Scotland. Seems a perfect place , lush gardens and wide rivers. Friendly people and they speak English as well. May sound like a description from a touristing mag, which it rightly should. Forbe's Scotland 1997 provided that description for me. I jumped on my cardboard box of a bed and reached over for my beloved diary. As I did I couldn't help but throw a blatantly jealous glance over at my room-mates large bed.
I had performed a rather clever 'diffindo' spell on my Forbes mag when I started at Drakes, and replaced its insides with clean paper. I felt absolutely horrible when I ruined my mag, but I needed a cover for a diary didn't I!"Day 1" I read back to my first day at Drakes two years ago
"Things here are awful. Everybody knows about my great grandmother and how she faught with that Potter. Despite the fact that my parents disowned her and her beliefs just before she was killed, I have to sleep on this awful box without a mattress. The rest of the true blooders as they call themselves sleep on huge lush beds.
"Its awful outside, I hear the screams of mudbloods and muggles every night. Before coming here I wasn't sure how I felt about the issue. I was never truly given a chance to decide, it was society's way when I was born. Mudbloods Purebloods. We had to hide the fact that we had a mudblood grandmother, even though our grandfather was pureblood. But after hearing those screams every night, after listening to the pureblood drivel I have to deal with, I know how I feel. I'd get killed for thinking, or saying it, but I can't help how I feel.
"Foolish of me to write it in this journal where anybody can read it, that would be me screaming outside. But I don't care, my little piece of rebellion, writing it down. I'll deal with the consequences as they come."
It was downright stupid of me to write it out, but the screaming was very bad that day, a lot of muggles were found hiding in the sewers. I shuddered as I remember and felt goosebumps on my arms as I switched to my last entry.
"Dear Diary,
"I can't believe I still haven't figured out what the necklace my Grandmother gave me is for! I've been trying so hard to figure out its purpose, but no spells have worked! I'm getting very nervous, she told me to find out before my fifteenth birthday and thats tomorow. I was born at midnight, the start of the day, which more specifically gives me one day and six hours to figure it out!
"I hope everything will be alright if I don't figure it out. She was part of the Order so it might be a tool to fight Voldemort. I'm hoping it isnt, but at the same time a part of me hopes it is.
"I don't know if I'd be too much a coward to actually use it. I know I'd resign myself to it eventually, but would I make things worse? The Granger name is already in ruins, despite my beliefs would I be able to still live in peace, semi peace at least, after it takes place.
God I hope not. Things need to change."
My one day had passed, I had exactly five hours until the clock struck midnight. Nervous, I stuffed the diary back under my mattress and took a deep breath.
Stay calm, I kept telling myself. I knew it was useless. My grandmother was the brightest witch of her age, not only that but she was a very important person in the fight against Voldemort. Harry Potter had almost succeeded in killing him.
What if he had, killed Voldemort, that is. Would he have become as powercrazed as our teachers tell us he would?
I scoffed, disbelieving it. When I was younger, my grandmother would tell me stories about the Great Harry Potter. I've forgotten most of them but I do remember one in particular.
Flashback
My grandmother had always had bushy hair, she stopped trying to tame is after Harry died. She and my grandfather Weasley lived in hiding with my parents for a year or two before they were both killed. I remember the day she told me this story about Harry and his first time on a broomstick. I don't know why that story was the most important to me. Maybe it was the way my Grandfathers eye twinkled as he recalled the incident with a remembrall.A more likely reason would be the way I connected with Harry. I loved to fly, I was an amazing seeker, but I was always shunned at games and by team members so I quit the Drake's team after my first month; only after setting a couple records first though.
I remember how I sat on my Grandmothers lap, and buried myself in her chest. She was quite a healthy size, as my grandfather used to say.
Her old brown eyes would crinkle when she laughed, revealing her crows feet. The laugh would be evident everywhere in her face, but in the coloured portion of her eyes. Only sadness and troubled thoughts were ever evident in there. After the story was over I dowzed off in my Grandmothers lap, not yet asleep.
"Should we really put this on her?" My grandfather asked. I stifled my curiousity and stayed still.
"We must." My grandmother responded, and my patience wore off. I bounced off her lap, scaring her into putting her hand over her heart. My straight red hair flitted around my face as I turned between my grandmother and grandfather.
"Come." My grandfather said, reached out his arms to me. He had a fake smile on his face, I wasn't young enough to be able to diffrientiate between a genuine smile and anything else at that age. But looking back, I don't remember a time when anybody over the age of 10 geniuinly smiled. Except of course death eaters as they make a kill.
"This is for you." My grandfather took off the necklace he'd worn for years and put it on my neck. "Your grandmother made it." My face broke out into a smile and I fingered my newest possesion. It wasn't of the greatest make, but it was beautiful in my eyes. It had a plain silver chain with a stick attached to it. I fingered the stick lightly before my grandmother called out in warning.
"Thats a piece of your grandfathers old deluminator. It used to belong to Albus Dumbledore." She explained. "Its your personal job to keep it secret, keep it safe until your Fifteenth birthday when you can wear it openly." I nodded, not questioning the cryptic instructions. Everything was cryptic in our house, growing up with two Order members and two Death Eaters in the same house proves to be that way.
That was one of the last times I spent with my grandparents before my parents turned them in. My mother, my grandparents daughter, was their secret keeper. She betrayed them to Voldemort after only one year....and they wonder why I don't like making friends.
I forced my thoughts away from fruitless memories and snipes at my parents towards the task at hand.
