Phoenix Rising

By Verbum

Author's Note: Okay, let me explain. What I'm doing is writing 2 sequels to the AitS series; one for the people who are hell-bent on seeing Remus and Penelope together, and another focusing on another character of mine; both take place at the same time, they're just... alternate realties, I guess you can say. This is the Penelope and Remus fic.

Remus J. Lupin drew in his breath at the sight of Hogwarts, the old medieval castle converted into a school for budding Witches and Wizards; Even though he'd been there many times before as a student and even taught there for a short while a couple of years back, the facade was simply breathtaking, even to the most accustomed eyes.

'It's good to be back,' he thought as he leaned back into the seat, looking at all of the people around him in the teacher's compartment of the Hogwarts' Express; short little Professor Flitwick dozing in the corner, Professor Hermione Granger reading a thick book (A History of Hogwarts, Revised, he noticed with amusement), and Professor Trelawney trying to convince a rather annoyed Professor Vector to let her read her palm.

'Just like old times,' he thought, as the trained slowed down and came to a halt near Hogwarts. The students clambered out of the other compartments, with the teachers following close behind. Lupin threw his things in the back of a carriage and settled down, with Hermione and Professor Vector (evidently wanting to escape Professor Trelawney) close behind. Hermione, slightly out of breath, flashed him a bright smile.

"Exciting, isn't it?" she asked. "The new school year and all... it's good to have you back, Remus. You're the most qualified person we've had for DADA in years."

"What about Professor King?" Vector asked, with a hint of a sardonic smile on her face. Hermione frowned.

"Especially more so than Professor King," she said. "The git knew nothing. The only thing he could do was sing. He performed at the Yule Ball for, what, 5 years?"

Vector shook her head, smiling. The carriage came to a halt in front of the school.

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Professor Dumbledore clinked his wine glass and the Great Hall fell silent. From the teacher's table, Lupin recognized many of the students, old and new; Miranda Weasley, the daughter of Charlie Weasley, was sitting with a group of Gryffindor fifth years, and Neville Longbottom, who was doing an internship for his teaching degree, was sitting with his brother Franklin near a group of Hufflepuff sixth and seventh years. He smiled and waved at Professor Lupin. Dumbledore signaled to Professor McGonagall, who was standing at the podium, to begin the sorting.

"Adams, Nicholas." The small, thin boy nervously stepped forward and gingerly placed the hat on his head. After a moments thought, the hat shouted "Ravenclaw!" A thunderous applause rose from the Ravenclaw table.

"Alonzo, Amaryllis." Pause. "Slytherin!" The green-clad table erupted in clapping.

"Black, Muriel." Sirius' adopted daughter strode forth, eagerly jamming the hat on her head. Without a moment's hesitation, the hat gleefully cried out "Gryffindor!" Remus made a mental note to owl her father about it. The sorting went on until "Zwettler, Marie" and "Zwettler, Timothy" (both Hufflepuff) were sorted, when McGonagall rolled up the parchment and took her seat at the teacher's table. Looking around, Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Before we begin, I'd like to sing the school song," he started. "Remember, to any tune you wish." The rest of the faculty forced their fake smiles and the students groaned. He took up his wand, waved it to and fro a couple of times, and silvery words floated up above the teacher's table.

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

And learn until our brains all rot."

The contralto voice of Professor McGonagall and the ear-splitting off key notes of Hermione were the last to die down. Professor Dumbledore cringed, then smiled.

"Well, wasn't that... interesting." Hermione blushed furiously. "I'd like to welcome everybody back for another exciting year at Hogwarts, and remind you all that the Forbidden Forest got its name for a reason, so please stay out of it." The students laughed.

"On another note, I'd like to welcome two new teachers to our ranks, both former students, first of all our new Defense against the Dark Arts teacher, Professor Lupin, who is coming back to teach once again and is replacing Professor King, who, as we all know, has mysteriously left the building and never came back." The students clapped, most notably the Longbottom brothers, Miranda, and Muriel.

"I'd also like to introduce Professor Granger, who will be taking over the beginning Transfiguration posts, since Professor McGonagall has decided to become the Assistant Headmaster." More applause, especially from the teacher's table and Neville...Lupin thought for a moment. Neville had always seemed rather taken with Hermione. He put the thought out of his mind and concentrated on the feast that appeared in front of him, as Dumbledore finished his speech. A sound like bombs going off came from the direction of the dungeons. Snape jumped up, ashen, and ran off, only to come back in a few minutes later, covered in a thick, sticky, green goo. Miranda and Franklin laughed until they were almost sick, but other than that the feast went off without a hitch and the different houses went to their dorms, fed and watered to the brim.

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"He's gone...we did it." She looked up at him and smiled weakly, blood trickling from the left corner of her mouth.

