( chapter xxvii. GOOD RIDDANCE! )

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         SEPTEMBER FIRST – the long awaited day. The escape from her ancestors lurking in portraits and a macabre feeling always surrounding her. An escape from the creaking caricature of a home with hush whispers all around, attempting to keep the eerie quiet that unsettled everyone. But she always heard; every word. It was a goodbye to Maia lying in bed and ever leaving, the Order meeting downstairs talking about the Prophecy that would decide the fate of the world.

         She always hated those meetings the most. Not that there was one she liked, all of them holding a trace of helplessness where despair was only present and hope never appeared. The thought that all their efforts would be for nothing as the world collapsed around them under the complete mercy of Voldemort, who had none. The what ifs, the wondering if Harry failed to save them as they placed all their hopes on the boy. She thought that was terribly unfair, counting on one boy younger than her to save everyone, save the world.

         Some minded, those closest with his parents minded. Sirius wanted him to be informed for every choice he would have to make in the long run while Molly sought to protect the boy. The Weasleys, that family, were nurturing and coddled their children as if they were still babies fresh out of the womb. As if they were too young to know about a weapon or how the increase of Death Eaters was slowly rising again, forgetting about the troubles they had encountered while at school – somewhere they were supposed to be safe. Calypso scoffed at the idea. In the past four years, and probably continuing to five, they school had been anything but safe.

         But it didn't matter what she thought, or how hard her family tried to fight for Harry's right to know about the Prophecy. It was about him, surely he had the right to know, because Albus Dumbledore himself commanded that it remain a secret and no one would dare go against him, no matter how many times she heard her mother grumble about the man. So the secrets continued and Calypso felt terribly alone with the knowledge of what Harry craved and she could never tell him.

         It wasn't just him, she corrected herself, everyone wanted to know. Everyone wanted to be involved in the Order meetings, besides Leo and Maia she suspected (he didn't care enough about the wizarding world and she left herself to moping all the time), and they would all jump at the chance to know what she did. They didn't understand that she didn't want the knowledge herself. She wished to be ignorant as they were, but her curse simply couldn't allow that, could it?

         But it was September first now and she didn't have to suffer through the long meetings were Sirius and Molly would growl back and forth about what was right for Harry. She wouldn't have to hear Remelda stepping in to keep some semblance of peace and Remus looking and Nymphie and then feeling ashamed even though the younger woman wanted him so bad. It was a joy – a relief to be able to leave.

         So, of course, she had packed all of her things early and when Remelda came up to get her so that they could leave, she didn't waste a moment. Calypso didn't want to leave Leo behind, that was the worst part. While she was going to leave and not return until Christmas, he was going to have to go home to that every night. Stay as the only child in a house that whispered and terrorized all those who entered, trapped upstairs and alone because no one would invite him downstairs. Not only was he underage, he wasn't even a wizard!

         That was the worst part easily, but it still didn't make her any less excited to leave. She felt guilty about that, and selfish. Calypso Hope Black with her hair braided left 12 Grimmauld Place and didn't even think of looking back. Good riddance.

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        THE REMNANTS OF the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black stood together, a dog by their side. Remelda Black and her daughter, Calypso, were used to the stares by now as they passed, coming from the wizards sending their kids off to school as well who muttered "don't go around them, okay?" with the child nodding a bit confused until later they heard the name. This time, muggles stared too, but at the dog more than the people. Especially because he wasn't wearing a leash, but Snuffles wasn't one for that – definitely not now, after everything he had been through.

         They looked almost identical as they passed, going into an empty room for a moment right before platform nine and three quarters where they would send Calypso to her sixth year of Hogwarts. It was easy to tell that they were mother and daughter, Remelda looking older and much more tired while Calypso still had that young look, the only difference being the many freckles that adorned her cheeks from her father.

         Not even a moment passed as the door of the room closed before the dog, Snuffles, transformed into her uncle and Remelda shook her head at her brother. "I don't know why you insisted on coming along," she muttered, "It's too dangerous."

