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Deanna was awakened by the tapping on her window. She stretched her arms and smiled at the familiar owl with a letter tied to her leg along with a copy of the Daily Prophet, and if Anais was here, it only meant one thing. She had a letter from Hermione.

After their fifth year ended, they started writing each other letters, and knowing more about the Gryffindor just made Deanna fall even more. She wanted to know everything about Hermione. She would even rewrite her letters several times to make sure she didn't write anything to let Hermione know that she liked her.

Deanna just put the copy of the Daily Prophet down because it had the usual articles again. About Scrimgeour succeeding Fudge, Harry being the Chosen One and Deanna's return. And some of them warning about Death Eaters and what they had been doing to the Muggles. It just made her even angrier at Voldemort who was surprisingly under the radar.

"Who's that letter from, Deanna?" Ariana asked curiously when she saw Deanna come down. Deanna didn't know why she asked when she already knew who wrote it. After all, only one person could make her niece smile like that. Deanna had been staying in Hog's Head because Dumbledore had something he needed to do. He did send letters from time to time, but Deanna told him that she was fine and Aberforth was taking care of her well.

Deanna opened the letter and she couldn't help but frown when she saw it was from her Hermione but it was from her father.

"So, it's not from Miss Granger?" Ariana may have only been with her niece for a month, but she and Deanna got really close. She got to know Deanna well enough during this past month, and she knew just how much Hermione could make Deanna so happy.

"It's from Pops, Aunt Ari."

My little phoenix,

I would like your assistance in an urgent matter we must attend to. I shall come at quarter to 11 this evening and bring you back to Hog's Head after we have done so. I've missed you lots, Deanna. And Fawkes misses you badly. I'll see you later, love.

Love,

Pops

Deanna furrowed her eyebrows in thought. What could be that urgent matter he needed her assistance for? She knew he was busy with something. She just didn't know what, but a soft smile made its way onto her face. Her father was okay. She was worried for him the whole time they were apart, but luckily, he was alright.

"There are my two girls." Aberforth entered the pub with a grin on his face. He kissed Deanna on the top of her head. "Good morning, sleepyhead."

"Good morning, Uncle Ab." Deanna's eyes twinkled at the food he set down in front of her. Her usual order of hotdogs. "Thank you." Aberforth chuckled and ate with her while Ariana watched them with a smile.

"Uncle Ab, Pops is coming here later." Deanna suddenly said.

Aberforth stopped eating and frowned. "Really? What for?"

"I don't know. He said he needed my assistance, but he said he'll bring me back after." Deanna pouted and flashed her puppy eyes at him. "Can I go?"

"Of course you can." Aberforth felt his heart soften at the thought that Deanna had even thought of asking him when she didn't have to do so. "Just be careful. I don't want you to get hurt."

"Oh, Ab, Albus won't let anything happen to her." Ariana chuckled from her portrait. "I'll take care of this grumpy old man while you go, Dee."

"I'm not grumpy." Aberforth grumbled. Deanna and Ariana looked at each other and laughed loudly. He surely was a grumpy man. Aberforth joined in with them and smiled softly. They were quite the weird group. A portrait, a man who loved goats and a kid who should have been 67 already. But they wouldn't have it any other way.

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Night soon fell, and Deanna was waiting for her father's arrival with excitement. It had been weeks since she last saw him, and Deanna couldn't wait to tell him about everything. And maybe, it was also because she wanted her family to be reunited again. Aberforth and Dumbledore had been fighting since Ariana's death. It was time for them to forgive each other.

"Deanna!" A shout from downstairs made Deanna sit up. With a wide grin, she ran down the stairs and saw her father there with that same soft smile she missed badly.

"Pops!" Deanna ran into his open arms and hugged him tight by the waist.

"I missed you too, love." Dumbledore bent down to kiss the top of her head. With that hug, both of them understood what each of them felt. The weeks were too long and they missed each other so bad, but the wait was over and they were back together.

