Lupin's True Love Returns

September 14, 1996

Regina and Charlie wove their fingers together as they followed after Hagrid and Henry. Charlie watched Kitty and Alison hurry past them. Harry and Ginny were trailing behind them, with Leo in Ginny's arms. Scott and Jean were behind them. Jean was trying to help Scott feel better after his rough ride on the carts in Gringotts.

"What were you and Remus talking about, love?" Charlie spoke so softly that Henry could barely hear them.

"Just why Peter betrayed them and why everyone seemed so happy about his capture last night." Regina waved her hand as if to dismiss the recent event. "Nothing really."

"You said something about wanting to know more about your Uncle James and Uncle Sirius?" Charlie watched her shake her head slightly. "Who were they?"

"I think you know who Sirius was." Regina flipped her hair over her shoulder slightly. "After all, your family did live with him over a year ago."

"Sirius Black is your uncle? No way." Charlie's laughter caused Harry to shake his head.

"Aunt Veronica told me that Sirius was legally taken into the Potter home when he was only fifteen. Something about signed paperwork. So technically he was Regina's uncle and mine." Harry's arm was draped over Ginny's shoulder as they pulled even with them.

"Look, I know that you've been calling Veronica your aunt since you met her. I just don't understand how she's related to you." Charlie looked into Harry's emerald green eyes.

"If I tell you, you can't tell anyone else. We only found it out recently." Harry tilted his head slightly as he watched Charlie.

Charlie shrugged his shoulders and held out a hand. "You've got it."

Harry held out his free hand and gripped Charlie's calloused one. "She and my father were, in all truth, brother and sister. Mr. and Mrs. Potter hid Aunt Veronica when she was a baby for..." Harry searched his mind for the right way to explain the prophecy. "... a reason that I can't reveal. When her adoptive parents died, her real parents took her back into their home and never told her the truth."

"Wow. She's your aunt and Regina is your cousin so that makes Remus your..."

"My uncle. Of course, as close as he was to my father, he already was and will always be an uncle." Harry grinned as Charlie shook his head slightly. None of them heard Scott and Jean moving closer to them.

"I'd hate to be related to Veronica when she gets her temper up." Charlie smiled slightly.

"No chance in that, Charlie." Scott's hand landed on Charlie's shoulder. "She's already taken one man's head for insulting her family." Scott glanced over at Harry. "I think you know who I'm talking about."

Harry laughed slightly, making Leo coo in amusement, when Scott smiled. "What I wouldn't have given to have seen his face when she told him to get out of the carriage."

Charlie looked between Harry and Scott. He turned slightly as he felt Regina's silent laughter. Then he heard Ginny's giggles and tossed his hands into the air. "Told who to get out of the carriage?"

Regina patted his arm slightly. "I'll tell you later, my dragon tamer."

Ginny shook her head as she watched Regina place a soft kiss on her brother's lips. "Eww! That's my brother you're kissing!"

Regina just smiled softly as she faced the younger girl. "You're just jealous that my boyfriend is cuter than yours."

Ginny turned slightly to face Harry. "Hurt your cousin."

"Nope." Harry scooped Leo from Ginny's arms. "Leo and I are staying out of this. We don't want to get killed."

Charlie held up his hands as his sister turned and fixed him with a glare. "I'm with Harry. I've seen Veronica pissed so I don't want to see Regina pissed."

"This is between you and me, Ginny." Regina's hazel eyes narrowed slightly. "I want you to remember that your boyfriend is my cousin and I happen to think he's kind of cute." Ginny opened her mouth to speak but Regina held up a hand. "But... I happen to think your brother is cuter." She placed a hand on Ginny's shoulder. "You have nothing to worry about. Friends?"

Ginny stared at Regina's extended hand a moment before gripping it. "Friends. Let's go to my brothers' shop."

Regina watched Ginny and Harry move away from her and Charlie. "Why do I think that I'm being set up?"

"You're not." Charlie smiled as he hurried Regina along the road. "Just don't trust Fred and George."

"Now I know I'm about to get hurt. You're being too nice." Regina's eyes narrowed at her boyfriend slightly.

"No, I'm not. I'm just warning you not to trust them. They have a wicked sense of humor."

Scott laughed as he and Jean moved past the young couple. "You're talking to the girl that put shaving cream in the whipped cream canister."

Regina giggled slightly. "I remember that prank. I was like three or four when Storm and I figured out how to replace the whipped cream with shaving cream. You, Jean, Alex, and Mr. Cassidy put it on your hot chocolate. I'll never forget the looks on your faces when you tasted the shaving cream."

