The next evening, Diana came back late from the ministry, having been in disguise the whole time with polyjuice potion and looking for death eaters.
She had quickly eaten and then went to bed, wanting to be awake for Harry's hearing the next day.
That morning she quickly got dressed:
She sat downstairs, next to Harry who was slowly eating his toast. "Alright there, Harry?" She asked and he nodded slightly.
"I think so, quite nervous actually." He said and she laid a hand on his shoulder. "It's going to be alright." She reassured, though in all honesty, she wasn't as sure herself.
It was time for Harry and Arthur to leave and everyone wished him good luck.
"Just follow the facts, you'll be fine." Diana reassured and then they left.
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Diana stayed on the couch the whole time Harry was gone, nervous on what was to happen.
"Calm down, Willow, it's going to be alright, Dumbledore is there." Sirius said. "Oh, how amazing, Dumbledore is there." She deadpanned. "He's a dick and we both know it."
The door opened and Diana immediately shot up, running into the hallway. "And?" She asked when she saw Arthur and Harry. Others where coming downstairs, also having heard them.
"Cleared," Harry said. "Of all charges." He clarified and Diana shot forward and hugged him tightly. "This is amazing! I knew it was going to be alright." She said, pulling away from him.
Everyone else was excited for him to. "I knew it!" yelled Ron, punching the air. "You always get away with stuff!"
"They were bound to clear you," said Hermione, they all walked into the kitchen now. "there was no case against you, none at all."
"Everyone seems quite relieved, though, considering you all knew I'd get off," said Harry, grinning slightly and Diana huffed a small laugh.
Fred, George and Ginny where all chanting and dancing 'he got off, he got off, he got off." Making Sirius grin from ear to ear.
Molly tried to shush them and Harry turned to Sirius and his aunt. "Listen, Lucius Malfoy was at the ministry-" he started, but the chanting kept going.
He shushed them and explained about seeing Malfoy. Sirius reassured him they would tell Dumbledore and then they all sat down and had lunch together.
Diana was happy that the stress was finally gone.
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Diana had thought a lot, about the war, about her friends, students and family. She had made a decision, she didn't like it that much, but she did it for Sirius' sake, and maybe a bit for herself to.
She used floo-powder to get to Dumbledores office and he was not surprised to see her. "Miss Potter, what can I do for you?" He asked and she chewed on her cheek.
"I was wondering if I could take a while off, to make sure Sirius doesn't do anything stupid, and maybe also for my own sanity." She said and Dumbledore nodded understandingly. "I'm not going to lie and say I didn't expect this. A lot has happened for you this last year." He said.
"Yeah, because of you." She mumbled and he looked up. "I know you aren't very fond of me and my ideas, Miss Potter, but I just want what's best for our students and the rest of the wizarding world." He said and she huffed.
"And it was best to send Regulus on a deadly mission? It was best to not tell anyone about your spies even when the war was over, this leading to Evans death? It was best to sent Barty and Sirius to prison, even though you knew they where innocent?" Her voice raised and he put up a hand.
"I see you've talked with mister Crouch? Iwill admit that even I have made some mistakes-" she cut him of. "You make it sound like those mistakes didn't lead to the death of my friends and family. Like it didn't ruin innocent lives." She said sharply.
"I am sorry, Diana, I truly am. I will give you your time of to think about some things. You may come back whenever you want." He said and she huffed.
"Whatever." She said and then left again.
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There was chaos in the noble house of Black as it was time to return to hogwarts. Diana sat on her bed, Crookshanks I'm her arms as the cat was purring while she petted him.
"Shouldn't you be packing?" Pippa entered the room. "I'm not going this year." Diana said and Pippa froze. "Why not?" She asked confused.
"I don't want to leave Sirius, and I also want to know what is going on. I have important things to do and there's just a lot going on. I spoke to Dumbledore and I can come back whenever I want." She said and Pippa just nodded.
"Will you still write to me?" She asked and Diana immediately nodded. "Yes, yes of course I will." She reassured.
She stood up from the bed and pulled the girl into a hug.
"Crookshanks? Where are you?" They heard Hermione in the hall and Diana quickly walked out. "He's here, sorry." She said letting the cat out.
"Oh, there he is, thanks Diana- or should I start calling you professor now?" Hermione asked and she shook her head. "I'm not teaching anymore, maybe in the future again." She said.
Pippa walked out of the room behind her. "Come, Mione, everyone else is already ready." She said and they walked down, followed by Diana.
She told everyone goodbye there and gave Sirius who was ready to follow them as Padfoot a small glare.
"I will see you again right?" Harry asked and Diana smiled. "Of course, I'll write and I'm going to visit at the burrow when it's Christmas." She reassured him.
Then everyone left, even Sirius, making Diana just sighed deeply.
He came back later and they spent the weeks in meetings and cleaning the house. They got some concerning letters from Hogwarts about their new DADA teacher and Diana was already thinking of going back there.
Sirius and talked with Harry trough the fire while Diana stood back listening to them. Together they decided Diana would stay until Christmas and would head back after the holidays.
