A/N: Omg how long has it been since I replied to this story? Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry… I actually wrote this chapter MONTHS ago, and sent it to my wonderful beta, but it didn't send for some reason.. and then I sent it a second time and she emailed it back, all beta's and shiny, and for some reason I procrastinated putting it up. I'm sorry, but I hope you like this chapter.

Disclaimer: I don't own hp… obviously, but all subplots, twists and OC's are mine xD

Reviews: sorry, but responding to reviews via the story isn't really a good idea seeing as there are reply thingy's now… I'll respond to each review by that system starting next chapter. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I love you all!

Chapter 17 – Forming Theories

Sirius stared at the patch of carpet that, mere seconds ago, Bel had occupied. He turned to Anna.

'What do you think happened at Hogwarts?' he asked grimly, 'You don't think it was anything to do with Ari, do you?'

Anna shook her head, 'No, Bel would have told us.'

Then she gasped.

'Damn. I have to go. Bel said there had been an accident… Oh, I should have gone straight away! I'm a horrible mother…' Anna rushed out of the room to the front hallway where she grabbed her jacket and ran out the door.

Sirius shut the door behind her and then walked slowly back to the lounge room. He stopped in front of the coffee table and stood there for a minute, dazed.

Suddenly, Sirius let out a snarl and kicked out at the coffee table. Why couldn't he go anywhere? Why couldn't he go and see if Ari was okay? He was her father! But no, Dumbledore had to keep him locked up in this stupid house! At that fight in the Department of Mysteries last June, he had almost been caught when he was knocked out by Bellatrix's curse and ministry officials came running in merely minutes later, but the Longbottom kid managed to drag him out of site just in time, and Kingsley had Apparated the unconscious Sirius away.

Sirius looked around at the dank walls, obvious disdain showing on his face. It was bad enough being locked up at all, but he just had to be stuck here. It was like being fifteen all over again. Forbidden to leave the house, forbidden to associate with anyone not in a select group. Forbidden to live.

Giving the coffee table one last kick, Sirius left the lounge and headed for the kitchen. What he needed right now was a bottle of firewhisky. Extra strong.

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Bel Apparated into Dumbledore's office with a faint pop. Dumbledore was already there, pacing around the room. He looked up at her, worry and anger evident in his normally twinkling blue eyes.

Bel strode over to him.

'Who was it, Professor?'

Dumbledore gave her a grave look.

'Rohan Bernett of Ravenclaw.'

He handed her a fat parchment envelope.

'Everything we know is in there. I trust you will give it your full attention?'

Bel nodded, 'You have my word.'

Dumbledore gave her a small smile.

'I know you will. I'll let you get started,' He gave her a curt nod, which she returned.

Bel stuffed the envelope in the pocket of her robes and disapparated.

She reappeared in her office at the ministry moments later. Her secretary greeted her warmly, but Bel brushed her off.

'Go home,' Bel said briskly and then stormed into her office and slammed the door. The office was comfortable and luxurious, a bright and happy room, but frankly, Bel hated it. Her job was high-rank, yes, but it was also important to the safety of the wizarding world, and she didn't believe she should be distracted by trivial things such as silk curtains and plush carpet. She'd been planning to rip ll of that out, but Bel never got around to it. There were more important things to do. Finding that kid, for instance.

She pulled her hair back out of her face and sat down at her desk. She violently yanked the envelope Dumbledore had given to her out of her robes and ripped it open. Out fell several bits of paper. The first was just a report of the Bernett kid's grades from the last few years, and Bel put that aside to look at later. Secondly she picked up a photo of the boy. He looked to be about fifteen years old, and was fairly thin looking with curly brown hair and grey eyes. After studying the picture closely, Bel tacked it up on her pin board and picked up the next document. It was a quick report that Dumbledore had obviously thrown together for her.

Name: Rohan Bernett

Age: 15

Year: 5

House: Ravenclaw

Reported Missing: 04:32pm September 3rd

Last seen: In the Charms classroom 12:46 pm

Last seen by: Filius Flitwick

Family: (Muggles)

Bel sighed and put down the piece of parchment, rubbing her head. If the kid was in Ravenclaw, it was unlikely that he'd have wanted to miss a class, so presumably he'd disappeared sometime during lunch. With all the security measures that had been put on the castle, including the aurors patrolling the perimeter, it was unlikely that he'd gone outside the castle gates. Therefore he had to have been kidnapped from inside the castle. But how did a Death Eater get into Hogwarts? With the new security, which Bel herself had checked over, it was damn near impossible…

But that was exactly it!