"Merlin help Fred and George." Charlie grinned at his girlfriend. "You're as bad as they are."

"No, she's not. I heard about the Ton Tongue Toffee incident with Harry's cousin." Scott shook his head slightly. "They might be able to get her to help with the shop but no one is a bad as her mother."

"Yeah. That potion she and Lily brewed when I was younger was a hoot." Charlie draped his arm around Regina's shoulders as they made their way down the street.

"What did it do?" Regina laid her head on Charlie's shoulder.

"I'm not sure. I was maybe five when they did it." Charlie shrugged slightly. "They said something about getting even with James and Sirius for making their clothes disappear. I never did ask what they meant by that." He noticed that Henry and Hagrid had passed Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. "Aren't we going in here?"

"Nope. We've got to go down 'ere for a minute." Hagrid pointed to one of the lesser-known shops down the street. "You kids can get the best potion ingredients in there."

Regina's eyes found the dingy little apothecary. Her nose twitched slightly as the smell hit it. Charlie noticed it but decided not to say anything. Scott opened the door causing Regina to sneeze lightly.

"Are you okay, Regina?" Scott looked over his shoulder at the sniffling girl.

"Yeah." She tapped her nose slightly. "Sensitive nose, remember?"

Scott nodded and disappeared into the building. Jean, Kitty, and Alison followed him while Regina and Charlie started toward the door. Hagrid disappeared into the shop quickly followed by Harry, Ginny, and Henry. Not one of them saw the toad like woman following the group. Regina let Charlie go into the shop first just a moment before she caught the scent of the woman's flowery perfume. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she looked around the street. Not seeing anything she shrugged and headed into the shop. Scott was looking at the list that Veronica had handed him.

"'Just a basic supply of potion ingredients.' What the hell is she talking about?" Scott glanced over at Hagrid.

"Anything extra Professor Snape usually provides us. We just have to make sure that we have the basic ingredients for the most basic of potions." Harry turned to face his cousin as she moved toward one of the barrels lining the wall. "Regina, you'd better get more than the rest of them."

"Why?" Regina looked up from the sign stating that a pound of powdered horn of unicorn was 25 Sickles.

"You have seven years of learning to catch up on and I'm sure that Aunt Veronica is going to be teaching you a lot that the Marauders learned." Harry crossed his arms. "I hope she'd going to teach me some of it as well."

"You heard what Mother said about the baby not growing up like Uncle James and Uncle Sirius. What makes you think she's going to teach us anything that they taught her?" Regina raised her delicate eyebrows as Harry moved through the dark room toward her. "Or that she taught them?"

Harry just shrugged. "You never know. You still might need it for the basic stuff that she's going to teach you."

"True. I guess we should get me some of each thing here." Regina moved toward Scott at the counter while Harry made his way toward the dingy window.

Harry noticed that someone was watching the shop. He hid himself slightly by moving to one side of the window and watching the shadows across the street. He saw the toad like woman shift slightly and gave an evil-looking grin. He motioned to Ginny. She came over to the window and followed Harry's gaze to the woman across the street. He heard her slight growl when she recognized the woman as Dolores Umbridge, the woman who had made Harry's life a living hell the year before.

"Why's she here?" Ginny kept her voice fairly low, hoping not to alert Regina and the other X-Men to the deplorable woman hiding in the shadows across the street.

"No telling but I think it has something to do with the fact that we now have ten professors for Defense Against the Dark Arts."

"I bet she's trying to get information on the new Professors."

"Maybe but we'd better make sure they know that she's here."

"Do you think Professor Lupin told them about that woman?"

"If I know Aunt Veronica, she told them that there are people even in the wizarding world that don't like people that are different." Harry moved across the shop toward Scott, Jean, Kitty, and Regina.

Regina knew that something was wrong in the way that Harry was standing way too defensively next to Ginny and Leo. "What's up?"

"We have a visitor outside." Harry's hand slid over the handle of his wand.

"Who?" Scott started to turn but Regina stopped him.

"We don't want to give away our advantage, Cyclops." Regina had slid into her X-Men training. "Tell us what it is, Harry."

"Not what but who. Dolores Umbridge, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister of Magic. She's been following us." Harry glanced down at Ginny. "She was our DADA professor last year."

"All she let us do was read from the book. Everyone hated her." Ginny heard the slight growl emanating from Regina's throat.

"She must be who I smelled when we started to come into the shop." She turned to Scott. "What are we going to do, Cyclops?"