"No, you did it. Come on, the whole house is burning down." Lupin touched her back and she winced in pain, biting her bottom lip.

"Don't bother; it's broken. I'm not going anywhere."

"I won't let you die!" She smiled again, though fainter.

"I'm a phoenix, remember? I'm supposed to die in a hellish inferno and be reborn from the ashes."

"That's just a myth. I'll go get help. You'll live." She shook her head.

"I won't live much longer anyway." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I love you, Remus." Her voice grew weaker.

"No, you can't go!" Lupin's eyes filled up with tears. "What about the wedding?" he asked quietly.

"It wasn't meant to be. You'll find someone else, but my time is up..." She closed her eyes. He watched speechlessly as her body engulfed itself in flames, momentarily becoming a huge phoenix with long golden tail feathers. Then it disappeared into the night. Lupin awoke in a cold sweat, scattering his bedsheets in the process and knocking his alarm clock off of his dresser.

"Crap," he muttered, as he picked up his now broken alarm and set its shattered remains aside. He hadn't had that dream in a very long time, since about 5 years after she was killed. Given, he felt the guilt every day, but the dream had been the worst of it; it was almost like reliving the moment of her death over and over. He got out of bed. There would be no way he could sleep now, so, after changing into a pair of old robes, he went outside onto the grounds.

The tree stood in the center of a magnificent rose garden, full of whites, pinks and reds that glittered in the moonlight. It had grown large in the 15 or so years since it was planted; Hagrid had tended it well, and every summer it dropped little red and gold flowers all over the campus, spread by the wind. He read the plaque next to it.

In memory of Penelope Lynn Taylor, Gryffindor, 1964-1983.

To the well organized mind, Death is but the next great adventure.

Set in stone, with her favorite quote by Dumbledore. His pride, his pain. Dead, by the hand of Voldemort. Lupin sat on the stone bench under her tree, hunched over. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Remus, what's wrong?" It was Hermione.

"Nothing, I'm just tired."

"Really. You know, I could always tell when my friends were lying, and you were no exception, even though you are almost 20 years older than I am." Lupin shook his head.

"You're still the cleverest witch of your age I know." Hermione smiled sarcastically.

"Flattery, m'dear, will get you nowhere. Spill it." Remus remained quiet for a couple of minutes.

"See that plaque?" he sighed.

"Yes. It's in memory of 'Penelope Lynn Taylor, Gryffindor, 1964-1983'" Hermione furrowed her brows.

"She was my fiancée."

"Oh..." She looked horrified. "If you don't mind me asking, how did she, you know..."

"Voldemort. We tried to protect Harry on the night he killed his parents and-" he bit his lip "-she was thrown against the side of a bookcase and her back broke; the internal injuries killed her." He saw Hermione blink back tears.

"I had no idea."

"It's not a topic I usually share willingly. You're the second person I've told." She nodded.

"I know the feeling. To keep something inside for so long...I've got to be going." She stood up abruptly. "Thank you for telling me. It really means a lot to me."

"Sure." He watched her retreating figure walk away slowly back toward the school.

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The onset of the Christmas season brought its usual cheery atmosphere and load of assignments, but for Hermione it brought something completely different. An owl so silver it was almost blue tapped on her window the morning of Christmas Eve.

"A message? From who?" She wondered aloud, undoing the piece of parchment from the bird's leg.

Dearest Hermione, the letter read,

She stared quizzically at the slip of parchment, until the owl hooted to get her attention.

"Oh, yes, I had nearly forgotten! Here," she said, giving the owl a couple of knuts. It flew off, out of the snow covered window. She absentmindedly pulled on a set of lavender robes and fastened her cloak around her and headed down to breakfast, note in hand. Neville sat down next to her at the table, and watched while she carelessly poked at her eggs.

"Is there something wrong, Hermione?" he asked. She looked up at him, startled, then smiled at him.

"Oh, hello, Neville. How are you?"

"Fine, but I'm wondering about you...you seem, well, off-color today, if you don't mind me saying." He smiled back at her.

"I feel off-color today. Here, look at this." She handed Neville the note. He scanned over it, slightly blushing when he came to the end.

"Who do you think it's from?"

"I've no idea; some owl came to my window this morning and gave it to me." She shrugged.

"Oh well. Weird. I've got to go," he began, somewhat awkwardly. "Professor Sprout needs help in Greenhouse 4 today, the Devil's Snare is practically out of control." He smiled.

"Neville," Hermione started. He turned around. He had grown since his Hogwarts days, and now stood over her at a little under six feet tall. He ran a hand through his dark brown hair.

"Yes?" Hermione took a deep breath.

"I need to go into Hogsmeade later today, or maybe tomorrow and, er, I'd liketoknowifyou'dwanttocome." Neville raised his eyebrows.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, I didn't catch that last part." She mentally slapped herself.

