24 February, 1995

"What's the American equivalent of Hogwarts?" I asked Sirius. We, along with James and Liv, were in the midst of considerable buzzing as patrons in the Three Broomsticks discussed the results of the second task in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Harry had come off a winner; well, in a tie with another Hogwarts student, and school spirit was running high in the pub.

Sirius took a drink of his butterbeer, letting Liv have a taste off his finger. "I believe there are at least two or three," he said. "There's definitely one in New York City, though I don't know the name … something very artsy fartsy, I think. One in Boston, as well. And I've heard of a school in a Southern city. Perhaps Savannah or St. Augustine. I can't remember. I'll look it up for you, once we get home."

James grabbed my ancestral wand for probably the fifteenth time. "This is so bloody cool, Mum. Are you sure I can't take it back with me? I'll trade you mine!"

"No way, Jose. It's my wand," I said, but I grinned at him. The wand was nondescript, and resembled nothing more than an intricately carved crooked tree branch. I loved it, though, and its reminder of my heritage.

"Did you actually get to see Harry coming out of the water?" James asked his father as he waved it around experimentally. "Bloody amazing job he did with the gillyweed."

"Yeah," Sirius answered, and he smiled, too. "Looked just like his dad." He was quiet for a moment, as usual when the topic of older James came up. But when he spoke, it wasn't about his old mate. "James, what d'you think of Professor Moody?"

James raised both eyebrows. "Well, he's knowledgeable, for sure. A bit … eccentric, maybe?" He had heard about Mad-Eye's involvement with the old Order, and watered down a more dubious description out of respect for his father. Sirius's stock had risen considerably once he had confided some of the tales of that group with his son at Christmastime. "Ever met him, Mum?"

I shook my head. "Not before today. Heard all about him, though. He wasn't exactly what I expected."

"He's changed," Sirius said, but when I looked quizzically at him, he only shrugged. "Of course, haven't we all? Still seems a decent bloke, if a little extreme. He just has this odd facial tic that I don't remember from back when."

"The tongue thing?" I asked. "It did creep me out a bit, though not as much as that wandering eye. I hope it's not x-ray vision." I snorted, and Sirius grinned, giving my breasts a pointed look while James checked out Madame Rosmerta. "He seems very protective of Harry, though. Guess I can forgive him that, since somebody obviously has it in for the poor kid."

"Yeah. But not just that. Like I said, we've all changed a bit," he paused to lift Liv up, so she was looking over the back of his shoulder. All the nearby patrons began to goo-goo ga-ga her, trying to make her smile. "But there are some things he doesn't seem to remember anymore." He shrugged, and dismissed the train of thought. "Done with your soup, darling?" He glanced around at the people who were making funny faces for our daughter, and smiled indulgently on behalf of her babyish brilliance.

I nodded. "Why don't we walk around for just a bit before James goes back to Hogwarts? I've really missed Hogsmeade. I wish Mom could've seen it." We all stood, and Sirius bundled Liv up until she resembled a fat pink marshmallow. James, to his credit, took all Liv's attention with good humor. He was a far more popular kid at school this year once the truth of Sirius's innocence had come out, and I couldn't believe how much he had changed, even since Christmas.

Sirius paid the bill and we left, emerging into a bitter Scottish cold. In spite of the harsh weather, Hogsmeade couldn't look any more charming. Skinny winding chimneys, powder white rooftops, snow falling gently… I was reminded of my first Christmas reunited with Sirius, and I couldn't help smiling. He caught my eye, and I could tell he was thinking something along those lines, as well.

We wound our way around tiny village streets, with Sirius holding Livia close to his chest and James wandering along behind us. When we got to my former house, we stood outside the gate, staring at it. "This is the first place I saw your mum in twelve years. And the first place I ever saw you, James, other than in pictures."

James knew the whole story, of course, but he nodded anyway to humor Sirius. "You're one huge dog, Dad!" Sirius laughed.

"When is the last task?" I asked. I worried for Harry's safety. Exposing students to fire-breathing dragons first thing seemed like something no mother would ever consent to, no matter what the rules said. Although I was nowhere close to being Harry's mother, I knew Lily might have a few things to say about her son being forced to deal with all that. To my practical – and maternal – way of thinking, the whole Tri-Wizard Cup thing seemed like nothing but a load of crap. Sometimes I just didn't get the whole wizard mindset.

"Oh, it's not until spring." Sirius looked over James's head at me; he knew what I was thinking, as usual. "He has plenty of time to prepare. Ready to move on?"

#

We deposited James safely back at Hogwarts and made ready to take the train back to London. Once past the milk-run from Hogsmeade to Dovetown, Sirius relaxed a bit. We were now in muggle territory, and he preferred it that way. Nobody stared at him, other than me.

"Has your mother mentioned returning?" he asked.

"She said something about coming back in the summer or fall, if possible. Maybe we could double date with Ollivander." I smirked, thinking of his apparent fascination with Mom.

"I think not," Sirius answered, grinning back. "They're on their own, far as I'm concerned." Then the pensive look returned. "There's something I need to speak to you about."

"Okay," I said warily. "What's up?"

"Dumbledore asked me to be on notice. If and when Voldemort ever grows strong enough, he wants to regroup the Order."

"Oh." I didn't know what to say to that. But the maternal instinct I had felt for Harry switched to one more directed to my spouse. "I take it you'd join back up?"

He stared at me in disbelief. "What do you think?"

"I'm thinking yes. But if that happens, I'm in, too."

"Oh Laura. I don't know …" Sirius frowned. "If something happened to me, the children should still have you, at least. I don't think you should."

"Well, then, neither should you," I said sharply. "They need their father, too. He took you from us for twelve years. How can you expect me to sit back and do nothing?"

Sirius sighed. "Well, it's not even worth discussing at this point. He may never come to full power again. I'm sorry I brought it up."

"No way. Of course you should, and I think we should have a plan, in case it ever happens."

We talked about a few possibilities, and then settled in for the remainder of the trip, which Livia fortunately slept through. I found myself wondering if she would be a witch, or perhaps a squib, like my mother. I hated to think of a non-magical child living in a wizarding household. Nobody had ever spoken of that circumstance, but I imagined that a person like that would have to be really good at keeping secrets.

"Sirius?"

He looked at me. "Yeah?"

"How common are squibs?"

"Not very." He glanced down at Livia's little bushy head and kissed the top of it before his eyes met mine, and he repeated the move against my lips. "Don't worry, darling. She'll grow up to be a beautiful, talented witch, just like her mother, and we'll be fighting off teenage wizards with spots soon enough."

#

The last months of the school year passed uneventfully enough. Sirius and I, with Liv, enjoyed London, and the coming of spring. We did mostly muggle things, yet traded letters with James and Harry on a regular basis. It wasn't until the third task of the Tri-Wizard Cup, in late June, that we returned to Hogwarts, and even then we were fairly confident that Harry would emerge unscathed, if not the clear winner. Sirius had begun to send daily owls with tips on how to get past the obstacles. And it was only a maze they had to get through; no underwater breathing, nor horn-tailed, fire-breathing dragons. Perhaps the third task was just a formality, I told myself, though Sirius laughed at my naivety. But then … we went to the school to watch it, and we saw the end.