A/N: PLEASE DO NOT READ THIS UNLESS YOU'VE READ ORDER OF THE PHOENIX
COMPLETELY!!!
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone except Rowena.
It had been fourteen long years since Rowena Flintwood had seen her beloved friend, Sirius Black. Ever since Sirius was sent to Azkaban, though she, Remus Lupin, and Albus Dumbledore were quite sure he was innocent, Rowena ran to a small wizarding community in Nepal. Why did she run? Sirius was all she lived for, and there wasn't a chance he'd leave Azkaban.
Another reason was that Voldemort's followers had found out she was part of the Order of the Phoenix, and a comrade of hers, Severus Snape (imagine that!), had tipped her off about the Death Eaters. He was, after all, somewhat of a double-agent for Dumbledore.
So she ran, far. In the foothills of Nepal were runaway wizards and witches, all wanting some spiritual guidance, some hope, some safety from their lives. Some were Nepalese, some Tibetan, some Indian, some from her native England, and some from the rest of Europe. She almost never used her wand for anything out of the ordinary, just simple spells.
Soon, she started meditation for weeks at a time. Somehow, it gave her visions out of the extreme concentration. All the people she lived amongst wore saffron robes, did mantras, meditated, ate simple meals, lived humbly, and tried to forget complex, modern life.
One day, she had a vision of a raven flying from a small black cage. A year later, she saw the same raven fly into a larger, silver cage, amongst other birds. Another year had passed, she saw the raven flying until it was thrown off by a vulture and bitten by a venomous, large, black snake.
The visions bothered her so, to where she could not sleep or eat. She was disturbed, frightened. Her heart had broke when she had the last vision. Tears flowed freely, and she had no idea why. "What happened?", she thought.
These visions ruined her peace and comfort in the small village of magic. She could not forget, nor could she find solace
A woman by the name of Menakshi asked, "What's wrong, Rowena? What leaves you so troubled?"
"I've got to go, Menakshi. I've got to go back. No questions please."
"What?!"
Rowena shook her head. She really didn't care if anyone missed her. Rowena changed into jeans and a T-shirt, so as not to look conspicuous. She packed her belongings quite swiftly in a small bag, her mind swarming in theories and ideas about the visions. Somehow she had gotten to the conclusion that they concerned freedom and death. She concentrated heavily, clutching her wand in one hand, her bag in the other.
She Apparated to a field, a mile away from Hogwarts. It was a mildly warm July evening. There were no students, she knew well. She walked up to the castle-based school of Magic, her favorite place of childhood.
"Dumbledore. . .", she thought, "He must know. . . everything. . . "
She walked through the doors, throughout the halls, everything became reminiscent. . . James Potter giving Slytherins sour looks, Sirius at his side grinning recklessly, Remus smiling slyly, keeping his mouth shut, and Peter Pettigrew, the coward, shyly bringing up the rear.
"Where's McGonagall's office?!", she wondered, "She'd understand. . ."
Her memory ran through her mind, like a bunch of spiders climbing vines. She knew where to turn and everything, smelling the slightly musky rooms on the way. Rowena finally came to a door with Minerva McGonagall, Professor of Transfiguration and Head of Gryffindor etched in golden lettering.
She knocked at the door, heard a crisp, cool, distinct "Come in.", and she followed the command. She loved Minerva's voice, so commanding, so "take charge".
"No wonder she never got married.", she thought humorously to herself.
Rowena walked in and found a stressed McGonagall looking over O.W.L.'s results, and swore she heard her mutter, "Go Potter! 'Can't be an Auror. . .' what nonsense!". McGonagall looked up, and nearly fell out of her chair, her eyes round. She found a place for a remembering smile, and said,
"It's been a long time, Ms. Flintwood. How have you been? When did you get back? What are you doing here?"
"Professor McGonagall, I need to see Professor Dumbledore. I have no time to talk. I just Apparated from Nepal, and. . .", she faltered, and didn't know how to explain, "It's urgent. . . I've had some sort of vision. . . please don't roll your eyes, I'm no Sybill Trelawney, just let me see him."
McGonagall got up and came closer to Rowena, looking at her like a hawk would. She asked quietly,
"Flintwood, what is this about?"
"I don't know. . . I think someone's died."
McGonagall blanched white, she bit her lip, and looked away for a second. She put her hand on Rowena's shoulder and silently led her to the entrance of Dumbledore's quarters.
"Don't let it true. . . please?", Rowena thought, "May it be me just worrying over nothing. . ."
"Fizzing. . . whizbee.", Minerva uttered softly.
Rowena followed her former teacher up the ever-spiraling steps to Dumbledore's office. Rowena stared. His office was as opulent as ever. The portraits of former headmasters snoozed without a care. She stepped up to his desk, while McGonagall silently left, which was very unlike her.
