Holding Kal's hand, Beth allowed him to lead her up the stairs to the Headmaster's office. She still had managed to remain invisible the entire time at the Start of Term Feast. She had waited until mostly everyone had exited the Great Hall. McGonagall had approached Kal and exchanged a few words. She had been too far away to make out what they had said. Later he had filled her in. They were to go to Professor Dumbledore's office. At least Kal was. The Headmaster didn't yet know that Beth would be joining them.

And now they were here in front of the door to the office. "Tell him that you brought someone who needs to talk to him," she whispered to her boyfriend. After Kal had knocked on the door and they were told to come in, Beth stepped over the threshold with him. She looked up to face Dumbledore, her nervousness at an all-time high. She hoped to get this over as soon as possible. She also hoped it would go well. She never knew what to expect from Dumbledore sometimes.

Kal's feelings ran almost opposite to Elizabeth's, not a trace of nervousness ran through his body as they navigated the halls towards Dumbledores office. If anyone could help Elizabeth it would be Dumbledore. Though he did have to wonder how he could help, and why she hadn't gone to him in the first place. He loved and trusted Elizabeth, he just wished things had been different.

Stepping over the threshold into the Headmasters office, Kal felt a strange hesitance sweep over him as Dumbledore's eyes studied him. He knew he had changed but enough to draw such a gaze from the great wizard. Shaking the cloud hanging over his mind Kal looked the Headmaster in the eye's, "Sir I brought someone who needs to talk to you." He said trying to hide the strange feelings passing through him.

Albus had opened the door by magic for Kal to enter the room. He assumed it would be him anyway, considering he had summoned him through Minerva. He was about to begin with his questioning of the 7th year Gryffindor boy but stopped when Kal announced that he had brought someone.

Instinctively, the Headmaster looked around the boy to see if they were still in the doorway in the shadows. Not seeing anyone, he motioned for Kal to have a seat in the chairs he had just conjured. "Mr. Keleka, it is good to see you have returned to Hogwarts. I must ask if you've had any magical training while you've been away. If not I would advice you to set up something with Professor McGonagall and the other teachers, so that you will be able to catch up. It will not be easy, but I'm certain you can do it. Perhaps a tutor from within your house would also be a good idea."

Albus had a good idea why Kal had left Hogwarts but had lost track of him once he had gone. He felt that Kal would tell him everything if he was ready to do so. Until then he would not push him.

The Headmaster remembered that the Gryffindor boy had been friends with Elizabeth Spenser. He wondered if he knew that she was dead. How would he take the news. Would it be a good idea to tell him? Did he already know somehow? He had spent dinner at the Gryffindor Table. Perhaps they had updated him.

Although the old man wasn't really convinced that she was dead. So many events had transpired over the past few months. The attack on Hogsmeade had started it all. The moment he realized that Elizabeth had been killed he began to do some digging into her background and talking to various people. He had an idea, a theory if you will, about the whole situation.

A noise to Kal's right made Albus turn his head to the left. There was a reflection or dissolution of some sort. Slowly something or someone began to materialize. Albus gave a small smile. He had been right about some things.

Beth smiled nervously, looking almost pained. "I...Professor...I-I..." She stopped a moment to take a deep breath before starting again. Her eyes wandered around his desk, landing on a familiar book. It was her book, her family album. She briefly wondered how Dumbledore had come across it. Seeing it there made her feel better.

"Professor Dumbledore, I know seeing me here must look rather odd. Very actually. I came to tell you everything and to ask for your forgiveness for my foolishness. I should have been straightforward from the beginning. I should have trusted that you would know exactly what to do just as you always do. Perhaps a lot of tragedies could have been avoided and for that I'm deeply sorry."

She bowed her head, not wanting to show the tears that threatened to fall from her eyes. Her stomach began to growl. She held back the tears the best she could and raised her head again to tell her story from beginning to end. She told him first about the day at her grandparents' vault in Gringotts. Then about Kal and how she had helped him with the curse that had been placed upon him. She explained the first time she used the ancient Time Guardian book and how they found out their destinies were interlinked.