"We are going to finish our shopping and then we are going to confront her." Scott turned to Harry. "Harry, I want you to tell us everything about her."

"She gave me detentions with her for like three weeks. I had to write lines." Harry's left hand skimmed over the back of his right.

Regina grabbed his hand and pulled it level with her eyes. "'I must not tell lies?' What the hell is this shit?"

"Rosebud!" Jean's eyes widened slightly.

"Sorry. Too much time spent with Wolverine." Regina turned back to Harry. "I'm waiting. How did this get etched into the back of your hand?"

"She used something called a blood quill. It used my blood to write the lines." Harry had to restrain his cousin as she started toward the door of the shop. "Regina, she's not worth it."

"I'm going to kill her and bury her body in a shallow unmarked grave for what she's done to my cousin."

"It's not going to help us deal with her, Rosebud." Jean shook her hair over her shoulders. "Tell us what else happened, Harry."

"She fired Hagrid because he's..." Harry looked up at Hagrid. "Maybe you should tell them."

"I'm half giant." Hagrid stood a little taller as he looked around at the X-Men. "Do ye 'ave a problem with 'at?"

Jean and Henry shook their heads. Scott just smiled. "We're proud to know you, Hagrid." He looked back at Harry. "What else?"

"She banned him, Fred, and George from Quidditch because they beat up Malfoy." Ginny tried to hide the smile gracing her lips.

"He insulted my mum and your mum, Gin-Gin. I had every right to hit him." Harry rolled his eyes slightly.

"Tell us more, Harry." Henry placed a blue-furred hand on his shoulder.

"She took away my Hogsmeade weekends because I gave an interview to Rita Skeeter about the night that Voldemort returned. She was also the one that sent the Dementors after me before school started last year. She managed to get a law passed that says that werewolves can't have jobs." Harry heard Regina's growl echo slightly through the room.

"I definitely am going to kill her!" Regina started toward the door again, only to have Hagrid pick her up effortlessly.

"Anything else?" Scott watched Harry glance at Ginny.

"She was going to arrest Dumbledore but he kind of managed to get away." Ginny didn't notice Henry moving toward the door.

"Beast, where are you going?" Scott started to follow him.

"Rosebud isn't going to kill her because I am. How dare she try arrest the very man that is trying to protect this boy?"

Regina hurried after Henry as Scott tossed the bag of gold at Harry and told him and Charlie to pay the shopkeeper before following them. Jean, Kitty, Alison and Hagrid raced out into the street when they heard the woman scream shrilly. Harry tossed some gold coins onto the counter and followed Charlie and Ginny, who was still holding Leo, out the door with the bags of potion ingredients. What he saw was Henry holding Umbridge by her throat and shaking her.

"What I wouldn't give for a camera right now." Harry saw Regina trying to get close enough to the woman to hurt her.

"How dare you?! My father may be a werewolf but he isn't going to kill anyone when the moon's not full! You sent Dementors after poor Harry when he didn't do anything!!" Regina didn't notice that she was starting to transform into an animal. "Did you even bother to find out if Harry had been telling the truth before you had him write those lines IN HIS OWN BLOOD?!! Did you even ask him what was said about his mother, or even Mrs. Weasley, before you decided to give him a ban from Quidditch?!!" Regina took a deep breath a moment before she changed into a tawny she-wolf. Leo squealed loudly and tried to reach for the she-wolf.

"Werewolf!" Umbridge barely managed to get out before Henry tightened his hold on her.

"She ain't no werewolf, you idiot woman." Hagrid knelt next to the growling she-wolf. "She's an animagus."

"A what?" Scott was staring at the tawny she-wolf as she started to sniff the gentle man beside her.

"An animagus is a witch or wizard that can take the shape of an animal. In other words, she's kind of like Rahne." Ginny held out a hand to the she-wolf.

"Well, looks like we're going to have to change her nickname." Jean glanced up at Henry, who was still holding Umbridge. "Don't you think you should let her go?"

"Not until she tells us why she's following us." Henry turned back to the struggling woman. "Well?"

"I was just following orders." Umbridge tried to pull his fingers from her neck.

"From whom?" Scott moved to stand behind Jean.

"The Minister of Magic. He wants to know who you are and why Dumbledore hired you." She collapsed into a heap at Henry's feet when he dropped her.

"You just tell him that the X-Men were hired as teachers and that's what we intend to do." Scott was startled when the she-wolf moved toward Umbridge and growled loudly at her. "Next time you want to talk to us make an appointment."

