Home is where the heart is

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise in this story belongs to the esteemed JK Rowling ^_^

The day after, Sirius and Remus left Hogwarts, much to Harry's dismay and regret. Sirius had hugged him nearly to death, and had gone on and on for about an hour about going to the nearest teacher if anything happened to him. Oh - and to stay out of trouble. Harry felt this was a bit unfair, considering that Sirius and his dad had done things ten times more dangerous than he himself had ever attempted. However, Harry knew that unless he promised, Sirius and Remus would have more things to worry about. So, like a good boy, he swore that he wouldn't go anywhere near the Forbidden Forest and that he wouldn't leave Gryffindor house after dark.

They had left by Floo powder, from Dumbledore's office. Danielle had also been there, also receiving hugs from the departing Marauders. Harry thought that he saw, briefly, tears in Danielle's eyes as she said her goodbyes, promising not to run off and disappear anytime soon and that she'd write every week. Sirius and Remus looked a bit bright-eyed themselves, as they returned the hug, and pounced on Harry.

Then came the schoolwork. Fifth year was difficult, right from the beginning. Everyone noticed the definite increase in homework and class work. Neville Longbottom was already on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and they had only been at Hogwarts for two weeks.

Hermione, however, was in her element.

"Well, if you two had bothered to go through your schoolbooks during the holidays, you mightn't find it so difficult." she had sniffed, as Ron was moaning over a particularly nasty question for Transfiguration. She still refused to let them copy the answers.

The second week merged into the third week, and then the fourth, and then the first week of October. Still, nothing big or scary had happened. Harry was beginning to think that maybe it hadn't been necessary to join the Order of Phoenix. Not a hint of Dark Magic in the Daily Prophet, no big, scary explosions or attacks, nothing. But Dumbledore wasn't letting down his guard. There were still goblins at the main gates, and there were still the rules about not being out on the grounds unless a teacher was supervising. It was frustrating.

Danielle hadn't really had time to talk with Harry since Sirius and Remus had left; however, she would shoot him a friendly grin between classes and wave if she saw him in the halls. When Harry had told Ron and Hermione about the sudden discovery of a long-lost Godmother, Hermione was beside herself in envy. "Oh, you're so lucky!" she squealed. "Professor Rivendale is really talented in duelling and wand work - she'll be able to teach you so much!"

"Hermione - you're being taught by her, remember?" Ron reminded her, after getting over the initial shock. Turning to Harry, he grinned devilishly. "Although I'm jealous of you, mate - imagine living with her! And Professor Rivendale isn't looking too bad for her age, either..." he added, cracking up with laughter at the expression of disbelief on Harry's face.

"Ron! You pervert!" Hermione said, scandalised. She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him out of the room for a good long talk about thinking Bad Thoughts about professors.

Snape was acting as he normally was. Oily as ever. Potions was practically torture to sit through. And Harry still hadn't even approached Malfoy about the Potions assignment that they had to do together.......all year. Malfoy hadn't made a move either. They were both putting it off for as long as possible. Harry was being nagged by Hermione to get a move on, but he protested.

"Hermione - It's not due until the end of the year!"

"Oh, honestly, Harry! You don't have to start with Malfoy - I'm just saying that you should collect all your information now. Everyone else will probably do what you're doing - leave it until the last minute - and then there'll be a mad rush. Don't make that mistake!" Hermione warned him. She had already researched in the library - despite the fact that she had done it all in second year anyway. Ron found it rather irritating. His partner, Morag MacDougal, had already spoken to Ron about the project, and Ron was supposed to meet him on Friday night to start researching in the library.

"He seems almost decent........for a Slytherin," Ron admitted to Harry on Thursday night, as they were scratching their heads over Charms homework. "I can't figure out why he's in that rotten house to begin with."

"Maybe he's up to something?" Hermione suggested, bent over her own parchment.

"Doesn't seem the type. And he doesn't hang out with Malfoy or the rest of that slimy lot," Harry mused, scribbling down the theory behind sinking charms. "He just curls up in a corner and reads a book......"

"You say that as if it's a bad thing!" Hermione said indignantly. Ron just snickered.

Friday afternoon, Harry and Ron were leaving their last lesson of the day, when Professor McGonagall halted him in the hallway. "Potter, I need a word with you," she said primly, gesturing towards an empty classroom. Ron hovered at his shoulder. "Off you go then, Weasley. Don't let me catch you listening at keyholes," she continued, giving him a pointed look.

Ron took the hint, and quickly strode away, shooting curious glances back at them over his shoulder.

Meanwhile, Harry was busy eyeing McGonagall warily. He didn't think he'd done anything wrong lately, but with Professor McGonagall, you could never tell. The head of Gryffindor house went into the classroom, and Harry followed. Turning, Professor McGonagall scrutinized him.

"You can stop looking at me as if I'm going to sentence you to a month of detention, Potter," she said crisply. "Believe it or not, I'm not here to punish you...." She crossed her arms.

"I need to discuss with you the situation that Gryffindor is in."

"Uh - sit - situation?" Harry asked. He was baffled.

"Quidditch, Potter. You do remember Quidditch, don't you?" She smiled, easing the stern look on her face. "As we no longer have Wood, we must find a replacement for him immediately. The Quidditch season begins in two weeks. The only reason that we are behind schedule is because Professor Dumbledore and myself had to receive permission from the school board themselves. And they certainly take their time deciding things....."