Then she came to the day of the Hogmeade attack. "I had been walking on my own near the Shrieking Shack when I was met with a man. The man knocked me out, and I just remember waking up in this dark place. I was informed of what I had to do. I had to impersonate Marcia Griggs and retrieve the ancient book and some scrolls they believed to be at Hogwarts. I wasn't to talk to anyone from my former life or there would be serious consequences. I was afraid to disobey, not without having a plan first. I tried to send hints to my friends and have them keep in contact with you hoping it would work.

"But it didn't have quite the effect I wanted. I'm sure they or at least you figured it out, Professor Dumbledore, but it was too late. They tried to pull me out of Hogwarts, but I escaped. I've been in hiding nearby until school began again. I've been studying in the library when I could get in to keep up with my studies so that I could be in 7th year still. If you don't mind, sir, I'd like to be allowed to continue and finish my education here at Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore, but only if you'll allow me."

She wanted to look down again, but she had to be brave. She held Dumbledore's gaze waiting on baited breath for what he would say to her. Below, her stomach growled again.

Kal sat in shocked silence as Elizabeth recounted everything that had happened in his absence. So much had happened, so much he could of prevented. Placing a protective arm around Elizabeth, Kal stared at his feet, the gesture was as much for his own failure as comfit for Beth. He was angry, angrier than he'd ever been before. How close had he come to losing her, all because of his own stupid quest.

Trying his best to mask his feelings Kal moved Elizabeth towards the chair Dumbledore had conjured. She needed to rest, he hoped Dumbledore would understand. "Sir, I think Elizabeth's feeling pretty hungry. I don't suppose she could..." Kal asked feeling slightly embarassed for asking and not wanting to finish his question.

He was going to turn it all around, he would support Elizabeth without fail from now on. Never would he abandon her again.

Albus listened carefully to what Elizabeth was telling him and anything she wasn't telling him. Sometimes what wasn't said was much more important than what was. He would answer her and set her mind to rest but first... He waved his hand over his desk and a tray with tea and scones and crumpets appeared. He offered tea and food to them both as he talked.

"Miss Spenser, I'm sure you know better than anyone that it does not do to dwell on what has happened in the past. Always look forward, not on what you cannot change." He paused for a moment watching her and Kal.

"Though you had not told me everything, from the moment you arrived at Hogwarts in your first year, I have been doing all I could to figure out why you came to be here in the first place. You see your parents had rejected our world. Your grandparents couldn't tell me whether or not you would be attending Hogwarts. So when you showed up at the castle doors alone, it was quite a surprise."

He poured himself some tea before continuing. "I was able to track down some most informative people. They told me about your family history, the possibility of you being the next Time Guardian after your grandfather. They told me how another person was always interlinked with each guardian. Seeing how close you and Mr. Keleka had become made me wonder whether or not he was that person for you."

Albus picked up Beth's family album and handed it to her. "Very valuable, Miss Spenser. The hints to your friends, though you didn't think they helped, were enough for me to be able to surmise that there was a possibility you were still alive and trying to reach us. Mr. Lupin was the one who gave me your photo album. You should thank him when you get the chance. He and Mr. Fisher believed that you were alive above everyone else and worked to prove it to me. Thank both of them."

The Headmaster finished his tea, stood from his desk, and moved toward the fireplace. "Miss Spenser, you shall stay and continue your education at Hogwarts, but only if you take on the responsibility of tutoring Mr. Keleka so that he may catch up on all the years that he has missed. Mr. Keleka, please take Miss Spenser to..." He would have said the Gryffindor common room but that might not be such a good idea for the time being.

Beth had the feeling that their visit with the Headmaster was almost over when he stood. She finished her tea and scones and stood herself. "Professor Dumbledore, I'll do my best to help Kal. Thank you for all your help. I promise to come to you if I need anything at all."

She slipped back her chair so that she could leave the room. "Don't worry Professor, I have a place that I can go for the night. Tomorrow after classes, I'd like to come back so that I can tell all my friends the truth as well. Please tell them to come here. Thank you again." She turned to leave the room knowing that Kal would be close behind.

Kal avoided eye contact as Dumbledore mentioned the guardian of the Time Guardian. He wasn't sure why he didn't like the scrutiny, or the fact that Dumbledore suspected him. But something inside of him made him shy away from the attention, and from giving out that secret. He wasn't ashamed of his powers, just protective he guessed, and the fewer people that knew exactly what he was, the better.

