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"Bloody hell." Sirius couldn't believe it: Orion and Fleamont were on the foyer, pulverising a banshee together. So that's were the scream came from.

Wait, they're alive? His mind went back to the time Regulus received his first letter from Adelaide, in one of Paris's alleys. She'd told them that Orion and the Potters had died. Either she was lying or these were ...

"Hands where I can see 'em," Sirius had his wand out in seconds, his yell startling both of them. Orion and Fleamont turned to face him, wands pointed straight at his chest. When they saw him, their stance and face instantly relaxed, wands lowered. Sirius didn't.

"How did you even pass the barriers? Maybe I should tie you up ... or you can tell me what you're doing here and who you work for. I'll let you out unharmed. How does that sound? A fair compromise."

"Sirius," Fleamont started, expecting him to interrupt, but he just cocked his head silently, waiting for Fleamont to continue. Having nothing to say, he just closed his mouth.

"I hope you haven't murdered these two, Sirius," Belladonna's voice preceded her entrance. "They are alive, it seems, and were romping around Asia for the past 2 years."

"In our defense," said a disgruntled Fleamont, "Asia's quite a large continent."

Sirius pocketed his wand, gaping at the two supposedly dead people in front of him very much alive. A range of emotions ran through him at once: anger, sorrow and relief. Deciding to chew out Fleamont later, he engulfed him into a bear hug.

"Do that again, and you're toast. Glad to see you alive, Dad. Have you met up with Prongs yet?"

Orion knew that his sons would never call him Dad, but it still sent a pang of sadness through his heart. He knew he didn't deserve the title, though. Fleamont had done more for his son's than he'd ever done. There wasn't even a silver of chance for his redemption. It would be enough if they accepted him.

His eyes met Belladonna's, and both of them discreetly slipped away, giving the father and son some privacy.

"Well, I Owled him, but Effie thinks that we should meet up with him soon. Don't have his location, though. How's everything going with the Inferi?" Both of them broke apart, Sirius hitting Fleamont on his upper arm, hard, right after he finished.

"What was that for?" he squawked, clutching his probably bruised arm.

"For disappearing and faking your own death! Where's Mum?"

Fleamont's face fell. "She's still in Asia, somewhere in India. She's rallying the wizards there."

"There's wizards there too? What's next, Chinese wizards?" Sirius snorted, making his way towards the Gryffindor drawing room.

"They aren't that cooperative, unfortunately. At least their Ministry of Magic isn't," Fleamont muttered, following him. "If worst comes to worst, then ..." he shuddered.

"So there's wizards in Africa too them?" Sirius plopped onto the sofa nearest to the fireplace. It was still cold, even though March was just round the corner.

"Tons of them," Fleamont answered grimly, sitting down next to Sirius. "There are wizards in every corner of the world. We've been running around trying to get them on our side. A nightmare, I tell you. The Germans almost beheaded us." He relaxed a bit, feeling more tired than ever. Sirius just gaped at him.

"Anyways," he shook his head after a while, grinning at his dad, "want to surprise good 'ol Prongsie?"

A grin spread across Fleamont's face.

*****

"It's bad," Orion got to the point quickly, clutching the back of a sturdy wooden chair. The mood in the room darkened. Belladonna sighed. "It was expected."

"The Dark Lord has placed these bunkers quite strategically, targetting the upper echelons of the Muggle world and all the influential witches and wizards. One word from him, and our world will be overrun with corpses, at the same time. Even Dumbledore and his damned Order won't be able to protect the British Wizarding World. How in Merlin's name are they going to cover Surrey, Godric's Hallow, London and Liverpool at the same time. That maniac's got himself a bloody army."

The brightly painted kitchen seemed to mock them, excessively cheerful when the world could go bonkers at one madman's word.

"The three of us are trying, eliminating bunkers, cashing in favours wherever we can. The Ministry's don't want to believe us, though. The Russians thought that The Dark Lords had sent us to confuse them.

"But many countries are on our side. The American blokes are, even the UAC's with us, the African council. Australia's in. They've started to clear out bunkers themselves. And then there's the damned prophecy." Orion slammed his hand on the table in frustration.

"So it's true then," Belladonna said softly, seating herself on another chair while Orion got himself a glass of water. "It thought it was only a rumour."

"It's as true as our dilemma," Orion finished his water quickly, and sat on the chair next to Belladonna's. "It talks about a child born as the 2nd month dies, who'll be marked as an equal by the Dark Lord himself, and will kill him at the end. That's why he's after the Potters. He wants to finish the twins."

"Have you told Fleamont?"

"He was the one who found out," a frown flickered across his face. "We were in Latvia. He heard about it from some passing gypsy, and such a serious thing can't just go unverified. I pulled a few strings, and found the prophecy's legitimate."

"What do we do now?"

"Sleep. We can talk about this tomorrow."

*****

10k.

Are you kidding me?!?

You guys are amazing, really.
And my battey's 10% right now.

Coincidence? I think not.

Lots of love to you guys. You're the best.

10 freaking k.

My baby's all grown up ....

See you at the next update!



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