The daily prophet had mentioned Sirius being in London, but they didn't worry much, seeing that they wouldn't find Sirius at Grimmauld place anyway.
Mungdungus reported to them about the DA and for all they knew it was going great. Christmas Hollidays where approaching fast and Diana would lie if she said she wasn't excited to go back.
Right now it was night and Diana couldn't seem to fall asleep. Earlier she had forced Sirius' crack ass who hadn't slept in two days, into bed. Now she herself couldn't sleep because normally she had night duty on this day, but she and Arthur had switched the day before because Arthur would overwork today.
Seeing she couldn't sleep she just decided to wait until Arthur would return from his night duty at guarding the prophecy, though it was taking a while.
He would come back to Grimmauld place to collect some stuff he left and would be headed back to the burrow after, maybe he forgot?
"Sirius! Sirius where are you, for Merlin's sake!" Diana heard a voice upstairs, but she knew she and Sirius where the only people there at the moment.
She ran upstairs, the noice was heard from a portrait in Harry and Ron's room and she quickly entered.
"You girl!" He said in a bit of a commanding voice. "Arthur Weasley has been gravely injured, his children and Harry Potter will arrive shortly." He said and Diana's eyes widened. "What happened?" She asked concerned.
"He was attacked at the ministry, the Potter boy said something about a snake." Phineas Nigellus said, though he seemed rather annoyed. "Yes, alright, thank you." She said and surged out of the room.
"Sirius!" She burst into his room and he shot up from his bed. "Arthur! He's injured, the kids and Harry will be here shortly." She said, not missing a beat.
He was up at once and they headed downstairs. They awaited for everyone to arrive and it didn't take long for a portkey to appear with four Weasley children and Harry.
"Back again, the blood-traitor brats. Is it true their father's dying?" Diana hadn't seen Kreacher come in and she looked at him. "Out!" Sirius yelled and the house-elf grumbled as he disappeared trough the hall.
"What's going on?' Sirius asked, stretching out a hand to help Ginny up. "Phineas Nigellus said Arthur's been badly injured-" he looked around the kids.
"Ask Harry," said Fred. "Yeah, I want to hear this for myself," George agreed. Diana, the twins and Ginny were staring at him.
"It was-" Harry began, stuttering slightly "I had a– a kind of– vision..." he said.
He told them about the snake, Arthur and how he watched as the snake attacked the poor man. Sirius and her made eye contact. It could have been her, it could have been Diana who had laid there, bleeding out. But she and Arthur switched...
"Is Mum here?" said Fred, turning to Sirius. "She probably doesn't even know what's happened yet," explained Sirius. "The important thing was to get you away before Umbridge could interfere. I expect Dumbledore's letting Molly know now."
"We've got to go to St Mungo's," Ginny decided. She looked around at her brothers all of them were still in their pyjamas. "Sirius, can you lend us cloaks or anything?" She asked.
"Hang on, you can't go tearing off to St Mungo's!" Diana intervened, Sirius agreeing with her by nodding.
"Course we can go to St Mungo's if we want," Fred said, giving her a daring look, "He's our dad!"
"And how are you going to explain how you knew Arthur was attacked before the hospital even let his wife know?" Sirius asked with raised eyebrows.
"What does that matter?' Asked George hotly. "It matters because we don't want to draw attention to the fact that Harry is having visions of things that are happening hundreds of miles away!" said Sirius angrily. "Have you any idea what the Ministry would make of that information?"
"Somebody else could have told us ... we could have heard it somewhere other than Harry." Ginny said. "Like who?" Sirius asked impatiently.
"Listen, your dad's been hurt while on duty for the Order and the circumstances are fishy enough without his children knowing about it seconds after it happened, you could seriously damage the Order's-" Diana started.
"We don't care about the dumb Order!" shouted Fred. "It's our dad dying we're talking about!" George also yelled.
"You dad knew exactly what he got himself into! Going to that hospital will only draw attention to the order and we can't have that! Your mother is going to the hospital and we will get you there when the time comes!" Diana raised her voice.
"This is why you are not in the order! You don't understand, some things are worth dying for!" Sirius filled her in.
"Easy for you to say, stuck here!' bellowed Fred. "I don't see you risking your neck!" He says and Sirius seemed speechless.
"You have absolutely no right in saying that! You wouldn't want to know how many times we have risked our life's for the order, almost died trying to complete a mission. Your mother is absolutely right, if this is your mindset it will take a whole lot of time before you two are ready to join the order!" Diana yelled, absolutely furious.
All of the kids where taken aback, they had only seen Diana mad once, but she was calm and collected then, right now, she had rage in her eyes.
"Calm down now, Willow, it's alright." Sirius laid a hand on her shoulder. "I know it's hard, but we've all got to act as though we don't know anything yet. We've got to stay put, at least until we hear from your mother, all right?"
Ginny got to a chair and took place, seemingly in her own thoughts. "That's right, come on... lets all have a drink while we're waiting. Accio butterbeer." He waved his wand and butterbeer came flying around the corner.