She nodded a second before she ran away from the group. Scoot looked down at the she-wolf rubbing her head against his hand. Jean smiled as Charlie knelt next to the she-wolf and whispered into her ear. As suddenly as the she-wolf appeared, she disappeared and Regina was standing next to Charlie. She threw her arms around Charlie and hugged him tight.

"What just happened?" Regina turned to look at Harry.

"Apparently you're an animagus like Sirius." Harry grinned. "Wait until Aunt Veronica finds out."

Regina groaned and closed her eyes. "I'm doomed."

"How about we go and head over to the joke shop for a minute and then get your wands?" Ginny linked her arm through Regina's.

Charlie looked down at Regina before turning his head slightly to his little sister. "That sounds like a plan to me."

Regina looked back at the wall that Dolores Umbridge had been pinned to and repressed a shiver of fear. She didn't know what she had done, or why, but she did know that she needed to keep it hidden from her parents and Logan. She trusted her cousin and his friends but she had a feeling that Scott and Jean would tell her mother about it as soon as they had her alone. Charlie squeezed her hand slightly, making her attention turn back to the joke shop they were about to enter.

"So this is their shop?" Regina tried to sound interested but Charlie could tell that she was distracted about the incident with Umbridge.

"Yeah. Look we don't have to go in here if you don't want to." Charlie wrapped an arm around Regina's waist. "We could go and look at the bookshop or something."

Regina shook her head. "No. I want to go in here. Your brothers would be insulted if you didn't at least show off your girlfriend."

Charlie rubbed his neck. "When you're right, you're right. I rarely get home as it is so they take pleasure in torturing me when I finally do get home."

Regina smiled broadly for the first time in what seemed like an hour. "Good. Let's go and give them a reason to torture you." She pulled Charlie through the door and nothing happened. "Seems like my body knows when a charm's been put on the door."

"You broke our door!" Fred stepped around the counter.

"She did no such thing." Kitty stepped through the door a moment later. She turned into a tabby cat.

She hissed at Fred, who was laughing, and George, who seemed mortified that a pretty girl had been transformed. He pulled out his wand as he rounded the corner.

"I'm so sorry about that, miss." George waved his wand over the hissing and spitting tabby and it turned back into Kitty.

"That's okay. I bet it was your brother's idea." Kitty batted her eyes slightly making George blush all the way down to the roots of his flaming red hair.

"Um... Yeah." George mumbled as he hurried back to the counter.

Regina looked over at Charlie, who grinned. "It seems like we need to do a little matchmaking."

"You take Kitty and I'll take George." Charlie hurried to the counter while Regina made her way over to Kitty and Alison.

"I can't believe they charmed the door to turn people into animals." Kitty huffed as she looked at several of the joke items on the counters.

Alison just nodded as she picked up a Canary Cream. "Look at these, Kitty. They're called Canary Creams. They'll turn whoever eats them into canaries."

"I don't trust them. Mother said that Fred and George played a joke on Harry's cousin a couple of years ago and made his tongue grow over four feet." Regina picked up a Skiving Snack box. "Just listen to this. 'Get out of classes with Weasleys' Skiving Snack Boxes. Eat one half of the chew and vomit, have a nosebleed, faint, or have a high fever. Once you've left the class in question, you simply each the other half of the chew and spend the class period doing what you wish. Developed during the time of Dolores Umbridge and used to help remove her from the school.' Can't you see Mother killing us when we try to cut her class?"

Kitty nodded. "Really. She'd murder us in our sleep just to keep us from cutting class. Same with Logan."

Alison smiled. "We might need them for the potions class. Luna and Ginny were telling us that Snape is a royal pain in the rear."

"He is." Kitty and Alison looked up at Regina, who just shrugged. "I met him the same day I arrived and he managed to insult Logan, Scott, Marie, and myself in a matter of minutes. Not only that, he said that Harry wouldn't have anything to do with us. Mother was so mad that I thought she was going to explode."

Alison was hanging on every word but Kitty kept sneaking looks at George. "You know he's kind of cute."

Regina nudged Alison. "Who's kind of cute?"

"The guy that changed me back from a cat." Kitty blushed slightly as when George caught her eye.

"Here's what I know about him. He's Charlie's younger brother and is two years older than Harry and Ron. His name is George Weasley though his brother Fred and him often call themselves Gred and Forge. He was Beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team and was banned last year because he and Harry thought that Draco Malfoy needed to be taught a lesson in manners. He and Fred have invested every galleon they could into this shop and had been trying to get it off the ground for at least three years. Their mother didn't approve of the shop but she's starting to come around." Regina paused as Kitty looked over at George. "And I think he's got a thing for you."