Its a stick on a chain. I fingered the deluminator. Its a part of a deluminator on a chain. I raised the 'stick' to eye level and, running out of options, attempted to stare it down.
It has lost some of its bright blue colour of the years, it was now a dull grayish blue. Maybe thats because its usage time was almost up, or maybe its time was almost here.
"Stupid, cryptic" My curse was lost when the door to my room was flung open and Helixia Black walked in.
"Talking to ourselves are we?" She said, in a hellaciously proper voice for a teenager.
"No Helixia, I was singing." I muttered, slyly knocking my journal to the space between the wall and my bed. Helixia flipped her horrid blond hair and stared at me disprovingly. She tsked tsked and turned her back to me. She was wearing our school kit, black and red plaid skirt that reaches our knees, mid thigh in her case, and a white button up shirt. Helixia proceeded to change out of the perfectly comfortable school uniform and into one of her awful 'casual looks' as she called them. I had never seen the point, they didn't look casual to me at all. Shorter, and tighter yes, but not in the least bit casual.
"Your not going to your Fifteenth dressed that way are you?" She asked, keeping her voice light and airy meanwhile doing a very bad impersonation of a Brit. Most students, people, aimed to be more like Voldemort and his original Death Eaters; consequently a really annoying fad had taken place in which you try to speak like a Brit. I rolled my eyes at her and did my best impersonation of a Brit as well, amusing myself as the time past.
"Well I don't know about you," I began, I smiled at Helixia's sharp intake of breath, she hated my flawless accent. And rightfully so. 'Don't deserve what you don't use.' Is what she said to me when she first heard it. I shrugged off my foolish pride and continued. "but I don't see the point in the school governors assigning a uniform if they didn't believe it was good enough for such occasions."
Helixia snorted. "Shows what you know." She muttered, dropping the accent.
"What was that?" I asked, dropping my accent as well.
"I said." She did her imitation of a Penguin squeaking words in a 'British' rhythm. "You're quite mistaken."
"Quite." I agreed, standing up after tucking my necklace under my shirt. "Now, I'd rather not be late." I said fixing my bed before I walked out the door. I turned back at her one more time, unable to help myself. "Just so you know, fall colours totally clash with blond hair." She scowled at me, scandalized but quickly threw her choices back in her closet and searched for new ones.
Placated at disturbing Helixia's peace, I walked down the monotone white halls of Drakes, towards the Ballroom. Fifteenths were pointless. I had to sit in the middle of a huge hall, surrounded by World Governors, all who were descendants of the first death eaters. They read out the inducting rights and ceremoniously took off my trace.
Load of bullocks because your trace comes off whether or not you agree to the 'Code of Conduct'. I didn't think I would agree, not that it would matter. My grandmothers necklace might kill us all before then. I walked through the halls and smiled, remembering my Grandmothers description of Insane Asylums in the nineties.Very much alike these halls in front of me.
Not a student was in the hall, all were no doubt fawning over a Black, Malfoy, Lestrange, Crabbe, or Goyle. The most presitigious of all death eaters. I walked slowly down the hall and finally reached the Ballroom. I was lying when I said I might be late, I still had another two and a half hours to go. I opened the door and peeked inside, making sure it was empty. I found my way to the solitary chair in the middle of the room and plonked myself right on top of it.
The room was meant to look intimidating, to most students it would. To me, I think I had finally resigned myself to my beliefs. I wouldn't swear to a code that didn't agree with them. They'd probably kill me, but that was better than listening to those screams every night, even though ever day there were less people screaming. Maybe tommorow I would join them.
The sick thought filled my mind and I was surpsingly devoid of sorrow. I wasn't sad or angry as I should be. I felt proud of myself. I knew I was doing what the Weasley name meant. I didn't want to carry my fathers name anymore, Nichole Zabini was not what I wanted to be called for forever. Nick Weasley was more to my liking. Time flew buy as my impending doom crawled closer. I had even forgotton about the task my grandmother set me. Nothing would matter when I refused.
A pop filled the large room and I saw one of the board members take his seat. Draco Malfoy was the first to arrive, it was rumored that this blonde haired murderer had a strained relationship with his wife and took every chance to run off. I fleetingly made eye contact with him.
"Weasley?" He asked, spitting the name out. I didn't think so early would be a good time to make them upset, especially how in just a half hours time I would spit upon their beliefs. I bit back a smile and looked up at the scowling man. He would be pretty handsome without that look of disgust on his face. I shook my head, my hair falling in my face again.
"Zabini." I answered, looking back down.
"Blaise is your father?" He asked me skeptically.
"Yes." I replied. "Married my mother when he was 65." Disgusting really. But it produced me so I tried not to bad mouth the marraige.
"Hm." Malfoy said, quite unintelligently. "You take after your mother." That was the last thing he said until the other board members showed up, and I waited for the drill to begin. I kept my eyes fixed pointedly on the wooden floor until I was addressed by the head board member.
"Nichole Zabini. What form does your animagus take?" Xerxes Lestrange called. A bit of a narcissitic name for a child, but I had more important things to worry about. I looked up and nodded, answering 'dog' , knowing what was next. "The first part of your Fifteenth is for you to display an adequate knowledge of the history of this Reign. Under the Dark Lord. Begin."
"When the Dark Lord was a young boy. . ." I began reciting the biography I had been forced to memorize my first weeks at Drakes. Our generation was expected to know everything about the Dark Lord, every battle, every win. I tried, and barely won, in keeping my voice level and my eyes devoid of emotion when I began discussing Harry Potter and his two accomplices. I wanted to say heroes but that would end the celebrations too early. I didn't near the end until about ten minutes later of straight speaking.