Diana also sat down and it was silent. No one talked as they waited for more information.
Diana didn't know what to do or how to feel. Maybe she felt guilty that it hadn't been her, maybe she was glad for the same reason.
She really hoped Arthur would be alright, his death would absolutely break his kids' hearts.
There was a sudden burst of fire and a scroll landed in front of them with a single Phoenix feather.
"Fawkes!" Sirius said and grabbed the scroll. "It's not Dumbledore's handwriting- it must be a message from your mother- here." He handed it to George who ripped it open.
"Dad is still alive. I am setting out for St Mungo's now. Stay where you are. I will send news as soon as I can. Mum." He read aloud.
"Still alive..." he repeated. "But that makes it sound like..." he didn't finish that sentence.
Fred grabbed the parchment from George reading it himself a en then put it down, looking at Harry.
Diana laid a hand on the boys shoulder as he was trembling. "Harry." Is all she said and he looked up slightly. "Breath for a moment." She said and the boy slowly started breathing in and out.
It was a very long night of waiting in agonising silence. The only sound they heard was their own breathing and mugs being put down on the table.
At ten past five in the morning, the door swung open and they all looked at Molly who just entered.
She smiled warmly at them. "He's going to be alright." She said sounding absolutely exhausted. "He's sleeping. We can all go and see him later. Bill's sitting with him now; he's going to take the morning off work." She explained.
Everyone had different reactions. Fred fell back in his chair, George and Ginny hugged Molly, Ron shakily laughed and drank all his butterbeer at once and Diana let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"Breakfast!" said Sirius loudly and joyfully, jumping to his feet. "Where's that accursed house-elf? Kreacher! KREACHER!"
But Kreacher did not answer at all.
"Oh, forget it, then," muttered Sirius, he counted everyone that was there and seemed to think. "So, it's breakfast for– let's see– eight... bacon and eggs, I think, and some tea, and toast-"
"Don't even think about it, Black. The last time I saw you make an egg you almost set the entire manor on fire, I'll make the eggs." Diana stood up and he gave her a sheepish smile.
Sirius seemed very happy to hear that the Weasley's would probably spent Christmas at grimmauld place, which made Diana smile as she flipped the eggs.
"Sirius, Diana... can I have a quick word- like right now?" Harry asked and the two looked at him. "I'm a bit busy, Uhm, Molly, can you take over the eggs?" Diana asked and the woman immediately nodded.
They walked into another room and he told his aunt and godfather the story in detail, also, that he had been in the snakes point of view rather then just watching.
"Did you tell Dumbledore this?" Sirius asked and Harry nodded. "Yes." He said. "but he didn't tell me what it meant. Well, he doesn't tell me anything anymore." He mumbled a bit.
"I'm sure he would have told you if it was anything to worry about." Diana reassured. "But that's not all." Harry said and Diana and Sirius exchanged looks.
Harry told them about how he thought he was going mad, how it was like he wanted to attack Dumbledore in that moment in the office.
Sirius and Diana took some time in consoling Harry and assuring him he just needed some food and sleep.
They then all ate breakfast together and went to bed. The moment Diana hit the pillow, she was already asleep.
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She didn't go with the others to visit Arthur. She thought it to be more of a moment for him and his family. She spent the day getting rid of some mold in one of the rooms.
That next day, they where all putting up Christmas decorations. Sirius seemed to be enjoying himself and had danced with Diana as he sang a Christmas carol and she was laughing.
Ginny, Fred and George cheered them on and they all had fun. Harry seemed a bit down and Diana had told Sirius he should talk to him.
The doorbell rang after a while and as Sirius tried to close the curtains of his mother who started screaming again, Diana opened the door.
"Hermione, Pip! Wonderful to see you two!" She smiled as she let them in.
"Harry is upstairs, I think with Buckbeak, Ron's in his room and Ginny is in the living room." She said and the girls nodded. Hermione went upstairs and Pippa stayed for a moment.
"Merry Christmas, mum." She said and hugged the woman. "Merry Christmas, dear." She said and kissed the top of her daughters head
"Fred and George are in their room." She said and Pippa nodded and ran upstairs. Diana walked into the living room herself. "Pippa and Hermione are upstairs." She told Ginny who thanked her and happily ran up the stairs.
Diana sat on the couch and looked around the place, now fully decorated. Crookshanks hopped onto her lap and purred as she stroked his ears.
The next morning, they celebrated Christmas, presents where handed out and they sang and laughed with one another.
Remus and Tonks where also there. Elara and Charlie would drop by later in the evening to.
Diana had received a Christmas jumper made by Molly which she proudly put on, thanking the woman dearly.
It all took a turn when an owl with Percy's jumper came, no note, nothing. He had not asked about his father nor visited him.
Molly started crying and no matter how anyone tried comforting her, she kept on going. They hadn't even had breakfast yet.
Remus was currently trying to console Molly as Diana started on making breakfast. They all ate and most of them left to visit Arthur again.