Disclaimer: Everything you recognize is by J.K. Rowling.
Looking back on it all now, I wonder if I would ever do anything different. Would I make a different choice, would I not stop the next spell? Would I choose to stand up for what I believed in? Going through everything that happened I decide that I would. There was always going to be the hard parts. The pain was always going to happen.
The things that you couldn't change you embraced, and the things that you could chance, you tried as hard as hell to defy the reality of what you'd been given.
1-The Final Straw
So I'm pretty sure that it's safe to say that Kingsley was tired of the pair of us, almost as soon as he got us back. The remaining school jitters, had Luka and I on the edge of our seats, and our stories were endless, each one more absurd than the last. At least in my case all of them were true.
By the end of story time Kingsley was shaking his head so much, that I was afraid that it was going to fall off, and I didn't even tell him the best stuff that we promised each other that we would keep secret. The summer was dragging by fairly slowly. I was sending letters back and forth from my friends with Dionysus, but I'd only heard from Ron and Hermione so far.
Not a single letter has come from Harry, and I've sent him countless ones in return, some of them not very nice. Of course Luka has been able to get in touch with all of his friends, and that was grumble worthy enough for me, but that may just be because, I was stuck inside that day for a torrential downpour that hit our side of the country.
Some days we went and spent our time at the Dumbledore estate. Things with Ariana and I have gotten better, but they're still not the greatest. She still enjoys getting on my nerves, and I grudgingly accept that she still has the power to annoy me.
I couldn't believe it but I had finally found a down side about Hogwarts. It just made the breaks and going home just seem that much lamer. I had never really thought of my life before as dull, but now that I'm stuck in my house with two goody-goody brainiacs I'm going crazy!
Ron has been writing about getting his mum to invite Luka and I over for the rest of summer break, and I couldn't be more excited for that to happen. As much as I do love Kingsley he's hardly ever around, and what's a girl to do with all this free time on her hands and no adventure to be seen.
That is as long as the adventure doesn't involve evil three-headed demon dogs, and men who have two faces and no hair between the two of them. So that's how I find myself in the enormous library on the Dumbledore estate. I swear one could go in one day, and not be seen for a week.
They may even have they're own café somewhere in the bowels of this beast. I think that Luka has died and gone to nerd heaven. It's not even like he's never been in the place before, he's just that big of a geek. I heave a great sigh, and slump against the window that I'm leaning against. It's a perfect day outside.
The sun is shining, and there's literally not a cloud in the sky. We should be outside running around the estate, or at least flying around on our brooms. Its not like any muggles are going to see us. Professor Dumbledore has this place cloaked from their view.
It's just my luck that Luka finally decided to stick up for himself and demand that we spend the day in the library. He also of so subtly mentioned that I should be focusing on my work. I may or may not have schoolwork for over the summer break but can you blame me for wanting to put it off.
I sigh again, and the youngest Dumbledore's head pops up from the book she's looking at. An amused look graces her face, and my scowl deepens. Besides the regular annoying that she insists on doing, she's still been very vague and mysterious about everything that went on last year.
"So Ariana, are there any dangerous or frightening things that are going to be at Hogwarts this coming year?" I ask, shoving all thoughts of tact out the window. Ariana jumps startled by my question, and even Luka manages to come out of his own head.
"What do you mean?" She asks a nervous shake to her voice.
"Oh nothing just evil three-headed dogs and murderous teachers? I mean your grandfather isn't going to use the school, as a new high security bank vault is he? I mean I know that Snape is scary, but I doubt even he can stop a dark wizard." I state, glaring at her slightly.
"I think that Jamie has a fair question Ariana. I don't mean to be rude but all of that stuff did happen last year. Jamie and Harry Potter almost died. That's not something to be taken lightly." Luka states. He runs a hand over his face. Ariana is biting her lip looking between the two of us like she's not sure what she wants to do.
"Gee thanks brother of mine, I can really see that you care about me." I snip at him in sarcasm. Luka rolls his eyes at me.
"Well it would be a lot quieter if you weren't around, but what would I do without having someone to bug me constantly?" He demands. I growl at him, and shoot my fiercest glare his way.
"Okay, okay no blood on the books. Grandfather wouldn't look too kindly at that. I'll tell you what I know as long as you promise not to kill each other." Ariana intervenes. She levels a look at the both of us. I slump back into my seat while expelling a loud breath of air. Luka closes his book and folds his hands in front of him, all of his attention on Ariana.
She sighs, and slumps back. "It's nothing dangerous, well at least it shouldn't be too dangerous." She starts. I'm instantly on edge, what's going to be going on at the castle next year? Is it something worse than Quirrell with old Voldie's head on the back of his?
If so, I don't think that my heart can take it anymore. One run in with him has already left me with little resolve to face him again. "What is it?" Luka demands starting to get fed up with all the dramatics leading up to this moment.