"When Harry Potter turned twenty-one, he foolishly" Bravely "attempted to fight" damn near won. "Against the Dark Lord. He lost and over the following years the rest of the resistance was killed, resulting in the perfect society we live in today." I looked off the floor and met the eyes of Lestrange, knowing which questions followed next.
"Good." A squeeky voice called to the right, it was accompanyed by a pasty, chubby face and horrible pink dress robe. "Recite the Conduct." Because of her close placement to Malfoy, I assumed her to be his infamous wife Pansy. I nodded and began.
"The code requires that we keep the earth untainted with the filth that used to run amock. The code requires us to keep mudbloods out of schools and keep muggles in work camps. The code requires us to praise the Dark Lord-" I continued mechanically listing the requirements of the code and while my mind debated over whether or not I was a fool for my decision. All I had to do was say 'I adhere to the rules of the code.'
and I might lead a semi-peaceful life. That wasn't good enough for me, I couldn't be a coward and ignore the screams of innocent people. I knew what went on in those work camps and I couldn't even pretend to agree with it. I felt my resolve build up with each requirement I listed. By the last two requirements I was staring each of the board members in the eyes, unnerving them. "And the code requires that I always adhere to the heirarchy of bloodlines."
"Do you, Nichole Celestia Zabini agree to these requirements?" Xerxes asked, in a bored voice, already anticipating the same answer he'd been receiving for years. All board members were distracting themselves, with the wall paper, the pannels on the floor or their nairs in Pansy's case, except for Malfoy. He was watching me warily, as though expecting resistance. I met his eyes when I felt a stir on my chest. Something was happening with the necklace, but the rush of adreniline I was experiencing at my decision caused me to ignore it. I pulled my stare from Malfoy to Xerxes.
"Well?" He demanded. I smiled, smirking at the man as I opened my mouth to answer.
"Hell no." I said defiantly. All board members neck' snapped over to me and Xerxe's stood up yelling.
"You insolent child, this means death for you-" He's threats were lost in the whizzing I was now experiencing in my chest. I disregarded the bloated man in front of me and pulled out my necklace. When I looked closely at the deluminator I noticed a scene playing out in it.
A field of grass, with a large lake in the middle. School children were happily playing all around its edges and I smiled. Just like Scotland. I thought, I closed my eyes one last time. The necklace wouldn't save me from the fate I had just sealed for myself. But my I felt my chest swell with pride as my hand tightened around my necklace and I opened my eyes.
I fell in shock, I wasn't in a chaotic Ballroom full of bloodthirsty boardmembers. I was in the picture that was in the deluminator. Am I in the deluminator?
"Oi." A voice called. I ignored the voice and continued my silent rantings.
What the hell happened to me? Had I not figured it out in time? Was I stuck here forever? My grandparents wouldn't try to hurt me, this had to be a safe place. I concluded and stood up to pace around the grass trying to figure out what happened.
The only conclusion I could come to was that I was in the deluminator, my eyes snapped upwards when a pair of feet interrupted my pacing and I followed them to a blonde haired boy, who looked remarkably like Malfoy. I stepped backwards shocked.
"Who are you?" He asked. I didn't respond, my grandparents were a part of the order, I thought think its best if I dont say anything that might later incriminate me.
"Oi." A slightly shorter dark haired girl asked. "He asked who you were." I appraised her pale, pretty face and their matching school kits. Their accents were quite nice, almost believable. But I still refused to partake in the silly game.
"Take me to your headmaster." I demanded. Their mouths fell open, the boy recovered quite quickly but the girls mouth remained wide until I spoke again. "Is the task too straining?" I had learned it best to always act superior, people tend to believe it.
"Who are you to talk to us in that way." The boy asked, incredulous. No doubt he was a Malfoy.
"Are you a pureblood?" I asked him in my most condescending tone.
"Yes!" He cried, indignit at my accusation.
"Of course." The girl hissed, finally getting over my words, or my using my regular accent can't tell which yet.
"Than do as I say and take me to your headmaster." I hissed back staring her down intimidatingly. The girl broke away from my gaze and nodded at her friend. The boy merely scowled and walked away from us. I kept my eyes on the raven haired one and walked behind her as she walked towards a large castle at the end of the field. It was beautiful. I instantly recognized it as the school the Dark Lord attended. Only much more beautiful, the fields were well kept and full of children.
We walked passed a group of quidditch players and I let out a gasp. Quidditch was illegal unless a board member was present! I quickly scanned the area and saw none around, the kids looked so carefree that I wondered for a moment if Hogwarts was above those rules. I watched the players, my eyes lingering on a beater. He had black messy hair and was watching me walk past, he was hit by a bludger on the head before he could wack it away with his bat and I let out a small laugh as a boy that looked strinkingly like Harry Potter swooped down onto him, yelling incoherently.
I hurried to catch up to the girl and we were soon inside the building. It was large, and colorful. Brown-like brick walls with statues and paintings cluttering every inch. The place fascinated me. The paintings were freely conversing with each other, and even as we turned the corner into a stairwell the paintings still filled the walls. They stairwell was immense, stretching as far and tall as the Drake building had been. The stair cases were moving, switching places, and I hurried to stay a step behind the girl at all times, lest I get caught on a moving staircase.
The girl skipped a step, and I followed suit, rather than experience why she did so. She scoffed when she saw I hadn't stepped on the step and I realized it must be a trick step of sorts. We quickly turned another corner and stopped in front of a gargoyle.