It was impossible for a Death Eater to get into Hogwarts, but what if the Death Eater was already there? What if it was a student?

Bel frowned. She certainly couldn't eliminate the possibility that some of the upper level Slytherins had received the Mark. But if the Bernett kid had disappeared at lunch time, any student Death Eater wouldn't have had time to get past the security to get a prisoner out of the castle. To have done that, they would have needed to skip their afternoon classes.

Bel pulled a piece of parchment and a quill out of her draw and began to write.

Professor,

I need a copy of all your teachers' class rolls from this afternoon. I need to know if any upper level students, particularly Slytherins, were absent from any classes.

-A.K

Bel quickly rolled up the note and handed it to her owl.

'Professor Dumbledore,' she said shortly. The animal gave her a quick nip on the finger before taking off out the window.

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Anna arrived at Hogwarts and rushed to the Hospital wing. She was already running late because of all the time it had taken her to get past the Aurors at the gates. In fact, she doubted she would have gotten through at all if Tonks hadn't come to her rescue and let her in.

Anna didn't know exactly what had happened in the 'accident' but she knew her daughter, and judging by Ari's record, she'd probably be in the Hospital Wing.

Anna burst through the door of the Hospital Wing and, luckily, Madame Pomfrey was nowhere to be seen. A few of the beds were occupied, but the curtains were drawn around all of them.

Anna ran up to the closest bed and yanked the curtains back. It wasn't Ari. Sitting up on the bed was a bewildered looking blonde boy. He gave her a questioning look.

'Yes?' he asked her expectantly.

Under any other circumstances Anna would have started blushing and apologizing profusely, but right now she was too worried about Ari. She muttered a quick apology and moved on to the next bed. She pulled back the curtains and, this time, was successful. Anna almost fainted at the sight of her daughter.

Arianna was lying back in the bed, still unconscious. Her normally tan skin was pale and waxy. She was sweaty all over and looking exhausted. Anna forced her mothering instinct to the back of her mind and switched herself into full healer mode.

She checked Ari's pulse and wiped the sweat of her brow. She was just about to change Ari out of her sweat-soaked robe when she was interrupted.

'What do you think you're doing?' came a demanding voice from behind her.

Anna whipped around and found herself face to face with the Hogwarts hospital matron.

'Madam Pomfrey, It's me, Anna-May Morgan. Arianna is my daughter. Could you please explain what happened to her?'

Madam Pomfrey relaxed visibly. '

'Ah yes. Anna, it's good to see you. As for your daughter, I have absolutely no idea. You'll have to speak to Dumbledore. All he told me was to keep giving her energy potions and to inform him when she wakes.'

Anna sighed.

'Do you know if she'll be okay?'

Madame Pomfrey gave her a pitying look.

'Well, as I said, Anna, I don't know what's wrong with her, but I have to say… she doesn't look too good. Her heart rate won't slow down, her blood pressure's high… We can only hope. Professor Dumbledore has never let us down before on these matters.'

Anna fought back a sob and sat on the chair next to Ari's bedside.

'Do you have any idea when she'll wake up?' she asked in a choked voice.

'I think she'll be out for another few days at the least.'

Anna couldn't hold it any more. She burst into tears and buried her head in her hands. Madam Pomfrey, realising Anna needed her privacy, gave her a reassuring pat on the back and then disappeared into her office.

Anna sat there crying at Arianna's bedside. How could this have happened? What had happened?

'Mum…' A distant and croaky voice, so faint that Anna almost thought she had imagined it came from the bed.

'Mum…'

Anna's head shot up and stared at the bed in front of her. Arianna was lying there, in the exact same rigid position as before, but her eyes had opened slightly and her lips were moving, trying to form words.

'Mum…'

Anna let out a shout of joy. Arianna was awake.

Anna quickly called the matron over and Madam Pomfrey hurried out of her office, a look of complete surprise on her face.

'Well I'll be,' she muttered, 'I have to get the headmaster. She hurried back her office to floo call Dumbledore.

Madam Pomfrey threw the floo powder into the fireplace and muttered 'Dumbledore's office'. She stuck her head into the emerald green flames and soon she was staring at Dumbledore's office from knee height.

Dumbledore himself was pacing around the office, looking distracted.

'Headmaster,' Madam Pomfrey called out, 'She's awake.'