"Thankyou Sir," Kal said with an inclination of his head in regards to his schooling, "I promise to do my best, I won't let you down Headmaster." Placing a hand around Elizabeth's waist for support Kal turned with her towards the door. He wasn't sure where Elizabeth had in mind to sleep, but he intended to follow her there to make sure she was safe.

Albus nodded in the two Gryffindor seventh years' direction as they stood to leave. He had no doubt that they could and would take care of each other. He wanted to tell Beth that it would be a good idea for her to stay inside the castle as much as possible, but he realized that she was now an adult by wizarding standards. She needed to be able to leave the castle anyway to perform the duties set before her, and he trusted that she could handle it.

He continued toward the fireplace, calling to Beth before she left. "Miss Spenser and Mr. Keleka, please come to my office tomorrow at 4pm. If you don't object, I'm going to have a little chat with Professor Whitehorn now." He saw her nod in his direction before turning and leaving the room with Kal.

Albus took some powder from the mantel and threw it into the fireplace, thinking of what he was going to say when Victoria arrived in his office. He didn't have much time once he called and she responded.

"Victoria, I need to see you and Devlin in my office immediately please."

Victoria was about to fall asleep waiting for Devlin to finish testing his new broom when a message came to her. She jumped up, and immediately wished she hadn't. She shook the dizziness away and rubbed her over-grown belly. "Now, don't do this to me... I'll feed you later." She made her way to the window and saw Devlin hovering not too far away. "Hey, Prof. Dumbledore wants to see us, will you please come inside?"

She would have loved to have been up there with him, but Devlin wouldn't let her anywhere near a broom lately. She put on her dress cloak, a sparkling purple and waited for him by the door. She wouldn't go up without him.

The new prototype for the Nimbus 1001 was giving Devlin quite a bit of trouble, and he hoped that Victoria and the baby wouldn't hear the string of profanities that left his mouth. He smiled still hardly believing that he was married to the most beautiful and loving woman in the world and they were going to have a the cutest baby in the whole world. Perhaps he was being a bit presumptuous but hey, he was the dad. He could think whatever he pleased.

Devlin was just finishing what he was doing on the broomstick when Victoria called down to him. "Alright, love," he shouted back. "I'll be right there." He nervously mounted the broom. Well here goes everything, he thought. He pulled up on the handle slowly. It responded more than it should have and he shot up into the air like a rocket. "Wahhhhh!"

He held tight onto the broom pulling it down, which of course was a mistake as he went speeding toward the ground. He managed to pull up just in time to have his feet touching the ground as he sped along the grounds. He pulled out his wand as quickly as he could and stopped the broom with a manual spell. Just in time as he almost smashed into the hill in front of him.

Devlin cursed under his breath as he jogged without the aid of a broom across the grounds into the castle and upstairs to his and Victoria's living quarters. He knocked on the sweaty and tired. And he had to go to Professor Dumbledore's office looking and smelling like this? Ergh.

Victoria chuckled when Devlin knocked on the door. "What you knocking for?" Her nose cringed when she smelled him. She pointed her finger at him and a splash of water doused him. "That's much better." She grinned before handing him his dress robes. "Put that on, let's get going."

Victoria shut the door behind them and headed for DUmbledore's office. She felt like a fat duck waddling down the halls and glad that they were mostly empty. "Is it just me or is it hot in here?" She couldn't help but think it, and she was trying to keep her mind from the look on DUmbledore's face. She had a feeling this was something major, and it made her nervous.

Devlin held a look of surprise when Victoria doused him in a "bucketful" of water. "Was that really necessary Victoria?" It was lucky he had been practicing his wandless magic. His wife had insisted that he keep up with the art, and he had to admit it did come in handy. But for working on his brooms he was definitely more comfortable using his trusty old wand.

He took his wand hand and moved it slowly over his body to dry all the excess water. At the end he was holding it in place a bit too long and his skin started to get a bit too warm. "Ouch!" He took his hand away and put on the robes Victoria had handed him.

