Did he say what they thought they heard? Could there possibly be hope? Would they get back home?

"But how would he have known?" Harry said. There was no way! That had to be a coincidence! How could Dumbledore predict the spell that Voldemort would use?

"Snape," Tonks said and everyone looked at her. "He is our spy isn't he? He must have found out and tipped Dumbledore, and Dumbledore was ready."

"But look at the time that we took to find the counter spell. If Dumbledore knew so much in advance, why not warn us?" Ron asked.

"Maybe he didn't know when Voldemort would strike. Just what he meant to use. Voldemort may have had already been thinking of this before his rebirth, as a backup plan if he failed to kill Harry," Remus said. "Anyway, that's our only chance, to hope Sirius is right."

"That still leaves us with the break of powers issue," Fred said raising his arms and falling back on his armchair.

"Actually," Harry started, "according to the prophecy, that's my problem."

Everyone looked at him and Sirius said.

"You can't be serious Harry?"

"Yes, I am," Harry said calmly. "That's what I have to do. Stop Voldemort. I'll just have to do it twice."

"But, Harry, you're not ready," Remus said apprehensively "We can't let you do this."

"Yes you can, and you have to. If I don't do this, we will never get back, and then, our time line will be doomed. Everyone we care for. This time line still has a Harry if I fail, but ours doesn't, the only way to save our time line is going back. I can't just sit here, let everything happen again and hope that everything is ok back home. But you're right; I'm not ready, so get me ready!"

They contemplated him for a while in silent. He was right. If he didn't try, their time line didn't stand a chance. This wasn't just about them going home. Even if they didn't want Harry to risk his life this way, they couldn't be that selfish.

"So, now we have a new research to do. We have to find a way to stop Voldemort with love," Ginny said looking at Harry. He looked back at her and smiled. Somehow he knew she'd be by his side when the time came, and he was grateful for that.

"This is wrong; I can't lead children into battle," Remus said.

"You don't have a choice, and we're not children any more. What you can do is prepare us. You three are the best people I can think of to train us," Ron said resolutely. Remus, Sirius and Tonks considered them. They were right. As much as they wanted to protect them, the best way to do so was to make sure they could protect themselves.

"We will," Remus said and the others nodded.

---

There was a knock at the portrait hole and Sirius went to answer. He had no idea who could be there. The kids were all in class, as were Tonks and Remus. He had come up to their quarters to grade papers in between classes. When he opened the door he found the last person he wanted to talk to staring straight at him. She entered the room and sat in one of the armchairs waiting for him to join her.

"Excuse me, I do not remember inviting you in," he said trying to keep his voice calm.

"I know you better than any one Sirius, you have another thing coming if you think you can fool me," she said bluntly.

He stared at her and smirked, then while sitting down he said, "You don't know me as well as you think or you would've known the truth."

"I know the truth, you're Sirius Black, your friend Daniel is Remus Lupin, and that Brian Potter is our godson. What I don't know is what you are doing here and why do you appear to hate me so much," she said.

"First off, what we are doing here is none of your business. Secondly, the truth I was referring to is the fact that I was innocent. See, as you guessed well, I'm from the future and in my time, I was wrongfully imprisoned and sent to Azkaban for something I didn't do. And you thought I was guilty." "That's why you hate me?" she asked perplexed.

"No, that I could forgive, many people thought I was guilty. What I don't forgive is you abandoning Harry when he had no one left. You let Dumbledore give him to the Dursleys," He said angrily.

"I would never do that!" she said her voice rising.

"Well, you did. You left a one year old orphan alone and went off married and had your own kids that hadn't blown Voldemort up!" he yelled standing up.

She stared at him shocked. She would never do that. She loved Harry. Lily was like a sister to her. She would never abandon her godson.

"That can't be true. Why would I abandon Harry. And what's this about blowing up Voldemort?" she said.

"Go ask your Sirius. He knows, we've told him. But about why you would abandon Harry I don't Know. Can't help you there," Sirius said.

"Why not?" she asked angrily.

"Because I did not listen to your explanation," Sirius responded on the same tone.

"So you didn't let me explain, see him."

"I only saw you once in the past fourteen years. Just after the Order regrouped. Dumbledore called you and your husband. Aside from showing up to an Order meeting you never tried to see or as far as I know even get news of Harry's state. And by all means, that's not a difficult task, he's famous."

At that moment the portrait hole opened and in came the subject of the discussion himself.

"Nutters, this way we'll be dead from exhaustion when the O.W.L.s come." Harry said muttering under his breath, when he looked up and saw both his godparents standing in the middle of the room and staring at him he stopped dead.