"Well since what happened to Professor Quirrell, Grandfather has had a hard time getting someone to apply for the post of Defense Against the Dark Arts. Since no one of reputable quality would accept the job, he had to go with the only applicant that he had." Ariana states, there's a morose look creeping onto her face.
"Come on Ariana this person can't be any worse than Quirrell, he literally had the devil growing out of his head!" I exclaim throwing my arms wide, knocking over a pile of books. Luka glares at me and grumbles under his breath that someday, my lack of respect to the written word was going to come back and haunt me. I roll my eyes, but keep my focus on the Dumbledore in the room.
"Well… he's not bad in the sense of evil, more like bad in the way of… incredibly full of himself and as daft as a doorjamb." She clarifies, clearing her throat with. It takes me a moment, but dread starts to flow through me. She seriously can't be talking about who I think she is.
"Who? What? What is it?" Luka demands seeing the horror-struck look on my face.
"For being so smart Luka, you can be exceptionally dim at times." Ariana tells him, laying her hand on his arm. I glance at the interaction between the two, and watch as my brother's ears heat up from the contact between the two of them. I scoff in disgust for an entirely different reason now.
"Seriously it's Gilderoy Lockhart? Couldn't we have just trapped one of the mountain trolls out in the country, and let them teach the class. At least they'd kill us on purpose!" I shout pushing to my feet, and pacing to the window. Couldn't I catch a break?
How could I expect to learn anything at this rate in that class? I need to learn how to defend myself. I'm not going to leave Harry that unprotected again. I need it for my brother and myself as well. If I had learned anything from the end of last year was that grownups aren't willing to go easy on you just because you're kids.
"No that can't be! He'll ruin my grades! How would I be able to face anyone in my house again? I'll be that first ever student to be kicked out of Ravenclaw? Where would I go then?" Luka groans, his head hitting the desk. Ariana runs her hand on his back calmingly.
"Please I don't think they kick you out of your house based on your grades. If that was the case, then Neville would have had to been put in a house all by himself." I state holding my head in my hands.
"Jamie that's not nice!" Ariana snaps at me. I heave a sigh and spin around to face her.
"I'm not being mean Ariana, I'm just stating a fact. Most of the school knows this and Neville does himself. I like the boy truly, but we both know that's the case." I defend my actions slightly. This is all too much to process at once. I can't believe that Professor Dumbledore is letting that git be my professor.
Maybe he doesn't remember what had happened last time. My family happens to run in the same circles that Lockhart happens to be apart of. I don't know how he got there exactly. I know that he's supposed to be famous at being a dark magic fighter, but I haven't seen any great performed by him ever.
One day we were all in a banquet hall for the presentation of wizarding awards. Kingsley was providing security for the event, and Dumbledore had promised to watch over Luka and me along with Ariana. Well to entertain ourselves, we were playing a game of exploding snap in the back corner away from people.
We were told that we were allowed to play as long as it wasn't that loud that it would disturb the adults. Well I had managed to get both of my eyebrows singed off, and Lockhart had happened to be walking by at the time. Luka was laughing at me, while Ariana was telling me that I looked cute without my eyebrows.
Lockhart had immediately offered his assistance in the regrowth of them. Kingsley had made his circuit back around to us, and tried desperately to dissuade Lockhart, but the man insisted. So with a toss of his magenta robe, he muttered a spell, and my head started to feel dizzy.
Once the world righted itself again, I promptly throw up, and broke out into a fever. Kingsley had pushed Lockhart aside, and started murmuring the counter spells for what he had ended up casting. He had cast a concussion spell on me instead of an eyebrow regrowth one.
Kingsley was the one to regrow my eyebrows in the end. Since that day, the three of us have been wary of the man, and have discovered that he happens to be a bigger dunce than we had originally thought that he was. I swear that I have no idea how that man ever happened to do all the things that he writes in his books.
Luka has never read his books and he's the biggest bookworm that I know aside from Kingsley. "Please tell me that your grandfather is just joking. He loves to kid around with us. Or maybe you just misheard him!" Luka pleads for this not to be the case.
Ariana just bites her lip and shakes her head ruefully. I let out a groan and fall against the window. "So not only is there going to still be Snape now there's going to be Lockhart as well. Gee this year couldn't get any better." I mutter under my breath.
Just then the fireplace across the room we're in the flame light up green. Kingsley comes out of it coughing slightly, and dusting soot off of his robes. "Kingsley!" I cry jumping to my feet. I dash over to my guardian throwing my arms around him tightly. I almost knock him off his feet with the force of my hug.
He chuckles and wraps his arms around me. "It's good to see you too Jamie. It feels like it's been months." He says softly. I nuzzle my head into his shoulder more. I don't want him to leave again. It has been forever since we've had a few days alone now.
"What's up Kingsley? I thought that you were still working?" Luka asks, coming over to the two of us. I reluctantly pull away from him, and stand next to my brother. Kingsley smiles at Ariana and turns his attention back to us.
