I can't say who I think Wren and James should end up with (I mean, spoilers!) but I can let you guys know that I don't plan for Colette to end up with anyone. She doesn't want to. She doesn't care about that, and doesn't need a relationship to fulfill her. So, most likely, Colette will be a beloved "aunt" to all her friends' future children but will have none of her own, and to be honest, that would be just the way she'd like it.

~~~~

My back hit something hard. My eyes were closed, and my first thought was that I'd run into Stillens' wall again. But that didn't seem to be it. My shoulder hurt a lot worse than I'd remembered, but there was time for that later. There was a lot of noise around me, and though I wasnt in any state to register the noises, I knew it didn't fit Gringotts. And what I was lying on was cool, and soft.

Grass.

I opened my eyes. I was on my back, staring up at the night sky. Before I could even move to get up, Mr. Potter's face appeared above me.

"Astra?" He gently pulled me to a sitting position, though in his eyes I saw a wild mix of panic and relief. "What's happened?"

I was crying again, I realized. My heightened state of mind had disappeared, leaving me feeling empty and exhausted. "P-Professor Pouri... My vault... Stillens..."

"What? Astra, tell me what's wrong," he said, putting his arm around me as I cried into his shoulder.

"He got it. He got the wand," I sobbed. And Professor Pouri... He's... He's dead..."

I felt Mr. Potter stiffen. "He..." He shook his head, then I felt him shift his weight to turn slightly. "Ron! Get to Gringotts! Now!"

"Harry, we don't have ti—" Mr. Weasley' voice cut off mid-sentence. After a second, I heard him say, "Right. I'll hurry, then."

I opened my eyes, looking around. I was starting to calm down. I was safe. I was exhausted. I didn't have the energy to cry, even. And my shoulder felt like it was burning.

Mr. Potter was looking me over. "What happened to your shoulder?" he asked.

"I... I don't know..."

"You apparated, didn't you?" Mr. Potter didn't wait for an answer. "Must've splinched it. Someone, get me some dittany!" he called over his shoulder.

I didn't see who brought it, but I did see Mrs. Longbottom rushing over and gently resting me back on the ground, my head on someone's coat. She pulled my shirt off my shoulder and dropped something cold on the wound. It stung worse, but even as I cried out, the pain began lessening. I opened my eyes again as the pain subsided, for the most part. Using my other arm, I tried to push myself into a sitting position.

Finally, it was a chance to look around. To be concise, it was absolute chaos. I was on the field of the Quidditch pitch, and up in the stands, students were yelling and crying and running about, looking for friends. Wizards were putting out fires. To one side of the pitch, Faith and Étienne were huddled with their families. Aurors were trying to calm everyone. I had no idea what had happened, but it looked like the aftermath of a battle.

"Vhat has happened to her?" I turned my head to see Kirsten staring at me, horrified. Almost fearfully. Mr. Potter and Mrs. Longbottom glanced at her questioningly.

"Is she all right?" Kirsten asked, more urgently. When neither adult answered, she crouched down to my level. "Vhat has happened, Astra? Are you all right?"

I stared at her, a bit taken aback, then slowly shook my head. Surely, I looked no worse off than the Hufflepuff prefect dangling from a flag pole by his sweater.

Kirsten's breathing was growing uneven, and she started backing away from me slowly, almost involuntarily. "I... I..." She looked up at Mr. Potter, a terrified look in her eye. "I didn't know, I didn't think..."

Mr. Potter was slowly standing up. "What didn't you know?"

"He just said to make sure she got through..." Kirsten shook her head. "I didn't know this vould happen. I thought... I do not know... I've made a terrible mistake..."

Mr. Potter placed his hand on her shoulder firmly. "What mistake?"

"A boy, that Magnus Caldvell that vas caught, he told me it vas to be a joke. I didn't know... He showed me how to trick the goblet, and promised me that if I could keep her in the tournament until the third task, I vould vin." Kirsten was struggling against tears, and if I hadn't been so shocked I might've felt bad for her. "I didn't know vhat vould happen in the maze. I didn't think all of this vould happen. By the time I realized something vas not right, it vas too late."

Mr. Potter frowned at her for a long moment, then slowly nodded his head. "And how did you do it?"

"He... He taught me a more powerful Confundus charm," Kirsten answered. "I do not know how the aurors were gone that night. He only told me they vould not be there, and they vere not. After that, I reported her progress every time ve vould go to Hogsmeade, and he vould tell me the task and how to prepare, and how to help Astra vithout her knowing it. He vas even at the Yule Ball."

"And then Magnus Caldwell was captured, last January," Mr. Potter prompted.

"Yes." Kirsten wiped her tears away, almost angrily. "I had not known he was vorking vith the Predatels. But it vas too late now to stop, and so I had to meet vith the Isaac Predatel as he vas a bird, and tell him. He vould leave me notes. I vanted to stop, but he vould not let me. He threatened my godfather. He is all I have left, and I could not..."

Mr. Potter nodded in understanding as Kirsten broke off, struggling to keep her voice steady.

"I did not even care about vinning. I just vanted this tournament to be over. I vas too frightened to tell, but now... I had to... I did not mean to cause all this..." She dropped down next to me. "Astra, I am sorry. I did not know, and I did not mean to, but it's my fault."

I blinked up at Mr. Potter, unsure exactly how to respond to that. Kirsten was, obviously, telling the truth. Not even Wren could've faked this much genuine emotion.

Mr. Potter looked highly perplexed, but he gently helped Kirsten to her feet. "I think we need to go have a chat with your godfather. Do you know where Professor Eide is?"

Kirsten nodded, pointing towards where the champions were gathered. She wiped her tears away with her sleeve. "I'm sorry..."

After patting her back, Mr. Potter looked down at me, then at Mrs. Longbottom. "Please don't keep her here. I don't care if the Minister's coming. Take Astra up to the hospital wing."

Mrs. Longbottom smiled warmly as Mr. Potter and Kirsten walked away. "Do you think you can stand?"

Of course, I thought automatically, but then another wave of exhaustion hit, and I realized I had no hope of standing, let alone walking up to the castle. "No..."

She nodded. "A stretcher, then." A flick of her wand, and one appeared beside me. "Hold on just a few more minutes, and we'll have you inside."

I felt myself slipping out of consciousness even before she'd levitated me into the air. I was out long before we reached the castle, though, let alone the hospital wing. A perfect, dreamless sleep to erase the memories of everything for hours.