"This is his office." The girl said, finally stopping and turning around. I looked around the hall and back at her questioningly. "Beyond this gargoyle. Its password protected so I can't tell you how to get in." I nodded at her, not wanting to say thank you and sat down on the floor by the Gargoyle, waiting for someone to come and open it. The girl had not yet left, she stuck out her hand and I think she expected me to shake it. I shook it, reluctantly, not wanting to make friends, yet not wanting to make enemies.
"I'm Bellatrix Lestrange." She said in her deep voice, I frowned. It wasn't normal for pureblooods to recycle names. Thats why they were known for such wild and long names. Bellatrix Lestrange was the name of one of the original death eaters. I figured it was a nickname and didn't give me own name. I might be expected to be somebody else after speaking with the headmaster. She scowled at me, admiringly, and turned away when she realized I wasn't going to give me name.
I was glad when she had left, I needed time to think. Should I trust this headmaster? I wondered to myself. Should I even stop to see him?
I must have sat, deliberating for hours until a voice interrupted the silence. I stayed still, hoping that if it were just a passerby they'd miss me.
"Honestly." A male voice said, once again with an accent. "You'd think we'd only get points off for fighting Snape." Weird, I thought to myself, the Snape line was killed when Severus showed his true colours.
"Its only Dumbledore." The other male said, and I froze.
Dumbledore
Snape
Bellatrix
Okay, Bellatrix and Snape may have been a coincidince but how many Dumbledores are there? What had her grandmother gotten her into? I forgot about the approaching feet until they were standing right beside me.
"You waiting for Dumbledore?" The Harry-Potter lookalike from earlier asked. I nodded, still too shocked to speak.
"Are you new?" The other asked, it was the one who was hit with a bludger. Both were still in their school kits. I just looked away, not knowing what to say.
"This is Hogwarts, right?" I asked not quite sure of anything anymore.
"Yes." The lookalike said, as though I were daft. They spoke only after a moment, presumably in shock that I was speaking regularly.
"Whats the date?" I ignored his implications on my intelligence.
"September 15th, 1977" The beater answered. I was floored, of course I couldn't show this. I pointed towards the gargoyle.
"Password?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even.
"Oh- uh what was it again?" The hazel eyed Potter version asked.
"So much for team captain-" The other rolled his eyes. "Lemon Drops." The gargoyle sprung to life and inched to the side where I wasn't sitting. The beater held out his hand to help me up, I ignored it and got up myself, pushing ahead of them to run inside the office.
This was too off.
The decorations of the office consisted of representations of each founder of Hogwarts.
"This is all prohibited." I muttered, feeling my insanity slipping. "Is he trying to get killed?" I picked up the first item I found then stuffed it under a pillow. "Gryffindor?" I cried in surprise. "This is asking for murder!"
"Whats wrong with Gryffindor?" A defensive voice called from the door, and I regained my composure. I inwardly cursed myself and remembered that being caught in an office decorated with items from the various houses of Hogwarts would only be expected from someone who refused the conduct.
"I'm dead either way." I groaned and sat on the nearest chair. The two boys stayed by the door and exchanged whispers. No doubt about me, but I couldn't spare a thought at the moment. All of mine were being used up. At that moment, a figure emerged from the door in the right side of the room and all of our next snapped towards it.
"Ah, hello." The voice said. I felt my heart stop at the site of Albus Dumbledore. He had always been a hero of mine, the only one, other than Potter, with a chance at taking the Dark Lord down. I fell of the side of my seat when I saw him.
"Dumbledore?" I asked, not believing in my site.
"Yes, may I ask who you are?" He wondered aloud waving off the boys as he did. "You two are free to go. But stay away from hexing students in the future." I was too busy watching Dumbledore to see the two boys' reaction, I heard the sound of the Gargoyle moving and realized they left.
"Sit." Dumbledore commanded. "I sense a story." I smiled, remembering my grandparents descriptions and nodded. I sat in my seat and pulled out my necklace.
"Maybe you can tell me what I'm doing here." I said, showing him his deluminator.
"Is that?" His voice trailed off, He adjusted his crescent glasses and scooted in closer to me. He was no where near as old as my grandparents described him, he was only in his fifties it seemed, yet as wise as what I expected. "Yes it is. How did you get it."
"I believe I'm a time traveler sir." I began. "You see, you gave this to my grandfather, who gave it to me. They set it to do something on my Fifteenth birthday and here I am."
"Ah. This deluminator not only takes light, but transports you to where you need to go." Dumbledore explained. "A master piece of my own if I say so myself." I chuckled at his bluntness. "Your grandparents probably deactivated it until you reached fifteen. But why must you come here?" He asked
"I think its obvious." I said. "To change time. I'm here to join the order." Dumbledores face dropped and he shook his head.
"No. You're much too young, just turned fifteen today, according to your story." Dumbledore said.
"You know its the truth, your a legilimens!" I cried. "Why else would I be here?"
"Tell me about your time." Dumbledore said. "Your obviously here to change it, so we shouldn't worry about that."
"The Dark Lord kills thousands each day." I started. Hanging my head, "The Dark Lord is the lord of all whether they choose it or not. Muggles live in work camps, along with mudbloods. Blood traitors are killed, like my grandparents."
"And you?" Dumbledore asked
"I was no doubt marked to die." I admitted. "Each witch or wizard is asked to pledge allegience on the eve of their fifteenth birthday. When I was asked, I said no."
