I knew my writing would be affected by my job but this is just ridiculous. The days I work leave me no time to write whatsoever, or anything else for that matter.
Sorry for the late update
Enjoy!
"I … I don't think I can do this", Missy Clancy said and slowly backed away from the wall. The small courtyard made her feel claustrophobic and the trashcan smelled horrible. It was however neither the small courtyard or the trashcan which made her feel slightly sick, it was the thought of the world beyond the wall in front of them.
"Come on, mum", Cole said, hurt at his mother's reaction.
"It's not dangerous. Diagon Alley is a wonderful place", madam Hooch assured them. "It's colorful, it's crowded and it has everything you could possibly need." She smiled a great smile. "It's the best shopping district in Britain." Her enthusiasm was impossible to miss, she was almost like a child during Christmas. Cole was convinced that if she would get more eager to get there, she would start to glow.
When Missy's hesitation didn't become less her smile disappeared and Cole looked sad. Theo went to stand closer to him, he was disappointed at his mother's reaction and curious about his father's thoughts. He had not said a word yet.
"Fine then, I'm going through with Cole and whoever wants to come with can. If you choose not to you can leave. I'll bring Cole home in the evening", she said impatiently and Cole nodded in agreement. He was going, regardless of what his family thought.
"Of course we are coming", Cole's father said eventually. "This is a big event for all of us."
Madam Hooch tapped a brick on the wall and whispered to Cole: "Remember, from the trashcan three up and two across."
Cole nodded fiercely, branding it into his memory. From the trashcan three up and two across. It was a good thing he found it so easy to remember things since as soon as a hole appeared in the wall that was all he could think about. The hole became larger and larger until it was an entrance into a world Cole could never have fathomed to ever visit.
"Well, let's go", madam Hooch said cheerfully and marched ahead. Cole followed gripping his brother's hand, a brother who in fact was more nervous than Cole was but who pretended he wasn't. Their parents came after, probably hesitating more about it than they had hesitated about anything ever before.
They took three steps into Diagon Alley before they stopped. "Oh, my God", madam Hooch breathed with low voice. "How is this possible?"
Cole had never been sure what he had expected, it had however not been this. The streets were almost empty, only some obscene figures lurked in the shadows. Windows were covered with large posters with moving black and white pictures of people screaming at the camera while in chains. Above them stood with large letters: WANTED. A sort of smoke combined with mist seemed to hover over the shops, hiding the top of the roofs from view.
Missy turned to madam Hooch sharply. "And this is the world you want to drag my son into?" Her voice was venomous.
Madam Hooch shook her head and the anger disappeared from Missy's face as she saw that madam Hooch was crying. "It wasn't like this last time. I've been gone for quite some time, ever since … I didn't know." The fact was that she had left the school only a day after the Quidditch pitch had been set on fire, Umbridge had decided that after something like that they wouldn't need either Quidditch or a Quidditch-referee anymore but she had informed Hooch that she was welcome to stay as flying instructor. Madam Hooch had declined, her heart belonged after all with the most famous sport in the Wizarding world. She had left Britain but as soon as Dumbledore was reinstated she returned to retake her job as Quidditch-referee and Flying Instructor. She had been home for hardly a week and she hadn't caught up on anything that had happened. She shuddered at the sight before her but then gathered herself and wiped her tears away resolutely. "Excuse me", she said briskly. "We'll have to start with Gringotts, the only Wizarding bank in Britain." She marched ahead, ignoring the boarded up shops.
The rest followed her, but stuck close together and peered at the figures who only showed their contours. Cole's eyes were caught by a sign saying Florean Fortescue's Ice-cream Parlour, one could hardly make out the colorful layer underneath the boards but they were there and made the scene look rather sad.
Gringotts was an impressive building and Cole was genuinely surprised it was still standing. Due to the cloud of smoke and mist Cole could not tell how many stories the building had, but it appeared to be towering over the rest nonetheless. It was made completely out of white marble and the entrance was a large bronze door.
Madam Hooch came to a halt just at the bottom of the stairs leading to the impressive door. "Now, there are a couple of things you need to know before we enter. This place is run by Goblin's so be cautious. They will do anything, and I really mean anything, to protect their valuables and in a way they see everything stored in Gringotts as theirs, since it's them who made it, in most cases. Don't insult them, they have no sense of humor and in general rule don't like humans."
"Goblins?" Missy asked incredulous.