"Oh, hum. Hi. I mean, hello. Yes, I can go if you want," he finished pointing to the hole behind him.

Tess chuckled, and as nervous as him she came forward, "No Harry, please stay."

Harry looked alarmed at Sirius who just shrugged.

"She figured everything out," he said.

"Oh, ok," Harry said and entered the room eyeing Tess wearily. He didn't know how to act. Up until the other day he had never met her. But then he remembered when he met Remus and Sirius. In both cases he hadn't needed more then a few minutes with them to be totally comfortable, that is, after Sirius' innocence was proved. But this was different, this Tess wasn't yet the woman that had abandoned him, he couldn't be angry at her, but he also couldn't forget her reaction to him being a parselmouth. She had reacted like everybody else in second year. Seemed afraid of him.

"So, apparently you're a good flier. You must be superb, I never heard James say anyone was better than him," she said in an attempt for small talk.

"Yes, I guess so, but he is great, I almost didn't beat him" Harry answered awkwardly.

"I'll live you two to talk. I'll be in my room if you need me," Sirius said exiting the room. Harry and Tess sat in silent for a moment until she said:

"Apparently he is very angry at me, are you?"

"I don't know. I didn't have time to think how I feel about you, actually," he answered.

"No, how come?" she asked puzzled. I mean, surely Sirius must have said loads bout her, probably abusing her at never ending rates.

"Well, up until the other day I didn't know I had a godmother. I mean, I never thought much about the fact that I only had a godfather, I always just thought that that was some wizarding tradition I knew nothing about. I was muggle raised, you see. Until I got my Hogwarts letter I knew nothing about magic."

She looked at him in shock. How could James and Lily's son grow up not knowing about magic? What could have possibly made her let that happen? So she ventured:

"Harry, I don't know what led me to abandon you, but what I do know is that I had to have had a good reason, because I love you, since before you were born, I would never, in a right mind let you go."

"Apparently you weren't. In a right mind," he added at her questioning look "Remus said you were really distressed about everything. Well actually I don't know, but I understand Dumbledore's reasons for taking me to the Dursleys', even if I don't like what he did, I understand, he had my safety in mind."

"Why would he think you were safe there, of all places?" she asked, so Harry launched into the explanation of everything that happened from the night his parents died to the day they were attacked at the Burrow. At the end she didn't know what to think. She could see how she could be distressed, but to the point of leaving Harry? She decided she would talk to Remus, he seemed like he knew more of what happened to her than the others. One thing she knew, she wouldn't make the same mistake.

"So, do you think we can at least be friends?" she asked. He contemplated her, and thought again that this wasn't the woman that left him, but there was a problem.

"I'm a parselmouth."

"Yes, we established that on Saturday. I' sorry about my reaction. You'd think that being friends with a werewolf and engaged to a Black I would know not to make quick assumptions, but I think we've also established that I'm not perfect," she said with a smile that enlarged as she saw his smile.

"Ok, I think we can be friends, I mean, you must have some good quality, to be able to settle Sirius down, I always thought he had been sort of a Lady killer," Harry said.

"Oh, he was, but I straightened that out for him." They both laughed and talked a bit more about little things. His school days, her school days. After Tess left Harry was alone in the common room when just the person he'd been thinking of having a chat with strolled in.

"Harry, I saw Tess in the corridor," Remus said smiling, "she seemed happy."

"Yes, I think we got along well, hum, Remus, I need to ask you something," Harry said awkwardly.

"What?" Remus said sitting in the armchair previously occupied by Tess.

"How do you ask a girl out? How do you know she is interested?" Harry blurted.

Remus was taken by surprise, this was not what he was expecting.

"Er, wouldn't you rather ask Sirius?" he said a little embarrassed.

"Well, he's been off the market for a while, and seeing as how you got yourself a hot girlfriend, I thought you could give me better advice," Harry said.

"Hot , what, what are you talking about?" Remus said nervously.

"Tonks of course. Sorry, I didn't mean to sound disrespectful," Harry said apologetically.

"No, Harry, you know me and Tonks, that's just a cover up," Remus said.

"Then why did you sleep in her room all those nights?" Harry said smiling at Remus face of someone that was just caught in the lie "I'm ok, with that. I'm really happy for you guys," he added.

Remus stared shocked, but then his heart swelled. Actually, Harry's and Sirius' were the reaction he had feared, with their approval he couldn't care less what the rest of the world thought. Harry and Sirius were ok with this and that's what mattered, his family's opinion.

