Gryffindor had beaten Slytherin for the House Cup that year, thanks to the quartet's heroics involving the Sorcerer's Stone. After the feast had ended, they spent the next several hours packing and celebrating, before finally falling into various deep sleeps. Setta awoke the following morning, pleased to be taking the train from Hogsmeade Station all the way to Kings Cross, hoping that their summer would prove to be uneventful.

On the platform, once her trunk was loaded, Setta stood with Harry, Ron, and Hermione, before she hesitated for a moment.

"Come on, Setta," Hermione said encouragingly.

Setta shook her head. "One minute," she replied, and she ventured over to Hagrid, who was overseeing the students getting onto the train.

"Thought you were leaving withou' sayin' goodbye, did yeh?" Hagrid asked, his tone fond, before reaching into the pocket of his coat. "This is for you," he said, and handed something down to Setta.

Setta took ahold of the rectangular-shaped object Hagrid had presented to her, and, upon opening it, saw numerous wizarding photographs of her mother, from her babyhood, childhood, school years, relationship with her father, pregnancy, and several of her holding her and Harry. Setta felt her eyes threatening to fill with tears then, as she shut the photo album and clutched it to her chest in a moment filled with emotion. "Thanks, Hagrid," she said softly, before crossing towards him and giving him a hug.

Remus had been at the station to collect Harry and Setta, and, after an emotional goodbye to Ron and Hermione, Remus whisked the twins back home. Not surprisingly, both their father and Sirius were on important missions for the Ministry of Magic, and so the house was quiet. Setta and Harry brought their belongings upstairs to their bedrooms, before Harry released Hedwig to hunt and Setta let out Honorata to investigate the back garden.

"Happy summer," Setta said softly to herself, throwing herself down onto her bed, clutching the photo album to her chest, and staring at the ceiling.

~*~

Setta spent the summer going through as many previously untouchable books in the library at the Potter house that she could. Remus knew that he couldn't keep Setta's hands off them and, after a firm lecture about her being careful, he let her be. July was a particularly hot month, and Setta loved throwing open the windows of the massive library and lying on the floor, many ancient tomes opened for her, just reading for hours.

At the end of July, after much reading, Setta was overjoyed to find a tome that was rare, The Art of the Animagus by Sigrid Pertinger, and imagined that her father looked it over time and time again before achieving his stag form as a teenager. Concentrating on the ancient words, which spoke about respect for the animal, going out in nature and permitting one's magic to envision your inner creatures' natural habitat, and discovering a bit of yourself on the way as well. Setta poured over the tome until, one day, she decided to give it a try.

Going out into the back garden, she adored the cool sensation of the summer green grass on the soles of her feet. She assumed the meditation pose, crossing her legs over the other, and allowed her fingers and arms to relax themselves, which keeping her spine erect. Shutting her eyes, she permitted herself to feel, and felt the warm summer wind around her, inhaling the floral scent of the iris, cornflower, sunflower, dahlias, and many, many more.

Suddenly, the terrain around her locked in place, and she was surrounded within her bubble of magic in the purest white snow. Snapping open her eyes, she felt her vision becoming sharper than it ever had, and felt the sensation of fur growing over every inch of her body. Her ears became covered with the fur and migrated up onto the top of her head, and she felt her teeth elongating into that of fangs. Her hands grew fur as well, with her nails becoming tapered and black before the bases grew pads and formed completely into paws. She suddenly jumped up with an almighty howl then, as a tail grew from her backside.

Shaking herself off and adjusting to the body of the wolf, the terrain disappeared, but she did not turn back into her human form. Instead, she practically danced throughout the back garden, throwing back her head and howling in happiness that she had found a locked away part of herself that not all witches and wizards could accomplish, and hoped that Professor McGonagall would be proud of her. Her ears flicked suddenly then as the door to the back garden opened, and a sharp gasp startled her.

"Remus!" Harry shouted, appearing as if he was excited yet frightened at once. "Remus, there's a white wolf in the back garden!"

There was a shattering of something from within the walls of the house, and a series of heavy, yet rapid, footsteps. Remus moved towards Harry then, doing a double-take at the sight before him, eyes wide. He stepped closer in a tentative manner, locking eyes with Setta, before he nodded to himself and turned back to Harry.

"That, Harry, is an Arctic wolf," Remus explained, "but it is also Setta."

"Setta?!" Harry cried out, looking from Remus, to the wolf, and back again. "How do you know it's her?"

"The scent, for one thing," Remus said patiently. "And, for another, this wolf has your sister's, and your father's, eyes. It couldn't be anyone else."

Harry tentatively stepped forward, arm outstretched, towards the wolf. "Setta?"

"Careful, Harry," Remus said softly, walking a few steps behind him. "Last thing your father would want is harm coming to either of you."

Setta felt her hackles rising at that, and tilted her head upwards, letting out an anguished howl before she shifted back into her human form, stumbling slightly before her feet found the ground again. Looking up, she stared at Remus, who looked impressed, but, nevertheless, she shook her head at him. "Why?" she whispered.

