A New Dawn

Kate awoke the next morning to find sunlight streaming in from the windows and illuminating the sparkling white hospital wing of Hogwarts. She started, sitting bolt upright in bed, before the memories of the night before came flooding back to her. With a moan of grief-filled comprehension, she lay back down and turned her eyes to the figure--or figures, rather--lying beside her. Harry was lying in the same position he had fallen asleep in, still peacefully asleep, but Aurora had at some point in the night awoken and crawled into bed, curling up against her father's chest and falling asleep once more.

Kate smiled and brushed a strand of white-blonde hair from her oldest daughter's face. Aurora stirred but did not wake, and Kate took to watching the two of them sleep with a deep sense of inner contentment. They were safe, and they were all together; essentially, this was all that mattered in the world.

The soft pattering of tiny feet broke Kate's reverie; she turned over to find Bridie--a sleepy smile plastered on her face--coming around the screens that concealed their bed. The daughter who had inherited Harry's looks--except for Kate's wildly curly hair--climbed over her mother and landed with a creaking of mattress springs in the middle of the bed between her mother and sister.

"Good morning, love," Kate said quietly, kissing Bridie's cheek.

"Morning, Mummy," Bridie chirped. "Where are we?"

"We're at Hogwarts, love; Mummy's and Daddy's school," Kate replied, now sitting up slowly and stretching.

"Are we on holiday?" Bridie inquired, sitting up as well and mimicking her mother's tired yawn.

"I guess you could say that," Kate answered as she pulled her daughter into her lap. "We're going on a bit of a holiday to visit some of Mummy and Daddy's friends. That'll be nice, won't it?"

"It better be," came Harry's voice from beside them. He had a wry half smile on his face as he shifted Aurora to lie on the pillow and sat up beside Kate. "Slept well, then?"

Kate nodded. "Any idea what time it is?"

"I don't wear my watch to bed, Kate," Harry replied.

Kate frowned, but before she could reproach him for being sarcastic right after they had awakened, she heard someone saying, "It is ten twenty-three, Miss O'Bri--Mrs. Potter."

Madam Pomfrey's harried face appeared as she pulled the curtains aside. "The Headmaster has sent a package containing a few personal effects," she said. "And has requested that you attend breakfast in the Great Hall as soon as you are ready. No," she added, seeing the perplexity on the faces of Harry and Kate. "There will be no students present. You have slept through the morning rush and will dine with a select few members of the staff. Here you are." She shoved a large canvas bag into Kate's hands and returned quickly to her office.

Kate opened the bag and was pleased to find five sets of robes inside. She smiled and shoved clothes into Harry's hands and then headed for the hospital's lavatory to wash up.

Kate emerged twenty minutes later, refreshed and wearing slacks and a blouse under a set of light blue robes. Harry was dressed already in a set of forest green work robes and was in the process of getting Brady to wake up and don his own clothing. Aurora was already quite awake and attempting to brush Bridie's tangled hair.

When the family was finally presentable--and relatively awake--Kate and Harry took the children's hands and led them through the castle. Bridie couldn't stop skipping through the corridors and asking questions, trying to talk to the moving portraits, but Aurora was strangely quiet. Kate gave Harry more than one worried look about the downcast expression of their oldest child, but he simply shook his head and mouthed, "Later".

The five Potters entered the Great Hall and were faced with Minerva McGonagall, Albus Dumbledore, and Severus Snape. Dumbledore smiled and nodded his welcome as they took the seats set for them at the head table.