"So you don't care that she is younger than me?" Remus asked.

"Why should I? She is the one that has to care you're old," Harry said smirking.

"I'm not old, I'm only thirty five!" Remus said affronted.

"Really?" Harry said, but seeing his guardian glare he said, "I'm just kidding, I know that. Now, could we get back to my problem, how do you know if a girl fancies you?"

"Is this someone I know? Would this girl be a certain Ms. Weasley?" Remus said one eyebrow raised.

"What's this I hear? Our Harry's in love?" Sirius said as he entered the room and sat on a chair next to Harry and Remus. "Our baby is growing up so fast."

Harry rolled his eyes exasperated and said "Is either of you going to help me or just make fun of me?"

Both men laughed at Harry's desperation but finally Remus said "You could ask her out, see what she says."

"But what if she says no. I rather ask knowing I won't make an ass of myself," Harry said.

"Then you'll never ask. See, women are unpredictable. Even if you knew she fancies you, she can still say no for some reason that you will never understand. Then again, men too," Sirius said with a pointed look at Remus.

"You've got to take a risk. But I have a hunch that she'll say yes. She's always fancied you," Remus said ignoring Sirius.

"She had a crush on the Boy Who Lived. Now that she knows me, knows I'm nothing special, I don't know," Harry said.

"I actually think that now that she knows Harry and not the Boy Who Lived you have a chance at a lasting relationship and not only one date," Remus said, "Just try asking her out.

"Ok," Harry said uncertainly and thinking "Easier said then done." He got up to go to his room, "I've got homework to do before dinner."

"Harry, before you go. Who else knows about me and Tonks?" but seeing Harry's face, Remus decided to change the question "Or better, who doesn't know?"

Harry grinned and answered "Well, just Ron, but then, that is to be expected, I mean, he hasn't figured out Hermione fancies him yet, has he?"

Remus sighed, everyone knew. Sirius laughed at his friend's surprise.

---

They were seated in her leaving room drinking tea. There was an awkward silence between them. They were old friends and yet they were strangers. He was the first to break the silence.

"So, what did you want to know?"

"Sirius said I abandoned Harry. Harry said he doesn't even know me. Why did I do that Remus?"

"I don't exactly know why. I mean. All I have are my speculations born from what happened."

"What happened?"

"Well, when we got the news of what happened, Dumbledore had already taken Harry, Sirius had already been arrested. You were devastated. You believed Sirius to be responsible for the death of three of our friends. We both did. We saw Harry one last time, at the funeral. Dumbledore requested Petunia to attend. I think she went because she was afraid of what people would think if she didn't go. I took Harry from her and kept him the entire service. You were so distressed that you refused to hold him. After that you left the country for about a year. You said you couldn't bear the memories. During that time I befriended Gregory Jones. We knew each other from the Order and were brought together by loneliness. We were both the last of a group of friends. Remember, he is friend with the Prewetts brothers and Frank Longbottom. Frank and Alice were tortured to insanity and the Prewetts were killed. When you returned to the country you started hanging out with us. You and Greg got married about a year later. At first he was shocked to learn that Harry wasn't with you. Only few knew were he was and most people assumed he was with you, since you both disappeared at the same time. He had all this crazy plans about how you would rescue Harry and raise him. I was actually glad. I had seen Harry a few times at Mrs. Figg's and also wanted him to get out of there as quick as possible. But you didn't want to."

"Because of the blood protection?"

"I don't think so, by that time the most vicious Death Eaters were in Azkaban and the ones that escaped weren't stupid to try something against The Boy Who Lived. I think you didn't have the guts to face him. I know, that sounds stupid, I mean, he was two years old, he wouldn't even remember. But that's what I think. I tried talking to you, but you always shut me off. Eventually we went our separate ways. When Sirius escaped and I found out the truth I went and told you everything. You deserved to know, but even then, you didn't want to see Harry. You listened, I think even proud, of how he saved Sirius. I didn't pursue the subject with you. Sirius kept in contact with me, telling me everything that was happening to Harry. I was expecting news of how the Third task had gone when he knocked at my door, one look at his face and I knew something had gone terribly wrong. That's when we started contacting the old members of the Order and some new ones. I had been in contact with Tonks since the year I taught at Hogwarts. I wanted an Auror to give me some information on the carrier to give to my seventh year students and she had volunteered. After the Order's first meeting you and Sirius talked. When you left he was furious, ranted for about an hour on how you didn't care. When he finally calmed down he told me he hadn't let you talk. I thought you would get another chance, since he had already unloaded, you know him."