"Well the case that I'm on has just gotten a new development and it's going to take me out of country for a while. I'm sorry guys, I know that you wanted to hang out some more, and I have as well, but summer is starting to wind down. Now I won't be leaving you alone." He starts. The smile slips off my face.
I can't believe that he has to work again. "Well where are we going?" Luka asks setting his face straight like the news doesn't bother him at all when I know that it actually does.
"I've been in contact with Arthur and Molly Weasley a lot in the past few weeks. Apparently their son Ron has been adamant about you coming over to spend time there for the rest of the summer. Now I didn't want to intrude, but Molly assured me that two more kids would be no problem for her." Kingsley informs us.
Immediately some of the pain and sadness that I had originally felt started to melt away. I was going to get to spend the rest of my holiday break with my friend who I had hardly seen this break so far. A smile begins to form on my face. I can't believe that I'm finally going to be able to get away from the library!
Luka didn't look as thrilled about this plan as I did, but I chalked that up to him having to actually leave a library. So with that we said farewell to Ariana and promised to see her again when we all went shopping for school supplies.
When we got home, we packed all of our stuff and put them in our trunks so that we would be ready for school when summer ended.
Kingsley gave both of us a handful of floo powder and I stepped into the fireplace after by brother disappeared into a puff of green smoke. I got in and threw my powder at the ground calling out, "The burrow!" vanishing myself. I hated the feeling of spinning out of control that comes from transportation by floo system.
Suddenly the world righted itself again, and I'm stumbling out onto the mat in front of the Weasley's chimney. A hand reaches out and stabilizes me. I turn my gaze up, and I'm greeted with the sight of a madly grinning redhead. "Blimey Jamie it's good to see you again!" Ron cries, wrapping his arms around me in a hug.
I look around the Burrow, and notice Mrs. Weasley taking care of my motion sick brother. I swear that you can't take him anywhere. I wonder what's going to happen when we learn how to apparate when we're older? Ron starts pulling me by the arm into the kitchen that's connected to the living room.
I spot my favorite pair of redheaded twins sitting at the table, hunched over and whispering about something. "Okay we're all here now." Ron says in a hushed tone, pushing me down into a seat next to George. Fred grins at me, and George places a hand on my shoulder.
"Glad to see you again Jamie. We've been missing our partner in crime. Wait till you see all the pranks we've come up with." George smirks at me. Ron glares at his brother.
"Anyway, we can finally pull off our plan now." Fred says, giving his twin a pointed look, but I can still see the mischievous glint in his eye.
"What's going on? Why do you need me exactly?" I demand in a hushed tone, for Mrs. Weasley's voice is getting louder and closer.
"Well Dad happens to have procured a muggle contraption called an automobile, or as more up to speed people call it a 'car'. What mum doesn't know is that he enchanted it, so that the car can fly." Ron interrupts his older brothers. They both throw a muffin at him from the basket that's on the table. Ron only shrugs and takes a bite out of the one that he managed to catch.
"Don't worry dear, I know a tonic that will set your nerves right in just a jiffy!" Mrs. Weasley's voice comes from right near the kitchen. She walks in, and her worried look is replaced with a beaming smile seeing me sitting at the table. I get up quickly so that the motherly woman can squish me in a hug.
I smile into her shirt. This is why Luka doesn't mind being fussed after. We haven't had a motherly figure to look out for us since we were three. That's a long time to be going without one when you're only twelve. "Jamie dear it's wonderful to see you again, my I swear that you and your brother have shot up like weeds just like Ron!" Mrs. Weasley exclaims holding my face between her hands to get a better look at me.
I grin at her softly. Luka and I have always been taller for our age. I'm beginning to get to her height, but then again Mrs. Weasley happens to be a little on the short side. "It's good to see you too Mrs. Weasley. Thank you for letting us stay here for the remainder of the summer." I thank her.
She only smiles at me, and tuts that I expect too little from people. With that she let's me go, and hurries back to making a potion for my brother. I can still hear him moaning from the other room. I sink back down into my seat next to George and the four of us wait for Mrs. Weasley to leave the room again.
As soon as her apron flicks around the corner, Fred begins speaking again. "Okay mates it's time to employ operation rescue Harry from wherever the hell he may be!" Fred whispers excitedly. My eyes widen in shock at his statement.
"How in Merlin's Beard are we going to do that?" I hiss back at them. George grins at me, and the other two boys follow along.
"Weren't you listening to little Ronniekins a little bit ago? We're going to fly to him that's how!" George beams. I feel my stomach churn a little at the idea of taking a flying car with people who are too young to be able to drive it. Heck we have no idea how to even operate a muggle car.
"Come on Jamie, we're doing this for Harry. Don't you want to help your best mate out?" Ron asks me. I bite down on my lower lip. He's right. I don't know what Harry's going through right now, and what kind of a friend would I be if I let him sit there and suffer like that?
"Okay does anyone actually know how to fly a car, let alone get to Surrey?" I question. Three blank dumbfounded looks mirror my own. Oh, this is going to be fun.