Remus blinked at the question. "Why what?"

Setta crossed her arms, her emotions flowing through her so quickly that her magic crackled upon the surface of her skin, but she could make no move to stop it. "Why do you continue making excuses for him?"

Remus sighed. "Do you mean your father?"

"Who in Merlin's name could I possibly mean?" she asked, her voice cracking at the end. "You and Sirius treat him like he walks on water or something! He never makes any time for us and, when he does, it's only so people can see it, know he's doing it, or to buy us something to potentially keep us quiet! That's not what a father does, Remus..."

Remus dragged a hand through his pale brown hair. "You and Harry know that your father works very hard for the two of you, and that he would be here with you if he could..."

"And you know that, whenever he has an opportunity to take a break from work, he'll either take on another assignment or gallivant off somewhere with Uncle Sirius, or with the two of you," she said, tears streaming down her face. "It's just..."

"James Potter does everything possible for the two of you to have a good life!" Remus said, raising his voice as his eyes went wild, jabbing a shaking finger in Setta's direction. "He is my dearest friend, and I will not have him spoken of in such a way, never mind that it's by his own daughter, who should be loyal to him above all things—"

"Loyal?!" Setta spat. "You're honestly speaking to me of loyalty now?"

Remus glared down at Setta. "Blood is everything, Rosetta Lily Potter, and you would do well to remember that—!"

Harry stepped in between Setta and Remus then, his own magic crackling against his skin, as he glared up at his godfather. "That's enough, Uncle Remus," he growled, standing his ground. "It took me a long time to see that Setta was right about all of it, about her thoughts relating to Dad, and I won't have her treated this way, least of all by you. Dad does ignore us in favor of work or spending time with you and Uncle Sirius, and hardly has time for either of us! He makes excuses about holidays and birthdays, and do you know how much that hurts the two of us?!"

"If this is about something as trivial as a gift—"

Setta stepped around Harry, so as she was standing next to him. "The gift would actually be spending meaningful time with our father, who is our last remaining blood relative, except for our mother's Muggle family, who hates us!" she yelled at him. "All we want is time with him, but it's always attached to conditions. That's not the way a family is supposed to work."

"You should count yourselves lucky that you both have all that you do!" Remus thundered, before snapping his fingers, and stripping both Harry and Setta of their wands in one fell swoop, leaving them gaping before him. "Now, until or unless you can conduct yourselves accordingly, with gratitude for all that you have," he went on, taking ahold of their respective shoulders and marching them inside, "the pair of you will be forced to be contained until term begins."

"What?!" squawked Harry.

"You're going to lock us up?!" demanded Setta.

"If that's what it takes for the two of you to understand respect, gratitude, and other conformities, yes," Remus declared, pushing them up the staircase and to the top floor, where their bedrooms were located, on either end of the corridor, only a bathroom adjoining them, but from the inside of the rooms. He shoved them towards their doors and systematically locked them in with heavy wards, that no amount of kicking or pulling could undo. "I shall see to it that Kreacher will bring your meals in and out, but you will remain inside there, completing what is left of your summer assignments, until the time comes that you can truly appreciate all that your father does for the two of you," Remus Lupin said roughly, standing in the center of the hallway, before he turned on his heel and went down the staircase.

~*~

What had made Remus's unlawful imprisonment of them even worse was that he had seemed to intercept their letters from Ron and Hermione, and had forbidden Hedwig from sending out any messages either. Cut off from the outside world was bad enough, but at least their would-be jailer had gone to Grimmauld Place for his transformation, leaving Kreacher to look after them and tend to their meals and cleaning. The house-elf, although always muttering about something or other to himself, had always seemed to have a soft spot for the pair of them, and so he ensured that they were well-fed during their confinement.

The endless summer days were filled with hot weather and close quarters, although Harry and Setta did have their summer assignments to fill the time, for a while. Once those were finished, they made do with the tomes of varying ages within their rooms, but hardly found anything worth reading, unfortunately. It was as if Remus had taken all the interesting books out of their rooms, in order to punish them further for their insolence. Resolving to figure out a way to get back at the man, Setta merely bided her time as July proceeded to begin to wind up.

One early evening, after Kreacher had given them dinner, Harry and Setta were in her bedroom, attempting to immerse themselves into a history of potions ingredients. While Setta found it to be fascinating, Harry seemed bored out of his mind. Shaking her head, Setta finally closed the book and placed her hands, palm down, onto the table in her bedroom.

"Why don't you pick the next book, then?" she asked patiently.

Harry sighed, but nevertheless heaved himself to his feet and crossed the room, inspecting Setta's bookshelves. "Remember when Uncle Remus is due back?"

"Kreacher said the transformation ended two days ago," Setta reminded him. "He'll likely be back tonight or first thing in the morning. He typically likes to rest after his body is ravaged by the curse, as I'm sure you remember."

Harry pursed his lips and nodded, taking a Transfiguration text from the shelf and crossing the room again, placing it between them on the tabletop. "Maybe this'll be better," he mused, although it sounded as if he very much doubted it.