"I don't believe those were your exact words." He answered. "But I and your grandparents are, and would be, proud nonetheless." I smiled at his words, feeling a tear fall on my face. "You still are too young to join the order. You must finish out your schooling and join at the end of this year. I trust you know about this era?"
"Yes. " I answered nodding. "But let me help you prevent attacks by telling you of them if I can't fight."
"You know of his attacks?" Dumbledore asked, disbelieving.
"Yes, we're forced to memorize them in third year." I said, smiling. "Used to think it useless then."
"Indeed" Dumbledore said, "Suffice to say I shall allow you that but only from time to time. Too much information can be dangerous." He warned and I nodded. "Do you know how things work at hogwarts?"
I nodded. "Shall I attend here then?"
"Where else?" Dumbledore stood and pulled an old hat from the top of a cabinet. "Sorting hat will sort you." My mouth dropped as I reached out to touch the stuff of legends. The sorting hat was very legendary in my time, I touched it tenderly and gently placed it on my head. In only a fraction of a second the hat screamed 'Gryffindor'. Whispering a too easy in my head before Dumbledore took it away.
I felt a smile spread across my face. A real one, which was rare, as I thought of how proud my grandparents would have been.
"I take it you're happy with the choice?"
"Couldn't be happier." I admitted. Dumbledore waved his wand and two school kits appeared on the table, along with a school bag full of books.
"You'll be taking regular classes I assume?" He asked, I nodded fervently and he pointed at the items he conjured. "Your uniform, your books and a bag. I'll have clothing in your dormitory for you by tomorrow morning."Dumbledore fixed his glasses and fixed his gaze on mine. "It is imperitive that nobody know anything about you. What is your first name?"
"Nichole." I answered.
"Nichole, you shall pretend to be Nichole Prewitt, niece to Fabian and Gideon Prewitt. They are both graduated and are trustworthy enough to hold this information. They are also both members of the order." He continued. I felt apprehensive, but I needed a cover. "Also, you are a transfer from America, your parents have passed away because of a muggle illness. Yes you shall be a muggle born transfer." I nodded, knowing that even in this time purebloods watch their bloodlines. "I'll fetch a student to take you to your dormitory." I watched as the formidable man got up from his seat and walked towards the fire. He threw some floo powder into the fire and said "Gyffindor Common Room." He stuck his head in the fire and I caught spurts of conversation.
"Hello again James, I was hoping to speak to Lily." Dumbledores musical voice said.
"She's out Headmaster, what do you need."
"The student you saw earlier is a transfer, and needs somebody to take her around."
"Be right there Headmaster." Dumbledore stuck his head out of the fire and made his way back to his desk.
"I must leave you know and inform Fabian and Gideon of the latest addition to their family." He winked at me, and I smiled back. "Please note my office is always open to you." He stood up and put a shoulder on my hand before walking out. "The boy thats coming to fetch you is a nice one, people of this time are different." He stepped back into the side office and I gathered my stuff to walk outside. With difficulty, I balanced my two school kits on my arms, along with several textbooks. I wore my school bag regularly and barely made it out of the gargoyle's threshold when the books began toppling over.
"Woah there." A voice sounded and I turned to see the two boys from earlier, accompanyed by two others. The closest one to me, short and pudgy grabbed my books first, stopping them from falling. The other two each grabbed a school kit and stood beside me.
"Thanks." I said sheepishly. Not being used to the word.
"James" The hazel eyed one said. And my eyes glazed over with recognition at the men that were marked for death. The werewolf, the traitor, and the brothers. I knew them by those names. I watched as each one said their names.
"Sirius."
"Peter." I held back a swearword when this one said his name. He hasn't done anything yet, I reminded myself,maybe I can stop that.
"And I am Remus." The last said, I nodded at the man that was lynched for his condition. He would have been killed anyway for being on the order, but the crowd couldn't wait for the Dark Lords approval, and killed him as soon as they could. It was an awfully barbaric thing to do, and I had to bite back words of encouragement as I realised I wasn't supposed to know about him.
"Nichole." I said, hesitantly, remembering Dumbledores words of trusting others. "But you can call me Nick."
"Gryffindor eh?" The one named James said.
"Yeah. Proud of it." I answered, not holding back a smile.
"Spoken like a true Gryffindor." Remus said, smiling.
"Why did you transfer?" Sirius asked and I remembered my story.
"My parents died, so I came to live with my two uncles." I would have to meet these men I called my uncles, I decided, soon.
"Sorry about that." Peter said, along with Remus and James. Sirius remained silent.
"About what?" I asked, for a minute wondering what life would be like if my parents really died. "They weren't much." I admitted. I felt Siris's gaze flit over to me, but I stared at the ground as we walked towards the Gryffindor Tower. The boys continued conversing, occasionally trying to include me, but I was lost in my thoughts.
"So what year are you?" Sirius asked me
"fifth." I answered, looking up for the first time in a while. "You?"
"fifth" They all chorused.
"We'll take you to your classes tommorow, if you'd like." Sirius offered. I nodded and smiled as we reached a large portrait.
"I'd like that." My stomach growled quite loudly, but all I wanted to do at the moment was go to bed.
"Are you hungry?" Peter asked, I wondered if he was always slow.
"No Wormtail her stomach always growls." James said. "We'll walk to you the kitchens." I smiled but shook my head and held out my hands for my things.