"I trust you're all rather hungry," Dumbledore said, and instantly, the plates before them were filled with food. The children began to tuck in, while the adults took a more polite course. After a few moments, Harry spoke up. "Professor," he said. "You said there were plans for...for our safety. I--we--Kate and I were wondering--"

Dumbledore smiled. "Yes, Harry, indeed. I should have known you would be eager for information. You are free to spend today as you wish--Sundays at Hogwarts never change, even for our former students. Tonight at nine o'clock a guard will arrive to escort you all separately to an undisclosed location before taking you to Grimmauld Place." When he saw the horrified look on Kate's face, he added, "Alastor feels that a separate guard is needed in case of sabotage. However...you will remember that such precautions are hardly needed. Once you are into the Floo network, there is little likelihood that you will be removed before arriving at headquarters." Kate relaxed a bit, but her hand found Harry's under the table. He squeezed her hand reassuringly, and they all finished breakfast amid idle chatter, pretending that nothing was wrong, that no one had nearly died the night before.

Harry and Kate did indeed spend the day relaxing. They wandered the grounds for a while, let the twins play in the lake, and even Aurora's spirits seemed to lift as her parents showed her around the school she would be attending in a few short years. The five of them took tea with Hagrid in his cabin, though Harry secretly slipped the cakes he offered them into Fang's bowl. That night, they took supper in the hospital wing, gaining a few odd glances from three students who were seated around the bed of a classmate confined to bed for a Quidditch injury.

At seven, Madam Pomfrey again insisted on administering the Dreamless Sleep Potion to the three children, and neither Harry nor Kate protested; it would be easier on the guard that was coming if the children were not able to object being taken from their parents.

At nine o'clock, Harry and Kate were sitting silently together on a bed, waiting for the guard Dumbledore had spoken of. They didn't have to wait long; at two after nine, the doors of the hospital wing creaked open, and several figures entered.

Harry and Kate stood up quickly and greeted Alastor Moody, Remus Lupin, Tonks, Arthur Weasley, and Kingsley Shacklebolt. "Evening, Potter," Moody growled. "Kate." His magical blue eye swiveled around the room. "You know the drill," he continued. "It's best to go as soon as possible. Where are the children, then?"

Harry pulled aside the screens of the bed next to them to reveal Aurora, Bridie, and Brady curled up tightly together. Moody nodded at the others, and Lupin, Tonks, and Arthur moved forward. Remus gently picked up Aurora and gave Kate a reassuring smile when she let out a nervous sob. Tonks took Brady, and Arthur gathered Bridie in his arms. Moody grunted his approval and led them to the fire at the far end of the hospital wing. He pulled a silver pouch of Floo powder from his robes and motioned for Remus to step up to the fire. Moody threw the powder into the fire, and Remus said--quietly, but clearly--"Number seven, Rosewood Drive." A moment later, he had stepped through the fire with Aurora and disappeared. Moody waited almost a full two minutes before repeating the process for Tonks and Brady, and then Arthur and Bridie. Between each pair, he waited for the sign that meant trouble, but none came. Finally, he nodded at Kingsley, who took Kate's arm and led her gently to the fire.

"Ladies first," Moody growled and tossed another handful of Floo powder into the fire. Kingsley gave the address, and he and Kate stepped simultaneously into the fireplace. Kate closed her eyes and clenched her jaw against the familiar spinning and heat of fire travel, daring to breathe only when she and Kingsley had nearly fallen out of the fireplace at the other end.

Kate gasped and opened her eyes. A rush of relief washed over her; Tonks, Remus, and Arthur were standing before her holding Aurora, Bridie, and Brady, though all six of them were now wearing black traveling cloaks. Kate looked around the room; it was obviously an abandoned home, with dust in the air and covering everything. Now furniture was to be found, and nothing covered the ancient wooden floor. Kingsley stooped and picked up two cloaks from the floor near the fireplace, handing one to Kate, which she donned immediately, and fastening one around his own shoulders. They stood a distance away from the fireplace to wait for Moody and Harry.

Finally, Alastor Moody popped out of the fireplace, followed by Harry, who was coughing as though he'd swallowed a mouthful of soot. Moody's eye scanned the room, making sure they were all accounted for, before handing the one of the last two black cloaks to Harry.

