Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction, so please be kind!

Disclaimer: I don't own or profit from anything to do with Harry Potter.

"Oof!" Anna huffed as she hauled the bulging suitcase inside her cottage. She used to wish she could levitate heavy items, but after 14 years of living undercover as a muggle, she had gotten rather used to the charade, at least outside of her home. Of course, the fact that the muggles couldn't even see the cottage due to the charm rendered this feat moot, but at this point it was habit.

Home sweet home, she thought, with a touch of bitterness. Although this had technically been her home for the past fourteen years, she knew she would never really be at home ever again until she could be reunited with Sirius. After he had escaped, she had hoped…but of course, it would be dangerous for him to come here while Harry was nearby, as the Ministry and Dumbledore were surely keeping at least a loose eye out (too loose at times in her opinion). Sirius wouldn't know to look for her here, especially under the fidelius charm anyway.

Anna had been searching for nearly three years now, trying to guess where he may have hidden. She didn't believe he would really be anywhere in the world—he would want to stay nearby, be reachable for Harry's sake. But if he wanted to be hidden, he would stay hidden, just as she had. She had intentionally left tracks, though, and if he had left any, she couldn't find them. And of course, her tracks had been left for Remus, with clues only he could decipher. About ten years in, Anna had stopped hoping that he would come after her.

"For Harry" had been her mantra—and it had been easy to put him first because she loved him like her own. She had to find him now, tell him, warn him, whatever she could do. Things were changing. It felt like before, and she could read the signs even without her magical contacts in the world. He had too much of a habit of wandering around the area. Of course, she would have to explain, and she was terrified of losing his trust. She only hoped he would have enough affection left for his old "teacher" to hear her out about everything. They didn't have a lot of time to lose.

Anna took off to look for Harry without even unpacking. She had felt restless for the past few months. It was almost as if the wind had shifted and there was a disturbance in the atmosphere. The sun was starting to set as she turned left toward the park. She slowed when she saw a group of teenage boys up ahead.

It was a real shame, Anna mused, that she couldn't just haul them into detention as she used to, teach those bullies a lesson. Of course, if she really needed to, she could probably put the fear of God into them, she mused. She stepped forward about to do so, and she realized there was another boy, lagging behind them. It was Harry! None of the boys had noticed her yet, and Dudley's gang—Merlin, was that Dudley?! He was certainly still large, but where he had all the blubber before, he now had muscle. The fat was still there, but Petunia must have done something right, for a change. That was certainly noteworthy. She hung back, still in the shadows for the moment.

Pieces of the conversation floated back to her, and she was rather concerned for both Harry's safety as well as his sanity, as she realized that he was taunting Dudley. The words "Diddykins", "night…pillows?" She watched as his face paled and he yelled at Dudley about something she couldn't understand, and then, she noted with alarm, that he was about to pull his wand out. She started walking toward the boys quickly, reaching for her upper arm, where her wand was hidden inside a holster, in case she needed to disarm him.

Goosebumps suddenly covered her arms and she wondered at that. It had been miserably hot for weeks now, so that was not just unusual but impossible. The chill ran down to Anna's core as she felt the panic before processing the cause. As she realized what was happening, she wrenched her wand from its holster with a trembling hand as she tried not to panic, already sprinting toward the boys.

Harry was attempting to grab his wand as he struggled with Dudley, but she didn't think there was any way he could protect himself, anyway. She was starting to hear it and she wanted to get close enough to cast before the memory overtook her and she was no longer able.

She saw the jeer on the traitor's face as he told her Sirius had left for Godric's Hollow. A shard of icy fear pierced her heart and she turned on the spot, terrified of what she would see. The house was destroyed and her heart shattered into icy pieces. James, Lily and Harry…Harry!

She came back to the present with a jolt, although the memories were pressing in, she willfully forced them away. Dudley had run toward one dementor, while Harry was aiming his wand at the other "Expect...expecto…patronum" he muttered weakly. "Not Harry," she muttered as she ran, almost there now. "No, not Harry!"

The dementor drew closer, and Harry could feel the familiar icy sensation seeping over him. There was a rushing sound in his ears and then he heard the familiar scream of "No, not Harry!"

It sounded…different this time...he had never noticed the pounding of feet, as though someone were running across pavement. Shaking his head, he tried to get hold of himself. Don't think about that, think of something happy! He raised his wand and thought of Ron and Hermione, and started to form the words-but before he could, he heard something from behind him.

"Expecto Patronum!"