What Do We Do Now?

Pomona looked at the empty pot. No one had said a word since they'd started nearly ten minutes ago. It wasn't like them to be quiet, but then, it hadn't been a normal year.

"Alright then," she said. "I thought the tournament was quite a sight. What about everyone else?"

"You could say that," Filius said. "I still can't figure out how they got the champions and the hostages to disappear in the second task."

"Would you like me to tell you?" Minerva asked. "I was in the room when they were planning that one."

"'They' being Albus and Peta-Lorrum?" Severus asked.

Minerva frowned at him. To her knowledge, she was the only one that knew of the girl's involvement in the tournament, but that was just her knowledge. There was far more that Albus did that he didn't tell her.

"Why would she have been involved?" Filius asked.

"Why else would she have been allowed to skip so many classes?" Severus asked. "And those bugs were unlike anything anyone else has seen. Like most of her tricks are."

"Were," Minerva corrected. "Most of her tricks were unlike anything we'd ever seen."

Once again, silence fell over the table. The loss of a student was one of two topics none of them wanted to talk about.

"I never liked that girl," Minerva said at last. "Among other shortcomings, she had an issue with the phrase 'Respect your superiors'." She ordered some chips into the center of the table, officially starting their game. "And yet I find myself wishing she'd come back."

"She was one of those people that made an impression on everyone she met," Pomona added. "Even if it wasn't always a good one."

Filius nodded and ordered some of his own chips into the pot. "Agreed. Her determination to watch over her friends was admirable. Especially Ms. Lovegood and Mr. Longbottom."

"The latter of whom performed marvelously in the tournament," Pomona said, placing her cards on the table. "After you all thought he'd lose."

"I didn't say 'lose'," Severus said. "I said 'not show up'."

What Severus didn't say was that he was a little proud of Longbottom. After seeing the boy bullied over and over again, bringing back many painful memories of his own time at Hogwarts, seeing him grow a spine was a little nice. Not that he'd admit it out loud.

"Right," Pomona said, narrowing her eyes at him. "Filius said he wouldn't survive the first, and Minerva, being generous, said second."

"Once again, I was in the room when they were planning it," she said. "Peta-Lorrum, Ms. 'No, you can't kill them', wanted to add a kraken into the mixture!"

"On top of the maelstrom?" Filius asked. "They barely survived that. I thought for sure Longbottom had died!"

"Poppy was worried about him too," Minerva said. "She was about ready to pronounce him dead when he started coughing."

"Lovegood was terrified," Pomona added. "The poor dear."

"What���s happening with her?" Filius asked. "I heard she was moving, but then I saw her name on the roster for next year."

"She was," Minerva said, "according to Ms. Perks. I overheard Lovegood talking about it with Granger. Sounds like Ms. Peta-Lorrum was involved somehow, but with her gone, their plan fell through."

"At least we're getting Ms. Granger back," Filius said, claiming the pot after the others folded. A good start, he thought, to a bad game. "Although, Mr. Weasley's improvement this year is impressive."

Minerva pressed her lips together. Pomona couldn't tell if she was holding back a laugh or annoyed. Knowing Minerva, it could've been both.

"How'd it feel to award a Weasley a perfect mark, Severus?" she asked.

Severus narrowed his eyes at Minerva.

"Delightful," he growled.

"Don't you two start," Pomona said, stepping in before someone got hurt. "Mr. Weasley earned those marks. He's been working nonstop for months. I doubt even Percy worked that hard."

She put some chips into the pot. She had the worst feeling that his hard work had been to impress Ms. Granger. Admirable, but problematic if it would disappear with her there. There was always the possibility that they would encourage one another to do well. Pomona put it out of her mind and changed the subject.

"What about that Quidditch match? That was something."

"Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy working together," Filius said. "I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't been there. Not to mention, getting to see Viktor Krum play alongside members of Hogwarts."

"I'll admit," Minerva said, "I was concerned that it would be a one-sided match, but I was eager to see the winner at the end."

The three of them turned to Severus, whose only words were to order some of his chips into the pot.

"Severus, thoughts?" Pomona asked.

"I was excited when Potter jumped off his broom."

Minerva pressed her lisp together again. Pomona didn't need to ask; she knew it was out of frustration.

"Because it was a brave move, or because you thought he was going to kill himself?" Minerva asked.

"Yes."