"It's three blocks from here," Moody said quietly as Harry relieved Remus of Aurora, and Kate took Brady from Tonks. Arthur insisted he was quite all right when she offered to take Bridie as well, and Moody ordered them to stop fooling around and get a move on.

It was a grim-looking black-cloaked group that arrived on the doorstep of Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, at ten o'clock that night. When Molly Weasley opened the door, she was greeted by the sight of a pale-faced Harry carrying a sleeping child with a long mane of white-blond hair. Molly immediately ushered the troupe inside, fussing quietly over Harry and Kate and taking the cloaks from the others.

"Here, loves, here," Molly said as Harry and Kate attempted to hug her, remove their cloaks, and hold Aurora and Brady at the same time. Molly took Aurora from Harry and began leading them down the familiar hallway to the kitchen, chattering away softly. "I expect everyone's asleep," she said, pushing her way through the heavy wooden door and into the kitchen. "Your trunks arrived this morning, and Ron and Hermione have spent the day unpacking everything. Here," she shoved teacups at Harry and Kate and handed Aurora off to Remus again and Tonks took Brady from Kate, whispering that they would take the children to their room upstairs. Kate wanted to follow, but Molly had latched onto her arm and pulled both she and Harry over to the kitchen table.

"Oh, dears you must have been absolutely terrified!" she said, placing a plate of teacakes in front of them. "It's a miracle no one was seriously injured--you're all right, aren't you Harry, dear? You look a bit pale."

"I'm fine, really, Mrs.--" Harry began, but he was interrupted by a muffled shriek from the doorway. A moment later, Hermione had flung her arms around his neck, nearly strangling him, as she sobbed into his shoulder from behind.

"Oh, Harry, thank Merlin you're all right!" she babbled. "You don't know what we thought when the guard appeared in our bedroom and woke us up--they said you'd been attacked and they weren't sure if you'd all got out alive and I just wanted to curse myself for ever sitting down to work on those documents; if I hadn't brought them over, Kate wouldn't have needed to go home and work and none of this would ever have happened and--"

"Hermione, love," Ron said, prying his wife's arms from around Harry's neck. "You've nearly killed him again--look, he's blue. Don't--'Mione, I was kidding!" Ron sighed as Hermione buried her face in his shoulder and commenced crying again. "She's been a bit moody since we got here," he said over her head. "Good to see you, Harry. You too, Kate. I trust you don't need me to cry hysterically to know I'm glad you're alive. O-ow! 'Mione, you've got to get a sense of humor! Stop the violence!" Ron disentangled one arm from her waist to rub his shoulder.

"Ron, honestly," Mrs. Weasley hissed. "You're going to wake everyone--Oh! Gin--"

"Harry!" Ginny Weasley squealed, throwing her arms around him. "And Kate!" She flung one arm out to hug her. "You can't even imagine how worried we were when--"

"Harry! Kate!" a familiar voice called as yet another form burst into the kitchen. Neville Longbottom's face was alight with a mix of relief and happiness, though he took on a rather sheepish look when he saw Ginny with the group in the kitchen. Neville had grown up well; he had most definitely gotten taller, his hair was lighter, and his round face had thinned out a bit, giving him a boyishly playful look. He was still rather quiet, but now that he was a member of the Order, he had shouldered much more responsibility than he had at school. He had at first opted to study plants in the Amazon after leaving Hogwarts, but when Dumbledore began recruiting for the Order, he had returned at once and taken on a job as a member of the Accidental Magic Reversal squad, where he excelled due to his training in the DA at school.

"Hello, Neville," Kate said almost cheerfully. "Are you all living here, then?"

Four heads nodded in agreement, including Hermione, who had finally stemmed the flow of tears and was smiling weakly at Harry and Kate.

"Ron," Harry spoke up suddenly. "You never did say--why were you all at home the other night, instead of at the party?"