"We can at least pretend to be repentant," Setta mused, thumbing through the book in an attempt to find something interesting within its pages. "That way, he can let us out, and we can send a letter to the Burrow..."

Harry peered over at his sister. "Why, Setta, that's positively Slytherin of you."

Setta smirked. "You know as well as I do that the hat wanted to put us there initially."

The wards sounded within half an hour, informing them that Remus had returned to the house, but they decided to remain in their rooms for the rest of the evening. The sun had begun to set, and Hedwig and Honorata seemed to be calming themselves down for the night. The rest of the evening, Harry and Setta hoped, would prove to be just as uneventful.

However, some scuffling from within Harry's bedroom caught them off guard. Looking at one another and setting the book aside, they darted to their feet and made their way for the bathroom door. Hurrying through the bathroom and into Harry's bedroom, they were greeted to the sight of an unfamiliar-looking house-elf, who was jumping up and down on Harry's bed.

"Harry and Setta Potter!" squeaked the elf, once he'd stopped jumping and caught sight of them, and promptly bowed. "Such an honor it is."

Setta moved out of the way for Harry to shut the door behind them. "Who are you?" she asked, regarding the elf; he was considerably younger-looking than Kreacher, although their pillowcase uniforms were one in the same.

"Dobby, miss," the elf replied. "Dobby the house-elf."

Harry moved up to stand beside Setta. "Not to be rude or anything," he said, "but this really isn't the best time to have a house-elf in my bedroom."

"Oh, yes," the elf said, nodding profusely as he hopped from the bed, "Dobby understands very much, sir. Dobby has come to tell Harry and Setta Potter..." He broke off then, wincing. "It is difficult, master and mistress..."

Setta stepped forward, smiling down at the elf. "Why don't you sit down?"

"Sit down?" Dobby whispered, eyes wide. "Sit... Sit down?" His face crumpled then and he fell to his knees, sobbing profusely.

"Dobby, shush!" Harry said quickly.

Setta moved closer to the house-elf. "I'm sorry," she said softly. "I didn't mean to offend you by asking you to sit..."

"Offend Dobby?" the elf asked, turning to look up at them. "Dobby has heard of your greatness, miss, but never has Dobby been asked to sit down by a witch or wizard. Like an equal."

Setta promptly smiled down at him. "You can't have met many decent witches or wizards, then," she said, without missing a beat.

"No, I haven't!" the elf declared, in good humor for a moment, although his ears promptly wilted once again. "That was an awful thing to say... Bad Dobby!" he shouted, making a grab for the chair beside Harry's desk, holding it in place as he smashed his head into it.

"Dobby, stop, don't!" Setta cried.

Dobby continued for another moment before stumbling backwards. "Dobby had to punish himself, Mistress Setta," he said, his eyes wide and filled with tears. "Dobby almost spoke ill of his family."

"Your family?" Harry asked, stepping closer.

"Yes, Dobby's family, Master Harry Potter," the house-elf replied, nodding, his ears flapping profusely. "But Dobby has come to tell Master Harry and Mistress Setta about the dangerous happenings within the Wizarding World. So dangerous, that neither of them may return to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year."

Setta blinked. "Not return? What are you talking about?"

"There is a plot," Dobby continued, climbing onto Harry's desk. "A plot to ensure that dark wizards and witches may walk the earth again, to be in control. It would be too dangerous for either Master Harry Potter or Mistress Setta Potter to return to the school. Terrible things are to happen, terrible..."

"A plot?" Setta whispered.

"What terrible things?" Harry asked. "Who's making terrible plans?"

Dobby grunted then, gripping onto his forehead as the entirety of his face crumpled up again, and he doubled over. "Ugh...can't say..."

"Okay, we understand," Setta told him.

Harry nodded. "You can't say."

Harry heard some footsteps on the staircase then, and promptly moved to leave the room, knowing that Remus would likely come to Setta's bedroom first. Setta, meanwhile, attempted to pull the desk lamp away from Dobby, which he had grabbed after his refusal to inform them who was behind the corrupt planning, but the house-elf held firm, refusing to release it before he believed his punishment was over. Setta hesitated, hearing Remus and Harry speaking to one another, the former attempting to keep his temper.

"What in Merlin's name is going on up here?!" Remus hissed.

"We were just..." Harry said, stumbling over his words.

"I was attempting to write to your father and Sirius that I've returned from the transformation, and that you've refused to apologize for your recent behavior," Remus said firmly.

"I see," Harry went on, and Setta continued to fail to get the chair out of Dobby's grasp.

"Where is Setta?" Remus demanded. "Not letting Hedwig out, is she?"

"No, of course not!" Harry cried heatedly. "Don't say that!"

"Setta!" Remus called out, his tone impatient.

Setta let out a noise of exasperation, finally yanking Dobby away from the lamp, and crossed the room, shoving him into Harry's wardrobe. "Stay in there and keep quiet!" she hissed at the bemoaning house-elf, upset at having his punishment interrupted, before dashing through the bathroom and back into her own bedroom. "Hello," she said levelly, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at the man.