"Sorry. I just want to know if you'd like to come along." His face lit up.

"Sure! I need to pick up some supplies myself. Maybe we could stop for butterbeer."

"That would be nice. Thanks, Neville."

"No problem," he said. "Believe me," he added, in a much softer voice when she was out of earshot.

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Morgana the Mild was not a mild looking statue in the least. All angles and cast in bronze, the glowing monstrosity graced (if it could be called that) the end of a fifth floor hallway near the Hufflepuff Dormitories. Hermione grimaced; who in their right mind would give their secret admirer a present near that thing? Neville held on to her shoulder, as he insisted that he come with her, just in case. Hermione smiled at the gesture; she had actually started to wonder whether it was Neville who had sent her the note.

"I think we need to move this thing to the side to get to it," Neville was saying.

"But it's bronze! We can't move it by ourselves!" Neville stopped and thought for a moment.

"Hermione, what about the Floatation Charm?"

"Oh, of course!" She took out her wand. "Ascendi alte!" The huge bronze statue leapt a couple of feet into the air. Underneath it was a little silver and pearl necklace, with a silver charm hanging off of it. Underneath was a note that plainly read

Merry Christmas

"It's so beautiful," Hermione breathed, as she read the inscription on the charm:

voth neeather omh

Whatever could that mean? Neville kept his hand on her shoulder and bent down with her.

"Uh, Hermione, you don't know who sent this or how it got here; it could be a port--" but it was too late; she had already picked it up with the end of her wand. The necklace gave off a silvery light and the two were gone.

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Dumbledore was furious, as was evidenced by the fact that he called an emergency faculty meeting at midnight on Christmas Eve. Minerva sat in his office in her blue silk pajamas and her hair undone, and Snape was still in his robes, as was Remus. Dumbledore locked the door and muttered a silencing charm before beginning.

"I'm very sorry to have to bring you all out here so late in the evening, but there has been an emergency; Professor Granger and Neville Longbottom have both gone missing tonight, and we do not know how. Do any of you have some idea why?" Nobody answered. He shook his head and took something out of his desk drawer.

"This was found next to the statue of Morgana the Mild earlier this evening, which, incidentally, has been moved a couple of feet in the air since we last saw it. Read." He paced the room as the other teachers read the note, shocked expressions coming to their faces.

"What kind of sicko writes 'Merry Christmas' when kidnapping two people?" Vector asked.

"The same sicko that gives presents next to Morgana the Mild," Sinistra replied sarcastically.

"That's what we're trying to deduce, so we've come up with a couple of short-term aids to help us. First off, we needed a temporary replacement for Hermione, as we don't know how long this is going to take, so Minerva and I did a little last-minute searching and found both a teacher and an asset to our solution, someone I think you all know. May I introduce Linda Taylor, Transfiguration master and Auror extraordinaire."

A tall, blonde haired woman stepped out of the shadows, wearing simple crimson robes and gold-rimmed glasses. Remus froze. Linda? It couldn't possibly be...

"This," Dumbledore was saying, "is Catherine Vector, our Arithmancy professor (she shook her hand with warm remembrance), and finally, this is Remus Lupin, Professor of the Defense Against the--"

"Dark Arts," Linda said quietly, her voice steady. "Pleased to meet you." She spoke in a Bostonian accent, with traces of British. He was immediately transfixed to her eyes, a deep shade of aquamarine.

'Penelope's,' he thought.

"You too," he said, shaking her hand. The touch was electrifying, just like old times.

"Seeing as we all know one another again..." Dumbledore rummaged in his desk drawer for something and pulled out a small hourglass like object. "Let's begin, shall we?"

"Tomorrow, Albus, if you please," McGonagall said, yawning. "Let us sleep. Magic does not sit well on a weary mind and 'Linda' has only been here for a few hours."

"As you wish, Minerva. Tomorrow, then. Noon. There are practically no students to disturb us. In my office. Good night." Remus walked out with the rest of the teachers and waited outside of Dumbledore's office for 'Linda'. She came out later than the rest of the teachers, having talked a few minutes longer to Dumbledore.

"Penelope," he said as she walked past.

"I haven't gone by that name in 20 years, Remus."

"July 17, 1983." She spun around.

"The day I 'died'."

"What happened?"

Linda smiled. "I'm a phoenix, remember? I'm supposed to die in a hellish inferno and be reborn from the ashes. How do you explain that you aren't actually dead and you're just a witch that just happens to be a natural phoenix animagus?"

"Very carefully?" She rolled her eyes at his flippant comment.

"You pick up and start all over. I moved back to Boston, changed my name, and forgot that I was ever British." She smiled again. "That is, until I was needed. Dumbledore is not a man you can refuse, and Hogwarts is a place where I don't need to start over."

"So it's not a myth, then."

