Madam Pomfrey, who refused to let Niamh stay with Harry, forced her from the infirmary the next morning.  Just because she had classes!  As if she cared about classes when her best friend was lying in a coma!

Hence the reason she had coaxed Jardin down from the Owlery to keep an eye on things.  The raven was extremely distraught, which was understandable.  To what she understood, he and Harry had been connected since that Christmas morning in their first year.  And ever since then, that bond had been growing ever stronger.

Now half of that bond was unreachable.  Jardin had tried valiantly but not even he could reach Harry’s mind.

Niamh sighed and felt in her pocket for Hedwig, who she had decided to keep with her along with Harry’s wand and basilisk pendant.  She thought these items might get her a better connection with her dear friend.

Then again, maybe she was just kidding herself.

“Fuck!”

Niamh kicked the stone wall suddenly, screaming the word out.  She felt so damn helpless!  Just like when Harry and Cedric had been taken from the Quidditch pitch to wherever Voldemort had been.

That memory nearly brought her to tears.  She sank to the floor, back to the wall, her mind flashing through those painful memories.  Especially the one where she had seen Cedric on the ground beside Harry, so still, so – so dead.

A single tear ran down her cheek and fell in a sparkling drop to the floor with a soft splash.  Niamh ran the back of her hand across her face, jerking back when something rough and hard scratched her.  She looked down at her right hand, at the ring finger where a silver ring sat.

It was a beautiful piece of craftsmanship.  The silver was carved into the likeness of a serpentine dragon, a tiny sapphire set in the place of its eye.

It had been a gift from Cedric.  He had given it to her not long after the Yule Ball, one of the best nights of her life.

He’d said she reminded him of a dragon be cause of her fiery temper and unshakable will.

Slytherin’s serpent, she missed him.

Niamh sighed and heaved herself to her feet.  Much as she missed Cedric, her moping over him wouldn’t help Harry.

Cedric was gone forever.  She’d never look into his gray eyes again, never laugh at his corny jokes – the ones he only made around her, never…never kiss him again, never feel his arms around her again.  Never feel…anything.

Damnit, life was so unfair.

But, as usual, it continues, leaving the dead behind as it forces the living on.

With another sigh, Niamh continued on to the Great Hall.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“So all of you were wizards and witches.”

“Got it in one, kid,” said William, chewing on a piece of straw.

“Each of us from different countries, a few from different times,” said Glenda.  “William there is from the 60s.”

“And he’s an American,” said ‘Tany.

“Hey!” exclaimed William.  “My mother was half-Irish.”

‘Tany snorted and said to Harry, “Americans.  All of them think England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland are all one big happy family.”

“They are all the British Isles,” said Lars softly, prompting ‘Tany to roll her eyes.

“Technicality there, Lars.”

William shook his head and stretched out on the grass.

“Speaking of times and such, good ole’ ‘Tany there was a Death Eater.”

Harry blinked and looked at her.  She smiled at him and her golden eyes seemed to flicker to green.

“Easy, Harry.  I was a spy, one of three.  Being a Shifter, I was one of the most capable but not the best.”  ‘Tany smiled and continued, “Your father was that.  He did three things at once, Severus did.  He was Dumbledore’s spy because he was already in because of his father.  Voldemort thought he was loyal.  Then he was an Auror.  And working on becoming a Potions Master, what he had always wanted to be.  I still don’t know how the man stayed sane.”

Harry blinked a few times then asked, “How’d you get here?”

“Auror got me.  It was a raid planned to catch Lucius Malfoy.  That bombed and those sods caught Severus instead.  I was trying to explain who we were when some rookie looking to make a name for himself hit me with the Killing Curse.  I’ve been hoping for years that he’d get sent here and I could tell him what a son of a bitch he was.”

“’Tany!” exclaimed Glenda.  “Watch your language!”

“Its okay,” said Harry.  “I grew up – well, let’s just say somewhere not very nice.  I heard language than that everyday.”  He pulled one leg underneath him and added, “When are we going to start walking?”

William looked around and said, “Now’s good.  It never gets dark around here and there’s really no need to sleep as we’re just – eh, what’s the word, ‘Tany?”

“Figments, you sodding idiot.  I ought to choke you instead of that idiot that offed me.”

“Y’know you love me.”

‘Tany glared at him and promptly made a rude sign involving her middle finger.