~~~~

I woke up several hours later, in the hospital wing. My bed was partitioned off from the rest of the wing, so I had no idea how many more people were there, who had gotten hurt in whatever had happened here.

Teddy was asleep in a chair next to me. I took the moment to slowly push myself to a sitting position and look around. There wasn't much to see in the area around my bed. My shoulder was bound tightly with a bandage, and it was really sore, but other than that, I felt okay.

Teddy suddenly started awake. "Oh, hey." He smiled sheepishly. "Didn't know you'd wake up just yet."

I glanced around. "Where... I mean, are you..." I sighed. "Where's everyone else?"

"Getting interviewed by Ministry officials, getting bandaged up, and probably sleeping," Teddy said, shrugging. "Grandmother and Victoire took the first two shifts staying up with you. Albus and James and all those kids..." He shook his head. "Some of them are waiting out in the hall. There's so many people in the hospital wing that Mrs. Longbottom wouldn't let them in."

"What happened?" I asked, growing worried.

Teddy's grin slipped away. "Don't worry, no one got seriously hurt. Isaac Predatel led a full scale attack on the crowd. I don't know how. The aurors were guarding the place. Though Albus said you guys some imposters?" Teddy shook his head. "People are mainly in here for scrapes and burns, though. Nothing really serious, except some kid who fell off a flagpole, and even he only broke his leg. Mr. Potter said we're really lucky it wasn't a lot worse." Teddy glanced over his shoulder toward the opening in the partition. "He's been talking with the Minister for a long time now, though. He might be in trouble."

"I hope not," I said, my eyes growing wide. "I... I actually really need to talk to him."

"Of course you do," Teddy said, smiling grimly. "But first, are you all right?"

"I mean, my shoulder's sore," I said, shrugging, then wincing.

"No, I mean emotionally and mentally and all that."

"Oh." I frowned down at the sheets resting over my legs. "Um... I'm not really sure."

Teddy nodded. "That's fair. You haven't even had time to think, really." He patted my hand. "Want me to go get Uncle Harry?"

I nodded. "Thanks."