Kitty jerked her head around to look up at Regina. "How do you know?"

"He keeps watching you, girl." Jean approached the three teenage girls. "I take it we're discussing that hunk of wizard talking to Charlie."

Kitty blushed as she nodded. "Yeah. He's cute."

"Then go and talk to him." Jean started to push Kitty toward the three red headed men.

"What would we talk about?" Kitty dug her heels in trying hard not to let the women surrounding her take her over to George. "I barely know him."

Meanwhile, Charlie was talking to Fred and George. "What do you think of Veronica's daughter?"

"She's the one with Remus's hair?" Fred watched Regina talking with Kitty and Alison. "Nice."

Charlie's eyes narrowed. "I suggest you keep your hands off, Fred."

"I didn't say anything." Fred looked over at his twin

"I don't think it was what you said but how you said it." George leaned on the counter as his gaze slid toward Kitty. "Hey, Charlie, tell us about the girls that are with her."

"I was wondering when you would ask me about them. The one with the dark hair is Kitty Pryde and the blonde is Alison Blair. They're both Mutants." Charlie watched as Fred reached under the counter and pulled out a pile of Muggle newspapers.

"Mutants are the ones that attacked the world leaders at that World Summit a few months ago." Fred spread out the newspapers. "And that school in Westchester, New York was full of mutants."

"Let me tell you something. There are good and bad Mutants, just like there are good and bad wizards. Kitty and Alison are part of the good ones." Charlie narrowed his deep blue eyes at Fred and George. "If you've got a problem with them, then you have a problem with Regina."

"No problem here, mate." Fred held up his hands in surrender. "I just wanted to know if they knew anything about the attacks."

"Most likely and you're not going to ask them." Charlie shook his head slightly.

"What can you tell me about Kitty?" George lowered his voice slightly to make sure that Henry and Hagrid couldn't hear them. Little did he know that Scott was listening.

"You'll have to take it slow, young man." Scott stepped over to the counter and joined the red haired men.

"What do you mean, sir?" George gave Scott a shaky smile.

"I mean a young boy hurt her a few years ago." Scott glanced at the girls chatting with Kitty. "It took me and Jean a long time to get her to trust anyone let alone any boys."

"And who exactly are you?" Fred narrowed his eyes at Scott.

"This is Scott Summers. He taught at Xavier's and now he's going to be teaching our baby brother and sister how to fight." Charlie laughed slightly. "Not that they need it."

"What did that boy do to Kitty?" George glanced over at the girls chatting.

"When Kitty found out that she was a Mutant, she decided not to come to Xavier's School. That was her decision, at the time. She had started to date this guy about a month later when a drunk driver came careening around the corner to the school. Kitty was crossing the street when it happened. She never saw him. The driver couldn't stop in time. He drove right through her."

"Through her?" George could picture Kitty walking and the car hitting her but not going through her.

"That's her power. She has the ability to phase through things. Well, when that happened, her boyfriend, and I use the term loosely, called her a mutie and a freak. It almost destroyed her. That's why I said that you would have to take it kind of slow with her. It would devastate her if the next guy she got close to did the same thing." Scott glanced over his shoulder. "You just have to show her that you are the kind of guy that likes to laugh and to live. You have to show her that you don't care that she's a mutant."

"And I don't care that she's a mutant. Hell, you could call us mutants for that matter." George stood a little straighter when he saw the girls pulling Kitty toward them. "How do I look?"

"You look fine, George." Fred ran his fingers through his own hair making it stand up on end. "She'll like you just fine."

"What do I say to her?" George glanced at Scott and Charlie.

"How about asking her to the Hogsmeade weekend on October 26th? You can double with me and Regina." Charlie gave George a big grin.

"S-s-s-sounds like a plan." George tugged at his robes as the girls stepped up to the counter. "Ladies, what can we do for you?"

"Fred and George, I'd like to introduce you to Kitty and Alison." Charlie turned slightly as Regina wove her arm through Charlie's. "And this lovely lady is Regina Lupin."

Fred stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you all."

"Same here." Alison took Fred's hand and gripped it tightly. "Your brothers have told us all about you."

"Nothing bad I hope." George gripped Kitty's hand, before bringing it to his lips and placing a gentle kiss on the back.

Kitty blushed slightly as she pulled her hand out of George's grasp. "Not at all. I think you guys and Regina are going to get along just fine."

"What makes you say that?" Fred turned to Kitty.

