It was hard, going back to school. I was still very thin, and I knew most things would be difficult. We had to rush Emily's funeral so I could be there, being that I had to be back at school in three days. I hated leaving Charlie all by herself, but I had to go back to school. Mother said she would allow Charlie to stay at our house until she figures something out. Charlie will still keep up the bookstore, though I don't know how. I guess I'll figure it out when I get back for summer.

To make matters worse, people kept asking me about what happened. The story had been in the Daily Prophet. Rita Skeeter, a Hufflepuff, tried to get me or Lily or Matthew or James or Sirius to say something, but we wouldn't. I did, of course, explain all of it to Narcissa, Jinxy, Alice, and Marlene.

"I'm so sorry that happened to you," Jinxy said as she hugged me.

"Were you scared?" Marlene asked.

"Of course she was scared, you dunce!" Alice snapped. I chukled. Jinxy moved on to hug Lily.

"Yeah, I was scared. Terrified, actually. I've never felt like that in my life," I told them.

"Not even when you were faced with those Death Eaters?" Marlene asked.

"Or that other time when you had to fight Death Eaters?" Alice added.

"Or when you turned into a werewolf?" Jinxy asked. I shrugged.

"No. This seemed far more...real. These people weren't magical, and they still managed to almost kill me multiple times. I bet you Lily could be far more descriptive. she was the real hero. She found Charlie." The conversation was drfited to Lily, which I was grateful for. I helped myself downstairs to the Common Room. I used the railing to walk down the stairs. My legs wobbled, but not as much.

I went over and sat on the couch. It was pleasnt to sit and think with no one talking to me. I just listened to the fire, letting it fill my ears and burn away everything that bothered me.

A few minutes later, I felt Sirius sit next to me. He didn't say anything, he just sat. I laid my head on his shoulder.

I was plain exhausted. I just wanted to sleep. And sleep I did.

School continued as it normally would. Janurary turned to Feburary, and Feburary turned to March. April came with the melting of the snow, and the shining of the sun. I spent a lot of my time outside, contemplating...everything. Life went on normally. We tried to forget about everything that happened, and we almost did. The buzz and rumors died down, and everything was normal. A perfect ending to this story...

But this isn't the end of my story. Not nearly.

One ripe, sunny morning in May, I was in Herbology, when McGonagall came in.

"Professor McGonagall?" Our Herbology teacher stopped the class.

"I need to speak with Ms. Longbottom-" I threw my earmuffs onto the ground.

"Can I please just have four months of nothing bad happening?!" I shouted.

"Darling," Sirius whispered, putting a hand on my shoulder. i sighed.

"I know, I know." I walked over to McGonagall.

"What is it?" I snapped. McGonagall would have glared at me and taken points off Gryffindor, but that didn't happen. My attitude was gone in a flash. I dropped my crossed arms.

"What's happened?" I asked.

"I need you to come with me." I follwoed her out of the classroom, but before I left, Lily touched my wrist, trying to tell me that she was with me, even if she wasn't there. I nodded at her.

McGonagall brought me to Dumbledore's office.

"Sit here," she said, pointing at a chair. Once i was seated, I turned to ask her what was going on, but she was gone. I sat with my legs crossed, twiddling my fingers. I saw Professor Dumbledore walking down the stairs and stood.

"Professor Dumbledore-"

"Ms. Longbottom, sit please," he said. I took my seat again. He walked the rest of the way down the stairs and sat in his own seat. I looked over at the bird next to his desk.

"This is Fawkes, he's a-"

"A phoenix," I asnwered, "Fawkes is a pretty name for him."

"I need to tell you something," he said, folding his hands on top of his desk.

"i gathered. This whole suspense thing is driving me crazy," I said, kidding, trying to lighten the mood.

"I'll get to the point then. Your father has been found." The room went silent. Not even the portraits moved or talked. I tried not to act stunned, but my heart pounded in my chest.

My...father? The man who walked out of my life when I was 8? The man who left me thinking I had done something so wrong, he didn't want to be near me? Didn't love me? The man who sent my mother into a state of depression for months? He had returned? For what purpose? Why? What...

"I don't understand." All my feelings summed up in three words (well two words and a contraction).

My heart quickened it's pace, sweat beaded down my forehead. I gulped stale air down my dry throat. I was near tears, but tears of anger. Before Dumbledore could reply, everything came out all at once.