"You haven't been letting out Hedwig, have you?" Remus snarled.

"No," Setta shot back forcefully. "Are you going to give up this high-horse treatment, about you forbidding us from having our own opinion?"

Remus narrowed his eyes then, shaking his head before turning to address Harry. "Keep it down up here, the both of you," he said, before turning on his heel and locking them in again.

Setta let out of a noise of exasperation, but nevertheless waited for Remus to return back downstairs before going back into Harry's bedroom. She threw open the door of the wardrobe and glowered down at Dobby as Harry stepped back into the room behind her. "Don't you see why we can't just blindly listen to you?" she demanded of him. "We have to get back to Hogwarts, and to our friends..."

"Friends who don't even write to Harry and Setta Potter!" Dobby said accusingly.

"Well, I suppose they've..." Harry said, turning to look at Setta.

Setta promptly looked down at Dobby. "Hang on. How do you know that our friends haven't been writing to us?"

Dobby's eyes widened then as he plastered himself up against Harry's chest of drawers. "Harry and Setta Potter mustn't be angry with Dobby," he said, reaching behind himself and producing a sizeable stack of letters. "Dobby hoped that if Harry and Setta Potter believed that their friends had forgotten them, they perhaps neither of them would wish to return back to school..."

"Give us those," Harry said firmly.

"Now," Setta told him, brokering no move for arguing.

"No!" Dobby shouted, charming Harry's bedroom door open, and scampering down the hallway, and made his way down the staircase, Harry and Setta at his heels. He stumbled down the stairs just ahead of them, tucking the letters back into Merlin knew where, and arrived on the threshold of the parlor, where Remus could clearly be seen continuing to write his aforementioned letter to their father, a massive platter of chocolate cake on the table behind him.

"Dobby," Setta urged desperately.

"Get back here!" Harry hissed.

Dobby smirked over his shoulder at the pair of them, and promptly shook his head. Snapping his fingers, the chocolate cake left its platter seamlessly, and floated in midair, slowly making its way over to Remus.

"Dobby," Harry whispered.

"Please... No," Setta begged him.

Dobby turned around then, the cake still managing to hover, despite his break in concentration from the Levitation Charm. "Harry and Setta Potter must promise not to return to Hogwarts!" he said, almost as if he believed himself capable of ordering them around.

"We can't promise that!" Harry said frantically.

Setta was about ready to pull her hair out at Dobby's antics. "Hogwarts is one of the closest things we have to a home!"

"Then Dobby must do this," the house-elf said in a pleased manner, "for Harry and Setta Potter's own good." Snapping his fingers again, he caused the cake to move closer and closer to Remus, before he snapped them one final time, prompting the cake to land directly onto Remus's head, with the werewolf stiffening automatically at the sensation of icing and cake running down his head, neck, and back.

Slowly, Remus raised his head upwards and swiveled around, just missing catching sight of Dobby, who had moved to the opposite end of the corridor, and out of sight. "How in Merlin's name did you manage to get out of your rooms?" came Remus's question.

Harry swallowed. "We didn't," he told Remus. "We were let out by house-elf magic."

Remus banished the cake and icing from his person, and slowly got to his feet. "I doubt that Kreacher would disobey a direct order, even though it came from a werewolf," came his reply then, staring stoically down at Harry and Setta. "Have you anything to say for yourselves, then, or will this foolishness finally come to an end?"

"I won't be called foolish for speaking the truth," Setta said firmly. "I stand by what I said, all of it. Our father isn't a proper parent to us, and you and Sirius should be ashamed of yourselves for holding him in such high regard, to the point that you enable his behavior."

Remus's jaw set then, and he lifted his hand, pointing it back up the staircase. "Back up into your rooms, both of you," he ordered, and reached towards the desk, picking up a piece of parchment with a flourish. "I drafted a letter to Minerva last week, and it seems as if it will have to be put into good use now."

"What letter?" Harry asked.

"A letter that your father has signed off on," Remus said pointedly. "A rare form of punishment for underage witches and wizards, one that has not been invoked in quite some time."

Setta gritted her teeth. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about the Suspension Stipulation," Remus explained, rolling his eyes. "In which students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry are not permitted on campus for a set duration of time until they've learned their lesson."

"A set duration of time?!" Harry demanded. "What are you saying?!"

"I'm saying that the pair of you will not be permitted back at Hogwarts, once this letter is sent and put on file, until after the Christmas holidays," Remus told them firmly. "Your books and things will be delivered here, and you will attempt to do your assignments without the aide of your professors, friends, or the Hogwarts Library."

Setta stared at Remus, open-mouthed. "So, what you're saying here, is that we have to keep our mouths shut about everything we believe in, or you'll keep us prisoner?"

"You learn to keep your mouth shut as you age," Remus said firmly, placing the letter down onto the desk, before roughly grabbing each twin by the shoulder and marching them towards the staircase beyond. "What better way to do it than by learning as children?"