Scott slapped his hand over Regina's mouth. "No one tell them."

"Tell us what?" George looked around the group at the smiles. He noticed that Harry, Ginny and Leo were missing. "Where are Harry, Ginny, and Leo?"

"You just noticed that they were missing?" Henry glanced out the front window. "Outside. Now what Scott doesn't want you to know is..."

Regina managed to get Scott's hand off her mouth. "Storm and I replaced whipped cream with shaving scream!"

"How in Merlin's name did you manage that one?" Fred pulled Regina from Scott's grasp and threw an arm over her shoulder.

"I'm not sure I remember how we did it. I just remember the look on Scott's face when he tasted the shaving cream." Regina grinned as Fred and George pulled her away from the rest of the group. "You'll have to ask Ororo how we did it. She was fifteen and I was like three or four."

"We'll have to come to the Leaky Cauldron tonight and ask her how it was done." George rubbed his hands together at the thought of finding out how to do something like that.

Scott stormed about the shop. "I forbid asking how they did it! I forbid it!"

Harry pulled open the door. "Maybe you could yell a bit louder, Professor Summers. I don't think they heard you at Beauxbatons."

"Or even Durmstrang!" Ginny's voice floated into the shop, with Leo's cooing.

Scott huffed and crossed his arms as Charlie managed to get Regina away from Fred and George. Kitty laughed when she glanced at George, who smiled softly at her. Fred shook his head slightly and waved to the group as Scott managed to get them out of the shop.

"Where to next?" Jean wound her fingers with Scott's.

"We need to get their wands." Hagrid glanced at the parchment in Henry's hand. "This way to Miss Lorien's."

Harry looked up at his giant friend. "Who is Miss Lorien?"

"She's the second best wand maker in Diagon Alley. She helped Veronica with 'er wand if memory serves me right." Hagrid grinned as he led the way into the wand shop next door.

The bell above the door rang gently, alerting the woman within that she had more customers. She smiled when she recognized Harry from his picture in the Quibbler. "A pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Potter."

Harry extended his hand but Missy wrapped him up in a hug. "Nice to meet you too, Ma'am."

Missy let Harry go and turned to the Mutants. "Let's get the bunch of you set up with wands. Ladies." She motioned Kitty and Alison forward.

Kitty stepped forward as a tape measure jumped to life. "Neat."

Alison approached slowly as the second tape measure jumped to life. "I'm not to sure about this."

"You'll be safe, Ali." Harry placed a hand on her shoulder. "We're here if you need us."

Alison nodded slightly. Missy started to pull boxes from the shelves. She laid the boxes beside the counter. Harry watched as she pulled Kitty forward.

"You are first, dear." She handed Kitty a wand. Kitty glanced over her shoulder at Harry and Ginny who both waved their right hands in a wand movement. Kitty did as she was shown and blew up the counter. The wand clattered onto the floor when Kitty dropped it.

Kitty blushed as she turned to Harry and Charlie. "I blew up the counter. I'm so sorry."

"It happens all the time, Kitty." Charlie draped an arm over her shoulders, making Regina narrow her eyes. "It happens all the time."

Kitty nodded as she took the next wand from Missy. "You don't have to worry, dear. I can repair anything that's broken by you." Kitty took the new wand gingerly and waved it. A vase shattered from the wayward spell. "You certainly are a lot different from the other three I sold wands to. Let me see. Ah! How about this one?"

A shower of turquoise sparks shot from the end, making Kitty almost drop it. "What does that mean?"

"The wand chooses who it wants to use it. This wand is made of pure ivory with a mermaid scale for the core." Missy took the wand from Kitty's hand and slid it into a box. "That is a very good choice for you, dear." She turned to Alison. "Are you next?"

"Sure am." Alison bounced toward the witch. "Let's find me a wand."

"That's the idea, dear. The better mood you're in the faster it seems to go." Missy handed her a wand. "Let it fly."

Alison waved the wand and there was a shower of emerald green sparks. "That was fast."

"Some people connect with their wands faster than others." Missy turned the wand over in her hands. "Pine and the tail hair of a Unicorn. That's a rare combination but then again most of your groups have some very rare people in them." Missy turned to Jean. "Now for you, ma'am."

"Dumbledore never said anything about us getting wands as well." Jean stepped forward and took the offered wand. Little did she know that the wand was the first one that Kitty had tried. A shower of black and crimson sparks showered from the end.

"Ahh. Another rare wand. Phoenix feather and ash. Perfect for a powerful witch or, in your case, Mutant." Missy turned back to the stacks and started to pull several boxes out as Regina stepped forward.