"No thanks, I really just want to got to sleep." I said, they complied, piling my things back on me and pointing the way into the girls fifth year dorm. "Thanks alot." I said, getting more comfortable with every use of the word. I made my way towards the stairs, ignoring the looks I was getting from everyone in the common room. It was quite a big roomy place, same as what I imagined. Decked in gold and maroon, just like Grandpa's descriptions. I made my way through the halls, reading each door for my name until I finally found a plack reading, N. Prewitt, underneath the names R. Diggory, H. Spinnett and A. Longbottom. I opened the door softly with my foot and walked inside.
"Hello?" I called out, praying it was empty. I let out a sigh of relief when nobody answered me. I ran over to the bed in the farthest corner with my name on it and plopped my things on the floor beside it. I quickly closed the curtains around my bed and jumped in, pulling the covers on as well. Needless to say I was asleep before I could finish my thought.
I opened my eyes, very hesitantly. I had been dreaming about adventures I could never have actually had. Really, Scotland? I scoffed at myself. No doubt a product of whatever heinous tortures the Dark Lord has ordered me under. I sat up very slowly, as though I was in one of those contraband Tom Cruise films and red lasers were going to give away the fact that I was awake.
After successfully, yet awkwardly, positioning myself back on my feet, I peeked my head through the curtains.
It was admittedly nice for a torture chamber. No doubt he tortures us, makes us feel better, and then tortures us again. I thought. I looked over at the three beds to my right and sighed with relief to see that they were full. Curtains were covering the recovering bodies and I walked over to the door.
I must have been a right idiot to put my hand on the handle because when I set my hand on the doorknob I felt an odd burning sensation so I quickly let go. Too late though, my palm was periwinkle blue and the colour was quickly spreading to the rest of my body. It had reached my right elbow before I finally let the breath I was holding out and realized no death eaters were gonna run into the room and punish me.
"Some security" I muttered. I dug in my pocket, foolishly hoping to find my wand and was relieved to feel the familiar six inch dragon heartstring birch. I had always loved my wand. Despite the fact that it was the cause of much teasing at Drakes. These days, the bigger your wand the bigger of a person you are. Six inches isn't all that big at all; especially not when your roommate has a wand the size of your forearm. It was small, but sturdy. Sort of like me, not pudgy but not breakable. I kissed my wand and held out my arm in front of me. I unbuttoned the cuff of my sleeve and rolled my sleeves up to my shoulder. The blue was now reaching my colour bone. I lazily flicked my wand onto my wrist and muttered "Finite Colouris" and watched as the blue quickly retreated towards my wrist and then disappeared. I let my sleeve fall back towards my wrist,
Why would a Dark Torture (A wizard Jail) have colouring knobs as a security measure. Seems more like a childish prank to me. Could my dream really be true?
Yeah and that must have been the four's (Marauders) prank. I thought sarcastically. It's foolish to let yourself believe in dreams really. I sat down by the door and leaned my head against the oak. I lifted my legs and bended them at the knee, hugging my shins.
I really can't believe it's taking those damn death eaters so long to come up here, surely they must know that I'm out of bed by now. Or maybe their just trying to instill me with false hope. My thoughts cluttered around my head. I wonder if they're not keeping watch right now. My head jerked up and my legs streched out flat as an idea came to me.
"Horusi" I whispered and swished my wand, I watched as golden numbers crawled out of the tip of my wand. '2:30am'.
Its not that late, maybe their busy drinking, or torturing muggles. I decided. I stood up and put my hand back on the knob, expecting another burn but felt none. Must only be the first person that touches it a night. I decided, and walked out. The hall was wooden-walled, floored and ceilings, decked with red carpeting and golden framed paintings. I silently prayed that the paintings would not wake up and give away my position. I felt a small movement against my knee and looked down, my skirt had a loose thread but I didn't want to stop to fix it, so I shortened my skirt. pulled off the thread and walked on. I walked on until I passed my first door, as I did a devilish thought came to mind. What would be the harm in helping others escape? I mulled over the idea as I pulled my sleeves back. Absolutely nothing. I flished my wand at every knob I encoutered, which were quite a few. I must have muttered Finite Colouris abuot thirty times before finally coming across some steps. Taking a deep breath, I held my wand, and head high and walked carefully down the steps.
"This is too weird." I whispered as I took in the beautiful room. It was gorgeous, high ceiling, beautiful decorations, and a large open fireplace too my right. I walked over towards the fireplace and sat down on the floor in front of it. Basking myself in its warmth. I scooted backwards to support my back on a couch and spread my legs out in front of me. I then proceeded to do what I always did when lost in my thoughts. My wand pointed at my hair, I flicked it every two seconds and changed its colour, from its natural Weasley red, to blond, orange, deep ginger, crimson, brown, black, every naturally existing colour really. I always did this until I came to a decision on whatever conundrum held my thoughts at the moment. Whatever colour I landed on, was what I stuck with for the day.
Things were always so monotonous at Drakes, I had subconsciously developed a need for change, for excitement. When I was not subtely ruining the lives of my sorry pure-blood maniacs for classmates, I was changing my hair length, colour, cut and texture. It always help me to relax, I would have done it before my fifteenth if I hadn't known the reaction the governers would have had to a black and red headed Nick Zabini walking in.
My thoughts drifted from my fifteenth to what occured afterwards. I strained my mind to remember as I watched the fire crackle. My eyes trained on a certain flame, I remembered meeting a man. He wasn't old, far from it. He was in his late forties I would assume. Long hair, crescent glasses and a regal- Dumbledore!! I remembered. Why was I remembering meeting a man that had died 30 years prior? Was I also dead? Had I been murdered by that god-awful Xerxes?