McGonagall pursed her lips and was obviously holding back several things she'd like to say about the school board.

Harry blinked. Quidditch - he'd missed playing in a real match with an ache. Just the thought of being able to fly in competition made his heart beat a bit faster. "Therefore, the only solution I can see is to hold tryouts for the position of Keeper," McGonagall went on. "I've already elected Katie Bell as the captain for the team, and she has agreed to organise the enlisting. Do you have any other questions?"

"Oh.....when will the tryouts be held?"

"Sunday. You are expected to come and help Miss Bell and your teammates choose the new Keeper. Also, you're to pick a reserve." Professor McGonagall gave him a smile, which was a very rare occurrence for her.

"If our new member of the team is as talented as you are on a broomstick, Potter, Gryffindor certainly should win the Quidditch cup again this year." She looked at him with an expression of fierce pride on her face, before realising what she had said, and looked quite embarrassed.

"Well, I won't keep you any longer. Off you go, then." McGonagall said briskly. She swept out of the room, leaving a very confused and stunned Gryffindor. Professor McGonagall had praised him that much? She never, in all the time he'd been there, complimented a student so highly. And quite frankly, it scared him.

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Strolling out of her classroom, Danielle crashed straight into someone. Her books and quills flew everywhere. "Damn!"

Turning to reprimand the student, she found herself face-to-face with her Godson, who had a slightly bemused expression on his face. "This seems to happen a lot, doesn't it?" he asked her, bending to gather up a stack of papers.

Danielle pulled a face at him and accepted the papers into her arms. "True. Maybe I need glasses."

"Yeah - maybe." There was a silence, as Danielle and Harry thought of something to say.

"Well-" They started at the same time, before breaking off to laugh nervously. "You go first," Harry said after a pause.

"I was just going to say that I'd heard about your dilemma about finding a few new Quidditch players for the team," she said, fixing him under an amused eye. "I'll be one of the teachers there to help Miss Bell with the decision."

"Really?" Harry was surprised. "Do you - er - know much about Quidditch?"

Danielle snorted. "My dear boy, the amount of Quidditch talk that I had to put up with in the Gryffindor common room, courtesy of your father and his friends, nearly drove me insane. I'd have to be both deaf and dumb to not learn something about it."

Harry smiled at the comical expression on her face. Danielle's expression then changed to become more serious. "Look, Harry......I'm so sorry for not having enough time to sit down and really 'get to know you'....it's just all this work that I've been dumped with. The impostor Mad-Eye Moody didn't bother keeping track of the progress of all the classes last year and it's one big, royal mess. You aren't mad at me, are you?" she asked anxiously.

He shook his head quickly. "No, 'course not. But you will finish all your work soon, won't you?"

Danielle nodded, feeling decidedly more cheerful. "Oh, yes. In fact, I've just got maybe three more reports to go through and write up, and then I won't have any pressing work until after Christmas.......thank goodness," she added, satisfied. "Besides, if I don't start spoiling you and cuddling you and such, your Godfather will probably storm up here and give me a piece of his mind."

Harry screwed up his nose at the description. He didn't need to be coddled, he wasn't a baby! He had his dignity, after all. He was a man. Sort of.

Chuckling at the look on Harry's face, Danielle turned and began to walk down the hall, beckoning (as well as she could with a stack of papers in her arms) for him to follow. He trotted beside her, having to slow down since her strides were about half the size of his. Out of the corner of his eye, Harry saw Danielle peering at him. "What?" he finally asked.

"Oh - nothing," she said, embarrassed at being caught looking. "It's just that you're getting so tall, like James. It's a bit strange, having a Godson who towers over me. Or should I say, having a Godson at all."

Harry pulled a face. "I'm not that tall....not yet," he amended, when Danielle raised an eyebrow. "I don't 'tower' over you....Sirius and Remus are the ones which make both you and me look like dwarfs."

"Don't remind me. Sirius used to gloat over how he was just simply superior to girls, because he was so tall. I always used to argue that at least we didn't look like a gangly, overgrown colt, with arms and legs all over the place," Danielle said smugly, as they turned the corner that led into the entrance hall. "He could never think of a good comeback for that one." Harry shook his head, bid her goodbye, and started to climb the staircase.

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"Tryouts?"

Ron was too busy goggling at Harry to finish the half-eaten bit of steak that was halfway to his mouth. "Are you serious?"

Harry nodded, munching on a carrot and swallowing. "Yeah. McGonagall said it's going to be on Sunday, and I've got to go along, with the rest of the team, to help pick some replacements."

Ron was hooked on every word, as well as Hermione, who was listening with interest. "I heard that Katie's the new captain - it's about time we had a girl in charge of the Quidditch team," she commented. "And maybe she won't have a habit of dragging you out of bed at the crack of dawn."

"I can only hope." muttered Harry.

"Hey, Harry!" a voice called. Harry turned to see Katie hurrying over, with a wide smile on her face. "Did McGonagall tell you?" she asked excitedly.

"Yeah," Harry grinned. "You seem pretty happy."

"I had no idea that I was going to be picked for captain," Katie admitted, with a slightly dazed look on her face. "I thought that it'd be Alicia for sure. But when McGonagall told me, I was gibbering like an idiot! But she said she understood the shock and all. Said I'd best get everyone back in shape.......a whole year of no Quidditch. We're going to have to work our butts off."