~*~

Setta and Harry sat in Harry's bedroom, watching the ancient clock tick by as it got closer and closer to midnight. It was an annual tradition, staying up till midnight on their birthdays, which typically worked out, given that it was during the summer. Perched upon Harry's bed, with Hedwig on her perch and Honorata lightly dozing between them, the scene was set, and, just as the clock ticked onto midnight, Harry and Setta looked at each other.

"Happy Birthday," Harry said softly.

Setta gave him a half-smile. "You, too," she replied.

Looking out the window and onto the vast expanse of land upon the Potter's British estate, Harry let out a small sigh. "What do you think's gotten into Remus?"

Setta shrugged. "No idea. All I do know is, that people will be lining up to make plausible excuses for him once we tell them what happened this summer."

They watched the skies deep black color, and noticed that the clouds seemed to be rippling with something as time went on. It wasn't so much a flash as it was a pulse, but it still was a bit worrying to witness. There was definitely something lurking behind the expanse, and it didn't take long for either twin to question it.

"Thunder storm?" Harry asked.

Setta pursed her lips. "After the summer we've had, I really wouldn't be surprised to get some extreme weather," she said softly.

The clouds seem to part only a few moments later, and the telltale rumbling of a car engine filled the night, the strange-looking object drifting closer and closer to the house. Getting to their feet and crossing towards the window, Harry and Setta blinked rapidly, wondering if the stress and lack of sleep had finally caught up with them. Just outside the window was Arthur Weasley's Ford Anglia, which was inexplicably flying, with Fred and George commandeering the vehicle, and Ron popping his head up from the back seat, crawling up to the front, and positively beaming at Harry and Setta.

"Hiya, guys!" he said, grinning from ear to ear.

"What?" Harry whispered, seemingly at a loss for words.

"What are you all doing here?" Setta finally managed to get out.

"Rescuing you, of course," Ron said, a light chuckle escaping his lips. "Your lack of letters to both me and Hermione didn't go unnoticed, so we figured something had to be wrong..."

"I can feel the wards from here, Ron," George said softly.

"Think you can break them?" Ron asked, looking concerned.

"It's not about breaking them, little brother," Fred explained. "It's about honorable intentions of freeing the prisoners."

Ron blinked. "Really?"

"Of course," George said.

Ron sighed, clearly needing to pay more attention in class, before he turned back to look at Harry and Setta. "Get your trunks, plus Hedwig and Honorata," he whispered to them. "Last thing we want is anyone coming between us when we try to get you out of there."

Harry and Setta dressed quickly in their respective bedrooms, before focusing on their magical attachments to their respective wands, which caused them to break free of wherever Remus had been keeping them, and both flew into their hands. Gathering up their trunks and putting both their familiars into their cages, Fred and George flew closer still to the window, which seemed to open right away. The boot of the car was popped open, and Harry and Setta managed to squeeze their trunks inside, which maneuvered themselves into place with a fair amount of shuffling, thus enabling them both to fit.

"Harry and Rosetta Potter!" came a growl from somewhere inside the house.

Setta felt her skin prickling with goosebumps as she and Harry handed over their familiars to Ron, who put them in the back seat of the car. She quickly turned to face Ron, who was offering her a hand, and was quickly hauled into the vehicle herself. Turning, she and Ron reached for Harry at the exact same moment, when the door to Harry's bedroom came crashing open, and Remus threw himself over the threshold, making a grab for Harry, and George, Ron, and Setta yanked him from the window sill and halfway into the car.

"We are leaving, Remus!" Harry yelled at him.

"No, you're not!" Remus shouted back, glaring daggers at Setta, while all the while attempting to pull Harry back into his bedroom. "You and Setta are under my care, and I will not allow you to leave it until you learn your lesson!"

"Get off him!" Setta growled, and, unable to stop it, transformed into her wolf and launched herself forward just enough, biting and clawing at Remus's hands, to the point where he nearly dropped Harry, and fell backwards into the bedroom from the sheer impact of it.

Harry was then pulled fully into the Ford Anglia, and Setta shifted back into her human form, feeling each and every eye upon her as the door was slammed and the car flew up, leaving the Potter property behind. "Thanks for that," Harry said, finally breaking the silence.

Setta gave him a small shrug as they drifted upwards and into the clouds, becoming blanketed in the cover they made. "You would've done the same for me," she replied.

"Care to explain to me why I didn't know you were an Animagus?" Ron asked.

"Because I just learned how a few weeks ago," Setta told him. "I know that shifting is attached to your emotions..."

"Makes sense," Fred said, driving them away from the estate, likely heading towards Ottery St. Catchpole and the Burrow.

"How?" Ron wanted to know.

"Twins share a magical core, which doesn't go away completely until the twins meet their respective soulmates, and get together with them," George explained patiently. "If one twin is hurt or in danger, the other twin will react to it by coming to their aid."

"So, that happens with you and Fred, then?" Harry asked.

Fred smiled at them from the rearview mirror. "Of course it does," he replied. "And it will keep on happening, until Fred and I find the loves of our lives."