"uggghhh" I moaned and rolled my head backwards onto the cushions of the coach. "Why me?" I closed my eyes and proceeded to recite what everyone at home would be doing in the case of my prolongued absence. The governors would either display my body, or say that I never showed up for my fifteenth,
"Helixia's probably happy. Maybe by now she's realized her clothing isn't magically getting too big or too small during dinner." Maybe somebody else has taken over changing the colours of boys boxers before they escort a girl into their room. I mused before continuing. "Mom and Dad are probably happy. Especially father,'best anniversary gift ever'." I imitated his baritone voice. "'Honey don't be sad. She's just like her grandparents she was." I muttered, returning to my regular soft voice. "I must be going insane, honestly talking outloud?"
"They say its the first sign of insanity." A boys voice called from the stair case on my left. I jumped up, honestly I must have leapt two feet, but I didn't bother trying to protect myself. The boy looked about my age, too young to be a fully-fledged death eater. Also I had already resigned myself to being dead.
"Just a matter of time before I start dressing weirdly and insisting everybody call me 'Auntie Muriel.'." I smiled inwardly, remembering the tales grandpa used to tell me about my great-great Aunt. The boy sauntered towards the sofa closest him, it was to the left of the couch I was leaning on. I climbed onto the couch before me and made myself comfortable on it's far right end. Wanting to ask a million questions about the place I was in.
"You've already got the blue and black hair." He said smiling. He had brown-blond hair and deep brown eyes.
"What's it like here?" I blurted out, not caring that I was normally the most uninquisitive, untalkative person there is, I mean honestly I'm dead, shouldn't I be able to live a little.
"Its really great." He said smile fading a bit. "I've had the happiest years of my life here."
"Shouldn't you have had the happiest years of your life before coming here." I asked.
"You would think that, childhood being the best part of anybody's life. But my life hasn't always been the usual." The boy said and he looked down on the ground. I let the silence carry on, I was used to silences. I loved silence actually, it was the sound of inane unnecessary chatter that really irked me. The boy seemed to appreciate silence as well as his gaze fell towards the fire soon after mine.
I guess dead isnt so bad. I thought. At least the people are nice.
"I'm Nick." I introduced myself. looking away from the fire.
"Remus." He said, "We already introduced ourselves remember? Earlier today, or yesterday now I guess." He performed the Time charm and the letters 3:00 seeped out of his clock.
"What?" I said, my voice barely audible. "You mean-" I could feel my face turn red, as I scrunched it up in concentration. My wand hand reflexively went towards my hair and the colour began to change as my thoughts were lost on whether or not yesterday had also been in death-land, or I really was in 1977 Hogwarts.
"Are you-" The boy said, "Blimey! Your hairs changing colour!" I didn't even aknowledge that helpful comment and allowed myself to work it out, all that made sense was that this was deathland. I then remembered how my grandparents gift brought me here. They wouldn't kill me, would they? I released my death grip on my wand and looked at the boy, who was watching me with interest.
"Is this really Hogwarts then?" I asked
"Yes it is. Do you want the date then too?" He said, joking. I nodded, but when his face fell, surprised I quickly rectifyied my mistake.
"Just kidding." I said weakly shrugging.
"Well your hairs back to normal." He touched his own hair.
"Mm." I nodded. " I do that when I'm thinking hard." I grabbed a lock of my own hair and looked at it. "I don't even know when I do it anymore."
"It's gotten longer as well." Remus muttered shaking his head at my craziness.
"Aren't you tired?" I asked, in a horribly obvious attempt to get some alone time.
"Yes. I expect your not, you've been asleep since two."
"Still on American time." I explained.
"Figured, but my room-mates, you met them, are pranksters." Remus sighed "Whenever they've pulled off a prank they can't stop talking about it. Theyre upstairs right now recovering from their latest. I'll just sleep in tomorrow."
"The coloured door-knobs?" I asked
"See your not blue, how'd you do it?" He wondered. I looked up at him and ran a hand through my hair.
"I'm a whiz with colour charms." I shot him a smile, still euphoric about being in Hogwarts.
"So I see." His brown eyes were dancing with a new idea. "Might you be able to deactivate all the colour charms?"
"Already have. Why?" I wondered, shouldn't he want to prank the world with his friends?
"I'm a prefect you see," Ahh, I hate prefects! At Drakes, it was always the ones with the purest lines that got the job, despite whether or not they deserved it. But, remembering where I was and how different time is, I let him continue. "I should do all I can to keep them in line."
"I understand." I said smiling. We turned our gazes back at the fire and let the silence envelope us. I had to work hard to control the smile that was threatening to permenantly take over my face. I had never been this happy and I wasn't used to it. It was kind of a scary feeling, but I loved it nonetheless. Voices wandered through the halls and we caught the sounds of laughter coming from the left side dormitories.
I looked up at Remus and he shook his head.
"Speak of the devil-" He said, his words were cut off by the raucous laughter that took over the once quiet room as three of the boys from earlier walked down the stairs.
"Honestly, I wish Evans' was still in the dorms. Blue would go wonderfully with her hair!" The pudgy one said, watching his friends nervously waiting for their laughter. He relaxed when the one named James shot him a smile.
"She looks good in everything." James said, and the boys walked over towards Remus. They glanced over at me but pointedly ignored me as they talked to Remus. The pudgy one sat down on the couch beside me and still didn't say anything. I felt a bit hurt, but I was used to this kind of behaviour from the prats at Drakes.