"Right." said Harry, and watched Katie as she bounced off, waving over her shoulder.

"I think she's quite pleased, don't you?" Ron said, amused. He began to eat his half cold dinner. "Say, do you think I'd stand a chance? If I tried out for Keeper?" Ron asked suddenly, pausing as he chewed some more steak.

"Oh, definitely. I mean, your brothers are on the team, aren't they? Quidditch runs in your family and all......but no favouritism," Harry reminded him. "I'm not the one choosing the final team members."

"I wasn't asking for favouritism.....just an, er, good word from you...." Ron explained, looking a bit hopeful. "It'd be great if I made it as Keeper - I've always wanted to play on the school team! And if I get a chance, maybe I can take a shot of knocking Malfoy off his broom."

"Good idea. Although if Moody was here, maybe he'd save you the trouble and turn Malfoy into a ferret again and make him bounce....."

Ron was snorting with laughter at the memory, when MacDougal came over from the entrance of the hall and tapped him on the shoulder. "Are you still meeting me in the library at seven?" he asked quietly, his eyes flicking over at Harry and Hermione, and the other Gryffindors that were sitting at the table and eyeing him curiously. Morag wore an indifferent expression.

He was a dark-haired boy whose hair was impeccably straight, pale skin undoubtedly caused by spending so much time indoors. He had brown eyes that seemed to look right through you, and rarely smiled. But Morag wasn't like the other Slytherins. He appeared to lack the malice.....but with a Slytherin, nothing was for certain.

"Er - yeah. Near the history section?" asked Ron, turning to look at the other boy properly in his seat. Morag nodded.

"Just bring some parchment and some quills. I'm not sure how much information there is in the library that we have access to," he said. "We've just got to find some stuff to begin with."

"Right," said Ron, glancing at Harry. "We won't have long though, all students have to be in their dormitories by eight-thirty."

"It'll be long enough," Morag told him idly. "I'll see you there." He turned and walked away, ignoring the disbelieving faces of the Slytherins on the other side of the room that had been watching. A Slytherin had been talking to a Gryffindor without a fight. It was un-natural. The other Gryffindors were giving Ron some odd looks, but went back to their dinners.

"That was brave of him," Harry commented. "Imagine what he's going to cop once he gets back to the Slytherin common room."

"This is just weird," Ron said, frowning down at his now stone-cold dinner. "What am I supposed to say to a Slytherin? I mean, every conversation I've had with one has ended up in a fight. What am I supposed to talk about? The weather?" Obviously, the memories of Potions classes and fights with Malfoy were running through his head.

"You could talk about your hatred for Professor Trelawney," Hermione suggested. "I don't think the Slytherins particularly like a batty old nutcase like her anyway. So you have one thing in common....start a conversation there."

"Thank for the advice, Hermione," Ron said dryly.

When they finished dinner, the trio went back to the common room, and Hermione watched at Harry and Ron play a quick game of chess.

"Check." Harry said proudly, moving his knight. His chess skills had improved, under the suggestions and guidance of Remus, who had been more than happy to give him a hand in tactics over the holidays. True, he still lost to Ron frequently, but he had somehow won a game or two since he'd gotten back to school.

Ron considered the chessboard for a few moments, before a wide grin split his face. "Checkmate." he said, moving his queen, who effectively began to abuse Harry's king without a pause.

Harry sighed in defeat, and began to collect the chess pieces. "I don't get how you're so good at this, Ron," he grumbled, separating the queen from his king, who was still thumping him with all the strength he could muster. "You and Remus manage to beat me almost every time."

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Really, Ron. I think you've got to be the best chess player in Hogwarts." she added warmly. This caused Ron to flush a bright red.

"Oh, it's not that hard. Anyway, what time is it?" he asked, looking around for a clock.

"Ten to seven. You'd better go if you want to be on time."

"Yeah. If I don't come back after eight-thirty, send a search party." Ron said grimly, gathering up his things and marching out of the common room in a resigned manner.

"Do you think it's safe?" Hermione asked worriedly, watching him go. "After all, it's just Ron and a Slytherin in a fairly empty library. And you know what Ron's like with Slytherins..."

"Don't worry. I'm sure Madam Pince will keep a close eye on them. She hovers around enough," Harry assured her. "Game of chess?"

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"My Lord," Snape said, his head bowed in respect, as he came forward to fall onto one knee in front of Voldemort. The other Death Eaters, the elder ones that had been summoned that evening, had already paid their respects to Voldemort, and were standing silently in a semi-circle.

"Ah, Severus," Voldemort hissed, sounding more than ever like a snake inside a human body. "My faithful Potions Master. Have you any presents for me?"

"Yes, my Lord," Severus said respectfully, reaching into his robes and pulling out a few vials, filled with dark liquids, and laying them at Voldemort's feet. "Extremely potent poisons, undetectable unless a person knows exactly what to look for."

Which I do, thankfully, he thought.

"Excellent. And any news from Hogwarts?"

"There is little news, Lord. Dumbledore seems to be applying feeble defences on the grounds, such as goblins and small entrapments. He ensures that students are inside their Houses by eight-thirty."

"What a fool," Voldemort sneered. "As if that could possibly protect them. He is merely deceiving himself if he truly believes that it will make any difference when I assault Hogwarts. Age has clearly affected his mind."

