirius grabbed parchment and quill and wrote a quick note. "Michael, would you do us a favor and go to Dame Longbottom and deliver this note, please? No need for an immediate reply."

"At once, Lord Black." said Michael before popping away.

"They're labeled, Sirius. Look." she told him. She handed him the large box that had dozens of phials of stored memories stored in it. "How to shave, dancing for beginners, pranks 101, intermediate charms, pranks 201, rune lore, kissing for beginners, introduction to the Wizengamot, animagus 101..."

Sirius held in his arms a treasure trove of memory. Lessons lovingly given to Harry by his parents, "Ami, these are..." he started before he was overcome with sadness. He gently set the box down and grabbed his fiancée in a tight embrace and let the tears come. She held him and joined him with tears of her own.

"They must have known, or at least suspected." he said between sobs.

"This is all Lily, you know? She would have made sure to be able to pass knowledge to Harry somehow and this is brilliant. I would have never thought to leave memories behind like this."

"That's our Lady Potter, scary brilliant." said Sirius.

"The book?" asked Amelia.

"Oh yeah, here, we'll do this together." he said as he brought the large book over to them. "Are all these pages blank or is it just me?"

"I'm sure she would have charmed it somehow to be illegible to any she did not want to read it. Maybe it's password protected like the drawer?" she asked.

"Dammit Lily." he said glumly before he thought of something. "You're a right bastard Prongs." he shouted out.

"What?"

"Watch and learn, my dear." he said as he pulled out his wand and placed it on the book. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good!"

The book glowed briefly, magic seeming to come from within it. As the glow faded, inky words appeared. The cover page said 'Eyes Only: Sirius and Amelia, October 29th, 1981'.

"She made it so only we could read it?" asked Amelia. "Look, two days before..."

"If this is about Harry and Sue, then it makes sense. We're both their guardians and would want to know as much as we possibly could about what's happening to them. She must have known already about your brother and sister in law and probably left the book for us." said Sirius sorrowfully and flipped the page.

Dearest Sirius and Amelia,

I bet you're both asking yourselves 'what the hell?' right about now and probably (hopefully!) consoling each other over memories of James and I that this book would surely bring up. All I can say is that we are both sorry about that and only wish and hope that you both remember the good times we all shared as well.

Now, if Harry and Susan are together then odd things are probably happening around them and you're both not only intrigued but a bit frightened. Don't be. What is happening to both of them is, in simplest terms, magical. Don't snort Sirius, it's unbecoming and rude. Relax, and I'll explain.

On the night that Susan met Harry something wondrous happened between them. They shared with each other something that hasn't happened in almost 600 years. Magic recognized that the two of them shared a deep connection and as a result helped them along their destined path. Through magic Susan and Harry shared a part of their souls with each other. Susan has a part of Harry in her just as Harry has a part of Susan in him. You remember the memory James showed you, Siri, the golden halo that enveloped them? That was the visible indication of their melding. Step one, as I like to call it. This was my main reason for prompting Edgar and James to draw up a marriage contract between the two.

Information on any of this phenomenon is not readily available; my guess would be that since it is such a rare occurrence that no in depth study has really been done about the subject. But in this book you will find what information I have been able to gather as well as a large assortment of spells and research that I'd come up with but never had the time for.

Amelia, don't freak out, but your Susan is now a married woman despite her age. No joke. Bonding of the soul goes deeper than mere marriage. I'm sure you probably don't disapprove but know that if you do that there is nothing you can do about it. Separating them is dangerous and could very well be fatal. There will come a time when they will need to be in the same bed. Hopefully not until they're much older, and don't worry, it will not be because of the reason you are thinking. They will just need the physical contact that sleeping together will allow.

As for Harry, well, I don't know exactly how to put this so I'm just going to say it. Harry is going to be powerful, magically gifted as few people are. And Susan, through the bond she shares with Harry, will also be a powerful witch in her own right. It will fall on both of you to find adequate tutors when the time comes. Hogwarts will be good for them. Make sure you get Filius and Minerva on your side. They are the only two I would trust with this information and will be able to come up with training regimens for the both of them that will allow them to use their power in a safe and useful manner. Poppy too should be involved as she would figure it out sooner or later if Harry is anything like James and spends too much time in the infirmary. Any scans she runs will not only indicate power levels but the bonding as well.