Glenda rolled her eyes at the both of them and rose gracefully to her feet, saying, “Let’s get going then.  We’ve got months of travel ahead of us and we all know how slow time is here.”

“I don’t,” said Harry.

“Slower than a snail dragging a fifty-ton weight,” muttered William to the teen.

“Glenda, dearie, let’s just start.  I’m certain Harry here can handle himself well in battle.  If it comes to it.”  ‘Tany looked at the teen.  “Right?”

Harry nodded and she smiled.

“I’d expect nothing less of Severus’ son.  Come on then.  Lars, get up you big lug.”

Lars grunted and rose heavily to his feet, reaching out a large paw to Harry.  The teen took the offered hand and was pulled effortlessly up by the much larger man.

William sprang happily to his feet and cried, “And so we boldly go where no man had gone before!”

The other four stared at him incredulously and he shook his head sadly.

“You all have no appreciation for American TV,” said the blond man with snort.

“And half of you Americans have no appreciation for our comedy, so were even,” snapped ‘Tany in response.

“Do they always argue?” asked Harry to Lars softly.

Lars nodded and Glenda said, “Always.  Never a dull moment with those two around.”  She sighed as the two began to bicker and turned to look up at Lars, who towered over all of them at eight feet.  “Will you please get those two, Lars?  Harry and I will start.”

“Right,” said Lars and lumbered over towards the two.

“So they’re always like that?” said Harry as he and Glenda started forward.  The dark-haired witch nodded once and fell silent after that.  Harry looked behind them to see Lars plodding along, an irate William slung backwards over on large shoulder and a sulky looking ‘Tany trapped against his side by one huge paw.  The teen blinked a few times then shook his head.

What sort of insane company had he fallen into?

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

Niamh entered the Great Hall and was surprised to find it almost as silent as a tomb.  Whispers and sneaked glances followed her as she crossed the Hall to the Slytherin table and sat down across from Mika and Ginny.

“What’s with the quiet?” she asked, glaring down the table at one first year who was not so surreptitiously staring at her.

“Word about Harry’s gotten around.”

“Shit.  Who?”

“Not Malfoy,” said Ginny.

“I don’t trust him,” growled Mika.

“Is that the Voice of Reason or Moody’s Son talking?” sneered Niamh.

Mika glared at her and snapped, “Just plain old me.  Dad told me to never trust a Malfoy.”

“He also said not to trust anyone who was close to Professor Snape,” said Ginny curtly.

Mika blanched.

“Yes…well…Da doesn’t think very highly of him…”

“We know,” chorused the two girls, earning a glare from the boy.

“Anyway,” said Ginny, “I don’t think it was Malfoy.  One, he wasn’t in the entrance hall then.  Two, I dropped a book yesterday and he picked it up for me.  That’s no normal.”

“S’ruse,” said Mika in the same instant Niamh asked, “Why’s that, Gin?”

“Because the Malfoy’s and the Weasley’s have had a mutual hatred for each other since the time of the Founders,” replied the redhead.  She looked at Mika and added, “And no self-respecting Malfoy would go as far as to help a Weasley, even one in Slytherin.  That’s no a farce we’re seeing.”

“I hope you’re right, Gin,” said Mika.

“So who was it?” asked Niamh.

“Crabbe and Goyle?”

“Please,” scoffed Niamh.  “Those two don’t have the IQ of a pudding between them.  And they weren’t in the entrance hall either.”

“True.  Who else?  Who would have known?”

“Was there anyone else in the hall?” asked Ginny.

“I didn’t see anyone,” said Mika.  “But there could have been.  Wait…I did see Neville.”

“Neville’d never tell anyone something like that,” said Niamh.  “Amanda says he’s a good person.  And so does Hermione.  If a bit nervous.”

“Then who?” asked Ginny.

“Somebody,” said Mika.  “One little word and its all over the school next morning.  Probably some twit who snuck into the infirmary…”

“I am a twi’?” said a voice suddenly from behind Mika and Niamh.  “I ‘ad no idea word would ge’ ‘round so quickly.”

Ginny looked up and exclaimed, “You!”

Meanwhile, Niamh had frozen at the sound of the voice.  It was as familiar as Harry’s was and had retained the Cockney accent that Harry had not.  But it was impossible!  It could not be him!  It couldn’t!