At this, Hermione looked as though she would burst into fresh tears. "I practically dragged him and Chloe out of the inn," she explained. "I felt guilty, since Kate had taken you lot home so she could get work done, and I figured I'd better get some done, too. If only--"

"Don't start that again," Ron warned. "My shirt's already soak--"

Two loud cracks and a shriek from Ginny indicated the arrival of the Weasley twins, Fred and George, now very successful owners of a chain of joke shops who had never quite grown out of their playful habits.

"Harry, mate!" Fred cried, slapping Harry on the back. "Good to see you alive--again."

"Kate," George added, bowing low and then proceeding to take her hand and kiss it. "You look just as lovely as the day we met. Doesn't she, Fred?"

"You do," Fred agreed. "Doesn't she, Neville?"

Neville looked taken aback, and his mouth opened and closed as though he didn't know what to say. Finally he nodded and turned pink. Ginny laughed. "Oh, don't listen to them, Neville," she said, eyeing the twins reproachfully. "They're being immature again."

"Look who's talking about immature," George shot back. "Little Miss Gin-"

"--and Tonic," Fred chimed in.

At this, both twins laughed uproariously and Apparated back upstairs, where they could still be heard guffawing.

Ginny rolled her eyes. "They think they're so clever," she said. "As if no one's thought of that one before."

Molly Weasley frowned. "Oh, those two! I still don't know what to make of them! They're going to wake up everyone else!" she lamented.

"Mum, everyone is up," Ron pointed out.

"Well, then everyone is going to cease being up," Mrs. Weasley retorted. "Go on, now! Upstairs, the lot of you! I don't care if you're adults, you're no use to the Order or at work if you've not had any sleep. Move!"

Grinning reminiscently, the six of them made their way as quietly as possible up the stairs and into their respective bedroom. Molly showed Harry and Kate the room, next to Bridie, Brady, and Aurora's, where all their trunks had already been unpacked.

"Good night," she said, smiling as she closed the door behind them. Kate heaved a sigh and sat on the edge of the bed, peeling off her robes and her shoes and socks. She looked up after a moment and saw Harry, still standing where she had left him, staring blankly at the wall and looking a bit saddened.

"Harry?" She stood up and moved in front of him, slowly wrapping her arms around his neck. "What's wrong?"

Harry shook his head. "Nothing," he sighed. "It's just..." He trailed off, staring again at the wall in front of him. In a flash, Kate got the idea.

"Listen, Harry," she said, rubbing his neck soothingly. "I know you don't like being back here. But there's nowhere safer for us to be right now. Our children don't have the blood protection that you did growing up, and we certainly aren't safe sitting around in a house that anyone can walk right into. I know there have to be some horrible memories for you here, and it's got to be hard to forget." She smiled slyly. "I'm more than willing to help you forget."

Harry caught her eye and laughed, then pulled her close and kissed her. "You are most definitely too good for me," he said as their lips parted.

"You've got it backwards, love," Kate replied. "Let me make it up to you."

A few minutes later, they were both lying next to each other on the bed, having done nothing more than fool around, as though they were both still teenagers hiding up in the astronomy tower after hours. Harry was laughing as Kate tried to kiss him with her mouth full of hair, and they both seemed a bit giddy with something akin to joy.

Harry brushed Kate's hair out of her face and studied her intently for a moment. "I'm sorry," he said finally.

"Sorry for what?" Kate asked breathlessly, a faint smile still playing on her lips.

"I'm sorry you have to go through all this again," he said. "You lived it for fifteen years, and now we're back in hell again. It's not really worth it, is it?"

Kate paused to think. She hadn't considered the situation from this perspective; it was true, she had spent the first fifteen years of her life in hiding from Voldemort, but then she had been with her parents, without friends, made to stay indoors, without a real role in the world. Now, however, she had Harry, who she loved tremendously, her three children, and they were living in a house surrounded by people who cared about both of them and who they cared about and--most importantly--who were actively fighting against Voldemort. Kate smiled and kissed her husband gently. "You are more than worth this," she replied seriously. "I am not suffering, not at all. This is a paradise compared to last time. And besides, if you weren't worth it, Aurora is. And so are Brady and Bridie. So stop worrying. I love you, and no matter where we live, that's not going to change."