Snape glanced up at Voldemort quickly, but then returned to looking at the ground intently.

"Get up, Severus," Voldemort said lazily. "You needn't kneel at my feet all day."

Inclining his head, Snape rose and took his place in the circle, beside Lucius Malfoy.

There was a long silence, as Voldemort inspected the Death Eaters through slitted, glittering eyes. Under his gaze, the wizards shifted and flinched. "There is still a smell of betrayal in the Circle," he finally declared, standing up from his throne and looking down on them imperiously. "Wizards who still hold their doubts about my return. Those who never believed it possible for me to return. You fools," he said softly. "Do you think so little of me that I would not find out about your activities during my absence?"

The fear amongst the Death Eaters increased, like a heavy cloud. Voldemort let the words hang in the air dramatically. "Did you think that I would be gone forever? You, of all people, who knew that I underwent so many rituals to prevent death? Well. I am prepared to show you all mercy. There are few who would be as merciful as I, to give out a second chance."

Severus' ears pricked up at the words 'second chance'.

"Those of you who truly wish to express their loyalty to me shall take up and renew their old oaths and vows to me as a reminder, in one month's time. A token of your sincerity to aid me on my path to power," Voldemort added with a sneer. Lucius and Severus exchanged quick glances under their hoods.

So he's making us swear our loyalty again, is he? Severus mused. I wonder what prompted this?

There was a rustling around the Circle. "But wait," the tall, pale man said. "I must invite my most useful servant into the fold. One of great importance to me." Here, Severus stiffened. Who was it, that could make Voldemort use that almost...boastful...tone of voice?

Voldemort smiled grimly, raised his robed arm, and snapped his fingers. Immediately, the huge, carved doors to the chamber opened, and Aiden was revealed to be standing there, cloakless. He bowed deeply, and then preceded to stride over to the Circle of Death Eaters, who broke apart to let him pass. He bowed again before Voldemort. "My Lord."

He nodded his head slightly. "Aiden. May I introduce you to my....'faithful' servants?"

Aiden turned and faced the Death Eaters, his face completely expressionless. His outfit consisted of a long-sleeved shirt, dark pants and black boots that looked well used and comfortable. And to finish off the look, Aiden wore black gloves that were made of the best dragon-hide - both durable and elegant at the same time.

"A pleasure," Aiden suddenly spoke, inclining his head. Snape noted that he was a fairly strong-looking man, tall and muscular. He had fair hair that was cut to just brush his shoulders jaggedly, with a strong chin and hard, iron-grey eyes.

Snape had never seen the man before him in his life, he knew that much. This man, 'Aiden', must be a new recruit. And strangely, there was something about his face that seemed oddly reminiscent of someone else.....who it was, he couldn't put his finger on.

Aiden scanned them all critically, a slight smirk on his face as he lazily took note of each one of them. Severus felt an immediate tinge of dislike. There was something in the man's face, familiar or not, that chilled him considerably.

"Aiden is a very valuable source of information about Dark Creatures," Voldemort told the Death Eaters. "His knowledge surpasses my own by far. I expect you all to treat him with respect..." The Dark Lord's eyes lingered on Lucius Malfoy at this point. "Otherwise, I would be most unhappy......."

A very small smile on his face, Aiden turned back to Voldemort. "I thank you, my Lord," he said clearly. "And I, too, have a new gift for you. The Alliance that we spoke of has been passed. Your new allies are ready and waiting."

Voldemort looked satisfied. "Good. We shall speak more of this after the meeting."

Severus was carefully noting every part of the conversation in this mind. Allies? he thought, concerned. What kind of allies would these be?

Perhaps Voldemort could sense the curiosity coming from the Death Eaters, because he smiled. "Ah, patience, my friends, patience. All will be revealed in good time. For the present, go back to your lives and facades. Infiltrate where you can. Gather information within the Ministry...Lucius, I know you should be able to do this quite easily....."

Malfoy nodded. "Of course, my Lord. It shall be done immediately."

"Macnair, keep an eye out for any particularly dangerous animals confiscated by the Ministry....anything useful should be brought to me. Crabbe, Goyle....do try and be useful. You both are associated with the Ministry, I expect better from both of you...."

"Yes, Master."

"We shall, Master."

"As for the rest of you...give nothing away. Go about your normal lives and do nothing to jeopardise your position. It would be - unfortunate - if I had to kill any of you for your blatant stupidity."

Aiden stood at the side, and quietly observed that the Death Eaters were shifting even more than ever...they could not hide their fear...As for himself, he was enjoying the show. It was amusing to see men that he despised sweat with fear and nervousness.

"Dismissed." Voldemort suddenly ordered, sitting back down in the throne. All of the Death Eaters bowed deeply, before backing out of the chamber respectfully. Severus got one last glimpse of the man, Aiden, move forward to face Voldemort, before the doors shut. He would certainly have an important report for Dumbledore tonight. Ignoring the whispered conversations between the other Death Eaters, he hurriedly Disapperated from the underground city, and then Apparated on the outskirts of Hogsmeade. He would have to get to Hogwarts as quickly as possible.

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Ron came into the Gryffindor Common room at exactly eight thirty, wearing a thoughtful expression and carrying all of his research notes. "Ron!" Harry called, waving him over to the table that he and Hermione were occupying. "How did it go?"