"Just remember what I said, I think you do best in not speaking at all. Just let me handle this. Perhaps I also can find out exactly what's going on here", she warned them.
Cole and Theo nodded seriously and seemed to be ready to face whatever was going on in the large marble building. The five of them marched up the stairs and madam Hooch frowned at the human guards standing at each side of the door. "They used to be Goblins", she whispered to Cole.
She opened the doors and they entered the small entrance hall, leading to another pair of doors, silver this time, flanked by two humans here too. A warning was engraved on the door but madam Hooch did not give them the time to read it. "Don't bother. It simply says don't steal. And let me just tell you this, if you try to break into Gringotts you've completely and utterly lost your mind. There is only once place in the world more safe than this."
"Hogwarts", Cole guessed and madam Hooch nodded gravely. "Indeed."
The hall they entered was also made out of marble and a large chandelier was hanging from the middle of the high ceiling. Counters were stretching along the walls but they were hardly visible, the marble hall was crowded. Wizards and witches were standing in long lines going to different counters. There must have been at least a hundred people inside the hall alone.
Madam Hooch looked just as stunned as Cole felt, but he asked her nonetheless. "Is it always this crowded?"
The woman with the gray spiky hair shook her head. "Like I said, goblins are unfriendly. Things flow pretty smoothly here since both goblin and wizard usually want to get it over with as soon as possible. I hope we can at least exchange currency. I assume you brought muggle-money."
Cole's parents looked alarmed. They hardly ever had cash on pocket, they used more modern methods. Theo who however had foreseen something like this in the last moment had taken his parents wallet and had taken out a fair amount of money. "Yes, we do", he said to his parents surprise but he offered no further explanation.
They fought their way towards the currency exchange counters but they weren't even halfway when a voice was heard from behind them. "Madam Hooch!" the female voice called out loudly to arise over the buzzing from the crowd. "This way!"
"Professor McGonagall?" madam Hooch asked with a hint of relieve in her voice.
Cole followed madam Hooch's gaze and he caught sight of a tall, thin, elderly witch with long hair tied in a tight bum and square glasses. Her eyes were a fiery emerald green, matching the color of her robes. Her expression was extremely strict and severe, but it was mangled with worry and exhaustion.
She was accompanied by a woman with blonde hair that was already turning gray and who was holding the hand of a tiny boy, he barely reached up to Cole's shoulders. He did however not seem the least bothered and was smiling, he looked genuinely happy, not about any specific reason, but just in general.
"I'm glad to see you have returned", the woman Cole assumed to be Professor McGonagall said. "From your expression I derive you weren't prepared for the changes back home."
"What's going on, Minerva?" madam Hooch asked, throwing all formality through the window.
"He's back", the stern woman just said and started to walk again, followed by the rest.
"Cole", Cole said and held out a hand towards the tiny boy with the smile. The boy took it and his black eyes tingled. "I'm Ant. Are you starting Hogwarts too?"
Cole nodded in reply, then he and Ant turned their attention on the conversation of the two witches. They too wanted to know what was going on, get to know each other could come later.
"He's been back for over a year", madam Hooch hissed, "It's no news."
"You-Know-Who broke into the Ministry of Magic and was spotted by Fudge himself who had no other choice but to stop denying the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Naturally that means You-Know-Who and his followers aren't keeping a low profile anymore, as you have witnessed." She made a gesture with one hand over the people in the marble hall. "The goblins have increased security more than you can imagine, it takes a person five hours to make a withdrawal from their own vault."
"Hogwarts?" madam Hooch simply asked.
"Is still the safest place for students, in fact I believe it to be the only safe place left", McGonagall said and it was clear that she had more to say, but she stopped there, clearly she did not want to be overheard. "Now we do our job. I can tell you all about it when we are done."
"The Three Broomsticks", madam Hooch said, "I'm staying there. I arrived not too long ago, my jetlag has made catching up hard on me. I have not spoken to anyone yet."
"Muggles accompanied by Hogwarts teachers are supposed to come this way", McGonagall said. "Since it takes such time they have made a special counter for us so we don't have to hurry to get the required equipment."
Madam Hooch turned her attention back to the four she was guiding and introduced them to Professor McGonagall, the Transfiguration teacher, Professor Flitwick who in his turn introduced madam Hooch to those he was guiding. Despite the special treatment, it still took an hour but when they were finally done they walked out the bank simultaneously as Ant, the blonde woman and Professor McGonagall.
"Wand first?" madam Hooch asked Cole but before Cole could answer McGonagall interfered. "Ollivanders is closed."