"No, it's not. Far from one. I'm quite alive." She walked over and hugged him, and he buried his head in her hair, which reached just past her shoulders.

"My God," he breathed. "It is you. You've come back. This can't be real."

"I've already pinched myself. Trust me, it is. " He started to walk in the direction of his room, and she followed. When he reached his doorway, he laughed somewhat bitterly.

"Damn it, Pen-er, Linda, what do you want?" He buried his face in his hands. This was too much. Dead, then not dead. Hermione and Neville gone to God knows where...

"You," she answered, reaching out to stroke his greying hair. He gently caught her wrist halfway, bringing his head up in surprise. Had he heard her right?

"What?" he asked softly, moving closer to her.

"You heard me, Remus. I. Want. You." she said, bringing her own lips to his. They kissed slowly, passionately. Lupin looked into her eyes when they stopped to breathe.

"You're positive?" he whispered. She nodded.

"I've never been surer." He kissed her more intensely, slipping an arm under her knees and carrying her through the doorway of his room, locking the door with a wave of his wand. The lights were on.

"Nox," he whispered, as darkness enveloped them and he drew her into his arms.

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Linda woke up to the early morning sunlight streaming through Remus' open window. She stretched, trying not to wake him up and smiled.

'He always was a light sleeper,' she thought to herself as she sat up. He had lost some weight since the days when she, Remus, and Sirius had all lived together (hadn't they all?), but he still slept the same way, almost like a child. An arm encircled her waist from behind her.

"So you are awake," she said. He half opened his eyes.

"What time is it?"

"I don't know; your alarm clock is broken and the pieces are lying next to me. It's Sunday."

"Blasted alarm clock. Good morning. Did you sleep well?" Remus sat up and kissed her lightly on the lips. She smiled.

"As I recall, neither of us got much rest last night." She laughed at his hurt look. "But yes, what sleep I did get was very pleasant. How about yourself?"

"Honestly? I haven't slept this well in years, twenty in fact...ugh, look at us. Having a casual conversation in bed after not having seen one another in 20 years."

"How terrible." Linda looked at him; his brows were furrowed and he was looking into her eyes, grey into blue.

"I thought that I had dreamed last night," he said softly. "I'm sorry--it all went too far too soon."

"Don't be. We both wanted it to happen. It's been 20 years since we've been together period, much less in this way. Rather overdue, I'd say." She grinned at him.

"Do you have any classes today?" he asked hopefully.

"Nobody has classes on Christmas Vacation, silly. Just that meeting of Dumbledore's later today."

"Silly, am I?" He reached over to brush her bangs out of her eyes, and softly kissed her.

"I say, you, Remus John Lupin, are absolutely terrible, even for your old age," she answered, kissing him back.

"Old age? I'm 39! And you, lest you forget, are 38, young Ms. Taylor." She snorted as he kissed her collarbone.

"Go back to bed, Remus. You need your sleep." He looked up at her and smiled mischievously.

"Who said anything about sleep?"

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Remus and Linda came down into the meeting a half an hour late, much to the amusement of the other Professors, even McGonagall.

"Just like old times, eh Remus?" She whispered to him.

"Yes, except that it isn't Padfoot teasing us now." Dumbledore cleared his throat.

"Can we now begin?" The assembly nodded their assent. "Good then. This," he said, pulling the little hourglass again," is a Time Turner. I trust that you are all familiar with it?" More nodding.

"The plan is to try and see what happened when Hermione and Neville disappeared, but you must not be seen. Linda and Minerva, are you both up to it?"

"Of course," Minerva replied. Linda nodded.

"Very Good. Turn it all the way around once and halfway around the second time. Report here when you all are done." He gave the time turner to McGonagall, who put the chain around both her and Linda, turned it, and they were gone in an instant.

Linda quickly looked around the deserted hallway as Minerva pulled her into a nearby broom closet.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she asked the older woman.

"Making sure we aren't seen. We're on the first floor, are we not?"

"Yes."

"That monstrosity of a statue is on the 5th floor. We have to get up there without being seen." Linda thought for a moment.

"Back passages." McGonagall smiled at her.

"Do you think you still remember them?"

"Come off it, it hasn't been that long since I graduated." She poked her head out of the broom closet. "The coast is clear." They hurried up a flight of stairs, then skirted their way around a couple of deserted classrooms and made their way over a couple more flights of stairs.

"I see that hanging around with Sirius and James has helped out a lot." Minerva grinned at her.

"Yes, well dating Remus didn't hurt either."

"I take it that's why you were late?"

"Remus Lupin is a lazy sluggard who doesn't want to wake up." Minerva laughed.

"Promise me that when this whole situation is over you'll tell me everything."

"How can I deny my favorite teacher?" They looked out onto the fourth story landing; Peeves was busy throwing trophies around and doing somersaults. Minerva rolled her eyes.

