It had been a couple of hours since Antonio returned from Sinistra Manor. For these last two hours, he had been deliberating on what his next step should be. For all his power, the feeling of helplessness he had felt back them was stinging him.
It seemed that the notion of power always being right was not fully justified. Or maybe just that power came wrapped in different covers. And to deal with this matter, the power he had needed was of a different cover.
For now, he had decided he would meet Edmund Bones the next day and discuss the matter with him. If necessary, he could ask Lord Bones to use his influence to help him in this matter. Or perhaps Amelia, as an Auror, could demand access to Aurora.
He was still churning these thoughts in his mind when a soft knock on the door snapped his attention.
Antonio raised his eyebrows. The only regular visitor he had was Bellatrix Black and she certainly did not knock so softly and with such patience. Moreover, not a long time had passed since they had parted ways. It was surely not her.
Antonio rose with a frown, his wand already in hand, ready for any eventuality. He pulled the door open just enough to create a narrow gap.
Visible through it was a middle aged man. Not someone Antonio knew, yet the face carried an uncanny resemblance to someone he knew. Someone he had just met. And that someone was none other than Raphael Sinistra.
Antonio pulled the door fully open, towering over the man.
"Lord Olario," the visitor greeted. His tone was tinged with anxiety and fear, his body posture stiff. He seemed fearful of something.
Now that the door was open wide, Antonio took in his full appearance. The man was wearing a hooded coat, clearly trying to conceal his face.
"You are?" Antonio asked, though he already had a guess.
"I am Drafel Sinistra," the man said. "Aurora's father."
"There is something I wish to discuss regarding her," he continued.
"Mr. Sinistra," Antonio mumbled. His guess had been correct.
"Can we… please take this inside?" Drafel added nervously, noting Antonio had not budged an inch.
"Alright," Antonio nodded, stepping aside to allow the man inside.
Antonio led the man into the hall of his house.
"Have a seat, Mr. Sinistra," Antonio said, gesturing toward one of the comfortable chairs, while he himself sat directly across from it.
"Thank you, Lord Olario," the man mumbled as he lowered himself into the seat. He let out a deep sigh of relief, as though only now allowing himself to relax.
"What is it you wish to discuss about Aurora?" Antonio asked patiently.
"About what has been happening to her and the trouble she is in," the man replied. At the mention of his daughter, the fear returned to his eyes.
"What happened to her?" Antonio asked, his tone growing colder with every word.
"As of now, she is absolutely fine," Drafel explained quickly. "There is nothing to worry about her for at least a couple of weeks."
"What is the trouble then?" Antonio asked. Hearing the man's previous words brought him a measure of relief, at least he had a couple of weeks to solve whatever problem Aurora was caught in.
.
.
.
While Antonio was busy listening to the trouble Aurora was in, Lily Evans had just received the third big news of the day.
As usual, she had woken early in the morning only to find a letter resting on her bedside table. She was surprised. She did not usually receive letters.
When she saw the stamp on the letter, it was another surprise for her. The letter was from Minerva McGonagall.
And when Lily read its contents, her surprise had turned into pure shock.
It had been about a week since she had filed two separate complaints against two different groups of boys. Each time she had enquired with Professor McGonagall if any action had been taken, she had been met only with disappointment.
After a week of silence, Lily had almost given up hope. She felt that the words Antonio Olario had muttered that day about Hogwarts and its inaction were entirely true.
But this letter had come as a surprise. It was a formal reply to her formal complaint against the Slytherin boys. The letter described in detail that the boys she had accused were found guilty of her charges. It then went on to explain the action taken against them and that part shocked Lily even more than the fact that any action had been taken at all.
She had never imagined the boys would be suspended, depending on the severity of their involvement. Lily had assumed that, at most, they might lose some house points or receive detention. Instead, there had been no deduction of points, but outright suspensions. It had been beyond her expectations.
The letter had also lit a spark of hope within her, that perhaps she would also receive a reply about her complaint against James Potter and Sirius Black.
The next big news came when Lily entered the Great Hall for dinner and picked up the day's newspaper. An attack on Bones Manor.
To be honest, Lily was not well versed in the politics of Wizarding Britain. Hogwarts offered Muggle Studies for witches and wizards, outdated though it was, but there was no equivalent Wizarding Studies for Muggle borns. Whatever understanding she had of politics came from her friends, especially Pandora and Alice.
But even with her limited knowledge, Lily understood that an attack on Bones Manor was no ordinary event. It was enormous. Tumultuous. Shocking. Earth shattering. And then came the final news.
After her first class the next morning, Lily stepped into the corridor to find Professor McGonagall waiting at the door. A small smile was plastered on her stern face as she handed Lily another letter. Then, without a word, McGonagall gave her a gentle pat on the head before walking away.
The letter was a formal reply to her complaint against James Potter and Sirius Black. Lily should have guessed something the moment she realized James and his entire group had been absent from class that morning.
The letter explained that James and his friends had been strictly warned not to approach her, neither directly nor indirectly. And that if they violated these instructions, they would face suspension.
The letter had been a genuine surprise for Lily. For the first time in a while, she felt her trust returning, back in Hogwarts, in Professor McGonagall, and in Headmaster Dumbledore.
"What is it?" Pandora standing next to her asked with a questioning gaze.
She was about to reply when another voice interrupted her.
"Lily," and a boy came almost storming towards her.
This boy was someone with whom Lily had hardly spoken in the last couple of years.
Bat faced, greasy hair and always scowling. Lily was never in favour of bullying or making fun of someone because of their looks, but she could not deny that the description was too appropriate for Severus Snape, who was now standing in front of her.
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