I want it known right here and now that I don't trust Albus Dumbledore. At all! He will try to play you with the whole grandfatherly things he does so well. He will try to weasel his way into any decision that regards Harry. Don't allow him anywhere near our boy, Sirius. He is the Headmaster and that is all. Knowing him like I do, and if we are indeed dead, he tried to gain control of Harry. Don't let him. He will try to sweet-talk his way into his life, he will try to strong-arm his way into his life, and he will do anything in his power to have control of Harry. Why, you ask yourself? The reason is because of some stupid prophecy that indicates that Harry is the only one that will be able to defeat Voldemort. Now, if that's the case, then both Dumbledore and Voldemort believe the prophecy to be real and as such consider Harry to be a dangerous foe or a weapon to be harnessed. Voldemort will come after Harry, without a doubt. So you both make sure that Harry kicks the bastard's ass and lives.

You've both probably saw the vials of memories that we left. They are for Harry, mostly. Some are for Susan, and some are for the two of you. These were James' idea. He wanted to be there for Harry in any way that he could and this was the way he came up with. You'll notice that mine are educational for the most part. James left more memorable teachings that he thought Harry would find not only useful, but also would be a way for him to get to know his dad.

I bet you're both wondering whether you should let the kids in on this information. Honestly, I don't know what to tell you. If it was me, I'd want to know. Keep in mind that they will both probably realize it sooner rather than later. As it's a marriage, and legal, someone somewhere will slip up and call Susan Mrs. Potter or leak it to the press. The marriage would have been recorded somewhere in the Ministry and obviously the goblins of Gringotts will know as well. I don't envy you this decision. Be guided by your hearts and your instincts.

Amelia, you were the sister I always wanted and always considered you as such. I ask that you watch over my son as you would your own. I love you, sis.

Sirius, you scoundrel, I need you to grow up and be a true father to Harry. I don't want you to stop being you; I just need you to put Harry first in all things. He is the son of the Marauders after all. Love him, comfort him, and be there for him. I love you, Padfoot.

Susan, my fondest wish was to be able to see you and Harry grow up together. In my best dreams I see you and Harry married and surrounded by my grandchildren. I know you'll love him, I know you'll care for him. Hopefully he's like his father and easily trainable, but I don't hold out too much hope for that. Except for holding Harry for the first time, all my best memories are of both of you, together. Always together, remember that. I loved you like I would my own daughter, Susan.

Harry, my beautiful boy, you are without a doubt the love of my life. I'm sorry I wasn't there for you. I want you to remember us, of course, but more than that I want you to live your life to the fullest. Be happy in all that you do. Be guided by your family and your wife. And remember, Harry, Dad and I will be waiting for you on the other side.

Lily Potter: Mom, wife, sister, honorary Marauder.

Mischief Managed.

OoOOooOOoo

It took Sirius and Amelia a good amount of time to recover. They went to bed that night and just held each other, crying themselves until exhaustion claimed them and they managed to fall asleep. Sirius was first to wake and he disentangled himself from Amelia and made his way to the bathroom. After a long shower, and feeling a lot better, he dried himself off and stepped back into the bedroom to get dressed for the day.

"Thoughts?" asked Amelia who was sitting with her back resting against the headboard.

"She left us a difficult one, didn't she? I don't know, dear, I really don't know. I want to tell them, but..." he replied.

"No, I don't think there's a 'but', Siri. We have to tell them. Like Lils said, they'll figure it out sooner rather than later. The things that are happening to them, the empathy they share, being able to locate each other, all those things will make them curious to know what's going on. And I wouldn't put it by Hermione to figure things out, on her own, and tell them. She's been suspicious, I think, about the whole thing since she's become closer to them."

"Christmas?" he asked.

"Probably the best time, yes. It will give them a bit of time to adjust to it being away from school. Merlin, Sirius, they're freaking married!"

"So they're married, what of it? We've both know this and nothing and no one is going to change that, Ami; and it's not like we'd be able to do anything about it anyway. They could both decide that, you know what, we're emancipated and there's nothing you can do about it so there, neener neener."

Amelia chuckled at the thought of those words coming from Susan's mouth. "They could, couldn't they? Harry could take the extreme measure of kicking us out of the Glen and we'd be able to do nothing about it."

"Damn, I hadn't thought about that. Let's keep that tidbit of information from them, shall we?"

"Agreed!" said Amelia. "Okay, so we wait until Christmas and then lay it all on them at that time. What do we do if the information leaks or if they find out earlier?" she asked.