"There's no other way around, is there?" Linda shook her head and pulled out her wand.

"Want to see a neat trick?" She adjusted her glasses.

"I hardly think now is the time." A rat scurried past Minerva's foot. She jumped.

"Goodness...!"

"What's up?" Linda looked at the startled McGonagall.

"Rat infestation. What were you saying?"

"Trust me here." She aimed carefully at Peeves' backside and softly chanted 'territe, territe'. Peeves looked around slowly, as if he knew he was being watched, and promptly shot off.

"The Fright Charm!" Minerva exclaimed. "Mad-Eye Moody?" Linda smiled.

"The one and only; he requested to teach our class." They made their way up the final staircase and turned a sharp left. At the end of the hallway the figures of Hermione and Neville could be made out. They stayed put and watched.

"I think we need to move this thing to the side to get to it."

"But it's bronze! We can't move it by ourselves!"

"Hermione, what about the Floatation Charm?"

"Oh, of course!... Ascendi alte!" They watched as the statue flew up and as Hermione and Neville bent down to look at something down on the ground.

"It's so beautiful..."

"Uh, Hermione, you don't know who sent this or how it got here; it could be a port--" They suddenly disappeared in a flash of silvery light.

"Of course! It was a portkey!" Minerva exclaimed. Linda slapped her self on the forehead.

"What kind?"

"A necklace.

"God, wait'll we tell Dumbledore..."

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Neville shivered and looked up at the night sky above them; it was December, it was snowy, and he wasn't wearing anything heavier than his robes and a cloak, but compared to Hermione, he felt like he was sitting in front of a fireplace and sipping hot cocoa; she was pale and her hands were icy to the touch, though the little pearl and silver necklace gave off a sort of warmth. She had drifted off into an uneasy sleep soon after the portkey had dropped them off here. Wherever that was. It was now near nighttime, and they really had to find shelter soon.

"Hermione." She slowly opened her eyes.

"What?"

"Get up. We need to go." She slipped the necklace around her neck.

"Where is there to go in the middle of a clearing?"

"You were Head Girl, you tell me." She fumbled around for her wand and came up empty handed.

"Damn. Do you have your wand?" He pulled it out of a pocket in his robes.

"Here. What are you going to do?"

"Conjure something, anything. Fire would help." She whispered something that he couldn't hear and held up a little ball of bright blue flames. "Now for some--" Neville signaled for her to be quiet.

"What?" she whispered.

"Over there; there's someone coming." He pointed in the direction of a nearby clump of trees. Sure enough, voices could be heard slowly making their way to the spot where they were sitting.

"What have you brought?" A cold, cruel voice inquired.

"A very close connection to the Potter man, Master." The second voice was deeper, though more raspy and filled with fear.

"Very Good, very good. Where are they?"

"Just ahead, Master." Neville grabbed Hermione's hand and apparated them into the branches of a nearby tree, where they had a better view of the situation. Shaken, she leaned forward. The voices stopped for a moment, then suddenly resumed.

"I swear, they were just right there!" The owner of the higher voice sniffed.

"They apparated. They're nearby, too." Hermione gasped; The tall, gaunt figure that had sniffed a couple of seconds ago was none other than Lord Voldemort himself. The other one had to be--

"Wormtail, didn't you just hear me?"

"I am sorry, Master." The voice was so filled with hatred that it made Hermione cringe. "What do you want me to do?"

"Find them and bring them to me. I have better things to do than sit here and wait."

"Yes, Master." Hermione leaned back against Neville and he put his arms around her, acting in instinct and expecting the worst to come soon. A figure stood under their tree.

"Who's there? Show yourselves." No answer. "I guess I'll have to get you out by force, then." Hermione and Neville were shaken back as the tree split apart and Peter Pettigrew stood over them, wand pointed in his silver hand.

"I knew I'd find you sooner or later. Follow me." He thought for a moment, then took Neville's wand away from Hermione.

"Where are we?" Neville asked him. Pettigrew raised his eyebrows.

"Who wants to know? I'm not telling."

"Voldemort's going to kill us anyway, so why do you care?" Neville asked. Pettigrew laughed.

"You actually think I'm going to let Voldemort have you? I've been working for myself for years, boy." Hermione paled. That would explain his tone with Voldemort. He led them into a small wooden cabin just outside of the clearing that they were in, where he bound them with chords and sat them down in chairs opposite one another. Pettigrew lit up a cigarette.

"Tell me, where is Black now?"

"You must be crazy to think we'd tell you," Hermione said.

"Crazier than I look?" Pettigrew said, driving the lighted end into Neville's forearm. He winced and bit his lip. Pettigrew smiled.

"Now tell me."

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"A portkey?!" Dumbledore slammed his fist onto his desk.

"Calm down, Albus. It looked like an amulet from the look of it."