Devlin wondered why Dumbledore was calling them to his office at this hour. It had to be something important if he wanted to speak with them at this hour on the first day back at school. The inventor couldn't even begin to imagine what Dumbledore wanted to say. At this point, it could be anything. He was used to Dumbledore's fire side chats where he told them about anything from the Hogsmeade attack to Beth's death just last year. He couldn't believe it had already been that long. He could remember just yesterday when the headmaster was relaying the news and Devlin having to comfort Victoria for hours afterward.

So walking along the corridor, Devlin hoped that Dumbledore had some good news to tell. Despite his setbacks with the broom prototype, he was in a good mood and wanted nothing to spoil it. Only time would tell whether he'd be soaring high or feeling sour.

Victoria looked at Devlin before knocking Dumbledore's door. "Professor? We're here."

She was anxious and nervous and...well, to be honest a bit sick. She wished she hadn't eaten that last pudding at the feast. Devlin had warned her, but it was far too late for that. Sure her face was green, she turned and looked at Devlin. It was one of those moments when her legs felt as though they would no longer hold her up, and she grabbed him around the waist to steady herself before moving into the headmaster's office.

Albus looked up from his desk when there was a knock on the door. He immediately conjured chairs for Victoria and Devlin, but especially for Victoria as she would soon be having her child. He motioned for them to sit down. He thought for a moment about how to begin. He knew that Victoria felt very sensitive about this issue.

"I have some unexpected but good news to relay to you. At the end of last year, I began to look into what exactly happened to Miss Spenser on the day that...the death eaters attacked Hogsmeade. I did some research on her background and talked to a few of my informants."

The headmaster adjusted the half-moon glasses on his crooked nose. "As it turns out, Miss Spenser was not killed as we were led to believe by Voldemort and his death eaters. She was actually kidnapped during the trip to Hogsmeade. She must have been alone for a minutes if they had such an opportunity."

Albus sat forward in his chair. "She is alive and well, Victoria, Devlin. She managed to escape and has now been able to return to Hogwarts just this evening." He knew that Victoria would want to rush to see her so he added, "Miss Spenser is resting for the night. She has had quite an ordeal these past several months. I will let her tell you about it when she is ready."

Devlin grabbed Victoria by the arms to steady her. Then he helped her sit down in the chairs that Albus had conjured for them. The headmaster was looking at them peculiarly. Why did he call them up to his office? What did he have to tell them? The inventor himself sat down in the chair that was to the left of Victoria. He held her hand and stayed close in case she needed him for anything.

He listen carefully with growing surprise to what Dumbledore had to say. He had been here when Dumbledore had told them the news of Beth's death. He had gone to her memorial service. But he hadn't been there when the headmaster had had a discussion with Victoria and some students about the possibility that Beth could be alive. Victoria had told him bits and pieces but he never expected that the headmaster might find her and that she would be able to come back. "Sir, you're serious? She's really alive?" He was incredulous.

Victoria felt sick to her stomach. Did Dumbledore just say what she thought he did? This had to have been a joke, but it was a cruel joke, especially right now. Her head fell down towards her knees but couldn't quite reach. Her stomach began to roll. Oh, please don't move right now. She swallowed the sick feeling and looked back up. "Sir, I'm sorry, but I don't believe you, and why would you say such a thing to me right now? You know how I feel about it."

To be honest, she had always felt responsible. She couldn't remember that day, or what she had been doing. She only remembered waking up in her bed with a wand in her hand--and the wand wasn't hers. Her thoughts strayed to Brinley. He had come here last year; had fallen out of Dumbledore's wall. She felt an odd connection to him, even though she didn't know him and he didn't know who he was. He was off somewhere trying to find who he was. She shook her head and closed her eyes as her stomach tightened painfully. When it released a second or two later, she opened her eyes. "Ow."

Albus stood from his seat, "Do you need me to call Madam Pomfrey, Victoria? He looked to Devlin with a worried expression, for calling for her anyway. It was better to be safe than sorry. "I apologize, Victoria for having to tell you about Miss Spenser at such a time, but it was necessary. Since she is at Hogwarts you would eventually run into her, and I am certain that it would have been even more of a shock for you. Besides she will want to see you.

The headmaster sat back down as the nurse came rushing into help Victoria. She fussed over her checking her and the baby's vitals.

Victoria flinched with Madame Pomfrey fussing over her. "Merlin, I'm fine. Honest." She tried to shake her off, but she kept fussing. "Please, Professor."