"How did you know that she's a mutant?" Regina watched Missy turn slightly to face her.

"I can tell, dear. The same as Ollivander can tell. It's a special gift to a rare few to be able to tell the mutants from the wizards." Missy handed the first wand to Regina. "I believe you should try this wand."

Regina waved it. A shower of crimson sparks shot form the end. "I take it that the wand has chosen quickly again."

"Of course, dear. Your mother tried this very wand but it refused her. It seems that it was waiting for her daughter. There is a phoenix feather in this wand, you know." Missy motioned for Scott to step forward. "I believe you know the owner."

"Griff. Mother's phoenix."

"Her familiar." Missy handed Scott a wand and he blew out the front windows. "Another difficult one. Very well. This gives me a chance to sell my more unusual wands." Missy handed another wand to Scott for him to try.

"I take it that few witches and wizards are this unusual." Jean watched as Scott blew up the remaining bit of counter.

"A few are." Missy handed Scott another wand. "You see the problem with a lot of wands is that more than one has the same core. Now take phoenix feathers. They're rare but the problem is if two wands have the same core they can backfire on each other."

"You mean cancel each other out?" Scott waved the third wand this time getting rewarded with a shower of magenta sparks. "Finally."

"Yes. You're going to do well with a feather from an ash griffin. They're extremely rare, just like you." Missy turned to Henry. "You are next, sir."

Henry moved toward Missy. "I feel that I must warn you, madam. I'm a bit skeptical about this realm of magic."

"Doesn't matter, sir. You will find a wand that will fit you." Missy handed him one of the discarded wands. "Perhaps we should try this one first." Henry took the wand from her and waved it slightly. A shower of golden sparks showered down on them. "You're a fast one." Missy eyes never left the wand. "The feather of a golden oriole of Egypt and the wood of a carob tree. A very rare combination."

"I guess that's everyone." Regina examined her wand as Hagrid stepped forward to pay for them.

"Are you sure, dear?" Missy turned her eyes on Harry. "I believe your wand could do with replacing, Mr. Potter."

"What makes you say that?" Harry's gripped tightened on his wand slightly.

Missy laughed. "Your wand is the brother to Voldemort's, therefore it's useless to try and use it against him. You happen to be in luck because I have another wand that might suit you well." She wandered to the back of her shop and started sorting through boxes. "I have kept this wand safe for many years. There is much that you could learn about it and the owner of the core. I'm sure Mr. Lupin will tell you all."

Harry glanced over his shoulder at the rest of the group. "It wouldn't hurt to try it."

Missy hurried from the back and placed an ancient looking box onto the repaired counter. "This came all the way from Japan. Try it before I tell you the core and materials."

Harry took the wand from Missy and felt a warmth run down his arm and throughout his body. It was the same reaction as when he first held his wand six years earlier. Harry closed his emerald eyes and brought his arm down in a wide arc. A shower of pure white sparks shot from the end dazzling everyone in the room. "Well, it looks like I have a second wand." Harry glanced over at Missy. "What's the core?"

"The hair of an inu-akuma and petals of a lotus bloom of a plant that hadn't produced in 50 years are the core. The wood itself consists of a mulberry tree and a sacred bonsai. It's a very powerful wand. And it now belongs to you."

"The hair? Who did it come from?"

"I only know his name is Inu-Yasha. I never could discover whether he lives or not. Akumas can live for a very long time and often hide for centuries." Missy took the Galleons that Hagrid handed her. "Thank you, Hagrid. I hope you are all happy with your wands."

"I'm sure we will be." Jean ushered the teens out into the street. She turned to Harry as Hagrid closed the door to the shop. "That was interesting. I've never heard of inu-akuma before."

"Neither have I but you can bet that if I tell Hermione she'll be in the library looking it up." Harry linked his arm with Ginny's. "What's next?"

"I think we'll just go and get your stationary and then all we have left are your school books." Jean looked down her list.

"Good. I could use a new quill." Ginny shuffled Leo in her arms as she followed Jean down the street.

Scott watched Harry looking over his new wand. "Hey. I wasn't expecting that. Were you?"

"No. She's almost as strange as Ollivander but not quite." Harry pulled his old wand from his pocket. "Looks like I've got to train with two wands now."

Scott placed a hand on Harry's shoulder. "I know you've got it rough but it could be worse."

"How so?" Harry looked up at Scott's covered eyes.

"We could have to deal with the Brotherhood or the Hellfire Club. At least all we have to deal with now is getting the bunch of you children trained for battle."