"It wasn't as bad as I thought it'd be," Ron admitted, sitting down. "Morag really isn't a bad bloke, once you get over the fact that he's a Slytherin."

"What happened?" Hermione asked.

"Well, I went to the library and we met up. It was pretty quiet for a while when we were looking for research material....by the way, Madam Pince nearly had a fit when we told her about our assignment.....she nearly didn't let us into the restricted section...."

"And?"

"We were just going through books, and then this great big spider crawled out of one of the shelves...." Ron said, shuddering. "I yelled and nearly tripped over a chair. And the funny part was, Morag wasn't any better. He panicked too, and backed him against the wall. Then the spider just scampered away, and was gone."

"It must have been pretty embarrassing," Harry said sympathetically.

"Nah, it wasn't, really. After that, we started talking about how gross spiders are, with their too many legs and too many eyes and their hairy bodies..." Ron said, obviously feeling disgusted just thinking about them. "And it sort of went from there. Did you know that Morag's parents are Muggle-born?"

"What?"

"I'm serious. The reason he doesn't have anything to do with the rest of them is that they don't like him because of his parents. He gets shunned by the rest of Slytherin, it's got to be ten times worse than being in any other house..."

"I had no idea," said Hermione, laying down her quill on her Arithmancy homework. "No wonder he's always in the library, reading."

"You see him there?" asked Harry.

"Oh, yes. He's always sitting in a chair by the window, with a pile of books beside him...."

"Sounds like your soulmate," Ron snorted.

"Ron, that's not funny. Did you find much information?" Hermione replied, glaring at him pointedly.

"Sort of. But I think I'm going to have to go back again to find more....it's this stupid curfew, it drives me insane."

"Dumbledore thinks it's necessary," Harry reminded him. "Although I agree - it is annoying...."

"Anyone feel like playing Exploding Snap?" Ron asked suddenly. "I'm sick of books and homework. Hermione? Game?"

"No, sorry. I need to finish this essay," she sighed, looking down at her collection of incredibly complicated charts spread over the table.

"I'll play," Harry told him cheerfully. "Tell me more about what you've found, maybe it'll help me....."

They played Exploding Snap for about two hours, while Ron told Harry about the information that he and Morag had managed to find. "But I bet Snape's booked out all the good books, just to make it harder," Ron confided in Harry. "It figures that he'd do something like that." By the sounds of what Ron told him, Harry concluded that the assignment would indeed take a long time to piece together. And it depressed him even more. It meant that he would be doomed to spend even more time with Malfoy.

Much later, he glanced at the clock. "Eleven. I think we'd better head off to bed." Harry said eventually, getting up and stretching his stiff legs. "Otherwise there's no way I can get up tomorrow morning. G'night Hermione," he yawned, and started up the staircase.

"See you in the morning," Ron echoed, and disappeared behind him. Yawning herself, Hermione packed up her things, went back to her dormitory and climbed into bed, quickly falling into a deep sleep.

In her suite of rooms nearby, Danielle herself was getting ready to retire for the night. All of those dratted reports were done, she'd corrected her classes' homework, and had already had a shower.....something she'd rigged up herself, with the assistance of a house elf, since Hogwarts wasn't exactly a modern building. Quickly drying her hair with a spell, Danielle dragged her hairbrush through her hair and attempted to untangle some knots. "Ouch!" she exclaimed, wincing as her brush caught on a snare and pulled painfully at her scalp.

Oh, why wouldn't her hair behave? If only it was short and straight! Danielle kept brushing her mass of hair, which grew to the small of her back. The only reason she kept it long was in memory of Lily. She, too, had long hair, which had been a lovely, deep red. But Lily's hair had been straight, with a slight wave. Unlike the mop she had. Sighing in defeat, Danielle grabbed an elastic and threw her wild hair into a loose ponytail. Hopefully it would somehow control the tangle.

Danielle put on a pair of pyjama pants (she had somehow lost the top) and pulled on a large, old, grey Nike jumper. It was warm and comfortable, and smelt like her cat, Zacharius, who had a bad habit of sleeping on clothes she dumped on the floor. It was also covered in his black cat hair.

"Oh, how elegant," Danielle mocked herself. "Not quite like a piece of fancy lingerie, is it?" Smiling ironically at herself, she got into bed and blew out the bedside candle. Not long after, Zacharius made himself comfortable, sprawling on her pillow and taking over most of it.

Zacharius had arrived at Hogwarts in the second week, having being forced to go through a short quarantine. However, there were wizards working at the London airport, who had carried out cleansing spells and such, making it safe for Zacharius to leave. Danielle was just glad to have her faithful cat back - he had always been a source of comfort to her. There was just something about cats that always cheered her up. They had a superior air about them, like the mere troubles of humans weren't worth their attention.

The bed was soft. The room was warm. But Danielle tossed restlessly. Something was wrong. She couldn't explain, but there was an air of uneasiness in the night. Rolling on her back, she tried to close her eyes and fall asleep. But sleep refused to come. In the end, she cursed, and got back up. It was useless. Danielle pondered for a moment, before brightening.

A trip to the kitchens sounded good, and maybe it would help ease her anxiety. And some chocolate ice cream surely couldn't hurt, right? Even if it was almost midnight. Slipping into her fluffy, blue-cow slippers, Danielle left her room and quietly, carefully, padded her way down the corridor, heading towards the kitchens.