"Ah dear Fawkes." Deanna giggled and stroked the baby phoenix. "Have you been a good boy?" Fawkes let out a cry in response. Deanna then became aware of the tense atmosphere and she saw Aberforth staring at Dumbledore with an unreadable look while Dumbledore was smiling at Ariana.

"Have you been well, Ari?" Dumbledore asked in a soft tone.

"Just well, Al." Ariana smiled back at him. Aberforth's eyes widened at that and it seemed like Ariana knew just what he was thinking about. "Albus is the one who got my portrait painted. Deanna's the one who got it charmed." Aberforth just nodded silently, not knowing what to think of the information he just heard. All along, he thought his brother never cared for Ariana, but here, he was hearing that Dumbledore had her portrait all along.

"Well, if you don't mind, Deanna and I will be going now." Dumbledore gave them a slight bow and walked out of the pub, leaving the rest of his family and Fawkes.

"See you later, Aunt Ari, Uncle Ab." Deanna kissed the cheek of Ariana and gave Aberforth a tight hug. Aberforth smiled weakly and hugged her back before letting his niece leave.

"He's changed, Ab. Give him a chance to show you."

Aberforth looked down sadly. "That's what scares me."

And Ariana wished then she wasn't a portrait. All she wanted to do was to reach out and comfort her brother, but for now, all she could offer him was words of comfort and hope they were enough.

"How have you been, my little phoenix?" Dumbledore asked with a smile.

"I've been good, Pops. Uncle Ab and Aunt Ari take care of me well." Deanna then frowned because she noticed his right hand that had darkened with a ring on it. It looked... dead. "What happened to you?"

"It was just an accident, love, but it's still fine, see?" Dumbledore waved his right hand to show her he was fine. When Deanna didn't look convinced, Dumbledore kissed her on the top of her head. "I'm fine, Deanna. Don't worry about me. Let's go now, shall we? We have a stopover before we go."

"Okay, Pops." Deanna took his arm and they appeared in front of a Muggle home.

"Where are we, Pops?" Deanna looked around in confusion.

"We're in 4 Privet Drive. This is where Harry lives." Dumbledore explained and led the way to the house, taking out the Deluminator that absorbed the light from a nearby street lamp. It looked like a good home, but Deanna knew about the people living inside it. The Dursleys were horrible people, and they had treated Harry more like a slave rather than family. And Deanna knew if they just said one bad word against Harry or her father, her wand would come out and they'd grow fur.

Dumbledore rang the doorbell and an angry shout came from inside. "Who the blazes is calling at this time of night?" The door opened to reveal a quite large man with a bushy moustache and huge frown on his face, and he stared at them as if what was happening was a dream.

"Good evening. You must be Mr. Dursley. I daresay Harry has told you we would be coming for him?" Dumbledore said in a pleasant voice. "Judging by your look of stunned disbelief, Harry did not warn you that we were coming. However, let us assume that you have invited us warmly into your house. It is unwise to linger overlong on doorsteps in these troubled times."

Deanna nodded at the dumbstruck man and stepped in after her father, looking around curiously, and she ran to Harry who was at the stairs and gave him a tight hug. "It's been too long, Harry."

"I missed you too, Dee." Harry lifted her off the ground and chuckled.

"It is a long time since my last visit," said Dumbledore, peering down his crooked nose at Mr. Dursley. "I must say, your agapanthus are flourishing." He then looked at Harry and Deanna with a smile. "Ah, good evening, Harry. Excellent, excellent."

"I don't mean to be rude –" Vernon Dursley started in a rude tone while glancing warily at Deanna.

"And you are rude." Deanna mumbled at the same time that Dumbledore cut him off.

"– yet, sadly, accidental rudeness occurs alarmingly often." Dumbledore said gravely. "Best to say nothing at all, my dear man. Ah, and this must be Petunia."