"What?" madam Hooch asked incredulous. "Then how … ?"
"There are others", Professor McGonagall said calming.
"And Ollivander himself?" madam Hooch asked with a horrified expression.
"No one knows for sure", Professor McGonagall said firmly.
Madam Hooch shook her head. Not much seemed to be left of what it used to be just half a year ago. She looked at Cole's attire, muggle-clothing. "You need a change of wardrobe. Madam Malkin's is probably the best for that. Come on."
Madam Hooch seemed to find the time they spent in Madam Malkin's a waste, but Cole was thoroughly enjoying himself. He did not like standing still on a platform as madam Malkin hemmed the robes but his brother was looking through the hats since the letter said he needed one and Theo every time purposely put a hat far too large on Cole's head, so large that it sunk all the way over Cole's face until it rested on his shoulders. Theo also skimmed through the gloves and studied the claimed dragon hide fascinated.
When they were done at madam Malkin's madam Hooch dragged them to Florish and Blotts where looking for all the books required on the list became nothing short of a treasure hunt. They went through the disordered shelves and it was Theo who in the long run found most of the books on the list, mostly due to his height. He was a little freaked out though when he recovered a book which he couldn't see when he tried to reach for a book he had dropped behind a shelve. He gave it to the manager who almost started to cry with delight at the invisible book. He immediately wrapped an old newspaper around it so it could be seen.
"That's one", Theo heard him whisper but he did not ask for an explanation.
When they walked out Florish and Blotts madam Hooch lead them into a couple of different shops for things like scales, a cauldron, a telescope and glass vials. When madam Hooch checked the last part of the list she didn't say a thing and just handed it to Cole's parents. It was not something she decided over.
"A pet?" Missy asked troubled and looked at Cole. "We've never had such a thing before. Though, I think that if you can take responsibility for it I wont deny you one. Perhaps it's nice to have something like a pet with you when you're going away."
"Really?" Cole shone with delight.
"That's settled then. The teachers at Hogwarts actually prefer if students bring pets, mostly students with pets are more easy at mind", madam Hooch said. "An owl, cat or toad?"
"I'm not very fond of birds", Cole said. "I think I'd like a cat though."
"The Magical Menagerie then", madam Hooch said and lead the way. When in front of the shop in question she said. "You go in ahead. I don't like that kind of shops. Too much noise."
Cole nodded, opened the door into the building and the next thing he knew was that a furry and large 'something' hit him straight in the face. He fell backwards due to the impact and landed uncomfortably on his back and the fur rolled of him. The fur turned out to be a crossing between a tiger and a leopard in miniature.
The cat threw Cole a look as if it was his fault that they had both landed quite ungracefully. It stretched its long legs and didn't make any attempt to run away again. Instead it walked back in gracefully, recovering whatever pride it had lost while doing so. Cole stood up, assuring his mother he was fine and walked after the cat into the shop.
The cat had boldly jumped up on the counter and the owner of the shop was muttering angrily at it. Time and time again he tried to get a hold of the cat but it slunk away to the other side of the counter every time. When he took out his wand the cat just stared at him, when he started to speak the charm to catch the feline it jumped straight into the maze of cages in which other animals were kept. Not only cats, but also rats and toads and in a far corner bats were asleep.
The owner said a grumpy 'hello' when they passed the counter and none of them bothered answering. Cole had never seen so many cats in one and the same place. He was astounded to notice the wide variety of cats there were, everything from Norwegian Forest cats to Javaneses and every crossbreed imaginable.
As he walked among the cages his eyes were caught by the only free cat in the shop, the one which had given him such an unpleasant welcome, it was sitting on a shelf with rat food, the head almost touching the ceiling. It was staring down at him with green eyes and for some reason Cole found the creature very condescending. He decided to ignore the cat, but the cat didn't want to be ignored. It stalked him through the entire shop, coming closer and closer.
It was however when Cole petted a German Rex that the cat came into action. Suddenly it was sitting on the cage of the German Rex and was looking at Cole as if he was a hopeless case, the glare wasn't hostile, it was the glare one gave a complete and utter fool.
"Ignore the Bengal, I'll eventually catch her. She's not dangerous, she just thinks that she's better than everyone else", the owner yelled form across the shop.
"So you're that kind", Cole told the cat he now knew to be a Bengal, not that it told him anything. To him she still was a combination between a tiger and a leopard although severely under-grown.