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The Forbidden Forest lay quiet, on the border of the Hogwarts grounds. But deeper into the dark undergrowth, a cloaked man greeted the figures of two creatures which could surely not be human.

"My master's orders are for you to get into the castle un-noticed, and kill the Potter boy," the man ordered in a soft voice. "If you cannot reach him, proceed in killing whomever you wish, as long as you get out undetected. Particularly any teachers you come across."

The daemons, for that was what they were, cackled in anticipation. "And our rewardsssss?" the first daemon hissed, its snake-like eyes glinting in the reflected light of the moon. The man laughed, without a trace of mirth.

"He will give you an unlimited choice of humans to prey on. You and your kind will have fresh meat daily. I trust this will be satisfactory?" he added, with a sneer.

"Yesss......quite. We will leave, human. The deal is made." The second daemon purred. Instantly, they melted into the thick undergrowth, heading towards the Hogwarts castle, their evil minds fixed on one thing - their prey. Behind them, Aiden smiled in satisfaction. His master would be pleased. The Potter boy would be dead before sunrise.

And maybe some dead professors would be an added bonus.

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In the staff room, Albus Dumbledore gazed around at the teachers, whom had been called there for a general meeting about the curriculum. They had made good progress, and he was pleased to see that despite the dangerous and frightening developments in the past months, with the uprising of the Dark Lord, the students were still working hard and concentrating on their studies. It have the old man a sense of pride, knowing that the children that attended Hogwarts would grow up to be great witches and wizards, working to make a better world.

That is, if Voldemort didn't stop them in their tracks.

And then, only a few hours ago, Severus came in, wearing a grim face, and bringing with him a new source of worry. Albus did not like the sound of this unknown man, 'Aiden', and the curious respect that Voldemort, of all people, held for him. Whatever he could give to Voldemort and bring to aid the Dark Forces could not be good news at all. The headmaster felt almost weighed down with worry.

One of the biggest problems was that Snape had no idea where An Domhain, the fabled city, was actually located. Upon a summoning, Voldemort magicked the Death Eaters to a particular spot, somewhere near the city, and from there they were blind-folded by magic, courtesy of Wormtail, and led blindly through a secret entrance and into the underground. The only lead that they had was the ancient books and scrolls about An Domhain, and they were immensely difficult to get hold of. The Ministry kept them in a special museum which was highly protected.

So, either way, things were not at their best.

Dumbledore was snapped out of his musings when Severus suddenly spoke up. "Why isn't Professor Rivendale present?" he asked, frowning around the room.

"Well, you would all agree that she has had her work cut out for her......in fact, as far as I am aware, she has only just managed to finish the pile of reports and such left over from last year's disastrous Defence teacher," Dumbledore said easily, adjusting his spectacles that were sliding down his crooked nose. "I thought it would be better if she was allowed to relax for a night. Besides, there isn't much to discuss with her - Defence against the Dark Arts has become rather popular under her direction, wouldn't you agree?"

Snape scowled, but silently acknowledged Dumbledore's statement.

Flitwick beamed at the headmaster. "Oh, the students are quite enthusiastic," he said shrilly. "I was fortunate to see a class for myself - a practical lesson, mind you. Quite enjoyable. She has quite a talent for teaching, even if Danielle doesn't believe it herself."

Other members of the staff nodded. They all knew that Danielle's straightforward attitude and likeable nature could control even the most difficult students. And as the rowdiest students included Fred and George Weasley, this was certainly saying something.

The clock chimed for the eleventh hour. "Well, I think it is time to retire for the night. Everything is running smoothly. Are there any more topics to discuss?" Everyone shook their heads, and rose from their chairs, filing out the door.

Snape and Dumbledore were last to leave the room. "Were you worried about her, Severus?" Dumbledore asked lightly, as they walked down the hallway, lagging behind the other teachers.

Snape flinched and answered quickly. "Of course not. I was merely curious why she wasn't there when everyone else was called. One would naturally wonder where a fellow co-worker would be if absent from a staff meeting."

Dumbledore had an absent-minded smile on his face. "Yes, Severus. Of course."

Severus stopped and glared at him. "Are you mocking me, Albus?"

The older man raised an eyebrow. "I would never dream of doing such a thing. But - er - your reaction to my question makes me wonder - you were friendly with Danielle in school, correct?"

"Well, yes," Snape admitted reluctantly. "Despite the obvious problems that I was in Slytherin and she-"

Suddenly, there was a high-pitched scream that echoed off the walls of the corridor, and alerted both men at once.

"Elaine!" They said together, and in unison pulled out their wand and hurried to the end of the passageway, into the entrance hall, where a frightening sight stopped them in mid-dash.

Two.......things were viciously attacking the teachers.

Snape had only a moment to think that he had never seen creatures such as these before - what the hell were they? - before the impact of the horror before them hit home.

One had Elaine Sinistra by the neck and was strangling her with one huge, strong, clawed hand, dangling her high off the floor, and with the other hand was gripping the wands that belonged to the professors. She was making small choking noises and was turning a horrible shade of purple.

The other thing was toying with Flitwick, McGonagall, and the others, swiping them with some of its huge, deadly-looking blades which seemed to protrude from its clawed hands and feet. The professors were backed up against a wall with nowhere to run.