"What makes that stupid, ugly, fat man think he can just walk back into our lives? He left me, and I hate him for it! I will never see him. He cannot live in my house. Professor Dumbledore, don't make me see him. I don't want to see him..."

"Ms. Longbottom. Ms. Longbottom, please."

"You can't let this happen! Tell him we've moved! Tell him we don't live here anymore!Tell him I'm, dead!" I stood up and ran my hands through my hair repeatedly.

"Ms. Longbottom, your father is dead." I stopped in my tracks. I fell back into my seat.

"What?" Everything I had just said felt like poison in my mouth. I leant forward in my seat, putting my hands on the sides of my head, mouth hanging open. I couldn't blink, I couldn't think, I couldn't breathe. I looked up at my Professor, wide mouthed.

"What have I done?" I asked.

"Ms. Longbottom-"

"My name's Serana," I whispered, remebering the story my old man had told me about how I got my name.

"Serana," Professor Dumbledore tried again, "Your father was found dead. We didn't know about it until his name appeared on the death list in the Daily Prophet. I am very sorry-"

"where's my brother?" I asked, looking up.

"Professor McGonagall is getting him," Professor Dumbeldore said. My mouth went dry again. I hardly noticed Fawkes brusting into flames.

"Frank, what are we going to do?" I asked, arms wrapped around my brother's neck.

"I don't know, Riv. We're not allowed to leave. Let's owl Mother." He moved to detach himself from me, but I held on tighter.

"Don't go. Not yet," I whispered.

"Okay." We stood in the corridor, hugging, for a few minutes longer.

"Rani?" Jinxy walked over to us. I broke away from my brother and sniffled, straightening my shirt and wiping my eyes.

"Hey, Jinxy," I said. She smiled.

"You alright? Soemthing happened, didn't. What did McGonagall want?" she asked.

"They found my dad-"

"If that old bloke wants back into your life he's going to get an earful from me first," she said. I had told her the story, or, at least, what I remembered of the story.

"It's not that. He's dead," I said.

"Oh, Rani, I'm sorry." rani hugged me, "And you too, Frank." She moved to my brother.

"I hope Alice doesn't see," Jinxy teased. It made us laugh. Jinxy could always make me laugh.

"we were just going to the Owlery to send a letter to Mother-"

"No, I'll get Remus to Owl your mum. I'm taking you to Hogsmead. I don't care what it takes. You need a few drinks," Jinxy said.

Jinxy worked her magic (haha, I'm so funny) and got us into Hogsmead. We sat in The Three Broomsticks, quiet, drinking out butterbeer. Crystal came by to chat, but after seeing our state, she decided to leave us alone. A conversation with Crystal would have been good, I hadn't talked to her in a long time, but not at the moment. Next trip maybe.

No one came to see us, which was expected. Jinxy didn't talk, Frank didn't talk, I didn't talk. We just ast. It was peaceful and blissful, under the circumstances. I knew Frank had the same thing going through his brain as I did. Why did I ever think so many terrible things about the man who helped raise and bring me into this Earth?

"I need something stronger," I said, setting my mug on the table.

"Like...Firewhiskey?" Jinxy asked uncertainly.

"No, like tea." I hailed Crystal, "Crys, can I get some tea? Something strong?"

"Anything, Hon. i can tell you're going through another crisis," she said, a small smile on her lips. I scoffed.

"You have no idea." This samll conversation sparked one of our own at the small table. We talked about school, mostly. We talked about Remus, Alice, and Sirius. We talked about our dreams for after school. The other two decided they could go for some tea as well.

When we got called back to school, I felt like a heavy load had been taken off my chest. I met up with my friends in the Common Room and told them what had happened. We asked them if they would mind not talking about it and if we could just contine on as if nothing had happened. We wanted to enjoy the rest of our 6th year.

And we did. It was peaceful, for the most part. Nothing major happened, no major tests that could possibly ruin my life goals. Even if my life goals were to be a mother.

The train home was the worst part. I had to see the body of my dead father. I had to go to his funeral. I had to forget eight years of pain and misery and self-hate with my father.

This was going to be a long summer.

*****

Awww Snap! Super excited! I'm almost finished with this story!!! AHHHHHHHH!!! I just kinda imagined Serana and Sirius holding hands in thie final scene. It makes writing the next chapter a little easier. Serana has to bury her absent father. This is gonna be good.