         "Me being out of Azkaban and alive is dangerous, Remelda, at least let me have some fun," Sirius retorted, smiling easily as he looked at his niece, "Have a good year, yeah?"

         "Definitely," Calypso promised with a nod of her head, "I'm not taking Herbology or Divination this year, so of course it'll be a good year."

         Sirius snorted, "You're just like your mum. She always hated Herbology."

         "Because it's a useless class that took up way too much of my time. Got rid of it in my final year and couldn't have been happier," Remelda defended herself, "At least you don't have to suffer as long as I did."

         Calypso rolled her eyes at her mother, "It wasn't that bad of a class, mum. A bit boring, yeah, but you make it sound like torture."

         "It was," Remelda frowned slightly, "Hated every moment I had to spend thinking about that class – still do."

         Sirius turned to his niece, "She's being dramatic."

         "Like you didn't write the book on that, Sirius," Remelda snapped back without any bite to it, already smiling slightly at her brother. "I remember when you twenty and Nadia went on holiday with her dad and you moaned all day saying that she was never coming back and was going to find someone better. Even tried to get James to kiss you and make you feel better."

         "Hey! I had every right to believe that!" Sirius attempted to defend himself, smiling at the old times. Calypso looked at both their smiling faces, seeing no trace of sadness when they spoke of their dead friend and the times before everything fell apart. That was twenty-one for him, twenty for her.

         It was the year that ruined everything in their lives.

         Harry was pulled into the room and Sirius fled to the corner quickly as they boy was ushered in with Remus. Her dad smiled at her and she smiled back. Sirius came back into the conversation, stepping away from the shadows as he looked at her.

         "I remember my sixth year, I actually got a girlfriend. Like, a real, serious – no pun intended – girlfriend and not just a fling," Sirius sighed, "It was magical."

         "Okay, I do not need to know anything about your flings, Uncle Pads, ew," Calypso wrinkled her nose up.

         "Please, be glad that you didn't have to hear everything in full detail. Those are moments I can never get back and words I'll never forget, no matter how badly I want them ripped from my memory," Remelda almost shuddered and Calypso cracked a smile at her mother.

         They were like this at 12 Grimmauld Place. There, everything was darker and no one smiled, and if they did it was with gritted teeth showing just how forced it was. No one had a reason to smile there, it was dreadful. It was a prison just waiting to hold onto all those who entered and never let them go. No one joked around like this, or let loose for a moment, shoulders never relaxed and sleep was never peaceful.

         There were always nightmares to plague her unconscious state. Always a scream of terror ripping from her own throat as she envisioned the fear that terrified her as a child and even more now. Always so tense, alert with every little noise in the dark. Oh, how she prayed every night to leave, and now her wish had been granted. September first had finally come to her rescue, her knight in shining armor.

         "You're welcome," Sirius winked at her and Remelda narrowed her eyes at him, "Well, not that this has anything to do with that glare, but I want to say goodbye to Harry before he leaves. Give me a moment."

         And the mother-daughter duo was alone. Calypso watched him talk for a moment with Harry and her dad before turning to her mother, who was watching them as well. "I'll miss you, mum," Calypso told her and Remelda smiled at her daughter.

         "I'll miss you too, sweetie," Remelda said back just as sincerely, "Make sure to write. And don't give away any detail that could compromise our position, okay?"

         Calypso held back the sigh and eye roll she wanted to give and instead nodded, "Will do. Are you going to be okay there?"

         "Of course I am, Calypso," Remelda answered almost too quickly, "I offered the house as headquarters and it makes sense that I'm staying there again. I don't mind being there."

         "I did," Calypso admitted, not calling her mother out on the blatant lie, "I hated every moment there. It just felt so terrible and everything was so loud and too quiet at the same time and my ears couldn't focus on one thing – the walls were just too thin and so much was happening."