The creatures were about seven feet tall standing on hind legs, with cruel, strong looking beaks on their faces, and evil, black glittering eyes, which held nothing but malice. Their skin looked pebbly, a dark, sickly grey colour. Powerful muscles rippled under their skin as they moved, giving no illusion about their brute strength. These monsters were walking assassins, and utterly deadly.

Dumbledore instantly summarised the situation, and pointed his wand at the creature nearest - the one strangling Sinistra.

"Stupe-" he was cut off, when his wand was wrenched from his hand by an unseen force, and soared over to the daemon.

"Not wise, hhumann," it spat, turning it's attention on Dumbledore. A moment later, Snape's wand was also taken from his grasp, and caught by the same daemon.

"Do you really think your pathetic pieces of wood can defeat usss?" it snarled. Then, it cruelly threw Sinistra halfway across the room, slamming her into a wall. She slid to the bottom and collapsed on the floor, unconscious and bleeding. The creature began to advance on the two men.

Meanwhile, the other daemon was obviously enjoying itself, delivering fast swipes that gave the teachers little time to twist out of the way. They were cornered, and every person sported deep cuts that bled profusely.

"Huumman blood tastes very sweet..." it cackled. The teachers were terrified - they had no wands, no protection from this monster. Were they were to be sliced up and mauled, like hunks of meat? Minerva McGonagall was suddenly terrified for the students, sleeping unknowingly in their dormitories. Would they too be slaughtered?

The first daemon leapt at Snape and Dumbledore. They both jumped out of the way - Dumbledore was surprisingly nimble for a man of such great age - but Severus was too slow and was slashed deeply in the side. Gasping, he clutched the wound and staggered, leaning on the wall for support, as it came around for a second attack. It smiled cruelly, as well as a creature with a beak can smile, and unfolded each of its long, sharp, knife-like claws on each hand.

It was playing with him, Snape knew that much. Now that he was injured, there would be no difficulty in killing him. It was all over. The daemon began to run towards him, blades outstretched, bloodlust in its eyes. Severus Snape closed his eyes, waiting for the end. His end.

"AIIIYYYYAA!!!!!!" A fierce war cry echoed through the hall.

Snape's eyes snapped open, just in time to see a blur slam into the monster and the force knocked it into the wall. A lightning-fast kick aimed at the head, and the creature was temporarily stunned.

The other daemon snarled and surged forward, furious that its partner could be disarmed so quickly.

Danielle turned in time to see the bladed creature rush at her, every claw and blade ready to strike. Without thinking or pausing, she ducked under the cruel swipe at her head, twisted, and with her leg she lashed out powerfully and knocked the legs out under it. The daemon fell heavily, not expecting such a quick reaction, and it gave Danielle time to grab a wand that had fallen onto the ground and hurl it at Dumbledore. "Here!"

But before he could catch it, it stopped in midair and was snapped in two. The first daemon had recovered. Charging forward, it screamed in rage, and hurtled toward Danielle. She had no time to move. One clawed hand clamped her right shoulder, and she screamed in pain as her skin was cut into deeply. It drew back a clawed fist and hit Danielle across the face with all its might. The claws raked the side of her cheek brutally.

The force of the blow sent her flying across the hall, at least ten metres, to hit the entrance doors and crumple against the tough wood. There was a loud crack.

Professor Sprout cried out in horror and Professor Flitwick was sobbing into his robes. The first daemon stalked towards Danielle's broken, slumped figure, when Dumbledore's deep voice stopped it in its tracks. "Aretha way fa sanka van."

Both creatures turned and backed away, in fear, from their prey. The old man stood in the center of the hall. A white glow - sheer magical power - practically radiated off his body, and there was a hard, angry look in his eyes, which would have sent the bravest man into a babbling mass of apologies.

"Nartok li amen, fa sanka van. You have entered forbidden ground, creatures," Dumbledore commanded, cold fury etched into the lines on his weary face. "This is not your place. You have violated my staff enough. Leave this school immediately."

The daemons protested, shrieking in their fury and anger, and made their way towards Dumbledore. But before they could reach him, all of a sudden, they froze. White fire was holding their taloned feet to the floor, and blinding them. This only caused them to scream out more, in both rage and agony. But still, Dumbledore remained impassive.

"This is your last warning. Leave, or you will be destroyed. You have failed." he said icily, his electric blue eyes snapping with anger.

Perhaps it was the mention of failure, something that these daemons had never experienced, that caused them to foolishly try and attack one last time. They would never give up, not when their reward was so generous. With one, bloodcurdling shriek, the daemons broke free of the hold on their feet, and lashed out towards Albus Dumbledore. But this time, he did not show mercy.

The white fire collected in his outstretched hand, and he hurled the ball of white flame towards the oncoming creatures. They barely had time to utter one heart-chilling scream, before they were engulfed by the white flames, and were instantly burnt alive. The smell of burnt flesh filled the hall quickly, terrible fumes that made the teachers cover their noses in disgust.

The charred and blackened skeletons fell to the floor, the only remains of the attackers.

There was a thick silence, as Severus Snape and the other professors stared at Albus Dumbeldore in complete awe. Never had they seen such a display of raw power. And before their eyes, the mighty sorcerer, whose bloodlines originated from Merlin himself, that had destroyed the daemons, faded away slowly, to reveal the elderly, tired headmaster that they all knew.