Minerva took a deep breath and ordered more chips into the pot. After that, they played a few hands in silence. They all knew what the others were thinking. Albus had a plan — he wouldn't have announced the nature of Peta-Lorrum's death if he hadn't had one — and they all wanted to know what it was. But to ask about it was to validate the claim that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had returned, and none of them wanted that.

"I give up," Filius said. "How'd they do it? The second task."

"Septima and Bathsheda," Minerva said. "To protect the Package, they used something they called a Dimensional Prison. Peta-Lorrum suggested using that, with the added side effect that whenever they chose wrong, it weakened them further."

"So that really was her doing all that?" Pomona asked. "I suppose it makes sense, given the third task."

"Albus told her it had to be a maze, and the cup had to be in the center," Minerva said. "Those clockwork beetles were her idea."

"She called them 'Clockwork Horrors'."

The four of them turned to the entrance to their "secret" meeting place and found Albus standing in the threshold.

"I apologize for interrupting," he said, "but I need to talk to all of you, and I couldn't think of a better time."

"We're glad to take a short break," Pomona said. "We're not getting very far anyway." She smiled politely. "What can we help you with?"

"Is this regarding He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Minerva asked.

"It is. I'm putting together a resistance, something the Ministry seems determined not to do."

"How do we know he's really back?" Filius asked. "No offence to Mr. Potter, but it could've been a trick. His followers would like nothing more than to spread chaos and panic."

Albus and Minerva exchanged glances, although Minerva knew he was avoiding Severus's gaze. Pomona and Filius didn't exactly know much about Severus's past.

"Severus told him," Pomona said. "Didn't you, Severus?"

She would know, Minerva thought.

"Karkaroff and I both know," Severus said. "That's why no one's seen Karkaroff since that night. He's gone, and not looking back."

"Then you'll be restoring the Order," Minerva said.

"That's my plan."

"Then you can count us all in," Pomona said. "Can't he?"

There were three nods of agreement from the other staff at the table.

"I'm glad I can count on all of you," Albus said. "That will be all. Please, return to your game."

"One last thing," Minerva said. "I know you like to keep your secrets, but tell us one thing: Is there something else going on with Peta-Lorrum?"

Albus paused for a moment. Minerva couldn't tell what was on his mind, but that he was thinking about it seemed promising.

"I'd like to say 'yes'. Or give some evasive answer that implies I'm hiding something. I would like nothing more than to tell you all that she faked it, that she and I have a bigger plan. But the truth is, as far as I know, Rose Peta-Lorrum is dead."

At that moment, Minerva could see straight through Albus. She rarely saw sadness in him, despite everything he'd been through in his years.

"I know she had her faults, that you all thought of her differently, and that you all thought I was too fond of her. In her heart, Rose was kind. I chose to let her build the tasks because I knew it would be a positive outlet for her. Despite her constructs nearly killing four students, the amount of work she put into the third task was staggering, and I couldn't have been prouder. She was a remarkable girl, one I'm proud to say I knew."

Minerva felt herself sink just a little in her chair. While her happy memories involving Peta-Lorrum were few, the effects she'd had on her friends brought her no end of pride. If it hadn���t been for Peta-Lorrum, her friends wouldn't have killed the Basilisk, and Minerva herself would've likely died.

Filius had a direct moment with the girl when she fought off the Basilisk herself. She'd taken to being friends with Lovegood, who seemed unable to make friends at first. Knowing how hard it could be as a clever student different from everyone else, Filius found it admirable that Peta-Lorrum had stuck up for her.

Even more of a fan of how she'd treated her friends was Pomona. As much as she'd tried to encourage him, she'd always known Neville would need an extra push. Even though he refused to speak on what it had been, his last month at Hogwarts had seen a miraculous change in his confidence. As she thought about where he'd been at the start of the year, she felt a sense of pride in both of them.

Severus still wouldn't admit it, but some small part of him would miss the annoying little girl that insisted on being his friend. He still didn't know why she'd tried, but it hadn't stopped him from letting her catch her breath after the boggart incident. Contrary to popular belief, he had some capacity for empathy, and he'd always wanted a place to hide after a particular group of enemies had finished with him. Not that hiding ever did any good.

Severus raised his glass.

"To Peta-Lorrum. May she find someone else to annoy."

"To Peta-Lorrum," Pomona said, "and her faith in her friends."

"To Peta-Lorrum," Filius said, "and all her strange ways."

"To Peta-Lorrum," Minerva said, "without whom, I wouldn't be here."

"To Peta-Lorrum," Albus said, raising an empty glass none of them had seen appear, "the strange girl from another world."