Ron shook his head, clearly in shock at the onslaught of information, before he settled himself in between Harry and Setta in the backseat. "By the way, you two," he said, looking back and forth between them, "Happy Birthday."

They flew over several small towns and villages, plus a forest or two, in their journey to get them to the Burrow, and it was an altogether lovely experience. They finally came to the expanse of farm land that the Burrow sat upon, and Setta physically relaxed as she felt the sensations of warmth flow through her, once they got into the Weasley family's wards. Touching back down onto the ground, nearly upsetting the chickens in the process, it was the pigs in their pen that seemed altogether calm with the situation as Fred brought the car to a stop.

Getting out of the car, Fred and George extracted Harry and Setta's trunks from the boot, and dragged them along the dirt road and into the house. Ron insisted on taking charge of Honorata, while Harry retained his grip upon Hedwig's cage. As they approached the kitchen door of the cottage, Harry opened the cage, permitting Hedwig to stretch her wings, while Ron waited for Setta's signal once they stepped inside, and only then did he release her cat.

Puttering through the kitchen, Ron, Fred, and George helped themselves to some sweet buns upon the breakfast table. Harry and Setta resolutely kept back; although they always felt at home at the Burrow, they always asked for permission before doing virtually anything. Stepping around the table and towards the staircase, the Weasley family clock (which had included Harry and Setta since babyhood) turned several of its spoons, thus leading the onlooker to see who was where and doing what.

Molly, Ginny, and Percy stayed resolutely at Home; Arthur, Bill's, and Charlie's were still pointed to Work; and Fred, George, Ron, Harry, and Setta's moved from Lost back onto home again, causing a tight squeeze to accommodate the other three already positioned there. Setta turned to look at Ron then, who looked uneasy as he shuffled from foot to foot.

"You all right?" she asked him.

Ron sighed, pulling at his bun rather than eating it. "Well, it wasn't just your not sending letters that got me worried," he said softly. "Your spoons were pointed to Prison, but Mum thought the clock was just overreacting to a punishment or something..."

"Overreacting indeed?!" came a shout from somewhere up the jumble of staircases; quick footsteps came thundering down them then, and Molly Weasley suddenly made herself known, her red hair bouncing as she did so, her brown eyes affixing themselves onto her youngest biological son. "And just where have you been?!" she demanded, and caught sight of both Harry and Setta for the first time. "Harry, dear, and Setta, darling," she said, her voice warm as she stepped forward. "How wonderful to see you, loves," she went on, before her neck snapped like some sort of venomous snake, and regarded Fred, George, and Ron again. "Beds empty, no note, car gone?! You could have died! You could have been seen!" she yelled, before she looked back at Harry and Setta. "Now, of course, I don't blame either of you, loves," she said, her tone warm and assuring again.

"They couldn't answer my letters, Mum," Ron said, trembling beneath his mother's gaze. "And Remus had locked them into their bedroom!"

"Well, you'd best hope I don't lock you in your bedroom, Ronald Weasley!" Molly told her son, jabbing an accusatory finger in his direction, before she put on a smile in Harry and Setta's direction once more. "Come on, you two. Time for a spot of breakfast."

Setta, meanwhile, excused herself before the meal and made her way upstairs, her trunk floating along behind her, and made for Ginny's bedroom, where she always stayed when in residence. It was a relief to hear Ginny already moving around as the door swung open automatically, and the girl turned around, her impressive mane of red hair flowing around her, a giant grin forming upon her face when she saw who was standing there. Setta allowed herself to grin as well as she crossed the threshold, her trunk depositing itself on the other side of the bedroom, and moved to accept Ginny's enthusiastic embrace. Her first bursts of affection had come from the Weasley family, as her father, plus her godfathers, seemed to have to almost learn what it meant to have young children in need of warmth around.

"You're early," Ginny said, bouncing upon her heels, watching as Setta broke away from her and knocked on the wall beside her trunk, which opened, and deposited the bed she always slept upon whenever she was at the Burrow. "Mummy said that we shouldn't be expecting you and Harry until after your birthday..."

Setta perched upon the edge of her borrowed bed. "Remus sort of lost it while we were under his care this summer," she said quietly.

Ginny blinked, readily grasping the seriousness of the situation as she sat on her own bed. "How do you mean?" she asked.

Setta tangled her fingers into her own hair, her mother's amulet heavy as it hung, suspended from her neck like always, and mentally reminded herself that she couldn't have come to any real harm because of it. "He got all controlling, and wouldn't let me and Harry form our own opinions about our dad," she said softly.

Ginny's brown eyes narrowed automatically then; she knew Setta's opinions about James Potter, and how Harry was slowly but surely changing his own opinions now that he knew Setta's thoughts on the matter. She had come to Setta and Harry's aid more than once, alongside Ron and Hermione, whenever adults attempted to tell them to be quiet and to not disparage James, and Ginny had had enough. "So, he really imprisoned you, then?"

Setta blinked. "You knew about that?"