"Take them out of school and try to explain it to them. Augusta said she'd stop by the bank today and pick up the pensieve. We should go through some of those memories of Prongs and Lils. Hopefully, there's a memory in there that we can use to explain the bonding to them. Did you find anything else in the book that was interesting about their bond?"

"Well, you know Lily mentioned step one, right? Well, apparently there are three steps in total. Step one is like an introduction, a way for both soul and magic to say hello and play around with each other for a bit to make sure everything is compatible. It seems that the glow we saw was their magic finding no fault with either of them and some sort of agreement was made."

"Okay..." Sirius said.

"Step two is the joining. This is a bit more significant as it is the time when the 'marriage' aspect of their bond actually occurs. It's also the time when they'll both start noticing the special aspects and gifts the bond bestows. Whatever effects the bonding was having before will become more pronounced. Their empathy link will grow to a point where they might be able to communicate telepathically. Whatever magical reservoir they had will increase in size, making them both even stronger. Sirius, their kiss that night, the glow..."

"Step two, I take it? What of the third one?" he asked.

"Complete bonding. The actual merging of their souls that won't occur until they physically come together; this will be when they, well, you know... " she said.

"You mean..."

"Yup."

"Well...shit."

OoOOooOOoo

"Told you she'd be a 'Puff." said Neville with a beaming grin.

"Luna," asked Hermione, "What House did the hat want to put you in?"

"Ravenclaw, but they seemed mean and I didn't want to go there. Much prefer to be with my new family." she said dreamily. "I hope they have pudding tonight. Uhm, Hermione, did you know you have an infestation of wrackspurts flying around your head?"

Susan and Harry chuckled at their newest inductee. "She's going to drive Hermione crazy with all the tangents she goes off on." Susan whispered to Harry.

"And that's a bad thing? Hermi needs to loosen up a bit; Luna is just the person to do it. Do you know what a wrackspurt is?"

"No, not really; I think Luna said they're creatures that gets in your head and befuddles you a little bit. I've never heard of them before, though." she said to him.

"Oh well, I guess she'll show us eventually. Hey, that redhead heading toward the hat, think she's another Weasley?" he asked her.

"Wow, yeah, she sure looks like one. I hope she's nicer than her brother. Why is she staring at you I wonder?"

"Don't know, hopefully she's not mad about what happened to Ron. Give her a chance, don't you think?"

"Everyone gets a chance, Harry. Does the Headmaster look a bit under the weather to you or is it just me?" she asked.

"He does look a little green. Hopefully it's nothing bad. Look Luna, pudding!" he said with a laugh as the young girl practically leapt from her seat and grabbed the large bowl. "Easy Luna, there's plenty for you and everyone else."

"Wait, I have to share?" she asked with a frown.

OoOOooOOoo

"Are you alright, Albus?" asked Minerva from her seat in front of the Headmasters desk. "You look kind of peaked and you're a deathly shade of green."

"I'm quite alright, Minerva." he said with a chuckle. "I just need a good night's sleep. Was there anything else?"

"No, I think we covered everything. Was it just me or did Severus actually look pleased that school was once again restarting?" she asked.

"No, you're quite right, he did look quite pleased that classes were resuming. I'm guessing he took Dame Longbottoms words to heart and is endeavoring to modify his behavior. I guess we'll have to wait to see the results of his change of heart."

"Indeed. Well, if there is nothing else then I will bid you a good night." she said as she stood.

"And a good night to you Minerva; we'll see you in the morning. Sleep well." he told her.

Albus turned the lights to his office off and sat in the darkness. He'd felt the presence of darkest magic invade and pass through the wards, a magic dark enough to actually make him feel physically ill. He was disappointed that he could not feel anything beyond the actual presence of the dark object. He had no way of knowing where in the school it was or how it had managed to move through the school's protections. The wards, while strong and growing stronger day by day were not yet infallible.

Should he call Amelia and let her know, he wondered. No, not yet. Until he had more details he would keep this information to himself. If it became necessary he would of course mention it to her. Or not, as the case may be. As much as he hated himself for doing it, he couldn't change his plans regarding the Chosen One. Harry needed to be prepared and would need the resources that only he possessed.

Fawkes trilled an unhappy song as he felt his bonded wizard once more step off the path of Light into areas of grey. The immortal bird knew that he'd have to take action sooner rather than later if he wanted to save his human. For now, he'd guide him as best he could and hope that Albus got back on the correct path.

OoOOooOOoo

A/N So begins book 2 of my little tale.