But instead of returning her kiss and forgetting his worries, Harry's frown only deepened. "Aurora," he said. "Brady, and Bridie. We said, just a few days ago, in fact, that we didn't want them to grow up like we did. I don't want them tainted by this; I don't want them to grow up too quickly. I want them to live the lives that you and I didn't have a chance to, and it's not fair for this to happen now, when they should be happy."

"Life's never fair, Harry," Kate said, almost laughing. "I thought you and I agreed on that a long time ago. They're children; they don't understand justice yet. Bridie and Brady are so wrapped up in each other that they'll never notice anything's gone wrong. I would have been more worried about Aurora, but with Chloe here, the two of them will run wild like it's a never-ending play date. They'll bounce back, Harry. Nothing here is going to scar them; Molly's improved the place beyond belief. No more elf heads on the wall, didn't you notice? If--and that is definitely a big if--they remember this at all, the memories will be of a brief time they spent in the company of friends. It's a vacation to them, love. Unless Voldemort personally breaks in here and tortures us all, they'll not remember one single horrible thing from this whole time--if I have anything to do with it, that is. So let it rest; don't worry yourself about it anymore. And let's go to sleep, all right?"

Harry draped an arm around Kate's waist and curled up next to her, pulling the blankets over both of them. "I knew there was a reason I married you," he teased, kissing her good night.

"Love you too, Harry," Kate replied before closing her eyes and spending the rest of the night in a deep, peaceful sleep.

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Days passed by quickly, and Harry grew used to the idea of staying at Grimmauld Place once more. He and Kate were happy, Bridie and Brady were wrapped up in each other, and as soon as Aurora discovered Chloe in the kitchen on the first morning, they saw neither hide nor hair of either of them save for mealtimes.

Harry and Kate were questioned endlessly about the break-in, though they still could name only Draco Malfoy positively as one of Harry's attackers. Kingsley Shacklebolt, who had been part of the guard from Hogwarts, was placed in charge of the hunt for the Malfoy family, as they seemed to have disappeared off the face of the planet after the raid on their house.

Molly Weasley was in seventh heaven with a home to clean, meals to cook, and children to take care of. Whenever one of the Order members dropped by, they received a warm, happy welcome, and an endless stream of tea and cakes. Ron and his brothers Bill and Charlie--who had both come to live in London but were sharing a flat ten blocks away from Grimmauld Place--were in awe, claiming that she'd never been in such a good mood when they lived at home.

But the situation that really caught everyone's attention was that of Neville and Ginny. Ginny had not looked at a single guy after her divorce, had been on not one date, and was content working towards the job she wanted. Neville, on the other hand, had always had a crush of sorts on the only Weasley girl, and now that they were together again--under the same roof, no less--he seemed even more enamored of her than at school. The rest of the household noticed how he held open doors for her, inquired eagerly about her doings at work, and offered to help with anything she needed, and they tactfully said nothing to Neville. Ginny, however, smiled warmly at him, thanked him, took the help he offered and generally acted as a close friend would, seemingly not noticing that Neville obviously wanted to be something closer. Harry restrained Ron from saying anything to her; Ron had never liked the people Ginny had dated, but he would have loved to see his little sister happy. Neville would make her happy. However, Ron saw Harry's point; he hadn't any right to interfere in Ginny's life, now that she had it going in the right direction. So he held his tongue and watched painfully as Neville sat next to her at supper night after night.

Remus had volunteered for the task of tutoring both Aurora and Chloe, as he was currently out of a job again and living almost exclusively at Grimmauld Place, though he also kept up a flat as a cover. Every morning, he sat with them through breakfast, lunch, and tea, working with only the few schoolbooks Chloe had brought from home, and also instructing them in a very basic history of wizardry. When Aurora asked him to teach them magic, he had chuckled and then pulled out a pocket book of charms. Since neither of them had wands yet, they couldn't practice any of the spells, but they certainly did set to memorizing them; even Lupin was impressed by the hours they spent poring over the tiny book.