"You really are your father's daughter." Harry whispered to her, making the both of them laugh silently. Standing in the doorway to the kitchen was Petunia Dursley with a look of shock on her face.

"Albus Dumbledore, and this is my daughter, Deanna Dumbledore," said Dumbledore after a few moments of silence. The Dursleys simply glanced at Deanna before turning back to Dumbledore. "We have corresponded, of course."

"And this must be your son, Dudley?" A young and large man around their age stuck his head out of one of the rooms, and he looked at Dumbledore with surprise and when he looked at Deanna, his jaw drop and his face reddened. Deanna wondered what happened to him and thought that he must be sick.

"I can't wait to tell Hermione about this." Harry said in a small voice, but Deanna heard him, and that confused her even more but she just let it go.

"May we sit down please?" Deanna looked at Dudley who blushed even more and nodded dumbly. Dumbledore squeezed Deanna on the shoulder and she and Harry followed him in.

"Aren't — aren't we leaving, sir?" Harry asked anxiously.

"Yes, indeed we are, but there are a few matters we need to discuss first," said Dumbledore. "And I would prefer not to do so in the open. We shall trespass upon your aunt and uncle's hospitality only a little longer."

"You will, will you?" Vernon Dursley had entered the room, Petunia at his shoulder, and Dudley skulking behind them both.

"Yes," said Dumbledore simply, "I shall." He flicked his wand, making the sofa knock the knees out from under the Dursleys so that they collapsed upon it. And he flicked his wand once more to make the sofa zoom back. Deanna frowned at the sight of his hand, and it seemed that Harry had noticed it too.

"Sir — what happened to your — ?"

"Later, Harry," said Dumbledore. "Please sit down. And you too, love." Deanna and Harry sat down with him and she looked again at the Dursleys who seemed too surprised to talk.

"I would assume that you were going to offer us refreshment," Dumbledore said to Vernon, "but the evidence so far suggests that that would be optimistic to the point of foolishness." He flicked his wand again, and a dusty bottle and six glasses appeared in midair. The bottle tipped and poured a generous measure of honey-colored liquid into each of the glasses, which then floated to each person in the room.

"Oh, is this Madam Rosmerta's mead, Pops?" With just a sniff, Deanna already knew whose mead was this.

"The finest oak-matured mead," said Dumbledore with a proud smile at Deanna. Deanna smiled widely while tasting it. The only one who could beat Madam Rosmerta's drinks was Aberforth and that was saying a lot. Deanna hid her smile when she saw the glasses nudging them on their heads.

She saw Dudley looking at her again with flushed cheeks and whispered to Harry. "Do I have something on my face?"

"I think it's your face." Harry held in his snort when he saw Deanna got even more confused. He couldn't wait to tell Ron and Hermione about how Dudley had a crush on Deanna though he was thinking not to tell Hermione for fear of her hexing Harry, and his best friend knew so many hexes.

"Now, Harry, is your trunk packed?" Dumbledore suddenly asked Harry.

Harry's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. "Erm..."

"I'll go help him, Pops," said Deanna to save Harry from further interrogation. She took his hand and let him lead her to his room. "So, you didn't think we'd come?"

"No, I actually fell asleep." Harry blushed even more when Deanna laughed loudly and started packing with him.

"Has Sirius visited you?" Deanna asked curiously. The man was finally free after several trials. He was finally acquitted after the Wizengamot had deemed the evidence acceptable.

"He did come and bring me out a few times. He even turned Dudley's arm into a mouse's." Deanna and Harry laughed hard and finished in ten minutes. She knew Harry was happy. After years of mistreatment from his relatives, he finally had a father figure in his life. Sirius and Remus Lupin-Black, yes Lupin-Black, were the parents Harry had always wanted.

"Done now, yeah?" Deanna took Hedwig's cage and they made their way downstairs. "Hey, Harry. Do you know what Hermione likes?"

"Why are you asking?" Harry's smirk grew when Deanna blushed.