"What else did you see?"

"Well," Minerva said, "there was that note. Oh, and we have rats, Albus." Remus's head shot up.

"What?" he asked. Minerva gave him a startled look.

"We have rats... one bumped into me on the fourth floor landing. Why?" Remus had jumped up and grabbed his cloak.

"Pettigrew... Minerva, do you realize what you've just said? Peter Pettigrew was in the castle!"

"How?" Lupin sighed.

"When Sirius, Peter, myself, and James were in our fifth year, they made the animagus potion and became unregistered animagi. James was a stag, Sirius was a dog, and Peter was a rat. They did it so that they could keep me company during the full moon."

"I can attest to it, Albus," Penelope said. "I went with them on a couple of occasions." She looked around at the faces of the other teachers.

"What? You all know I'm an animagus!" The room was silent. She shook her head.

"So you're saying that Peter was in the castle?" Vector asked.

"He had to be; it's the only way this whole mess makes sense." Linda shook her head.

"Sitting here isn't getting anything done; I'm going to scout out the castle to see if I can find anything." She stood up and left.

"She's right," Remus said. "I'm following. You all stay here and work out the technical difficulties."

He caught up to Linda by the statue of Morgana the Mild, where she was bent over the spot where they disappeared. Her eyes were wide open and she held her wand out while she recited an incantation that Remus couldn't understand. She was trembling.

"Vridem nasht keth voth neeather omh arges." Linda fell back into Lupin's arms, exhausted.

"What was that?" he asked, startled.

"A chant that I picked up some time ago; very old magic, but it's the only thing I could think of." He picked up and examined her wand which was lying on the ground.

"What's in this thing?" She smiled.

"Birchwood and phoenix feather, 11 inches, rather flexible. What else?" He let out a small laugh.

"What did you just do, then?"

"I opened a portal to where the portkey went." A golden light shot out of her wand and Lupin dropped it. The light congealed into a swirling mist. She stood up weakly, then walked forward.

"Are you coming?"

"Of course." He took her hand and they walked forward into the swirling confusion of mists. They were spat out onto snowy ground, in the middle of a clearing. Linda took out her wand and began another chant, but Remus interrupted her.

"Look; that tree over there was pretty recently blown apart, I'd say. It's not often that someone would wantonly just blow up a tree."

"You don't know half the wizards we go up against." She closed her eyes and thought for a moment. "Over there," she said, pointing west into the woods. She transformed into her phoenix and looked at Remus with a stare that plainly said "Let's go". He followed her scarlet wings into the dark forest.

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Hermione numbly watched as Neville writhed in agony from the Cruciatus curse yet again; she had to remain strong, just for Neville. Pettigrew had tried to pry the secret out of her a couple of times to no avail, and he had taken to torturing Neville instead. Perhaps it had something to do with the necklace. Peter had seemed almost... afraid of it. She wished she could help him; she knew about his terror of the Cruciatus curse and how his parents had been subjected to it before they died.

'Probably by the same person,' she thought, bitterly. Pettigrew stopped for a moment and listened.

"Holy hell! Someone's coming!" He transformed into a rat and scurried outside to see what it was. Hermione pulled at the cords binding her hands, and found a loose thread, which she pulled loose. She freed her left hand, then freed her legs and ran over to Neville.

"Are you all right?" She asked, pulling his head onto her lap. He looked up at her through half-swollen eyes and gave her a weak smile.

"Kinda... where's Pettigrew run off to?"

"Outside; he heard something and went out to explore. We need to get out of here." She dragged him to his feet as Lupin and Linda burst in.

"What the hell happened here?" Remus exclaimed as he caught sight of Neville tied up and bruised.

"That little sadomasochist Pettigrew tortured him to find out where Sirius was; he wants his revenge."

"Yes, that sounds like Peter," Linda said. Hermione turned around abruptly faced the blonde woman.

"Who are you?" She asked. Linda extended her hand.

"Linda Penelope Taylor, an old school friend of Remus, Sirius, and Peter. Nice portkey, isn't it? It's the one Voldemort would sent to ambush his most powerful victims; the magic on it is so old that hardly anyone knows the counterspells anymore." Hermione gave her an odd look.

"Taylor...there's a memorial to a Penelope Lynn Taylor at Hogwarts. Are you related?" A ghost of a smile crept onto Linda's face.

"You could say that, yes. I wouldn't worry about it now, though. Peter is probably trying to find and dispose of us now." The door crashed down.

"Speak of the Devil," Remus said under his breath.

"Funny, I expected something more from one of the top graduates of Hogwarts." Peter stood at the smoking remains of the door, triumph on his mousy little face. Remus, startled, was held back by Hermione but Linda stood her ground.

"What do you want, Pettigrew?"