"Hey Remus, feel free to go to bed. We're staying down here for a while." The black haired one said. What was his name? Sirius.
"Na, I was having a nice conversation with Nick." Remus answered, and I could feel his gaze on me. I was watching the flames again, as though they weren't even in the room. I looked back at Remus and sent him a smile, he visibly relaxed when I did, obviously worried that I would be angry at his friends rude behaviour. Sirius turned to me and smiled.
"Sorry love." He said, "Didn't see you." It was so obvious that he had seen me I didn't dignify his words with a response. I merely rolled my eyes and stood up.
"Remus, I'm going to go explore the school for a bit. I'll see you around." I said and made my way over to the painting, as I did I became aware of the fact that my skirt was still shortened and I extended it as I walked around one of the couches.
"Nick, you're not allowed out of the dormitory after ten." Remus explained.
"It's okay, I'm new. I'll just say I don't know that." This brought me a pointed look from Remus and grins from the rest.
"Why don't we take you around." Potter said. "I'm a team captain so I'm allowed out after ten."
"It's three am." I explained. Wondering what could spur these boys to ignore my existance one minute but offer to help me out the next. "I'll be fine." With that, I pulled open the portrait and walked out. I controlled my expression until I turned right out of the dormitory. As soon as I was out of site, I let my furiosity take over my face.
I was used to being treated that way, but that was by choice. I chose to isolate myself from those losers at Drake. But these guys purposely ignored me until they chose to acknowledge me. Maybe it was just my ego, but I had never experienced a guy not trying to talk to me! Vain, I know but I used to use my looks to help me out at Drake. I had learned to use every skill I had to help make life bearable. I wasn't a slut, nothing close to it. I had only kissed one guy, my first boyfriend in my first year at Drake.
I spat at the memory of him. Back when I was impressionable, it was his rant's on his bloodtraitor relatives and pureblood mania that made me realize what I really believed.
I lit my wand as I turned a right around avery dark corner. Despite the blackness it still felt warm, something I would need to get used to.
I pictured my grandparents and my great godfather running around these halls. How they met facing a troll, how they would sneak out at night. I tried to imagine how these halls looked in the day, full of students. From what I gathered Hogwarts had a huge student population, twice that of Drakes. But never in the history of the school has it ever had a new student.
Love being the first. I thought, I cringed when I realized what this would mean for me. Tommorow, I would not be able to ignore the student population and live in peace like I normally did. I would be forced to speak to dozens of overfriendly kids. I would be the commodity.
Why didn't Dumbledore just let me join the Order now? My education wasn't really important! I knew Dark Magic that hadn't even been invented yet. Death Eaters wouldn't pose too much of a threat in fighting me. I had even been trained by my Grandpa in earlier days.
What was making him force me to go to school? Morals; he was always a very moralic man. But can't he look past my age one second and bend the rules a bit?
I saw a lighted hallway behind a door and walked through it, the stairs I had climbed yesterday still had all their torches on. I stepped onto the staircase in front of me and mindlessly walked down the stairs. When I reached the bottom of the stairs a slight snoring nose woke me. I jumped, startled, and looked around to see nobody there.
"Hello?" I called, my voice echoed through the vast stairwell. "Who's there?"
"Shut up child." A gravelly mans' voice groaned from right behind me. I jumped again and turned around, facing a wall. A painting of an old man in blue Elizabethean robes glared up at me. I poked the painting to see if I was dreaming.
"Really now, thats not very mature." A shrilly voice called from the right of the painting, I pulled my gaze off the glaring man and saw no other painting.
"Who said that?" I asked
"She did!" The man said, now aggravated. A smiling young lady with a pink gown and brown curls stepped into the painting from the right edge. I breathed a sigh of relief to know I wasn't crazy and watched in amusement as the lady layed across a loveseat in the back of the painting.
"Never seen a painting dear?" She asked me, and I shook my head yes.
"I've seen loads, it's just none of them speak anymore." I mulled over the thought. "They haven't for years."
I realized how the Dark Lords reign had effected everybody, even those that arent truly alive. My resolve to fight him grew stronger.
"My, where do you live?" The man asked, sitting up. His glare was replaced by a look of interest and I shook my head.
"Thought you were tired?" I teased and turned around after waving at the little people.
I walked through the closest doorway and strained my eyes to see better. Even with the light of my wand shining I still couldn't see further than two feet around me. I sighed and stuck my wand back into my skirt pocket. I closed my eyes and willed my body into my canine shape, breathing deeply as the comfortable form took me. My feet always changed first, quickly followed by my legs.
If I were to open my eyes I would see the room shrink and feel my upper half get heavy, until my neck and head changed the same time as my torso, my arms always changed last. I stretched out my paws and yelped in joy at the clearer sight before me. I trotted through the hall and continued exploring as my mind wandered.
I began to wish that my grandmother was here. She loved transforming into her animagus form, an otter. Her and my grandfather used to visit lakes and watery area's as they transformed to play. Being Animagi was rare in my grandparents days. For my generation, however, it was practically mandated. There are always those who have no hope of ever transforming, but the vast majority of children learn to transform before graduating magical school.
I learned when I was 11. It was an earlier age to learn. Most learn during their fourth or fifth years. I didn't think anything of it, just that I was around animagi when I was younger.
My thoughts then wandered towards the insufferable boys I had encountered earlier. It had been becoming harder to believe they were pointedly ignoring me. Maybe in their excitement to play a prank they simply did not see me.
And I'm the queen of Scotland.
But I am in Scotland, soooo it could happen, right?