"You're wrong. We could have Death Eaters attacking Diagon Alley right now."

"True." Scott smiled broadly making Harry laugh. "Come on. We've got to hurry so we can ask Remus about this Inu-Yasha."

"Okay." Harry slid both wands into his pocket and ran down the street.

Little did they know but four figures were watching them from the rooftops. One was dressed in a red kimono, his silver hair moving softly with the wind and his dog-ears twitching slightly. His brother was standing tall in his white kimono with his tail trailing slightly behind him. A dark haired man knelt down and watched as the group disappeared into a nearby shop while the red haired man chewed a piece of gum.

"Aren't we going to show ourselves?" The red haired man looked at the other three. Their combined glares scared him slightly. "Sorry. I just thought we ought to let them know that we're here."

Harry looked up into the midmorning sky and sighed a moment before he followed the group into the stationary shop. He had a feeling that they were being watched but didn't want to alarm the rest of the group. He knew that Umbridge was most likely hiding under her desk at the Ministry and Voldemort was nowhere nearby but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being well protected. He watched as Alison, Jean, and Kitty fawned over the quills and colored inks. Scott rolled his eyes in agreement with Harry's slight sigh. Henry was fascinated with the bottles of ink. Harry watched Ginny pick up several different quills. Once they had paid for everything, they hurried across the way to Flourish and Blotts. Jean glanced down at the list in her hand. She ripped it into several sections.

"Here each group of two takes a list and meets back here in less than twenty minutes." Jean gave the girls a knowing look. "I'm sure that the X-men know that I'm not playing."

"Okay. I'll go with Alison and Ginny and Leo will go with Kitty." Harry glanced down at his list. "Come on. We've got to get the Transfiguration books."

"Coming." Alison hurried after Harry. "How hard is this Transfiguration?"

"Not hard at all. You just have to set your mind to it." Harry hurried to the section of fifth-year books and picked up three copies of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration, three copies of Intermediate Transfiguration and a copy of Advanced Transfiguration. "Your copies of this and we're finished."

Alison was thumbing through a book from the next shelf over. "Look at this, Harry."

"A Guide to Legends and Myths of Ancient Japan? Do you think that Inu-Yasha is in there?" Harry took the book from Alison.

"Maybe. Here's a tale about a Shikon No Tama. Look here's a drawing of the inu-akuma that traveled with the priestess the whole time." Alison pointed at an ink drawing of a man with dog-ears. "His ears are cute."

"I bet he hated having them rubbed." Harry snorted with laughter. "I'm getting this one and that one." He pulled a copy of Japanese Demons and Their Gifts from the shelf. "Maybe these can help me with the whole thing."

"Good thing I stopped here, huh?" Alison followed Harry through the stacks.

"Yeah." Harry hurried over to Henry standing next to the counter.

"I see the two of you got what was needed." Henry took the books from Harry. He turned over the books about Japan. "I see you're going to get started on finding out what you can."

"Sure am. No point in letting Hermione have all the fun." Harry laughed as Ginny and Kitty rounded the stacks from the Potions and Herbology sections.

"Here are the books needed for Potions and Herbology." Ginny looked around the front of the store. "Where are the others?"

"Hagrid's getting the extra books like Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy. Jean and Scott went in search of the Charms books. Something about having to get three copies of the first five years and one copy of the rest. And Charlie and Regina went for the ones about History and the Dark Arts. Apparently all the years use the same of those books." Henry leaned against the counter as Jean and Scott hurried around the stacks with all the books they had been searching for while Hagrid was carrying books for all the classes chosen in Third Year. "Think we've got them all?"

"Almost. We're just going to have to wait on Charlie and Regina." Jean huffed slightly as she placed the books in her arms onto the counter moments before Charlie and Regina rounded the corner. "Do you deliver?"

"Yes, ma'am. Mrs. Lupin has already paid for delivery so we'll deliver all the books bought today to the Leaky Cauldron." The clerk started to place the books into bags and lay the bags onto the floor behind the counter with all the others bought throughout the day.

"Well, I guess we should head back to the Leaky Cauldron." Scott opened the door to the shop and ushered the group out into the emptying street.

They never saw the four men jump from rooftop to rooftop following after them. They watched the small group meet a second group with another red haired boy in it and hurry into the Leaky Cauldron. They descended from the rooftops and hurried to the back door of the pub. Several women landed beside them on the back of a Neko-akuma along with three other ookami-akumas. Together they walked into the pub and heard a small scream from one of the ladies gathered around the table.