Dumbledore looked up, his eyes weary, his blue eyes vacant of the spark they once had, his grey hair frazzled, his half-moon glasses low on his crooked nose. He gave his former pupil a sad smile, full of the burdens he carried and the trials of heart he must've faced recently. She gave a weak smile back, empathizing somewhat, feeling great remorse for what had broken her headmaster's spirit, this man's hope.
Rowena was the first to speak.
"Times haven't changed much since I left, huh?"
"Sit please, Ms. Flintwood."
She sat, slumping into the chair, praying to whatever force there was that everything was fine, but knowing that everything was wrong, chaos filled this place.
"Didn't Harry rid the world of Voldemort?", she asked, in some sort of dark humor.
Dumbledore didn't laugh.
"In the Fourteen years you were in Nepal, things have changed, Rowena. Voldemort has returned. Harry Potter was first to witness him. He's escaped Voldemort five times, including when he was an infant. The Death Eaters, well most of them, have been placed in Azkaban, if they weren't caught the first time. Or if they broke out recently. The Ministry tried to cover up and pretend that Voldemort wasn't reborn, that Harry was lying for attention, that I had lost my grasp on reality. Now they know.
"The Order has reformed, and so have Voldemort's followers. We are preparing for a war, Rowena."
He sighed heavily, obviously tired of all that was occurring before his eyes. He then looked at Rowena curiously.
"What brings you here?"
Tears were in her eyes, once again. She felt so foolish: her, a Seer?
"Honestly,", she thought, "Divination was always something baseless and idiotic to you! Now you think you've been having visions, premonitions, signs?"
"Professor, during my meditation, I've had some visions. You're not Professor Trelawney, but I think you'd have a much better idea."
Again, Dumbledore smiled.
She narrated every detail of her vision, from the raven's look in its eye, to the vehement way it broke free of its cage, and the snake's cruel finishing blow.
Dumbledore was now in deep contemplation. He looked to her several times, and she knew he was picking up on her frustration and worry.
"Rowena, what are your thoughts?"
She looked down, feeling ever so silly about something she might've imagined. However, she managed to speak.
"Well. . . it concerns death I'm sure. But who's? That is the question, right?"
Dumbledore nodded.
He looked to her again, as though dissecting her every feeling, and replied,
"Rowena, you haven't heard about Sirius, have you?"
Her heart stopped. It suddenly made some sense, and that's what hurt her the most.
"Not Sirius. . .", she thought, "No, not my Sirius. . ."
"Tell me, Professor Dumbledore. Tell me everything."
So is it good? Bad? Questions? Comments? Anything weird? And if someone could beta read for me that'd be great. . . Oh, btw, someone PLEASE explain the whole "Door of Death" and veil thing. I might've read thru it too fast.
It had been fourteen long years since Rowena Flintwood had seen her beloved friend, Sirius Black. Ever since Sirius was sent to Azkaban, though she, Remus Lupin, and Albus Dumbledore were quite sure he was innocent, Rowena ran to a small wizarding community in Nepal. Why did she run? Sirius was all she lived for, and there wasn't a chance he'd leave Azkaban.
Another reason was that Voldemort's followers had found out she was part of the Order of the Phoenix, and a comrade of hers, Severus Snape (imagine that!), had tipped her off about the Death Eaters. He was, after all, somewhat of a double-agent for Dumbledore.
So she ran, far. In the foothills of Nepal were runaway wizards and witches, all wanting some spiritual guidance, some hope, some safety from their lives. Some were Nepalese, some Tibetan, some Indian, some from her native England, and some from the rest of Europe. She almost never used her wand for anything out of the ordinary, just simple spells.
Soon, she started meditation for weeks at a time. Somehow, it gave her visions out of the extreme concentration. All the people she lived amongst wore saffron robes, did mantras, meditated, ate simple meals, lived humbly, and tried to forget complex, modern life.
One day, she had a vision of a raven flying from a small black cage. A year later, she saw the same raven fly into a larger, silver cage, amongst other birds. Another year had passed, she saw the raven flying until it was thrown off by a vulture and bitten by a venomous, large, black snake.
The visions bothered her so, to where she could not sleep or eat. She was disturbed, frightened. Her heart had broke when she had the last vision. Tears flowed freely, and she had no idea why. "What happened?", she thought.
These visions ruined her peace and comfort in the small village of magic. She could not forget, nor could she find solace
A woman by the name of Menakshi asked, "What's wrong, Rowena? What leaves you so troubled?"
"I've got to go, Menakshi. I've got to go back. No questions please."
"What?!"
Rowena shook her head. She really didn't care if anyone missed her. Rowena changed into jeans and a T-shirt, so as not to look conspicuous. She packed her belongings quite swiftly in a small bag, her mind swarming in theories and ideas about the visions. Somehow she had gotten to the conclusion that they concerned freedom and death. She concentrated heavily, clutching her wand in one hand, her bag in the other.
She Apparated to a field, a mile away from Hogwarts. It was a mildly warm July evening. There were no students, she knew well. She walked up to the castle-based school of Magic, her favorite place of childhood.
