Waiting for the End- Chapter One
Most of the people in our school knew very well that our divination teacher, Professor Trelawney, was a right old fraud, excluding the giggling Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil. But, I promise you, Harry and I heard something real in the deep voice. Professor Trelawney had made a real prediction. I recalled it back to Dumbledore the next year, and he began to pace and mutter.
What Dumbledore knew was that Harry and I were going to need protecting, and me more than my twin brother, Harry. Then, Dumbledore had a stroke of genius, which he often had. Dumbledore needed a mission done, and who better was to do it than Isabella Lily Potter, who preferred to be called by her middle name thank you very much!
I was the perfect candidate for this, my metemorphmagus abilities meant that I could hide who I really was. I also needed to be sent away somewhere safe, and Lord Voldemort has not taken over America. Dumbledore needed to win over a coven of vampires, and here I was the perfect candidate.
I was sent to Forks when I was fourteen, while Harry was in the Twiwizard tournament. I lived with a man by the name of Charlie Swan, he was a Squib that Dumbledore knew well and trusted.
I changed my appearance to go, to brown hair and brown eyes; I especially liked my work on the brown eyes. I never knew I was a metemorphmagus until Hagrid came to tell Harry and me that we were wizards and witches. My hair had always been bright red, like my mothers. Dumbledore assumed it was because I was so miserable at the Dursley's that I never had the ability before. He also assumed that this was my natural hair color.
I needed to befriend the Cullen's and send reports to Dumbledore frequently; I never really expected to fall in love with Edward. I got a paper cut during my birthday though, July 31st, and the Cullen's left. I couldn't tell them who I was to make them stop. That wasn't part of the mission. So he left me while I stayed in the woods, alone.
I stormed back home, upset with myself, and my hair turned to tomato red and my dad's eyes, hazel-brown. In looks, Harry and I were almost completely opposite in our natural state. I looked like my mum, with Dad's eyes and Harry looked like Dad, with Mum's eyes.
I made sure Charlie wasn't with Harry, Billy, or any of his other friends before I entered the room. My hair was still red. "Bella… your hair is red."
"Yeah, I know, Edward left," I said and shifted my gaze to the floor. I looked up and he was giving me a look of sympathy. "I'm going for a walk," I muttered as I walked out of the house and slammed the door.
The grass was wet, as always, and I headed for the too-green forests of Forks. I walked through the woods and kicked rocks around and muttered a few swear words. Not only did I fail in my mission, I also lost my vampire boyfriend. How many people can say that?
It was darkening around me so I decided that it was time to turn around and tell Dumbledore about what happened. I turned around and felt a chill surround me. It was not just a blow of wind, but chillier. I knew the feeling. No, not here, they don't come here.
But they were here. Their black hoods surrounding me, there were two, floating around and sucking the life out of everything. I backed away and reached for my wand in my back pocket.
I brewed up one of my happiest memories, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" a silver mist-like figure of a frog sprout from my wand. The silver frog jump happily from silver-lily pad to lily pad and making slight splashes in the silver water.
The dementor flew backwards and disappeared from sight while I sent my patronus after the other dementor, sending him off and away from sight as well.
I was frozen in the woods for seconds while my heart pounded audibly in my chest. I came to my sense and sprint the other way, not even tripping once, because if you want to know a secret, I don't trip. I just thought it'd be fun to play a clumsy girl for once. But really, I'm brilliant on a broomstick…
When I ran to the house I pulled open the door and slammed it as fast as I could. "Bella, what's wrong?" Charlie asked.
"Dementors," I whispered with a frightened look on my face.
A tawny bird then came swooping in with a letter in its claws. Oh Merlin, oh Merlin, oh Merlin, this is not good. I opened it with shaky fingers.
Dear Miss Potter,
We have received intelligence that you preformed the Patronus Charm at seventeen minutes past eight this evening in a Muggle-inhabited area.
The severity of this breach of the Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery has resulted in your expulsion from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Ministry representatives will be calling at your place of residence shortly to destroy your wand.
As you have already received an official warning for previous offense under section 13 of the International Confederation of Wizards' Statute Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 9 AM on August 12th.
Hoping you are well,
Mafalda Hopkirk
Improper Use of Magic Office
Ministry of Magic
Charlie looked suspiciously from the letter to the look on my face. "What'd it say?"