She looked at Madame Pomfrey. "I'm fine. I promise I'll come see you later." Madame Pomfrey sighed, but nodded and left. Victoria looked up at Devlin to reassure him that she was okay before returning her attention back to Dumbledore. "Please, sir. Let me see her?" She wouldn't believe it until she saw Beth herself.

Albus gave her one of his twinkling smiles. "I would love to allow you to see her, Victoria, but I don't at the moment know where she is sleeping. She did not want and I did not think it would be safe for her to go to the Gryffindor dormitories. Perhaps I should have asked her where she would be spending the night." He mused.

He cleared his throat. "Though I'm sure there's a way we could find her somehow. Think about all the places she knows and has visited. Where would be the most likely place for her to go?"

Victoria thought for a bit, trying to ignore the feeling in her stomach. Where would Beth have gone? She thought about the places she had taken her during holidays, but they weren't close enough to Hogwarts just for the night. She shook her head, rubbing her round stomach. "I can't think."

She looked to Devlin. "There were times you and Beth went out to talk. Where did you two go?"

Devlin bent down immediately to help Victoria. Was she okay? Was she going into labor early? He hoped there wasn't anything wrong. The inventor was relieved to see Madam Pomfrey enter the room. He relaxed a little in the chair as the nurse checked on Victoria. He thought his wife should let the nurse check her out but he knew who Victoria was when she was adamant about something.

Devlin shook his head at Victoria's question. "We didn't go anywhere that she would be sleeping. We'd usually go outside in the good weather like around the lake or toward Hagrid's Hut. However, what about a place where it wouldn't be easy to find her? Like one of the many secret places that Hogwarts has. Any of those come to mind, Albus, Victoria?"

Victoria looked at Dumbledore. Something had just come to her, but would they be there? Victoria sighed and shook her head. "Sir, I might know of a place or two. The room you showed me on the seventh floor? Or, there's a place on the edge of the forest that Beth and I found two years ago. It was a small cave where the lake meets the forest. You can't find it unless you know it's there." Perhaps that would be the place.

Albus looked pensive for a moment, thinking of all the secret places at Hogwarts he did know about. "I don't believe that Miss Spenser will be making any trips outside for a long period of time in the next few days. From what she's told me, she spent quite a bit of time out there this summer."

"I'm not quite sure of her reasoning for staying outside. I would have preferred her to come to me or you and ask for help. Perhaps that is something you can ask her when you talk to her. I believe you should check the room on the seventh floor, though if she doesn't want to be found, I'm not sure you'll be able to see her tonight. Still it's worth a try."

"I'm going there right now." Victoria nodded, closing her eyes as the feeling in her stomach came back. Ow. She couldn't even force the sound out. She shook her head as the feeling went away. She stood up slowly, but fell back into her chair. "Was this the same thing she was feeling last night, only stronger and more consistent?

She tried to stand up again, but her stomach was turning and she felt like throwing up. "Devlin, please...go get her?" She swallowed hard. "I don't want her to miss this."

Devlin's eyes were wide as he watched Victoria trying to get up. Is...Is she...Oh Merlin...Oh Merlin! He jumped up knocking his chair over. "Oops, sorry." He didn't bother picking it up. He knew Dumbledore would understand. He turned to Victoria to help her out of the chair.

"Don't worry about Beth right now, Victoria. You and the baby are the most important thing at the moment. Are you having the baby? I'm going to take you to see Madam Pomfrey right now before she goes to sleep. I'm sure Albus won't mind searching for Beth. He can make sure she gets to the hospital wing in time." He picked her up and carefully carried her out the door.

Albus nodded his head. "I believe that is something I can do, Victoria. If you are indeed having the baby, it is imperative that you get to the hospital wing as soon as possible. Devlin is correct in assuming that Beth will be present at the birth of your child."

The headmaster finished up what he was doing at his desk with a wave of his wand. Then he followed them out of his office and down the stairs. At the bottom, they parted ways. Devlin went left carrying Victoria to go down some more stairs to the hospital wing on the first floor, whereas Albus turned right to head down the corridor and up several staircases that would lead him to the place where he guessed that she would be staying. How he would be able to confirm her presence and get her to come out was something he'd figure out in due time.