Doubting what she had heard, the dark-haired girl turned around in her seat slowly, blue eyes wide with fear and nervousness.  She gasped when she saw the tall, gangly boy standing behind her.

She hadn’t been seeing things the night before!  But – this couldn’t be!

“Tyls,” she breathed in a voice that was almost not a voice it was so soft.

The sandy-haired boy smiled down at her, his black eyes bright.  He said, “’Ello, Little Niamh.”

Niamh shivered at the sound of the familiar nickname.  It had been Tyls’ name for her because she had been so very sort when they’d met.

“But,” she gasped, “this – this is impossible.  You can’t be here.  You can’t…”

“Niamh?” said Ginny in a worried voice, reaching across the table to touch the older girl’s hand.  Mika also looked worried, his brown eyes flicking from Niamh to Tyls in confusion.  They finally landed on Tyls and suspicion brimmed in them.

“I can’na be ‘ere?” said Tyls, surprise twisting his features.  “Why can I na be ‘ere?”

Niamh stared at him as though he had held up a picture of Voldemort in a pink dress.  “You’re dead,” she breathed.  Then in a louder voice, “You were dead!”

Several heads from further down the table turned towards them along with a few at the Hufflepuff table.  Ginny hurriedly said, “Niamh, keep your voice down!”

“What do you mean he was dead?” demanded Mika, his eyes blazing.

Niamh simply shook her head then buried it in her hands.  Her shoulders shook as she mumbled, “This isn’t possible…  It can’t be…”

“Ni,” said Tyls, touching her shoulder gently.  She jerked violently away from him, scrambling out of her seat.

“Stay away from me,” she hissed.  “You’re dead.  You’re dead!”

Tyls took a step towards her and Niamh pulled her wand out of her sleeve, her hand shaking violently as she pointed it at him.  “Stay away!”

“Expelliarmus!” cried a voice from the Head Table as every student (and most of the professors) in the Hall watched the confrontation in mixed awe and confusion.  None of them had ever seen the girl know as Lady Hex loose her cool and now she was going into meltdown.

Niamh’s wand whipped through the air and Snape snatched it out of the air as though he were grabbing a Snitch.  Then he moved around the Head Table and began to walk towards her, stopping a few feet away from her.  He could see the girl trembling in fright and it worried him – he did not let this show on his face, however.

“Miss O’Feir,” he said in his soft voice that generally spelled detention.

Niamh’s fear-filled eyes locked with his.

“S-sir?”

“Follow me,” was all Snape said.  He stepped up beside Niamh and placed a hand on her shoulder, leading her out of the Great Hall.  As soon as they were gone, conversation resumed, most of it probably surrounding the girl’s odd behavior.

“How very strange,” muttered Flitwick at the Head Table as he watched Snape lead Niamh out.  He turned to Hagrid, who was sitting on his right, and said, “Have you ever know Miss O’Feir to ask like that, Hagrid?”

The half-giant shook his shaggy head and replied, “Neh.  But ‘Arry is ‘er best friend.”

“True,” said the tiny wizard with a nod.  “The poor lad…”

“Poor girl too,” said Hagrid.

“Indeed.”

At the Slytherin table, Tyls stood where he was for a moment then turned towards Mika and Ginny, who were both glaring at him.  He looked at the two of them for a long moment then headed down the table to find another place to sit.  As soon as he was gone, Ginny hissed to the white-haired boy across the table, “What was that about?”

“I don’t know,” replied Mika in quiet voice.  “But whatever it is, its got to do with something that happened last summer.  You remember?  The two of them seemed awfully vacant in their letters.  Like they had something else on their minds.”

Ginny nodded in agreement.

“I remember.  They were like that when term started again too.  Harry’s better at hiding things than Niamh, but something was definitely wrong.  With both of them.”  She jerked her head down the table towards Tyls (who had found a seat across from Draco) and continued, “And I bet my wand its got something to do with him.”

Mika frowned as he nodded, his dark eyes watching Tyls.

“I just wish we knew what happened.”

“Had to be bad,” said Ginny.  “Ni was saying he was dead.”

“But why would she say that?  And he couldn’t be.  There’s no way to bring anyone back from the dead!”

Ginny shrugged.

“Maybe it’s just her worry over Harry.”

“Maybe,” said Mika, his eyes still focused on Tyls.  He seriously did not trust that fellow…