Harry Potter and the Sorceress of the Stars

"Wotcher— What are you girls doing?" asked Tonks apprehensively. "It looks… violent."

Tonks had just returned to the Greengrass family's hideout after a long and arduous night of infiltrating Dark Wizard circles, only to find Oleandra and Astoria banging their right fists against their left palms in the Entrance Hall.

"It's a Muggle game called Rock, Paper, Scissors," Oleandra explained. "We were playing to decide who would get to visit Diagon Alley tomorrow to buy our school supplies… and who would stay home to watch over Mother."

"Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!" Astoria exclaimed, putting forward rock. "Ah— I lost."

Tonks was too sleep-deprived to make sense of the girls' kooky antics.

By day, she was technically supposed to guard the Greengrass girls for the Ministry, but by night, she would use her special talents as a shape-shifting Metamorphmagus to gather information on Dark Lord sympathizers for Dumbledore.

"…Right," said Tonks tiredly. "Well, at least you won't have to wait until tomorrow— Scrimgeour and Dumbledore have arranged for a security detail to take you shopping today— along with Harry and the Weasley bunch."

"I'll stay behind, if that's all right with you," came Daphne's voice, as she walked into the Entrance Hall. "It's not as if I need new robes, anyway…"

Daphne hadn't grown a single inch since her second year at Hogwarts, but if there was someone in her family who did require new clothes, it was Astoria, who had annoyingly surpassed both of her older sisters in height over the past few months. She had overtaken Oleandra's height by slightly less than half a foot, and outstripped Daphne in height by more than a foot…

"Come on, Daphne," said Astoria coaxingly. "If Tonks and Spoopey stay here to watch over Mother, there's no reason for any of us to stay at home…"

"I'll pass," said Daphne drily. "You two enjoy yourselves— just try not to have so much fun that you forget to buy my school supplies."

Ever since Daphne had been returned to them, she had become emotionally distant. There were some days when she wouldn't leave her room altogether, and when she would, she would decline to participate in fun activities or even to study together with her sisters, opting instead to watch from the side— almost as if she were punishing herself on purpose.

"Well, it looks like my job here is done," said Tonks, covering her mouth to yawn. "The car's waiting in front of the house— don't keep 'em waiting."

Having accomplished her duty, the sleep-deprived Tonks staggered over to the nearest sofa and crumpled into a snoring pile, while Daphne impassively returned to her room. Seeing that neither of them would be accompanying them to Diagon Alley, Oleandra and Astoria grabbed their pouches and put on their walking boots, before leaving the hideout and heading towards the car parked next to the pavement.

"It was nice of Professor Dumbledore to enchant the hideout for us," Astoria commented, looking back over her shoulder at their temporary home, which was in the process of getting squashed into non-existence by the neighbouring houses. "It's the same type of spell he placed on Sirius's home, isn't it?"

Most embarrassingly, Professor Dumbledore had managed to track down Oleandra, Astoria and their mother Iris within hours of them escaping Malfoy Manor and taken them to a safe location. It was thanks to Dumbledore that they hadn't had their throats slit in their sleep yet, so Oleandra supposed that she ought to be somewhat grateful…

One of the Ministry car's rear doors suddenly swung open.

"Oleandra!"

A messy-haired boy wearing spectacles burst out of the car and came running at Oleandra with his arms outstretched, wrapping his arms around her tightly in a hug. Naturally, with Oleandra's reflexes, she would have had all the time in the world to dodge, but she didn't.

"Heya, Hero," said Oleandra, patting Harry on the back. "I'm glad you're safe and sound— I knew you had to be fine, but after you disappeared with that masked bloke…"

"Hello, One," said Astoria in mock seriousness. "Or would you prefer to be called Chosen?"

Harry didn't know what had come over him— hugging Oleandra out of the blue, just like that. He was usually much more reserved than this— could it be, he wondered to himself, that he subconsciously considered Oleandra to be just as much of a friend as Ron and Hermione?

"How's Sirius?" Oleandra offered. "I hear he's back to speaking in full sentences?"

"Yeah," said Harry embarrassedly, finally letting go of Oleandra. "Thanks…"

When Harry had witnessed his godfather disappearing through the Archway, he had succumbed to despair and hatred. He'd stopped caring— about the Prophecy Record, about his own well-being… about everything. Lupin had tried to stop him from going after his murderer, Bellatrix— told him that Sirius was gone for good, that there was nothing that could be done— but Harry had refused to accept the truth.

Despite his words, deep down, Harry had known— and that had been the worst part, because it had been his own stupidity that had led Sirius to an early grave.

And so, when Dumbledore had found him in the middle of nowhere, stuck somewhere in between total apathy and all-consuming rage, and told him that Oleandra had done the impossible— brought Sirius back from the Other Side, through means unknown to even himself— Harry had gone numb.

It was only when Harry was shown Sirius's living and breathing body that he finally began to live again. And then, Dumbledore had told him what had transpired after the masked Wizard had whisked him away from the Department of Mysteries…

Unexpectedly, the Greengrass girls had fought Voldemort and emerged victorious, routing him in front of the Minister for Magic and a handful of Aurors— giving birth to a glimmer of hope in Harry's breast.

Even though his destiny was inextricably tied to that of the Dark Lord and the Dark Lady, as long as there would be strong people such as Oleandra and Dumbledore by his side, Harry felt like there would always be hope.

And so, when Harry had learned of the Greengrass girls' disappearance at the conclusion of the battle, he had felt new strength of purpose— even though he and the girls had their differences, they had often fought by his side. Just like Sirius, he had dragged them into this fight and got them into trouble— so he figured that it was his responsibility to go to their rescue!

Of course, Dumbledore had quickly put a stop to any further acts of reckless bravery and confined the anguished Harry to his aunt's and uncle's house, and that had been that.