"You know what I've come for, Penelope Taylor." He twirled his wand; 13 inches, yew, with a single Unicorn Hair.

"Leave them alone," she said, pointing at Remus, Hermione, and Neville. Lupin attempted to push his way through Hermione but she refused to let him through. Peter looked at her nonchalantly, still fingering his wand. His silver hand shone in the moonlight.

"Why? They're all friends of Black, and enemies of Lord Voldemort."

"Pettigrew, you don't believe in this Lord Voldemort crap any more than the rest of us."

"And how would you know?" Linda smiled and pulled out a small silver badge, while keeping her wand pointed at him.

"I should've known. An Auror. How long have you been keeping track?"

"Seven years, ever since Black escaped from Azkaban." Peter was breathing heavier, and a red tint was coming onto his face as he pointed his wand at her.

"Imperio," he muttered. Linda held on to her composure, pushing the insistent voice of Peter Pettigrew away. Maddened, his face turned beet colored.

"Crucio!" he shouted. Suddenly she was doubled over, but refused to scream in pain. Peter kicked her shaking body, sprawled out on the ground. Remus tore away from Hermione and Neville, pointing his wand at Pettigrew.

"Make one false move and I'll swear to God I'll do it," Remus whispered, wand steady.

"You wouldn't dare; You'd end up in Azkaban quicker than Black did."

"We'll see about that." Peter shook his head.

"Good old Remus, you don't have the power for that spell, anyway. I do." He grinned, exposing broken teeth.

"And so do I," A shaking voice replied from the ground.

"Penelope!" Remus shouted. She half kneeled on the ground, doubled over in pain but still pointing her wand shakily at Pettigrew. He laughed. Penelope looked straight into his eyes and muttered

"Avada Kedavra"

Instantly, a flash of green light erupted from her wand, throwing her backwards and hitting Pettigrew squarely on the head. He laid in the snow, still. The only indication that he was dead was the frozen look of shock on his face. Linda collapsed, unconscious, on the floor of the cabin. Lupin strangled a cry and ran over to her, feeling her pulse.

"She's alive!" he called out. Neville blanched.

"Pettigrew... she killed him with an Unforgivable Curse," he said softly. Linda's unconscious form was sprawled out on the ground, sharply reminding Remus of a similar incident 20 years before.

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The room was dark and Linda's whole body hurt. She could barely make out the voices next to her, whispering. She felt something warm on her hand

"I'll never forgive myself; I should've stopped her..." Lupin whispered, hoarsely.

"Nonsense, Remus. You couldn't have. She'd walk into the pits of Hell and face off the Devil himself if given the chance."

'Dumbledore,' she thought.

She feebly raised her head, then smiled. Remus looked like he had been sleeping in the chair next to her bed for some time now, judging by the stubble on his face. The warm thing that she felt was his hand, covering her own. She squeezed it gently. Startled, he looked around. Dumbledore laughed.

"I think that this is my cue to leave," he said, smiling, as he walked out of the door. Remus turned to her, handing her a packet of Every Flavor Beans. She smiled.

"How long have I been out?"

"Two days."

"And you've been sitting here the entire time, haven't you?" she asked. He nodded.

"He's gone," Remus said. "You did it."

"No, we did it," Linda said.

"God, not this conversation again." Remus pulled a face. She laughed softly.

"It's different, this time. Harry is still alive and well, and so is Sirius."

"And so are you." He leaned over to kiss her forehead.

"Alive, yes, but I feel like I got run over by the Knight Bus."

"Yes, well the way Ernie drives, you just may have been."

"Terrible," she muttered. Remus sighed. "Hey," she said softly. "What's wrong?"

"I don't believe that out of the original Marauders only Sirius and I are left." She closed her eyes.

"Lily and James died for what they believed in, and their sacrifice is why we're all still here today. Wormtail was a power hungry bastard that deserved what he got. I was glad to give it to him, after seeing the horrors that he committed."

"But you used Avada Kedavra...that's an Unforgivable Curse, Pen er-Linda." She smiled darkly.

"I'm an Auror, remember? Oh, hell, so are you. Our job is to 'Stop Voldemort and his forces at any cost'. We were given the authorization to use 'Avada Kedavra' 15 years ago under extreme circumstances."

"I haven't kept up." She squeezed his hand once again.

"I see that." They remained silent for a couple of minutes.

"Penn--damn it--Linda," Remus began.

"Call me Penelope; it's easier." He smiled.

"It is, isn't it?" He leaned in slightly closer to her. "Do you believe in Fate?"

"Sometimes. Why?"

"I do. This--" he pointed around to all their surroundings "is all just too coincidental."

"What do you mean?" she asked softly.

"Seeing you die by Voldemort when you were 18, losing you for 20 years, then almost seeing history repeat itself. I don't want to see it happen again."

"Peter Pettigrew was not Voldemort, Remus."