"N-Nothing. I mean her birthday's coming up soon, isn't it?" Deanna stuttered and just hoped Harry would be oblivious this time and not think she liked Hermione.

"Okay then." And with Harry's smirk and his clear tone of amusement, Deanna knew she was screwed. Was she that obvious for what she felt for Hermione? The two of them arrived at the bottom and just as they were about to enter the living room, Harry whispered to her. "She'd like anything you give her because it's you."

Deanna blushed even more at his comment and followed him in while giving him a light smack on the shoulder. They shouldn't say things like that or Deanna might think she had a chance with Hermione.

"Professor, I'm ready now," said Harry while glancing at the still blushing Deanna.

"Good," said Dumbledore. "Just one last thing, then." And he turned to speak to the Dursleys once more. "As you will no doubt be aware, Harry comes of age in a year's time —"

"No," said Petunia, speaking for the first time since Dumbledore's arrival.

"I'm sorry?" said Dumbledore politely.

"No, he doesn't. He's a month younger than Dudley, and Dudders doesn't turn eighteen until the year after next."

"Ah," said Dumbledore pleasantly, "but in the Wizarding world, we come of age at seventeen."

Vernon muttered, "Preposterous," but Dumbledore ignored him.

"Now, as you already know, the wizard called Lord Voldemort has returned to this country. The Wizarding community is currently in a state of open warfare. Harry, whom Lord Voldemort has already attempted to kill on a number of occasions, is in even greater danger now than the day when I left him upon your doorstep fifteen years ago, with a letter explaining about his parents' murder and expressing the hope that you would care for him as though he were your own."

His voice may have been calm, but Deanna knew he was not calm by the look in his eyes. It was cold. Dumbledore was a man that was hard to anger, but the Dursleys did just that.

"You did not do as I asked. You have never treated Harry as a son. He has known nothing but neglect and often cruelty at your hands. The best that can be said is that he has at least escaped the appalling damage you have inflicted upon the unfortunate boy sitting between you."

Both Petunia and Vernon looked around instinctively, as though expecting to see someone other than Dudley squeezed between them.

"Us — mistreat Dudders? What d'you — ?" began Vernon furiously, but Dumbledore raised his finger for silence, a silence which fell as though he had struck Vernon dumb.

"The magic I evoked fifteen years ago means that Harry has powerful protection while he can still call this house 'home.' However miserable he has been here, however unwelcome, however badly treated, you have at least, grudgingly, allowed him houseroom. This magic will cease to operate the moment that Harry turns seventeen; in other words, at the moment he becomes a man. I ask only this: that you allow Harry to return, once more, to this house, before his seventeenth birthday, which will ensure that the protection continues until that time."

Silence. The Dursleys had mixed reactions to that. Dudley looked confused while Vernon looked as if he was about to choke on something, and Petunia looked too flustered.

"Well, Deanna, Harry... time for us to be off," said Dumbledore at last, standing up and straightening his long black cloak. "Until we meet again." He swept from the room with a tip of his hat.

"Bye," said Harry hastily, following Dumbledore out the door. Deanna was about to go too when she turned to the Dursleys who were staring back at her with surprise.

"You have broken the heart of a child who only wanted to be loved and to be treated as family." Deanna started in a quiet voice, staring them down with her light blue eyes that seemed to make the Dursleys cold. "But it's not too late. Dark times are coming, and I know Harry will do his best to make sure you are safe before then. No matter how you treated him, he still thought of you as family. I hope you can treat him better."

Deanna gave them a slight bow and walked out to see Dumbledore vanishing Harry's stuff while Harry was holding the Invisibility Cloak she had heard a lot about. Her eyes twinkled in amazement because it was her first time seeing one.

"Are you done now, love?" Dumbledore asked softly. When Deanna nodded, he waved his wand, and the front door opened onto cool, misty darkness. "And now, Deanna, Harry, let us step out into the night and pursue that flighty temptress, adventure."

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