One day, almost a fortnight into their stay at Grimmauld Place, Kate, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Tonks, Remus, and Molly were lounging about in the drawing room, a roaring fire cackling, the radio playing softly, everyone with tea--courtesy of Molly--and the atmosphere was rather sleepy. Bridie and Brady had long since gone to bed, and Aurora and Chloe were holed up in their shared room, practicing spells and wand movement with sticks.

"Harry," Kate said during a lull in the conversation. "You do realize it's Rory's birthday next week, and we haven't gone shopping yet."

Harry sighed. "I know," he said a bit sadly. "She's getting too old. What do you give a nine-year-old?"

"What did you want when you were nine?" Hermione said, laughing.

"Clothes that fit and a room that didn't shower sawdust every time someone walked downstairs," Harry replied, smiling faintly.

Kate elbowed him playfully in the ribs. "We'll make a sojourn tomorrow afternoon," she said. "It's a Saturday, Diagon Alley will be packed. No kids, though--they're horrible at keeping secrets. Who wants 'em?"

"We're coming with you!" Ron chimed in. "'Mione has to shop anyway, right, love?"

Hermione gave him a puzzled look. "Not that I--Oof!" She glared at Ron, who had elbowed her in the stomach and was innocently looking around the room as if she hadn't said a thing.

"I'll watch them," Molly Weasley spoke up. "You lot have fun. Goodness knows you need a bit, and I don't mind the children at all." She smiled wistfully. "It's nice to have a bit of youth in this house. You don't know how gloomy it was cleaning this place out all day alone."

"It's good to be--er...home, I guess," Ginny said. "Or at least together. You don't mind if I go to Diagon Alley tomorrow as well, do you Mum?"

"I think I might go along, too," Neville spoke up before Mrs. Weasley could reply. "Haven't...er...been in ages."

"Splendid," Molly said. "Will you two be going as well?" She asked Remus and Tonks.

Remus shook his head. "Getting near the full moon," he said. "I'm taking it easy for a while. I'll be around if you need any help, Molly."

"Me too," Tonks said. "Well--not taking it easy. More like spending the day lecturing the new Auror training class."

Kate groaned sympathetically and launched into the horror stories of her own weekend with the new Aurors, the conversation picking up and filling with laughter until the group retired to their rooms.

The next day, the two couples plus Neville and Ginny headed into Diagon Alley just after breakfast. The sun was shining, and the shops were buzzing with Saturday shoppers. While Harry looked almost sulky about not buying Aurora children's toys, Kate pulled him out of it by assuring him that she wouldn't be attending Hogwarts for another two years, and therefore, she didn't need any boring, useful gifts. Instead, the two of them picked out several sets of dress robes, a diary, and a few books by some of the more popular authors for magical children. Neville and Ginny teamed up to pick out a nice, silver necklace and bracelet and--when Harry wasn't looking--a tiny child's play make-up kit. The group stopped at the Leaky Cauldron around midday for lunch, but Ron and Hermione ordered light meals and excused themselves to run an errand after about thirty minutes. The other four gave each other puzzled looks and continued pleasantly on with their luncheon.

It was four in the afternoon when the group returned to Grimmauld Place in high spirits. The day away from trouble had been exactly what they had all needed to boost the morale in the old house. Molly was hard at work preparing supper when the gang returned, and her daughter, daughter-in-law, and Kate shooed her out of the kitchen to go relax, tying aprons around their own waists and setting to work where she had left off.

The week before Aurora's birthday passed in much the same manner: everyone was unexplainably cheerful, though the monotony of work and the return to Grimmauld Place every night brought Harry down a bit. Kate watched him anxiously, keeping her happy front in order to lift his spirits as well.