         Remelda sighed and held her daughter close to her, "I know, I know. And I'm sorry. I didn't think they would make us stay there with everyone, or even make us stay there at all. If I knew that, I would've never told them. It's no place for a child."

         Calypso tried not to reach too much into the last sentence, knowing enough about how her mother grew up to know that it wasn't pretty. She had seen the scars that graced her mother's back, along with the ones of her arms. Remelda brushed them all off whenever Calypso asked, saying that the ones on her arms and chest came from something completely different from the person who afflicted the wounds on her back. Calypso tried not think that her own grandparents did the damage that would forever be shown but there was nothing else to think.

         And she tried not think of when she was five and how guilty her mother must've felt after she had screamed because of what she had seen – because of what that damn boggart had made her witness. It wasn't true murder, she knew that, but it felt real and that was all that mattered to her brain.

         She shook the matter off, the nightmares would seize that night when she slept in a room full of people who didn't care about her but safely tucked away where the dark spirits of her relatives couldn't reach her. Walburga wouldn't have any power there, she would be completely fine.

         "It's okay, mum, at least it's over now," Calypso attempted a smile, trying to brighten the mood again on her glorious day, "I don't even care about all the work I'm gonna have to do."

         Remelda rolled her eyes, "You sound just like Sirius when we were in school. Always complaining about the work load and how he had no time to himself because school was keeping him too busy – as if."

         Calypso laughed at the thought of her uncle, knowing that it could be completely true. It seemed like him anyway. Or, who he used to be. She wasn't sure who he was now, and she was almost certain that he didn't know either. It would just have to remain a mystery for a while longer, and one that Calypso wasn't too eager to solve. That was for him and not for her, she didn't have the right to pry into his business.

         "I hope that you'll be okay, though, and Leo. I feel awful that he's going to be all alone there," Calypso frowned.

         "I know, sweetie, me too," Remelda gripped her daughter's shoulders, "But I'll keep him company as best I can. We'll make sure that his stay will be more pleasant than it already has."

         "That's good. It's times like these I wish he was a wizard," Calypso admitted.

         "Really? I think it's almost better he isn't. I wish I wasn't most days, but it doesn't matter now, does it?" Remelda grinned and Calypso's heart ached for her mother.

         She never shared that thought, never had the wish of having no magic at all. Being plain and ordinary, no castles or wands, no easy maneuvering of objects to you, just...no magic. Of course, she loved the culture of muggles – sometimes things just seemed magical in their world, like Disney – but she had never wished to be one. She valued and loved her magic too much.

         And she felt terrible that while Leo was a squib she was relieved it wasn't her; glad that she had the gift of magic running through her veins. But now her mother didn't even want it, a subtle way of telling her that terrible things had occurred in her life through magic that she wished to escape. Calypso didn't pry any further, she didn't want to find anything new.

         "Maybe it is," she agreed, "I don't really want Leo in this mess, either."

         Remelda nodded at that and Calypso was glad to appease her. She wanted Leo to have magic for selfish reasons, loved the way he was for selfless ones. If he wasn't a wizard, he didn't have to fight when the time came. He could stay and live life without seeing the terrible things Voldemort would inflict – had inflicted. But, on the other hand, if he had magic he would've joined Calypso at Hogwarts by now and they could be closer. It was selfish, she knew that, but she still wished.

         "Well, I think that we must be off now, don't want to miss the train," Remelda said as she peered to where Nymphadora had opened up the door to tell them to get a move on it.

         Sirius transformed back into Snuffles and Harry left with the dog by his side. Remus and Nymphadora lingered for a moment, staring at each other before moving on and it was just the pair in the room. Remelda's eyes still lingered sadly on where her ex-husband stood with her cousin.

         "He really likes her, and she's more than infatuated with him," Calypso commented about them.

         Remelda nodded and turned her attention back to her daughter, "You're right. It's good."

         "It is?"

         "Very. He should be happy, but of course he's denying himself of that. He always has," Remelda commented offhandedly and Calypso frowned at her father.

