"He's eight months old," I told Minerva McGonagall.

She nodded and lokked down at him curiously. She's asked, but I had a feeling that she already knew.

"So..." I said, deciding to change the subject away from my sleeping baby. "Do you know why we're here?"

"Yes," she said shortly. "But I'm not at liberty to discuss it."

Just as she spoke, Dumbledore called us into the living room to begin the meeting. I picked Harry up put of his pallet we'd created on the floor and took him to sit with me next to James. I smiled down at him and watched him sleep soundly until Dumbledore stood and began the meeting.

"Now as many of you know, things are getting worse," he started grimly. "I've recently heard of a six year old boy that was sent to Azkaban for killing his parents and older sister. The ministry is cracking down on all of these cases, despite the use of the Imperius Curse... and they're doing it in all the wrong ways."

My mouth fell open. As I looked around at everyone else's horry-stricken faces, I couldn't help but to notice that someone was missing."

"James?" I hissed. "Where... where's Dorcas?"

He seemed to have noticed the same thing. His eyes searched the small crowd slightly, but it was to no avail. She wasnt' there.

"Which brings me to some more bad news," continued Dumbledore. "Dorcas Meadowes was murdered by Voldemort personally last night. For months now, she's been leaving and working undercover in his league. She was discovered and killed shortly after. She left a letter though, and I believe that she knew this was going to happen. She asks for us all to not be discouraged, and that this will rather encourage us to fight harder. She also said... she said that she loves us all, and good luck."

****

"How are we just supposed to sit back and take this?" I asked frustratedly, throwing Harry's bottle on the counter with such force that it exploded and milk splattered the countertops.

James wet a rag and began to clean. "Don't take it out on the kitchen, honey."

"Whatelse am I supposed to do?"

"Tell me if you're more worried about fighting or Dorcas dying."

"She didn't die; she was murdered."

"I guess it was the ladder then," he pointed out and pulled out a chair for me. I sat down and he rested his chin on the top of my head. "She was a good woman. She didn't deserve to die... but she died how she wanted to. Fighting for the good."

"Did she tell you that?"

"Yeah, she did. Dumbledore also showed me the letter she wrote after you were gone... she said that she'd been captured and couldn't be happier. Knowing that she'd seriously pissed them off put a smile on her face."

I couldn't help but to laugh a little. "Really?"

"Yep." He kissed my cheek and sighed. "I love you, Lil."

"I love you too, James..."