The day of Aurora's birthday dawned sunny and warm. The whole house was in a bustle, as they had all been anticipating the party--or any party, really--for some time. Molly and Kate were awake before anyone, preparing an enormous breakfast for everyone. As soon as Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny, and Neville were shooed away to work--Kate had taken the day off--the two of them set Chloe and Aurora on their lessons, asking Lupin to take them into the drawing room upstairs, so they could convert the main floor into party-central. Molly left Kate to the cake as she asked and set about decorating the kitchen and the main drawing room where everyone spent most of their time. Fred and George popped in around noon to hang up several talking banners they had made for the occasion, thanked profusely by Kate's laughter and kisses and their mother's withering glance.

Lupin and Chloe had dutifully kept Aurora upstairs so that the surprise of her party was not ruined. Molly had done a superb job on the hallway, decking it in flowers and ribbons and heatless sparklers. The kitchen was the same, with a matching table setting and Aurora's chair decorated. The drawing room had been influenced by Fred and George, who had hung their banners across the walls at both ends and had set about their new, floating confetti that flew about the room, not only congesting the air, but sometimes exploding in bright flashes of smoke and singing "Happy Birthday" above it all.

Kate had worked her wonders times one hundred on the cake. It was three tiers of moist white cake with bright pink frosting and covered completely in pink and yellow flowers of hard icing. The script on top she had done by hand, her magical practice attempts having come off a bit sloppy, and the words reading "Happy Ninth Birthday, Rory" continued to change from yellow to pink and back again. With a large sigh of relief, Kate placed it in an enormous white box to be unveiled only after supper.

The remaining hour before the rest of the household returned for the day was spent in hurried preparation for supper. With Molly and Kate's combined talents, they whipped up a gourmet meal that was just hitting the table when Harry walked in the door, followed by Neville and Ginny.

"Kate!" Harry said, kissing her lightly and looking around the room in shock. "This is amazing. Has she seen it yet?"

"Thank you," Kate replied with a grin. "And no. And thank Molly for the decorations; all I did was the cake! And Fred and George...er...fixed up the drawing room."

Harry laughed. "I wondered what the explosions were."

"Confetti," Kate said, sighing. "Where are Ron and Hermione?"

"They said they had an errand to run, but they should be here in about ten minutes," Harry replied. "Anything I can do?" Molly had already set Neville and Ginny to work displaying the presents and pouring drinks.

Kate nodded. "Go up and tell your daughter happy birthday," she said, giving him a shove towards the door. "And make sure Brady and Bridie haven't fallen asleep; they've been up in their room playing all day."

About five minutes later, Harry came downstairs and found Ron and Hermione in the hallway looking very sheepish. Ron was standing in front of a large white box that seemed to be moving.

"Do I even want to know?" Harry asked. Ron shook his head. At that moment, the door opened and Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Moody, Tonks, and Kingsley Shacklebolt appeared in the hallway, all holding wrapped presents and smiling. Harry sent everyone into the kitchen to sit down as Kate had instructed him, and then he and Kate went out into the hallway and called Aurora down.

Bridie and Brady appeared first, squealing in delight and making straight for the kitchen. Remus came next, grinning happily through his hollow cheeks--the full moon had been three days ago. Chloe followed, chattering happily, and everyone was in the kitchen except Harry and Kate when Aurora came down the stairs in her favorite turquoise robes.

"Mum!" she cried when she saw the hallway. "Dad! It's perfect!" Grinning, she hugged them both and tore off for the kitchen, where she burst in upon a full table that shouted "Happy birthday!" the moment the door swung open.