"I've been expelled," I said, slightly above a whisper.
Another bird swooped in, tiny and fidget-y, then and landed on the counter. I took the second letter into my hands and read it.
Lily,
You have not been expelled yet. Stay in the house with Charlie and do not, under any circumstances, give up your wand. Dumbledore is sorting everything out.
Arthur Weasley
"What's this," Charlie asked referring to the owl that was fluttering around disgracefully in his kitchen.
"Must be Pig."
Charlie gave me an odd sort of look. "Pig?"
"Short for Pigwidgeon, it's Ron's owl."
"Oh, what's this next letter say?"
"It was Mr. Weasley. He said that Dumbledore is sorting everything out." I tried to sound brave, and it might have shown in my voice. I was scared though, horribly scared. I couldn't possibly be expelled from Hogwarts! My life was Hogwarts; Hogwarts was like my first home. My hair turned a light green.
"Bella… your hair…"
"Yeah, I know, it does that sometimes. I've tried to control it but sometimes it gets the best of me."
Yet another owl made its way through the open window and Charlie looked at it. "Thank God I decided to open that window," he muttered.
The next letter was from Sirius.
Lily,
Arthur just told us what happened. Don't leave the house again, no matter what you do.
Sirius
Why was it so important that I can't even leave the house? "I'm going to bed," I decided, although most likely I would not be sleeping any time soon. I could make an effort though, of lying on my bed and staring at the ceiling.
"I might as well also," he said as he put his hands through his short hair. "Night."
I climbed up the stairs, slowly, and got into my room. I plopped down onto the bed and sighed. This was great, because now I have more time to think, which is not always a good thing.
I tried to think good thoughts at first. I thought about my friends, Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Ginny, and my twin brother Harry. I haven't seen them since last March. Instead I've been running with the vampires, who left me. I never ever succeeded in my mission.
I made a mental list over my mission.
Things I learnt: how to make a good, fake American accent. Vampires don't love me.
Things that confused me: What is a Bieber Fever? Is it contagious? Is it dangerous? I must find out more…
Things I liked: Faking an accent is awesome…
Crash!
I jumped to my feet. That was no way Charlie making that noise, I could already hear his snores coming from down the hall and this sound sounded like it came from the kitchen. I drew my wand and crept out my room and down to the source of the crash.
"Put that wand away," growled a familiar voice. Professor Moody came out of the shadows.
"Professor Moody?"
"Yes, yes, that is me," he said in that same scratchy voice.
"Hello Lily," Professor Lupin said as he came out of the shadows following Moody.
"Professor Lupin," I cried gleefully and gave him a quick hug.
"I am no longer your professor now, just call me Remus."
There was other faces around that I didn't recognize but Moody said, "Get your stuff girl, we're leaving."
"This is Nymphadora Tonks," Remus said as he introduced me to a girl with shoulder-length teal hair and was only a bit taller than myself.
"Don't call me Nymphadora," she said as she glared at him.
"Nymphadora Tonks, who prefers to be called by her surname only."
"You would also if your mother named you Nymphadora. Wotcher Isabella," she said and smiled.
"It's Lily, I don't like my first name."
"See, she's not the only one!"
"Just help her pack her stuff," Remus sighed and rolled his eyes. I showed her the way to my room and I grabbed all of my wizarding stuff I kept hidden under some loose floorboards, in the closet, and in drawers.
"Wow, a Firebolt," said Tonks amazed. "I have a Comet 260 myself, but wow."
"Yeah, Sirius gave it to me," I said. She walked around my room while I grabbed my trunk and all of my needs for the school year. While I did so she took a look in my mirror. "I really don't think teal's my color," she said. She shut her eyes tight and her hair changed to a bubblegum pink. "Better," she sighed.
"You're a metemorphmagus too?" I was happy so my hair turned to golden.
"Ah, a fellow metemorphmagus, I think we'll get along just fine," she smiled at me. "Now let's get this stuff into your trunk." With a swoosh of her wand all of my clothing and materials fit itself into my trunk. "It's a bit sloppy, but I think we can deal."