"It's the principle of the thing. I'm sticking my foot in my mouth, aren't I?"

She laughed. "Yes, but go on."

"What I'm trying to say is that I don't want to lose you again. I love you, and if you're going anywhere, then so am I." A smile was spreading across her face.

"And how do you plan to do that?"

"By doing this." He pulled the little silver ring with the red gems out of his pocket. "I kept it, after all these years."

"Is this your idea of a proposal, Remus?"

"Yes?" She laughed.

"You know my answer. It's the same one I gave 21 years ago."

"Really?"

"Would I lie? Okay, so I might, but would I lie about this?"

"No, you wouldn't." He slipped the ring on her left ring finger. She put on her glasses and admired it from a view, holding her hand out at a distance.

"I think it looks better this way, don't you?" Remus laughed, then kissed her.

"I think I'd better go," he said. "Poppy would have my head if she knew I was exciting her patients."

"Go then; the sooner you return, the sooner we can celebrate*." She smiled coyly at him.

"Yes, milady."

"One last thing, Remus."

"What?"

"What's going to happen to Tom Riddle?" Remus smiled.

"Peter Pettigrew's death severely weakened his plan to return to power; Pettigrew was his most faithful servant. He's simply a shell of a man with great potential, but with no place to exercise it."

"At least I didn't come back for nothing." Remus shook his head and left.

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The long awaited wedding of Remus John Lupin and Linda Penelope Taylor took place exactly a month afterward, on January 15; the wedding plans had already been made 20 years earlier. Minerva McGonagall adjusted the flowers in her hair and turned to Linda, who was nervously pacing the third floor room, alternately smoothing her dress robes and staring out the window. She smiled at her.

"You look lovely, Linda." Linda turned around from the window and nervously smiled at her. She was wearing dress robes of golden-white satin that had a gold cape attached to the back that fluttered when she moved, and her long, pale blonde hair was swept into a knot and crowned by a small wreath of white roses that sparkled when the light hit them.

"I wish that I could say so myself," she said, nervously adjusting the skirt.

"Trust me," Minerva reassured her. A knock sounded at the door. Sirius Black stood there in his deep red dress robes, the same shade as Minerva's. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped when he saw her.

"Penny, you look...wow. Remus is, er, waiting in the gardens." Linda and Minerva followed him down.

Remus stood on the makeshift gazebo under Penelope's tree and looked down at the crowd. Hermione and Neville sat in the first row, where she was adjusting his tie. He smiled; the episode with Peter had brought them closer together, and Hermione got away from her books for the first time in years. Harry and Ginny were sitting near them, talking in hushed voices with Ron. All of the teachers were there, even Snape (Penny, as she was now called once again, had insisted on inviting him) He felt a hand on his shoulder. Albus smiled at him when he turned around.

"They'll be here any second now; Sirius just went up to fetch them." True to his word, Sirius and Minerva came running up to the Gazebo, their black cloaks flying behind them. Sirius gave Remus a breathless smile and pointed in the direction from which they came. Penelope was slowly walking down the garden path that served as the aisle. She stopped when she reached the gazebo and smiled nervously at Remus. He took her hands and waited for Albus to begin.

"Friends and family, we are gathered here today to join these two people, Remus John Lupin and Linda Penelope--" his eyes twinkled--" excuse me, Penelope Lynn Taylor, in holy matrimony. Before the vows are said, may anyone in this audience who feels that this marriage should not take place speak now or forever hold your peace."

Silence.

Dumbledore smiled.

"Good. Then may the vows be said."

"For richer or for poorer," Remus started.

"In sickness or in health," Penelope continued. Sirius handed Remus his wand and Minerva handed Penelope hers. They took their wand in one hand and touched them together, still holding the other's hand.

"Through any hardship or reward, I take you to be my lawfully wedded wife, always."

"As I take you to be my lawfully wedded husband, 'Till death do us part." The wands were glowing at their tips.

"Again," Remus said. The congregation chuckled.

"Semper in matrimonium, semper in amicitiam," they said together. The wands engulfed them in a white light, which slowly subsided. Two rings appeared at the ends of the wands. Remus put his on Penelope's finger, and she did the same with him.

"By the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife, wizard and witch," Dumbledore said. "You may now kiss the bride." The audience clapped as Remus drew Penelope into his arms and they kissed for the first time as husband and wife.

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The day they were married, the plaque next to Penelope's tree changed suddenly and inexplicably. From then on it read:

Remus John Lupin and Penelope Lynn Taylor, Gryffindor House

married January 15, 2003

In the mind of a true believer, nothing is truly gone

The End...?

* Guess that movie!!!

If you guys are interested in reading a sort-of-sequel to this (more of a follow-up series, really) then check out "Jabberwocky" under Em and Jamie, here at the Quidditch Pitch!