Ginny gave her a grim smile. "I saw it almost at the same moment that Ron did," she replied. "I was able to channel some of my accidental magic to prevent Mummy from realizing that Ron, Fred, and George had all gone out to fetch you."

Setta felt shocked at that. "And Percy?"

Ginny shook her head. "He's been writing letters all summer to that girlfriend of his," she said, her tone impatient. "We still don't know who it is, of course, not that it matters." Clicking her tongue, she returned to the matter at hand. "I knew that you and Harry had to have been in real trouble, because you're always quick about writing me back, or Harry writing Ron. I was in on the plan, and wanted to go, too, but Fred and George said it could turn ugly."

"Remus was just back after the full moon," Setta observed softly. "I think two wolves would've been more than enough to deal with, Ginny. I don't think Fred or George wanted you to come to any harm on their account."

Ginny looked shocked then. "Two wolves?" she demanded. "Have you been holding out on me more than usual, Rosetta Lily Potter?!"

Setta rolled her eyes; she truly hated being addressed by her full name. "A bit, although Remus forbid Harry from releasing Hedwig, not to mention this house-elf that suddenly showed up in Harry's bedroom," she said, shaking her head. "He actually had our letters from you, Ron, Hermione, and everyone else..."

"A house-elf?" Ginny asked, confused. "Certainly not Kreacher..."

"No, he was younger, considerably," Setta told her. "He said his name was Dobby, but didn't let on what family he served."

Ginny shook her head in the negative. "I'm not aware of that elf," she said. "But, what's this about two wolves? Did Remus bring home a companion?"

"No, not a werewolf, an Arctic wolf," Setta explained. "It's my Animagus form. I kind of used it to attack Remus when he tried to drag Harry back into the house."

Ginny looked flabbergasted at that. "I'm so sorry," she said, shaking her head.

Setta sighed. "So am I."

Ginny fingered her comforter for a moment, as if in contemplation. "You know, I remember you telling me that your father, plus Sirius and Remus, had names for their forms," she said softly. "I mean, did you come up with one for your wolf?"

"I did," Setta confirmed, nodding, altogether pleased to put the subject of her and Harry's awful summer to bed. "Her name is Gwyneira."

~*~

Being hauled by a photographer for The Daily Prophet to the back section of Flourish and Blotts to pose for numerous photographs with Gilderoy Lockhart was a daunting experience indeed. It was also sickening to be given each and every one of his published works free of charge, and Setta gave her copies to Hermione, while Harry gave his to Ginny. Lockhart's plug that he would be the successor as Defense Against the Dark Arts professor at Hogwarts did nothing to assuage her sickness, and she kept gritting her teeth all the way from Diagon and back to the Burrow again, not wanting to discuss much of anything.

Thankfully, the following day, they were due at Kings Cross, and Setta met Hermione on the platform before Ginny went through with Molly and Arthur. Turning around, they offered Ginny a compartment with them, and Ginny eagerly accepted, with Molly and Arthur promptly leaving Ginny in their care. Slipping onto the train and waving off to Molly and Arthur, Setta felt a sensation of trepidation flowing through her then. Looking up, the massive clock within the platform chimed eleven o'clock, and the train promptly began pulling out of Kings Cross to begin its journey to Hogsmeade Station.

"Oh, Merlin," Setta said softly, shaking her head as it began to pound, as she stumbled towards a vacant compartment, Hermione and Ginny at her heels. She barely retained her grip upon Honorata's cage, and her cat was clamoring to get out of it. Sitting down and waiting for Ginny to shut the compartment door, she reluctantly permitted her cat out of there, absentmindedly stroking her fur.

"They can't have been left behind," Hermione assured her.

Setta shook her head. "I know they were," she said, wincing in pain as something sharp jabbed through her. "Don't ask me why. I just know it."

"It's your shared core with Harry," Ginny said consolingly. "Fred and George always sense the other whenever something's the matter."

Hermione nodded. "Hogwarts: A History discusses other siblings, twins, who are afflicted with connected cores," she said, suddenly seeming to understand now. "Don't worry. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley will come out on the other side, and figure out what can be done for them."

Setta attempted to remain calm throughout the journey, and changed into her robes with Hermione when the time came, Ginny being regulated to the standard uniform until she was sorted later that evening at the Welcoming Feast. Setta packed up Honorata again, moving out onto the platform for Hermione, and they waved Ginny off into Hagrid's direction, along with the boats to take them across the Black Lake. Setta and Hermione moved towards the carriages that would transport them up to the castle, Setta knowing that she could put Honorata with the other familiars upon entering.

The bumpy carriage ride from the main road from Hogsmeade and onto the Hogwarts Grounds certainly did not help. It was getting darker by the minute, and Setta, who had never been apart from Harry this long, was growing increasingly worried. Shaking her head, dark thoughts refused to leave her as they continued on, and Hermione actually had to help her out of the carriage upon their arrival. Stepping up the stairs of Hogwarts, Setta placed Honorata alongside the other caged familiars, and made her way towards the first staircase.

