"May I talk to you in private? In my capacity as a healer?"

Ginny exchanged a look with her brothers. "A Healer?"

"Recruiter and representative are just part of my duties. Primarily I am a healer working the med tents. It is in that capacity that I need to speak with you. Preferably alone but if you have kin over the age of 15 they can be here."

Ginny looked at the twins for a moment. "They can stay. Mom and Dad can't afford a healer."

"My consultation is free. Would you like to sit down?"

Ginny nodded, the mood serious.

"Now, I need you to answer honestly." Lyre said, reaching up for her hood and pulling it down, her mask vanishing and revealing a sky blue eyes that were far too old for the tan face they were housed in. "Have you ever interacted long term with an object of dark magic."

Ginny went pale, and that was enough for Lyre.

"There is a taint wrapped around your soul. Ever since the event, I bet you become ill more easily and get tired quickly."

Fred nodded and answered when it became apparent that Ginny wasn't about to. "Yeah. Moms convinced it's because she isn't eating her cooking as much."

Lyre shook her head. "No. Your life force has been accessed and not properly closed afterwards. It's leaking out ten times faster than it should. At this rate, I give you until you're twenty maybe twenty one."

George grabbed Ginny's shoulder as she trembled. "I'm dying?" Sh whispered.

"I'm afraid so." Lyre said, putting a comforting hand on the ginger girl. "Everyone is born with a set amount of life force. Wizards have more than muggles since their magic helps keep it healthy and not degrade as fast.  If all goes well, when you run out, it's dying of old age. If you get hurt, your body uses your life force in an attempt to heal it. If it's successful you're fine. If not, well. That's why the killing Curse is feared. It rips the life force out of a person. If you could see the energy of a person who was killed like that, it would seem jagged and raw." She took a breath before turning to Fred. "Can you hold out your hands? I'm going to show you what life force and magic should look like."

Fred did, taking Lyre's hands and glowing gold, a soft blue light, pulsing in time with his heart beat, a tiny puff of blue flowing out of his mouth with every beat.

"And now, Ginny."

It was exactly the same except for a black mist coiled tightly around the blue pulse, and instead of a small amount with every pulse, a steady stream flowed from her core.
"What can we do?" George asked.

"You have a few options. The first is to live the best you can."

"And the others?"

"Choose a godly patron and have them accept you." Lyre said. "My life force ran out seven hundred years ago, but I'm alive because my oath to my lord binds me to him. He gives me enough Life Force to keep me going, to stop me from ageing. Lady artemis does the same for her Hunters."

Lyre's body lit up and there was a steady stream flowing in and out of her, glowing a soft sea green instead of blue.

"The third is to become a vampire. They can steal some of the life force from others. If you want to live past your twentieth birthday you need to become an immortal. I leave the choice to you. If you want to send me a letter for more information on the Kidemonas or Kynigoi, send it to Lyre Kidemonas. It'll find me."

She stood and clapped a hand on Ginny's shoulder. "I'm sorry for being the one to tell you but I would rather you know before it's too late to do something."

Lyre heard her comm crackle to life in her ear before Ginny could answer and turned, hood on and mask back in place. "This is Lyre, over." She said, the twins cutting off a question and turning to speak with Ginny and read the brochures.

Thief here. I got a soul shard that I don't have the firepower to deal with. Nasty piece of shisct. Container is cursed to Hades and back.

Glenda here. Where are you? I'm on my way.

Thief. Drawing room on the second floor. Across from the portrait of the hunting dogs.

Lieutenant here. I'm bringing the homeowner up. Lyre. Contact Jewel and get her over here.

Yes, Lieutenant.

Lyre opened her phone and called Jewel, aka Hazel Levesque, who was one of the better options to deal with angry spirits. When she hung up, Glenda, Annabeth and a long, ratty haired man with haunted eyes were walking past the room she was in.

"Lieutenant." Lyre said, falling into line next to Glenda.

"Lyre. Is Jewel on the way?"

"Yes, ma'am. She's bringing Rookie. Something about experience."

"As long as he doesn't get killed." Annabeth said. "This is Sirius Black, owner of the house and Harry Potter's godfather. Not sure why the redhead wanted us to know this but she did."

Lyre glanced at the red-haired woman, who, like the rest of the order, had followed Annabeth and Sirius Black upstairs.

She fell into line with Glenda and followed Annabeth and Sirius Black to the room Thief had specified.

"Oh good." Thief said, not taking his eyes off an innocuous looking locket sitting on a shelf. "I was getting concerned. I haven't seen enchantments this nasty since Houtouwan."

"What about this reminds you of Houtouwan?" Annabeth asked.

Thief shrugged. "The snakes."

Glenda leaned over the amulet. "More like those cursed seals that Naga was making in Okinawa."

"Oh schist, your right." Thief amended. "I change my comparison."

"Isn't that where Emerald is from?" Lyre asked.

"It's where we met." Glenda said. "She helped us out and joined up afterwards."

"That explains so much about her personality if her first mission was curses." Lyre nodded sagely.

"Technically her first mission was Dracena in india pretending to be Manasa." Annabeth smirked, lost in memories.

Lyre waved to get her attention. "Jewel is on the way."

"Good." Annabeth said. "Glenda, thoughts on how to deal with this?"

Glenda nodded. "We'll need a team of three and a class eight cleansing circle."

"Who is that!?" The redhead woman shrieked, pointing at Thief just as Dragon tooth silenced her. Her son, perhaps? Whoever it was had good sense.

"Mom, please don't piss off the people that can make goblin rebellions seem like a bar brawl." He asked, voice pleading.

The redhead seemed angry and pointed at the Guardians, yelling silently when they ignored her.

"Mr. Black. Our compatriots will be here soon. If you don't mind letting them into the-"

"Backyard." Glenda interrupted. "The locket had a possession curse tied in. That's a level nine circle and too big for the room."

"You can use the ballroom, ma'am." Sirius offered. He had been raised on stories of the Guardians. Apparently, one of his aunts had joined the Guard, having been the daughter of Hecate and his great great grandfather.

A knock on the front door had Sirius and Lyre going downstairs to meet Jewel and Rookie.

Sirius opened the door and bowed slightly. "Welcome to my home, Guardians."

Jewel nodded, Rookie looking uncomfortable.

As they moved past Sirius, the scrawny man's eyes widened and he grabbed Rookie's shoulder, spinning him around despite the daggers that appeared at his neck and liver.

"Impossible. Your scent. I haven't, not since they died." He muttered looking like he had seen a ghost, his face pale and his hands shaking as he raised them to remove Rookie's mask, revealing Hecate green eyes, black hair and a faded lightning bolt on his brow.

"Harry?"