He gazed back at the professors in exhaustion - the people whom he trusted and respected - and something in his eyes assured them that yes, it was him, the same Albus Dumbledore. He gripped Severus' arm carefully.

"Can you walk?" he asked gently.

Severus gritted his teeth from the pain in his side and nodded. Moving away, Dumbledore quickly turned his attention to Elaine Sinistra, who was moaning and trying to get up. "No, stay still," he told her quietly. Turning, he looked at Minerva.

"Minerva, I need you to take everyone to the hospital wing," he said in a calm voice. "Leave explanations for Madam Pomfrey until later. I will attend to Danielle." He took in the sight of the stern Transfiguration professor, with ripped sleeves and various cuts visible on her forearms. Pale and shaken, she still managed to nod, and collected her wand. Conjuring a stretcher, she carefully levitated Professor Sinistra onto it, and led the battered and traumatized witches and wizards out of the hall and up the stairs.

When he was sure that they were managing, Dumbledore hurried to Danielle's side. She was facedown on the floor, and unmoving. There was a small puddle of blood seeping onto the floor. Carefully, as not to worsen her injuries, Dumbledore turned her over, and immediately wished he hadn't.

Her pretty face was bruised and battered, and the rakes across the right side of her cheeks were bleeding heavily, caking the whole side of her face with blood. Her right side had been badly slashed, and she had other vicious cuts that had basically shredded the once-grey, now red, blood-soaked jersey. She was barely breathing, and blood was trailing down from the side of her mouth. If she weren't attended to now, Danielle would die, here, in the hall.

Using the little raw power that he had left, Dumbledore pressed his hand onto the deep wound in her shoulder and collarbone. The white fire flowed into it, but this was not killing-fire. This was healing-fire. Her wound glowed and then, gradually, began to close up. Putting every ounce of his concentration into it, Dumbledore healed the vicious injury to Danielle's upper-torso, in an effort to stop her losing more blood. When he was certain that it was closed up completely, he conjured a stretcher and very, very gently levitated her onto it, taking care to heed all of her injuries. By the looks of it, her arm was also broken.

Dumbledore had to steady himself against the stretcher, as he made his way to the hospital wing. All of his power was used up, and now he felt wearier than he had ever been in years. An old man had no business in fighting daemons without a wand.

They reached the hospital wing, and on entering, he was set upon by Madam Pomfrey, who was beside herself in hysterics. "Headmaster! What on earth has been going on?!" she spluttered. "Is there an attack?" Dumbledore sighed.

"There was an attack, yes. But please, Poppy, I must ask you to not to ask any more questions until tomorrow. Danielle is critically hurt, and must be healed immediately."

Madam Pomfrey gasped as she caught sight of Danielle's limp and beaten form. "Oh, My Lord. Put her on the bed, quickly!" she exclaimed in horror. Dumbledore did as he was told, and stood back as Poppy rolled up her sleeves. "Headmaster, I think it would be best if you go into the other wing, with the rest of the professors who are healed." she said softly, staring down at the young woman whose crumpled figure was barely recognisable. "This may take some time."

Dumbledore reluctantly left the room, after one last glance at the bed. In the other room, Professors McGonagall, Snape, Flitwick, Sprout, Trelawney, Vector, and Grubbly-Plank were silently huddled in chairs, some sporting bandages and shallow cuts on their faces. They all looked up when he came in, and Minerva stood up. "Albus.....will she be alright?" she asked, fear in her voice.

The Headmaster looked downcast. "She will live.....barely, as it is. I'm afraid that I will have to send for help from the Ministry, to protect the school. We need to tighten security immediately."

The other professors remained silent. Dumbledore could tell that they were still in a state of shock from the night's events. He was incredibly thankful that, for precaution, the house entrances were magically sealed and hidden at night, so that no one could get in and no one could get out. If not, the price they paid could have been even higher.

Sighing, Dumbledore sank into a chair and wondered how he could now claim that Hogwarts was the safest place from evil.

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The man known as Aiden knelt before his master, indeed, fearing for his life. The daemons had failed, when he had assured that they were the deadliest creatures on earth. His master would not be pleased. Lord Voldemort watched his servant through slitted eyes. "Your creatures not only failed, they were detected and destroyed." he hissed, stroking Nagini's head.

The man did not dare to look up. "Yes, My Lord. Dumbledore has powers that I did not foresee."

He was shocked, when Voldemort began to laugh, a high, cruel, chilling laugh that filled the whole chamber. Controlling his shudder, the man dared to glance upwards. The Dark Lord stood. "You are a fool, to underestimate him. Indeed, I too am a fool, for thinking that just two mere......daemons, could have defeated the great Albus Dumbledore."

Voldemort looked down on his kneeling servant. "Rise. You may be foolish, but you are loyal. I will not kill you for this, but if you fail me again......" The threat hung in the air, menacing.

The cloaked man rose, and bowed deeply. "My Lord, you are merciful, you are mighty. I will not fail you again."

The Dark Lord's face twisted into what resembled a sneer. "Too true. Leave here, and join up with the rest of my Death Eaters. I will call for you when the time is right." Once again, the man bowed, and turned on his heel, quickly walking out of the chamber and the Heir of Slytherin's presence. And he was quite relieved to go. Dwelling near the Dark Lord for too long could have dire consequences.

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