I grabbed my trunk and my broom and made my way down the steps as quietly as I could. I'm just thankful that Harry kept Hedwig with him. Hedwig was the pet Hagrid gave us that we both shared. Besides, if I brought Hedwig with me, how was I supposed to explain a pet owl?
"Now, I've left a note explaining to Charlie and we are on our way to England," Moody said.
"How are we getting there?" I asked Moody.
"We're riding a Pegasus to England," he said sardonically.
"Really? Those don't exist, do they?"
"Of course they exist; you just breed unicorns and birds."
"We're taking a Pegasus then?"
"No," Moody barked with a slight laugh. "Now, the Ministry is tracking everything, we can't risk making a portkey, Floo Powder is out, and those damn metal birds take too long. So we're left with brooms."
"We're riding brooms across the ocean? We'll never make it!" What was Mad-Eye thinking? We can't ride broomsticks across the ocean!
"Oh, we will make it. Now, Lily you will need to stay behind Tonks and everyone else knows the formation. If one of us is to die, we are to stay in our ranks. Do you all understand?"
"Is that likely to happen?" I didn't want people dying. I could just take a metal bird if needed. They really didn't need to go through all this trouble for me…
Mad-Eye Moody just focused both of his eyes on me and looked away, without answering my question. I gulped. "Get into formation," he barked at as all. He got into the lead while the rest of us made a V like geese travelling south for the winter. I was in the middle of the formation, with people on either side of me. I mounted my broom and waited for the count-off.
With a salute from his head he kicked off, and the rest of us followed his lead as we bounded into the night sky. I got farther away from Forks, where I met a coven of vampires and fell in love. They didn't want me anyhow from my understanding; I'm most likely better off without them. I've got friends, my brother, tons of people to turn too. I'm not a girl who was independent on them entirely; I'm my own person.
Flying in the night sky was nearly the best thing imaginable. You were just above the entire world; all the little problems and fights from down below weren't real. It was just you, the beautiful night sky, and Mad-Eye barking directions at you continuously, which puts a slight damper on the mood.
"THE LEFT, GO TO THE LEFT!" All of our brooms would swerve to the left to match Mad-Eye's mad driving. We went to the right, up, down, he also suggested to all of us to try some zigzaggedness. We did too. He's really paranoid, but I guess that's what happens when you've been an ex-auror and made so many enemies and they are all out to get you. The only bad thing about this paranoid stuff is that I want to be an Auror someday; I hope I'm not that mad.
Then, we were over the ocean as it was splashing beneath us and Mad-Eye stopped barking so many orders as no boats were to be seen. It was just a peaceful ride, peaceful while everyone was shivering in the robes and frozen to their broomsticks. We had an entire ocean to go.
There was a boat under us as we were flying maybe a half-hour, hour, who knew, and Mad-Eye yelled out, "GO THROUGH THE CLOUDS!"
Tonks responded by saying, "ARE YOU MAD, MAD-EYE? WE'RE ALREADY FREEZING AND AREN'T EVEN TO LAND YET!"
"GO THROUGH THE CLOUDS!" Moody repeated and we all had to comply. We flew through the clouds, and trust me; it's not the cotton candy sugar cloud that commercials and cartoons tell you they are. You can't lay on it and day-dream. No we went through it and it was like jumping into water in December. Not very pleasant, Tonks was right; we were all even more freezing now.
In fifteen minutes time we made it to land, but where on the land was a complete mystery. We could be anywhere, going anywhere. I didn't even know where we were going, The Burrow, maybe? I think I may just kill someone if they make me go to the Dursley's.
Fifteen more minutes and we may have gotten somewhere, yet we might have not. Who really know? I was so tired, I just wanted to get wherever we were going already. I could practical feel my hair turning less vibrant. Yeah, I could feel my hair losing color. Tonk's bubblegum pink hair was slightly less pink and a lot more chewed-gum like.
Okay, I don't think I've ever been on a broom this long. In all my years, maybe once or twice I would have liked too but never again, especially not across oceans and continents and it's already kind of late. But abruptly Mad-Eye made a dive and the rest of the formation followed suit as he barked more orders on what to do. I can't believe how he seemed just as alert as he was back in America as he was now. It's bloody unbelievable.
Finally, we landed and in front of us were strikingly similar buildings; we were standing in front of a space between eleven and thirteen.