"Dumbledore. . .", she thought, "He must know. . . everything. . . "
She walked through the doors, throughout the halls, everything became reminiscent. . . James Potter giving Slytherins sour looks, Sirius at his side grinning recklessly, Remus smiling slyly, keeping his mouth shut, and Peter Pettigrew, the coward, shyly bringing up the rear.
"Where's McGonagall's office?!", she wondered, "She'd understand. . ."
Her memory ran through her mind, like a bunch of spiders climbing vines. She knew where to turn and everything, smelling the slightly musky rooms on the way. Rowena finally came to a door with Minerva McGonagall, Professor of Transfiguration and Head of Gryffindor etched in golden lettering.
She knocked at the door, heard a crisp, cool, distinct "Come in.", and she followed the command. She loved Minerva's voice, so commanding, so "take charge".
"No wonder she never got married.", she thought humorously to herself.
Rowena walked in and found a stressed McGonagall looking over O.W.L.'s results, and swore she heard her mutter, "Go Potter! 'Can't be an Auror. . .' what nonsense!". McGonagall looked up, and nearly fell out of her chair, her eyes round. She found a place for a remembering smile, and said,
"It's been a long time, Ms. Flintwood. How have you been? When did you get back? What are you doing here?"
"Professor McGonagall, I need to see Professor Dumbledore. I have no time to talk. I just Apparated from Nepal, and. . .", she faltered, and didn't know how to explain, "It's urgent. . . I've had some sort of vision. . . please don't roll your eyes, I'm no Sybill Trelawney, just let me see him."
McGonagall got up and came closer to Rowena, looking at her like a hawk would. She asked quietly,
"Flintwood, what is this about?"
"I don't know. . . I think someone's died."
McGonagall blanched white, she bit her lip, and looked away for a second. She put her hand on Rowena's shoulder and silently led her to the entrance of Dumbledore's quarters.
"Don't let it true. . . please?", Rowena thought, "May it be me just worrying over nothing. . ."
"Fizzing. . . whizbee.", Minerva uttered softly.
Rowena followed her former teacher up the ever-spiraling steps to Dumbledore's office. Rowena stared. His office was as opulent as ever. The portraits of former headmasters snoozed without a care. She stepped up to his desk, while McGonagall silently left, which was very unlike her.
Dumbledore looked up, his eyes weary, his blue eyes vacant of the spark they once had, his grey hair frazzled, his half-moon glasses low on his crooked nose. He gave his former pupil a sad smile, full of the burdens he carried and the trials of heart he must've faced recently. She gave a weak smile back, empathizing somewhat, feeling great remorse for what had broken her headmaster's spirit, this man's hope.
Rowena was the first to speak.
"Times haven't changed much since I left, huh?"
"Sit please, Ms. Flintwood."
She sat, slumping into the chair, praying to whatever force there was that everything was fine, but knowing that everything was wrong, chaos filled this place.
"Didn't Harry rid the world of Voldemort?", she asked, in some sort of dark humor.
Dumbledore didn't laugh.
"In the Fourteen years you were in Nepal, things have changed, Rowena. Voldemort has returned. Harry Potter was first to witness him. He's escaped Voldemort five times, including when he was an infant. The Death Eaters, well most of them, have been placed in Azkaban, if they weren't caught the first time. Or if they broke out recently. The Ministry tried to cover up and pretend that Voldemort wasn't reborn, that Harry was lying for attention, that I had lost my grasp on reality. Now they know.
"The Order has reformed, and so have Voldemort's followers. We are preparing for a war, Rowena."
He sighed heavily, obviously tired of all that was occurring before his eyes. He then looked at Rowena curiously.
"What brings you here?"
Tears were in her eyes, once again. She felt so foolish: her, a Seer?
"Honestly,", she thought, "Divination was always something baseless and idiotic to you! Now you think you've been having visions, premonitions, signs?"
"Professor, during my meditation, I've had some visions. You're not Professor Trelawney, but I think you'd have a much better idea."
Again, Dumbledore smiled.
She narrated every detail of her vision, from the raven's look in its eye, to the vehement way it broke free of its cage, and the snake's cruel finishing blow.
Dumbledore was now in deep contemplation. He looked to her several times, and she knew he was picking up on her frustration and worry.
"Rowena, what are your thoughts?"
She looked down, feeling ever so silly about something she might've imagined. However, she managed to speak.
"Well. . . it concerns death I'm sure. But who's? That is the question, right?"
Dumbledore nodded.
He looked to her again, as though dissecting her every feeling, and replied,
"Rowena, you haven't heard about Sirius, have you?"
Her heart stopped. It suddenly made some sense, and that's what hurt her the most.
"Not Sirius. . .", she thought, "No, not my Sirius. . ."
"Tell me, Professor Dumbledore. Tell me everything."
So is it good? Bad? Questions? Comments? Anything weird? And if someone could beta read for me that'd be great. . . Oh, btw, someone PLEASE explain the whole "Door of Death" and veil thing. I might've read thru it too fast.