Okay first off, I am so sorry for the horrendously long gap in chapter updates. My bad, majorly. As an apology I've made this one a bit longer. I hope you like it and it's not full of huge gaping errors. Please drop me a review letting me know what you think, good or bad, and why. Cheers.

Anywho. Enjoy!

I arrived in Edinburgh around 4pm local time.

My fear and anxiety was making it difficult to feel how tired I was, which was good. I'd ended up only getting a couple of hours of sleep before I'd woken up with a shout, drenched in sweat and out of breath. The nightmare was the usual fare: monsters and shadowy creatures encircled by fire surrounded the people I love, tormenting, vicious and deadly. I stood screaming, my bones snapping beneath me every time I tried to reach them. Agony, pure and white. Horror, despair and blinding insanity shooting through my feeble body as inhuman screams filled the air. I couldn't save them. They died screaming, while my enemies laughed.

I was shaking when I woke up. Violently. It took me three tries to light the candle by my bed. I'd spent the next several hours in the lab, working desperately to dispel the all too vivid dream.

As I stepped into the HQ of the White Council, I tried to convince myself that it wasn't a bad omen. I mean, a dream isn't the same as a prophecy. I can't see the future. No need to read too much into it, right?

I shook myself and purposely strode forwards to find Ebenezer.

He was in the War Room, where he could usually be found warming his boots by the fire. Since the end of the Red Court the room was much quieter and he was the only there. When he saw me he frowned and stood up to meet me.

"Hoss," he said gruffly, "thought I told you not come here. Why didn't you use the Speaking Stones?"

"I needed to talk face-to-face. Then I have something to do here."

He stared at me steadily for a long moment. There was no risk or a soulgaze, and his eyes locked onto mine, strong and direct. Finally he said "Are you sure of what you're doing here?"

I nodded. "You know me. This was never something I would, or could, walk away from. The only way that's going to happen is if she says so. Otherwise, I'm always going to be here. Can you make it happen?"

He grunted. "Aye. The Council are desperate to get these kids out of here. The old crusties find all the noise rather disconcerting. And a Warden slipped on a skateboard the other day and broke his hip. Injun Joe fixed him up okay but he's embarrassed as hell. Trust me, people aren't going to be questioning you. More likely they'll try and give you 2 for 1." Ebenezer snorted in derision.

"Surely there will be some suspicion?"

"None that can't be overcome by a few white lies. I've dragged you into things before; this can just be added to the list as another one of my stubborn endeavours."

I managed a smile. "And of course there's always those who'll be convinced this is my cunning scheme to create my own Sith apprentice."

He chuckled. "Of course."

Soon I'd made my way to the Bureaucratic Palace of Paperwork. Actually I don't know its real name but it was a huge room filled with forms, reports and several libraries' worth of historical and clerical papers. It was actually quite shocking that the only thing I needed to do to officially apply to take on an apprentice was fill in my address, age and current job and sign my name at the bottom of a form. A thin wizard who reminded me of a scuttling beetle carefully filed the paper away and told me to come back with my chosen apprentice so he or she could sign it too. Just before I turned to leave he leaned forwards over his desk and whispered, almost in relief, "Thank you."

I stared at him. Then I left without another word.

Molly met me in the corridor. She smiled and gave me a hug. "I'm so glad you're here!" she gushed excitedly. "It's been too long boss. Did you get the invite?"

"Sure did, Grasshopper. Congratulations!"

She beamed at me. "Thanks. You are coming, right? I told Carlos we needed to make sure to give you plenty of warning. That way you'll have no excuse for turning up to our wedding in cowboy boots or something else ridiculous."

"Hey! I'd never do that. And what are you trying to say about my wardrobe anyway? I do own a shirt you know."

She raised a blonde eyebrow at me. "A bowling shirt does not count Harry."

I scowled. "Fine, fine! I'll rent a tux. Happy?"

"Ecstatic." My former apprentice grinned at me from ear to ear and we set off walking down the corridor. After a moment the light-heartedness fell into a more serious atmosphere and she said cautiously, "Wizard McCoy told me why you're here."

I didn't say anything. I kept walking, my steps even and far too loud on the stone floor.

"I just want you to know that I'm right behind you. I mean, I support what you're doing. I think you'll be a great-"

"Mentor." I interrupted before she said anything easily overhear-able. Yes, that's a word. "I'll be her mentor."

She frowned at me. "That too. Listen, Harry, I've been working closely with all the kids here at the moment. Maggie, she's a strong girl. She needs to know. If you're serious about this, you cannot lie to her, or keep this from her."

I felt sick. My stomach knotted and twisted in spasms. "I'm not going to lie to her. I had enough of that when I was her age. But I don't know what she remembers, how she'll react. I'm terrified right now. I don't know if this is the right thing to do. What I'm doing now? This could go so horribly wrong. But I don't know what else to do. This is defusing bombs in the dark, Molly. Dangerous, probably stupid and there's no clear route to safety. All I can do is grope about in the dark and try not to get anyone dead. Including myself."

"But if you pull it off, everyone survives and their chances of living are much better afterwards."

I stopped and stared at her. "You're like a giant ball of positive thinking aren't you?"

She shrugged. "So I'm an optimist. So sue me."

I snorted. We carried on walking. Finally we reached a door. Scrawled on a piece of paper which was taped to the door were the words 'KEEP OUT! OR I'LL TURN YOU INTO A NEWT.' There was a big smiley face underneath, which sort of reduced the threat a bit. My chest tightened. For a few seconds my breathing stopped.

"This is Maggies room. I'll go in first and tell her what's going on. I'll call you in when she's ready for you."

I nodded wordlessly, unable to form a sound. Molly gazed softly at me for a moment, then knocked on the door. "Maggie? It's me. Can I come in? It's important."