"Yes, he needs to have his say first."

"But you didn't get another chance."

"So, basically, you don't know what happened?"

"No, but that doesn't matter to you, Tess. Just make sure this time you're there for Harry. I know you love him. I saw that in your eyes the few times you allowed me to tell you news of him. You just don't allow yourself to get near him, like you want to punish yourself for something."

"Thanks, I'll try, who knows, maybe I'll get a second chance."

"He's a good boy," Remus said smiling. "Another wouldn't have given Sirius a chance to prove his innocence. Everything pointed against him, but Harry did, even if he didn't know why, he let the man he believed responsible for his parents death explain himself. You'll get your chance."

---

Quidditch practice had just ended and Harry and the four Weasleys were walking back to the castle exhausted. Fred, George and Ron were walking ahead discussing their chances of beating Ravenclaw on the oncoming game. Harry was trailing behind with Ginny trying to figure out how to best approach the subject on his mind.

"Harry, I asked you if your dad is coming to the game, in what planet are you?" she said waving a hand in front of his face.

"Oh, yeah, I think so, he said he would. Hum, Ginny, you know the ball?"

What a question, of course she knew the Halloween Ball! That was all the whole school could talk about since Dumbledore made the announcement three days ago.

"Yes, why?" she asked innocently. Was he going to do what she thought. She had noticed him looking at her lately but she had refused to let her hopes up.

"Well, whanagotheballwithme?" he blurted, flushing furiously.

"Excuse me, didn't catch that." She had, but she waited so long for this that he was going to have to do this properly. He stopped walking and faced her.

"Do you want to go with me? As my date?" He was sweating, she looked at him for a while. What was he thinking? Of course she was going to say no. She probably already had a date. Surely the whole male population of Hogwarts had already spotted what took him four years to see.

"Well, that will depend, Harry," she said fighting a smile.

"On what, I'll do anything," he said nervously.

"If you're in one piece. Then, I will most certainly go with you."

"What, one piece?" Then he turned to see three very angry Weasleys.

---

She was finishing to tie her hair on a ponytail when she heard a soft knock on the door. She looked through the mirror and smiled as he came in.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering, professor, if you had a date to the ball?" he said envolving her with his arms from behind and throwing her that marauder smile from the mirror.

"Well, professor Flitwick hinted on something but I prefer taller men," she said with a smirk.

"Really. How tall?"

"I was thinking of asking Hagrid, actually," and she turned to face him.

"I don't know, I think he has a no married women rule," he said with a smirk but at this her smile faded.

"Oh, so that's why you're asking me. For appearance sake."

His jaw dropped and he started his defense at once.

"No, Nymphie. That's not why."

"Oh and god forbid you actually show affection in public. What if the kids notice, right?" she finished exasperated.

"Actually, they already know," he said and this time her jaw was the one to drop.

"What, How?

"Well, apparently we're not all that discreet, oh yes, and according to Sirius, women like to be paraded."

"Women like to what?"

"Be paraded" he said very seriously, "and that's exactly what I intend to do. I intend to show off my beautiful wife for the whole school to see and die of envy."

"So the kids know?"

"Yep."

"And they're Okay with this."

"Yep."

"Sirius too?"

"Yes, he had very strong opinions on the subject."

Great her cousin was going to ruin everything.

"He said that if I messed this up out of self pity, he would hunt me and hex me into oblivion. Not very pleasant. But the thing is, I have no intention of messing this up. When I was bitten I thought my life was over, I'd never get to have what other people had. But then I went to Hogwarts, and I found more than friends, I found two brothers. But when I lost them, I thought that I would never be happy again. I was wrong. I got Harry and Sirius back. And I found you, so alive and full of energy. I fell in love at first sight."

"Liar."

"No, I'm not. I did."

"First time you saw me I was five and you eighteen. You came to baby-sit with Sirius and James. You gave me a chocolate frog and I fell in love. After that I would always ask for Sirius to baby-sit and pout terribly if he came alone. Then when he went to Azkaban you disappeared. But one day you knocked at Aurors headquarters looking for a volunteer and of course I jumped on the opportunity."

She then leaned closer to him, her lips almost touching his when a shout came from the common room.

"She said yes! Remus, Sirius, She said yes!"

They went to the common room to find an out of breath flushed Harry, with a smile from ear to ear.

"Who said yes Harry?" Tonks asked twitching her lips.

"Ginny, she said she'll go with me. Ron, Fred and George almost killed me, but she said yes."