Teddy left, and I was alone for the first time. I tried to think. An attack on the crowd? Mr. Potter was in trouble with the Ministry? It was Kirsten Sorensen behind it all the whole time? Well, that would be the first time I'd overestimated Haverna's awfulness, at least.

It was my fault Professor Pouri was dead, too. If I hadn't disarmed him—if my spell had hit Stillens, instead—he would still be here. Stillens wouldn't have the Elder Wand.

The biggest worry of all, though, was one that really only affected me. I felt a little stupid, but scared all the same. The granddaughter of Voldemort? That was mad. It had to be. No way was Stillens right. But the doubt lingered.

It was some time before Mr. Potter slid through the opening in the partition. Not enough time to sort out all my thoughts, of course, but enough to come up with a few questions to ask.

"I have to warn you, Astra," Mr. Potter said, "The Minister is insisting on talking with you as soon as I'm done."

I sighed. "I don't want to see her."

"I'm sorry. You happen to have a very important story to tell, I'm guessing. I don't think you should have to talk to anyone until you're feeling better, but my opinion doesn't hold much leverage at the moment."

"Are you in trouble? Teddy said you might be."

Mr. Potter sighed and sat down in the chair next to me. "It's complicated. No one really knows how they got in, of course. You were with Albus when he and Wren saw the imposters?"

I nodded. "We... We tried to get to you... None of this would have happened—"

"Don't start on that," Mr. Potter said firmly. "You're not to blame at all." He relaxed a bit. "Can you tell me exactly what happened?"

I hadn't been sure how easy the story would come, by once I started talking, everything spilled out. Even about me disarming Pouri. The only thing I didn't mention was what Stillens had said about Voldemort.

Mr. Potter listened silently, his expression grave. When I'd finally finished, it took several attempts for him to speak, opening his mouth just to close it again. A couple minutes passed before he looked up at me and said, "You are not to blame, all right? Not for this happening, and certainly not for Professor Pouri's death. You were dealing with a madman. What happened was completely chance, and it's not your fault."

I looked away. I couldn't meet his eyes; I was fighting back tears as it was. "I... I still..." I shook my head. "I can't help it."

Mr. Potter nodded. "That's okay, too. I... I know you don't want to hear this, but I actually do understand."

"How could you?" It's not like it was Mr. Potter's fault his headmaster had died. Everyone knew that Severus Snape had killed him on Dumbledore's own orders.

"When I was fifteen," Mr. Potter said softly, "I had a connection to Voldemort. And I could see into his mind, sometimes." He paused for a moment, pursing his lips. "Voldemort discovered that. And he used it to lure me to the Ministry of Magic, by making me think my godfather was being held captive there, in mortal danger. I didn't do everything I could to see if that was true; I just ran off for the Ministry. And because of that, my godfather and the Order of the Phoenix had to come rescue my friends and me. And my godfather died that night."

Mr. Potter rested his head in his hands. "Astra, I blamed myself for that for a long time. I knew that if I hadn't gone, Sirius wouldn't have had to be in danger. It was very difficult." He glanced up. "But over time, I realized that what had happened was out of my control, and I came to terms with it. So you will, too, Astra. You will, too."

I picked at the blanket, avoiding Mr. Potter's gaze. He smiled tiredly. "Please don't blame yourself, okay?"

I gave a tiny nod, and let silence fall for a few minutes. Nothing much went through my mind. I tried to think about what had happened logically, but I couldn't help feeling responsible. For now, that would be enough. Anyway, a new thought was pressing on my mind.

"So... What's going to happen now?" I felt like I was eleven again, being introduced to a new world. But this world wasn't amazing. I'd been on the edge of it all year, but I hadn't truly known. In this world, people died. People killed. People were corrupt and deceitful and power-hungry and willing to do anything to get what they wanted. I happened to be what those people wanted. And I was scared.

"I don't know," Mr. Potter said. "I don't know is Hestia will believe this. The Deathly Hallows are still considered a myth by most of the world, and I don't know that the Ministry will trust your word."

"Why not?" I asked indignantly.

He shook his head. "To most people, the word of a teenager is unreliable at best. There's no proof the Elder Wand was in your vault, or that it even exists. Of course, they'll know someone broke into Gringotts, and you were obviously there, since you knew Brutus was dead, but... The Ministry can come up with very believable cover stories. I'm just hoping that what happened when I was your age doesn't happen again."