         "But are you okay with it? If he does get with Nymphie, will you be okay?" Calypso asked her more sincerely, never wanting to see her hurt. This was her mother, the woman who raised her and helped get Leo and Maia to a great home after what could've been their end at a very young age. The woman who joined the Order as a teenager and lost most everyone she loved at the age of twenty. Got divorced at twenty and left with Calypso, her star.

         But Remelda smiled down at her, not that there was much of a different in their height, "Of course I will. I've always wanted Remus to be happy and that was never with me, I knew that a long time before the end of our marriage. We tried and it didn't work but he's a very complicated man with things he needed to solve on his own. I couldn't help him no matter how hard I tried. If Nymphadora can make him happy, so be it. I have you, don't I?"

         Calypso smiled at her mother. She didn't know everything about her relationship with her dad and she didn't want to. Some things were better left as a mystery – this was one of them.

         And even with those words she still wasn't comforted. She wanted her mother to be happy, that was what she always wanted. For both her parents to be happy because that would make her happy, she knew it would. And dad was happy, or he would be. When he finally allowed himself to be loved, he would be. He already was. But her mother...Remelda still stood alone as the last child of the Black family who wasn't dead or disgraced.

         Maybe, according to some, she was. A bloodtraitor against her family in the name of the Blacks, the name of what they all believed in. She was a disgrace there, but she still had power. Her name still stuck a sort of fear unlike Sirius'. She was still going, but going alone, and she wanted Remelda to have someone. Maybe someday. Hopefully someday.

         "Of course you have me, you always will," Calypso replied, trying to be happy and content with her mother still so alone, "I'll miss you lots."

         "Me too," Remelda brought her into one last hug before they left the room and entered through platform nine and the quarters where the latecomers were saying a hurried goodbye. "You better get going."

         "One second," Calypso held her finger up as she ran over to Leo to hug him. The boy, not expecting it, let out a yelp before throwing his arms around her as well. "I'll miss you," she told him.

         "I'll miss you, too. The house is going to be ten times worse without you there," Leo held her tightly, not caring about the curls that were covering his face. "But I hope you have a great year."

         "Thanks, I will. And I hope that you have the most amazing year ever and finally find a friend at school," Calypso said back as they pulled apart.

         "Fat chance of that happening, but I'll try," Leo told her, "At least I'll be somewhere new this year."

         Calypso frowned, "You're transferring?"

         Leo nodded, "My school was apparently too far from the house for me to go. Especially since I'd have to be on my own throughout the whole day. I don't really mind, never liked it there."

         "Well, here's to new beginnings," Calypso smiled and he rolled his eyes and chuckled at her.

         "To new beginnings," Leo recited, "Now go. Don't want the train to leave without you. Maia's already on board."

         Calypso nodded with one last wave to all she was leaving behind as she boarded the Hogwarts Express. Most people were already in their carts, anticipating the train's near movement and she continued to look until she found Birdie sitting alone and went inside.

         "Hey, you," she greeted as she sat down across from the Bishop girl.

         Birdie lit up at the sight of her and she felt her heart warm, a nice contrast from all the strain it had previously gone through. "Calypso! I thought you'd never show up. Why were you so late today?" Birdie fired.

         The Black girl shrugged. "Got a little held up at the house, had to find my hair ties," she lied, thinking about how quickly she had run out of there at first chance.

         "Ah, those buggars. Well, at least you found them. They are impossible to find at Hogsmeade," Birdie smiled, "How was your summer?"

         "Dreadful," Calypso sought not to lie that time, "Really, it was the worst thing in the world."

         Birdie frowned, "Really? I mean, I know you said some stuff about moving and shit and how much you hated the house, but couldn't you just sneak out again? It couldn't have been that bad."

         Calypso shook her head, "No, really. It was. Everything was just so quiet there and the house was so loud – like the doors were always squeaking and the floors creaky. It was terrible. And I couldn't leave unless I had someone willing to smuggle me out but no one was. Well, besides that one time."