Aurora never stopped smiling. Supper was full of laughter and memories, and Kate's cake afterwards received many commendations from its consumers and squeals of delight from Aurora. When the party removed to the drawing room to open presents, Fred and George appeared bearing a large supply of joke shop items for Aurora, at which Harry laughed and Kate rolled her eyes. The confetti was a bit annoying, but as more and more of it exploded, the room became less congested. Aurora was thrilled with her robes and books, as well as the jewelry and make-up from Ginny and Neville--though Harry was not as excited--and thanked everyone profusely for the gifts. Ron and Hermione dragged their white box in last, with more apologetic looks at Harry and Kate. It turned out that the box contained a puppy--a tiny yellowish-white Labrador with as much energy as all the children combined and eyes that made even Moody smile. Aurora cooed over the puppy, whom she immediately dubbed Gwendolen the Fair, claiming this was the most beautiful name in the whole world and she had the most beautiful puppy in the whole world.

"Can I walk Gwen, Mum?" she begged, pulling out the long silk leash at the bottom of the box.

Kate glanced over at the clock; it was already nine. "Maybe tomorrow," she said. "Why don't you and Chloe go on up and get ready for bed while we clean up, all right?"

Aurora looked for a moment like she was going to argue, but Chloe grabbed her friend's arm and pulled her into the hallway, racing up the stairs to play with Gwen.

The adults were all indulging in childhood memories over coffee in the drawing room, the children occupied upstairs, when the doors of the room flew open and standing before the crowd was Severus Snape, greasy-hair askew, a cut across his sallow face, his black robes torn and mussed.

"Dumbledore!" he cried. "Is Dumbledore not among you this night?"

The whole of the drawing room leapt to its feet. "No, Dumbledore's away on business tonight," Moody said, stumping quickly towards the new arrival. "What is it, Snape?" he asked, his magical eye pinned on the man.

"An attack is being planned," he snarled. "I must speak to Dumbledore! Have you no idea where he is?"

"None," Tonks said. "But--what's happened?"

Thirteen pairs of eyes stared expectantly at him. "A meeting was called," Snape consented. "The plan was made known, and those who spoke out faced His wrath. Now, if you are finished asking questions, you will direct me to the fireplace so that I may return to Hogwarts. And do have more care in the future, even during celebrations," he spat the word as if it tasted foul. "The door was wide open when I arrived." He left them, practically flapping towards the fireplace in the kitchen, and a moment later, when the rest of them entered, he was gone.

Molly made her way out into the hallway to close the door while the rest of the party stood in the kitchen, mulling over what Snape had reported. Moody was already fishing his cloak out of the closet and preparing to head out. However, they all looked up as Molly returned, Gwen the puppy in her arms, the silk leash dangling from her collar.

"Is Aurora upstairs?" Molly asked, her voice stricken with fear.

Harry and Kate glanced at each other, and without thinking, they dashed out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Harry burst into the room Aurora shared with Chloe and found the redhead sitting on the floor, leafing through one of Aurora's books.

"Chloe, where's Rory?" Harry asked.

Chloe looked up, startled at the urgency in his tone. "She just went outside a few minutes ago to take Gwen on a walk in case she had an accident on the rug." She jumped to her feet when Harry and Kate thundered back down the stairs, running after them.

The party was moving into the hallway now, concerned and all buzzing wildly with suspicions. Harry flung the front door open and ran out onto the sidewalk, Kate on his heels. It was pitch dark, save for the soft glow of the street lamps from the neighbors' yards.

"Rory?" Harry called into the night. There was no reply. Kate was clinging to his arm, her nails digging into his flesh and leaving tiny red crescents. They moved to the edge of the street and looked out; no petite blonde figures came running to the house. Kate was nearly hyperventilating now, her heart pounding violently against her chest as Harry turned back towards the house. She followed him blindly, until they reached the lawn. Something dark caught her eye, and she dropped her grip on his arm and moved into the grass.

"Kate?" came Harry's choked and frenzied voice. "What is it?"

But Kate had looked down at the charred design in the grass, and her screams resounded throughout the night. Lupin was nearest and just barely caught her as she collapsed.

Harry moved quickly to where his wife had stood and looked down. His heart, hammering madly, stopped dead.

There, burned darkly into the green lawn of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, was the Dark Mark.

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