"Some food will do you good," Hermione said encouragingly.

Setta grimaced. "Don't mention food to me right now," she said, trembling beneath Hermione's strong grip upon her.

Hermione, once they got up to the top of the stairs, looked Setta over. "You're clammy and you've gone pale," she said. Quickly, she pulled Setta down the corridor and into the open hospital wing, where Madam Pomfrey was straightening out one of the beds. "Excuse me, Madam Pomfrey?" she called.

The matron turned around and regarded the second-year Gryffindors, and looked concerned. "I see," she said, and moved over, gently easing Setta from Hermione's grip and placing her down onto the bed. "Her magical core is reacting negatively to stress," she mused, dragging her wand over Setta. "Any idea what caused it, Miss Granger?"

"Harry and Ron missed the train, ma'am," Hermione reported, looking worriedly down at her best friend.

"That would do it, due to their shared core," Madam Pomfrey replied, nodding. Her eyebrows shot upwards then, and she smiled slightly then. "Yes, that would not improve matters either, I think," she said.

"What?" Setta managed to get out. "What's wrong with me?"

"You are merely becoming a young woman, my dear," Madam Pomfrey said, smiling down in a considerate manner to Setta. Summoning a Pain-Relief Potion, she handed it over. "Drink this down, dear," she went on, and turned to Hermione. "You will, of course, Miss Granger, be able to assist Miss Potter with her monthly subscription to Gunhilda's Gifts?"

Hermione nodded at the matron. "Of course, Madam Pomfrey."

"Twenty points to Gryffindor, Miss Granger, for friendship and loyalty, as well as quick action on your part," Madam Pomfrey said, turning back to Setta. "Your results inform me that you are suffering from anemia as well, Miss Potter, so you must be vigilant during your cycles. I will ensure that you will receive iron supplement potions, in addition to your pain relief, to keep you as comfortable as possible."

"And, for right now?" Setta asked, flushing.

"I've temporarily stopped the bleeding for now, and spelled anything offending from your clothes," the matron informed her. "This will last for about two hours, during which time I'm sure you'll be back in your dormitory, and Miss Granger can provide you with temporary supplies before placing your order."

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey," Hermione told her.

"Good, then," she said, watching as Setta moved to get out of bed. "You're excused, dears. Do enjoy the Welcoming Feast."

Setta and Hermione left the care of the hospital wing and moved into the Great Hall, just minutes before the Sorting Ceremony was due to begin. Sitting down at the Gryffindor table, Setta barely registered when the sorting began, or when Ginny was proclaimed Gryffindor, and moved to sit on her other side. Finally, the feast broke up, and Setta got shakily to her feet, only to cross paths with both Headmaster Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall.

"Please accompany us to the dungeons, Miss Potter," the headmaster said.

Setta blinked, wanting nothing more than to return upstairs, but, with Hermione's assurance that everything would be taken care of, she followed the headmaster and her Head of House down the stairs and into the dungeons. Much to her surprise, they interrupted a dressing down between Professor Snape, plus Harry and Ron, who were in one piece after all. Once it was deemed more appropriate for Professor McGonagall to decide punishment to Harry and Ron, and detention was handed out, they made their way out of Professor Snape's office and back up the stairs.

"You had me worried half to death!" Setta hissed at them, and Professor McGonagall and the headmaster looked indulgently at one another. "You're very lucky neither of you were in Slytherin, because you know as well as I do that Professor Snape would have seen to it that you were expelled!"

"All right, Miss Potter," Professor McGonagall said, her tone gentle but firm. "I understand, from a conversation I had with Madam Pomfrey at the Welcoming Feast, what you are currently going through," she said. "However, I'll not have you assuming what Professor Snape would have done for disciplinary action against your brother and Mr. Weasley."

Setta sighed, but nodded her head. "Yes, professor. Sorry, professor."

"Have a house-elf bring you dinner up in the Gryffindor common room, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley," Headmaster Dumbledore said genially as they approached the staircase. "Then, I want you all to get a good nights' sleep."

"Yes, headmaster," the trio said, before making their way towards the staircase, and began climbing up it without argument.

"Please, be careful in future," Setta said softly. "Ginny's here now, and she'll need us to be good role models for her."

"Ginny!" Ron cried out, smacking his forehead. "I almost forgot! Is she all right?"

"Yes, she's fine," Setta assured him. "Hermione and I shared a compartment with her on the train and she came through it beautifully."

"But the sorting," Ron said, shaking his head. "I missed the sorting..."

"Ginny will tell you all about it when we get back to the common room," Setta said, grinning at the pair of them once they turned around to face her.

"Why would she...?" Harry asked, looking over at Ron.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" Ron asked.

Setta nodded, her anxiety about her separation from her brother and one of her best friends temporarily forgotten. It wouldn't be so forever but, for the moment, at least, she could attempt to be a normal twelve-year-old girl. "I'm saying exactly what you think I'm saying, Ronald Weasley," she replied. "Earlier this evening, Ginny was sorted into Gryffindor."