         "Sorry to hear that. Why did you move anyway?" Birdie asked, not realizing how much she was trailing onto.

         Calypso stilled for a moment, knowing she couldn't just tell her friend no matter how much she wanted to. She wanted to come clean about the Order and Headquarters and what they were trying to accomplish, tell her about the 'weapon' Voldemort was looking for but she didn't. She couldn't. It was a secret for a reason, and no one could know the truth no matter how badly she wanted to tell her friend.

         It was too dangerous.

         She couldn't place Birdie or anyone at the house in danger, they meant too much to her.

         "Just...you know, with You-Know-Who alive and his followers rising up again, it wasn't safe. Comes with the family name," Calypso explained as lightly as she could, hitting the main points but leaving so much in between.

         "Ah," Birdie leaned back and nodded her head, "Sorry. Shit, I'm saying sorry a lot, aren't I?"

         "It's okay. How was your summer?" Calypso asked, glad to end the conversation about her own.

         Birdie blushed hard, "Lee came around a lot."

         "That's nice. Did you have a nice time with him? Go to the ice cream parlor and share a sweet kiss?" Calypso teased and Birdie scoffed although she turned another shade of darker pink.

         "Oh, shut up, will you? We aren't dating our anything, we're just friends," Birdie attempted and Calypso's grin grew.

         "But you want to be more, don't you? You wanna call him your boyfriend and hold his hand and kiss him, right?" Calypso continued to pay with the girl.

         "Alright, so what? Maybe I do. Lee's cute and he's nice and not so much of a git when the twins aren't around," Birdie admitted, "And he actually likes me."

         "What's not to like? Birdie, you are the most amazing person I have ever met, especially since you're still sticking around after learning about my, well, furry problem and everything," Calypso told her honestly and Birdie smiled up at her.

         "Thanks, Cal, but I don't know. I mean, I like what we have now and I don't want anything to change. And this is his last year anyway, so it probably won't even last," Birdie waved it off.

         "That's a pessimistic way to look at it," Calypso frowned, "Come on, you'd be great together."

         Birdie shrugged and moved to grab the schoolwork she had yet to complete even though she had the entire summer to do so. "Maybe, but it's not gonna happen. I like being friends with him, it's nice, and I don't want anything to change," she decided, "And can I just have a peak at your DADA work? Just to make sure that everything's right?"

         Calypso rolled her eyes, taking out her own schoolwork – which she had completed, like always – and handed it to Birdie who smiled and said a small thank you. Birdie began to rapidly write down the answers, changing the wording so that it looked more original.

         She wanted to argue more, Birdie deserved everything the world could ever give her and Lee was lucky, but she didn't. It wouldn't go anywhere, and she was too tired. Best just to close her eyes until the train arrived at Hogwarts.

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         BIRDIE HAD BLUSHED when they arrived and Lee threw an arm arrived her shoulder. Half-heartedly, she had shrugged him away because that was their relationship; that was what she had always done and pulling a complete one-eighty would be too suspicious. Surely then he would know she fancied him and that could never happen.

         He walked with them into Hogwarts and to the Great Hall where they sat together at the Gryffindor table as little first years were in line to be sorted. Their eyes were filled with wonder, taking in the enchanted ceiling and floating objects. The beauty of the castle and odd sight of Nearly Headless Nick as he played his usual trick, snickering to himself when a little one shrieked lightly.

         A pink woman sat with the other professors, standing out among them. There was a smile on her face that held no joy as she looked at the children, she always hated children – such nuisances – and yet here she was. She would set them all straight, they would how little importance they held soon enough. She would make sure of it.

         The children were called up as they sat on the stool, the hat placed upon their head. Moments would pass and then – then, there would be a yell from the hat that would decide their fate at the school:

         "HUFFLEPUFF!"

         "SLYTHERIN!"