"You mean... They might try to discredit me? And make it seem like Stillens doesn't even exist?"

Mr. Potter nodded. "I'm hoping that won't happen, though. I believe you, and my word counts for something."

"So did Dumbledore's. And they discredited him, too," I pointed out.

"True." Mr. Potter ran his hand through his hair. "But I don't think that will happen. Hestia is stubborn, but she's not stupid."

"Do I really have to talk to her?"

"I'm afraid so. Are you ready?"

"No."

Mr. Potter raised an eyebrow, amused. "What else is there?"

"Kirsten was the one working with them from inside the castle?"

Mr. Potter nodded. "She didn't know what she was getting into, but it was her."

"What's going to happen to her?"

"That hasn't been decided yet."

"She won't get to Azkaban, will she?" I asked, frowning. Kirsten had been lying to me all year, but I didn't fancy her getting locked up there.

"Probably not. The only true crime she committed was tampering with the Goblet of Fire. After that, she was coerced into keeping it a secret. I think the courts will be lenient, especially when she has her godfather fighting for her."

I huffed. "I'd thought for sure it was Haverna."

Mr. Potter started coughing, though I was certain he was trying to hide the fact that he was laughing. "You... You thought it was Elaine Haverna?"

I nodded. "Haven't you heard her? She spent the entire year harassing Wren and me about the tournament. Why else would she do that?"

"Honestly, I don't understand that woman," Mr. Potter admitted. "She's very spiteful. Never did like me, and I suppose that carried over to my children. And honorary children."

I smiled, still thinking. "I was so sure, though. I mean, Sulcan got her her job here."

"Now how did you find that out?" Mr. Potter shook his head, smiling. "Never mind. But I knew that. I looked into it, too. Apparently, he was in school around the time she was, and simply overheard her talking about how she couldn't stand me." He chuckled. "He thought that meant she sided with Voldemort, and kept her mind as a possible ally all this time."

I couldn't help laughing a bit. It was nice to know that the bad guys could be that wrong. Maybe... Stillens was that wrong, too...

The Voldemort dilemma had popped into my head again. I barely heard Mr. Potter asking if I was ready to see the Minister. "Um... Actually, there's one more thing." I bit my lip, wondering how to put this. "Henry Stillens... He told me... He said that I was the granddaughter of Voldemort." I braced myself for whatever reaction Mr. Potter might give.

It turned out to be shock. "He... What?"

"He said that I was the granddaughter of Voldemort."

Mr. Potter blinked. "That's..." He shook his head. "Astra, really, I can assure you that that's crazy." He looked like he was trying very hard not to laugh, which was good, because I was not laughing. "Voldemort thought of Bellatrix as an amusing pet more than anything else, to be honest. He never would have fathered a child by her. Trust me, Caymus Stillens doesn't know what he's talking about."

I smiled, acting like that had assuaged my fears. In truth, the doubts still remained. It did sound crazy; I knew that. But what if it was true?

"Are you ready for the Minister now?" Mr. Potter asked. "I'll be here, too, so you won't be alone, but it's probably best not to keep her waiting too long."

I sighed and nodded. Mr. Potter slipped out for a minute. I tried to mentally prepare myself for talking to the Minister (what an absolute honor! Wow, did I ever hate her), but my thoughts kept floating back to the Voldemort issue. One moment, I had my mind made up: surely it was crazy. Voldemort wouldn't have wanted a kid. The next, I was plunged into doubts again. I hated it. I'd never faced anything like this, and I didn't know what to do.

I almost welcomed Mr. Potter's return with Hestia Carrow. It at least distracted me from my own mind.

"So," Carrow said crisply, sitting down, "tell me what happened."

I glanced at Mr. Potter, who nodded slightly, then started in on the story again, giving her the basic details of what had happened, starting with what Albus, Wren, and I had seen in the forest.

Carrow listened coldly, her expression unreadable throughout the narrative. When I'd finally finished, she remained that way for almost a full minute, then turned to Mr. Potter, raising her eyebrows incredulously. "You expect me to believe that this Caymus Stillens broke into Gringotts and attacked Hogwarts because he wanted a wand?"

"It's not just a wand, Hestia, it's—"

"I know, I know." She rolled her eyes. "It's the Elder Wand. How do you know that those myths are true?"

"Because I've possessed all three of the Deathly Hallows," Mr. Potter said calmly.