There was a pause and then a lilting, child's voice called "S'open."

Molly glanced at me, mouthed 'Good luck!' and entered my daughters room.

I stood, staring at the closed door and tried to make me brain shut up its gibbering long enough to Listen.

I could hear someone walking across a stone floor, then a chair creak. Molly's voice: "How are you doing today Maggie?"

That same soft voice answered. "Fine. Phillip set Wizard Espera's cloak on fire in class this morning. It was funny."

Molly laughed and I find myself smiling too. I put a hand on the door and tried to Listen harder. Her voice was so melodic. Her vowels had a flowing cadence that sounded vaguely Spanish. Her first language, I realised. Living in South America she would be fluent.

"I'm sure it was." Molly said. "I'm glad you're enjoying learning."

"Hmm, it's okay. I'm just sick of being indoors. It's like, I want to see the sunshine."

"Well that's what I wanted to talk to you about. What would you say if I told you we'd found you a mentor?"

"Really?" She sounded excited. "That would be so cool!" Her voice dropped to suspicion as a thought struck her. "Wait, it's not going to be anyone really, really old is it? Or someone who lives where there's no kids? Or someone really mean? That would be horrible."

"No, Maggie, no one like that. Don't worry." Molly reassured her sweetly. "This is a man who is not even half a century old!"

"Wow! So he's not some 200 year old guy who knew Queen Victoria then?"

Molly laughed. "Not at all. He lives in America. Chicago, to be exact."

There was a pause, and her voice returned, thoughtful and young. "I've always wanted to go to an American High School. It looks so much fun in the movies."

"Yeah, well it's not exactly a Disney movie, but I think you'll enjoy it. Lots of different people to get to know."

"Awesome! Well, what's the hold up? Can I meet this Wizard?"

Molly's voice took on a cautious tone, serious and gentle. "Maggie, there's something you need to be aware of." Molly paused as Maggie registered the shift in conversational tone. "This wizard; you've met him before."

"When?"

"When you were younger. When that bad thing happened to you. Do you remember?"

The silence that followed was deafening. My nails dug into the soft wood of the door as I tensed, straining to Listen, ignoring the pain behind my eyes.

After a moment, my daughter's voice returned, much quieter, without the bouncing melody that was there before. "I remember. I don't remember everything though. I get flashes sometimes. I mostly remember feeling scared and sad and wanting to go home. I remember lots of loud noises and scary monsters. But there are only two faces I remember."

"Who?" Molly was so gentle, so kind and quiet. I was incredibly grateful for her then.

I heard a sniff. Molly said, "I'm so sorry to be bringing this all up again, but it's important. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I understand that these things are scary and upsetting."

"No, no it's not that." More sniffs. "I just hate thinking about it. One of them is horrible. He makes me so frightened. I just want to curl up in a ball and stop thinking."

"What did he look like?"

"He was... he had black hair. It was long. He had it in a ponytail. I don't think he was very tall, but he seemed like it when I looked at him. He had scary eyes. When he looked at me I felt empty and I wanted to just... not be anymore."

I heard someone shift, and bedsprings getting squashed. Molly must have sat next to Maggie on her bed. "That man is dead now. You don't have to be scared of him anymore. He's never coming back."

"Really?" She was crying. I could tell she was trying to hold it back because her voice sounded choked.

"I promise you. I swear on my power and everything I hold dear in life, that man is never going to hurt you anymore. He's dead."

A sigh, full of released pain, reassurance and trust. "Good. That's good."

"Who was the other person you remember?"

Maybe it was just projected hope but I thought he voice was lighter when she answered, more normal. "A tall man. His hair was all messy and he had blood on him. On his face. He looked like he was hurting. He looked as scared as I felt. He frightened me because he didn't look like a monster like the other ones. I thought he was a new one. Someone else to hurt me. But he didn't hurt me. He just held me. He was shaking a lot. But he was warm and he was holding me and then I don't remember anything. I woke up in a church. And there weren't any monsters anymore."

"That man is the one who saved you from the monsters."

"I know. I didn't know who he was, or what was happening, or anything much other than how scared I was. But I could tell the difference between the bad guys and the good guys when I remembered." She paused. "Molly... is he the man who wants to be my mentor?"

"Yes Maggie. He is. He's very worried about meeting you because he doesn't know what you remember or what you will think of him. But I just want you to know, Maggie, because this is very important; he is a good man. He's one of the best men you will ever meet. And I'm not just saying that because I was his apprentice."

"You were?"

"Yes. He saved me too actually. And he helped me become the Wizard I am today. If it weren't for him I wouldn't be here at all. I would like you to meet him, if that's okay. He has something very important to discuss with you but I'll leave that to him to talk about."

"Okay." Stronger this time, more sure. "Okay."

"I can stay with you if you want, or I can wait outside. Which would you prefer?"

A thoughtful pause. "Um... can you wait outside please? I think I'd feel better if... if I could just see him first. I want to meet him as just him."

"Of course. Has anyone ever told you that you're an incredibly mature girl Maggie?"

She laughed slightly, nervous and excited. "Try telling that to Wizard Espera. He told us all off for laughing at his cloak catching fire. Said we were all 'silly ignorant children'."

"Well, I think I'm going to have to disagree with Wizard Espera on this one. You are a remarkable girl." I heard Molly stand up and say "I'll be here if you want me."

A moment later she stepped outside into the corridor. She looked at me softly and nodded. I swallowed and, my heart beating wildly, I stepped through the open door and, for the second time in my life, laid eyes on my daughter.

Okay... thoughts? Sorry I didn't get chance for Harry to actually meet Maggie in this chapter, but I thought all this stuff is important. You know, what she remembers and stuff. Let me know what you think. :)