         "GRYFFINDOR!"

         "RAVENCLAW!"

         And the cheers followed, delighted that someone new was joining their house. A delight. To carrying on the legacy and prestige of the houses. What a joy.

         A girl sat at Ravenclaw with her long brown hair without a curl, much like her mother. Not that she knew the woman ever. She looked at the pink woman and knew something...something was going to happen. Something was going to change.

         And the girl at Gryffindor, clapping wildly and enjoying her time. It was a wondrous event, she was home again. Away from what plagued her dreams and left her stricken with fear. She had not seen the pink lady yet, she did not know that nothing was as good as she wanted it to be. All she did was watch the little ones and remember her own time on the chair, how everyone stilled at her name; 'Black'. And she remembered how the hat wanted to place her in a different house but she chose differently, she had to. It was good; it was for the best. Some days she regretted that decision. Right now, she didn't.

         Her friend was beside her and she was blushing at the boy who was grinning at her as he clapped. It was a nice sight, her friend deserved to be happy. And she...she didn't want that, that was not her joy. Her joy didn't come from this and that was okay, for now. It was okay, she didn't have to think about it at the moment.

         The sorting ended and the feast began. Everyone ate and laughed together, how light, how happy. Home again, constellations in the sky with all the stars. How nice. It was all over soon. Good would be overthrown, the majestic qualities wouldn't mean much anymore. How terrible, how cruel.

         Their Headmaster stood up and went to his podium, as he did every year to welcome the students back to Hogwarts. "I beg a few moments of your attention, as I have a few start of term announcements," he began.

         "Right off, our caretaker, the good Mr. Filch, has reminded me for what he says is the four-hundred and sixty-second time that he had an annually updated list of various banned items, usually introduced by our humor experts Fred and George Weasley..." the twins stood and gave a dramatic bow, "...which are posted in an extensive list on the door to Mr. Filch's office.

         "Also, we have two staffing changes this year. Professor Grubby-Plank will be taking the post of Care of Magical Creatures as Professor Hagrid is on...extended leave," Calypso wasn't exactly surprised his mission hadn't been completed yet, it was a large task, "Additionally, we have Professor Umbridge, who has kindly agreed to fill the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts –"

         He cut off as the pink lady arose from her seat and cleared her throat. "Hem, hem, Headmaster, if I could address the school?" Everyone expected for him to say no, this had never happen before, but to everyone's surprise, he stepped down and sat back in his seat.

         The pink lady grinned, "Thank you, Headmaster. Now, how are we all doing tonight? I thought I would just say a few words. I am here at the Ministry of Magic's bequest, under Educational Decree twenty-two, which states that if the Headmaster of Hogwarts is unable to fill any teaching post the Ministry shall select one for the position."

         Calypso frowned, that didn't sound real. Or right. She wasn't liking any of this at all.

         "The Ministry has always considered the magical education of our children to be of vital importance, and the passing down of this ancient and noble art must be given to the next generation, lest it be lost forever," there was a chill down Calypso's spine at how similar the pink lady sounded to those pureblooded relatives that predated her, "Without progress, stagnation. But progress for progress's sake is to be discouraged, for our art requires no tinkering."

         No, this was not good at all, she knew that now. What the girl at Ravenclaw had already known was coming to her. This was not good, everything was going to change. But for different reasons.

         "A balance must be attained, the new and the old, permanence and change, tradition and innovation, order and chaos," the lady paused, "There are large changes coming soon, changes walking the fine line between order and chaos. Know only that these changes are for the best, and to prevent the destruction of our civilization from its own decay. Thank you."

         The hall was left in silence. This could never be good, not in any universe. Change was coming yes, but it was never going to be good. It could never be. And Calypso swallowed, so much for escaping her nightmares.

authors note
so i know this has been a long time coming and it's been a while since i updated but hey, this is a 5000 word chapter so be happy

(and honestly can you tell how much i love ootp more than gof from the chapter length???? because i can)