Carrow stared at him like he'd gone mad. "And you still have the other two, then? The, what is it, Invisibility Cloak and Resurrection Stone?"

"My son, James, has the Cloak. It's been passed down in my family for generations."

"And that stone?"

Mr. Potter sighed. "It's lost in the Forbidden Forest."

Carrow rolled her eyes. "Of course it is, and with it is the proof that this is real. You expect me to believe that this Stillens is doing all of this to get thousand-year-old legends? Legends that no one can prove actually exist?"

"I know it sounds crazy, Hestia, but Astra can tell you—"

"For all we know, Astra could be lying," the Minister said, narrowing her eyes at me. "Perhaps Wren has recruited her to her cause?"

"I'm not lying! And Wren's not a traitor, so—"

"Astra, please," Mr. Potter said, giving me a warning look.

"How can we be certain that this Stillens character even exists?" Carrow asked. "For all the Ministry knows, Astra could have made this all up."

"Wren told you about Stillens," I pointed out. "Months ago."

"Then perhaps she made it up, and you're running with the idea," Carrow snapped. "All I'm saying is that we have absolutely no proof except the word of two young girls, one of whom is very intimately connected with the people we know for certain are behind this!"

"Wren has nothing to do with what happened!" I exclaimed. "You should have seen how scared she was before!"

Hestia frowned at me. "I have already spoken with her, and with Albus Potter, about what happened before the task. You needn't yell, Astra." I huffed and rolled my eyes, straining against my desire to say something I would most definitely regret.

"As I was saying, I just don't think it's possible that there's this giant conspiracy," she said, shaking her head as she turned back to Mr. Potter. "We would know if something had happened to the MACUSA, Harry. The world would know."

"No, apparently it wouldn't," I countered. Hestia Carrow ignored me.

"Hestia, I realize this is difficult to believe," Mr. Potter said. I could see the him struggling to remain calm and rational, a battle I'd lost several minutes ago but recognized all the same. "You have to believe her, though. Believe me. I trust her. The fate of our world could depend on this. Remember the last time the Ministry didn't believe me?"

"Don't even start, Harry Potter," the Minister said, stepping towards him threateningly. "You can't use the past to push your agenda! Contrary to popular belief, you can be wrong, and I think last night proved that!"

Mr. Potter glared at her. "I told you, we still don't know how they got in!"

"You're lucky you still have your job, Potter, so don't talk to me about what happened twenty-five years ago as if that has any bearing on the present!"

If I wasn't currently in a hospital bed I would have slipped out of the room (to eavesdrop from outside, though, of course). Mr. Potter was easily four or five inches taller than the Minister, but she looked just as intimidating as he did as they stared each other down.

After a minute, Hestia Carrow huffed and brushed off her robes. "You can consider yourself on probation, Mr. Potter."

Mr. Potter's jaw clenched, but otherwise he didn't react as Hestia Carrow gave the tiny space a once over before addressing me. "I expect you to keep everything you've said confidential until the Ministry releases the official story, is that understood?" I glared at her, and she seemed to take that as answer enough. "I'm sure I'll be seeing both of you soon enough. Good day." She swept out.

Mr. Potter relaxed a bit once she'd disappeared. He didn't seem inclined to start the conversation, though, so I asked, "What does that mean? That you're on probation?"

He sighed, and sank into the chair beside my bed. "Until further notice, which would be a Ministry review, I'm the equivalent of being suspended."

"That's terrible!" I involuntarily glanced over my shoulder, out the window. "But they need you right now. You've got to find Stillens!"

"I know." He nodded, looking suddenly determined. "I won't be able to do it through the Ministry, though."

"What—"

"Things are about to change, Astra," Mr. Potter said seriously. "Change a lot. The Ministry isn't going to believe you, I can already tell."

"Are you going to lose your job?"

"I don't know. I hope not. I think I'll be able to keep it, with some maneuvering and calling in favors. But things are going to get harder."

"How?"

"I'm not sure." He smiled grimly. I'd never seen him this serious, and it was scaring me. . "You're strong, though. I believe you can handle it."

"I hope I can."

~~~~

Question of the Day: If you could kill off a person who doesn't die in the original series, who would die? (Thanks to ZeenatHaroon for this question!)

Vote and comment! Please send in questions for the Q&A in the author's note at the end of this book!

~Ellie