She seemed insulted at that and walked away but as soon as he walked towards the next cage she started stalking him again. It was when he bent down to look at a regular American Shorthair that she jumped on his shoulder. She dug her claws into his shirt to make sure she wouldn't fall off and she graced Cole's skin slightly, but did not hurt him.
"You've made up your mind, haven't you?" Cole asked and petted her on the head. She bowed down as if to avoid his hand but did not move away from his shoulder. Cole walked to the counter where his parents were having a conversation with the owner and Theo was nowhere to be seen.
When the owner caught sight of the Bengal sitting on Cole's shoulder he gasped. "Unbelievable!"
"Why?" Cole asked.
"A Bengal is a hybrid, a crossing of a domestic cat and the Asian Leopard Cat. For a Bengal to be able to be kept as a pet requires that it is four generations away from the Asian Leopard cat. That proud creature there is a direct crossing between a domestic cat and a Asian Leopard Cat, they are only used for breeding", the owner explained. "She's hardly suited to be a pet."
Cole petted her again and this time she did not move away. "I can't see why. I think I'll manage."
"You can have her for five galleons, I'd be glad to be rid of her", the owner muttered. Cole just smiled thinking that cat and owner probably agreed on that matter. Then Theo walked into view, his arms filled with everything one could imagine to be necessary for a cat.
"Nice cat", Theo said and looked at the beast on his younger brothers shoulder. "Did you pick her or did she pick you?"
Cole didn't bother to answer, the fact was that the cat had chosen him.
"More like a monster", the owner muttered not intending for anyone to hear.
When they walked out the shop Theo said: "I bet you are going to give her a complicated Egyptian name."
"I was thinking Celtic", Cole replied truthfully. He had considered Egyptian, since cats had been holy there, but had decided not to.
"Celtic?" his brother asked incredulous.
"Well, yes, we're going to Scotland after all", Cole explained.
"But she's a descendant of an Asian Leopard cat, shouldn't the name be Asian?" Theo said, wisely deciding not to suggest Garfield or Tiger.
"Can be, Xun perhaps, for fast and sudden. It'd be fitting", Cole mused.
"Welcome to the family, Xun", Theo said happily as they joined madam Hooch who had been waiting just outside, like she had promised.
"You are not allowed to have a broom and most likely you won't need one", madam Hooch said, ignoring the feline on Cole's shoulder. "I'll bring you back to muggle London." They walked over the nearly deserted streets in silence. The only one who didn't seem bothered with the gloomy mood was Xun. She was still sitting on Cole's shoulder and didn't care that she was slightly heavy for an eleven year old.
"The train leaves at eleven o'clock the first of September. I'll come to pick you up and show you the way, it happens that the platform can be hard to find. But before that we'll have to travel to Bristol for a wand. We'll do that the day before the train leaves, won't take more than an hour."
With those word madam Hooch and the Clancy family parted in the Leaky Cauldron. Cole lifted Xun from his shoulders since he knew that people would notice an eleven year with a cat on his shoulder, instead he held her in his arms, something she seemed just as satisfied with.
Unlike Diagon Alley Hogsmeade showed no sign of You-Know-Who's return and madam Hooch enjoyed the normality of the little village as much as she could before entering the Three Broomsticks. A she had expected McGonagall was already there, she was sitting in a far corner with a butterbeer staring at the table. "A butterbeer", madam Hooch told madam Rosmerta and sat down opposite McGonagall. "Tell me!" she demanded.
"Where should I start?" McGonagall asked.
"Hawkins burned down the Quidditch pitch …" madam Hooch couldn't help but sound slightly bitter at that, " … and she was expelled as Lucius Malfoy had gathered enough signatures to have Professor Muto send away from Hogwarts. I left the day after. I don't know anything about what happened then."
"Nothing?" McGonagall asked troubled.
"I know Dumbledore is reinstated, but that is all."
"Then prepare yourself", McGonagall said and leaned backwards. She took a sip from her half-empty cup. Madam Rosmerta brought Hooch's drink.
The referee nodded. "I'll manage it."
"You of course know about the possession, Professor Muto's reaction and miss Hawkins vengeance on the school. What you don't know is how the school became under Umbridge's rule in the end. Corporeal punishments became legal again and the most ridiculous rules surfaced. Death Eaters trapped Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Ronald and Ginny Weasley, Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbottom in the Department of Mysteries. What no one had counted on however was that Professor Muto and Rebecca Hawkins with the help from Dean Thomas, Peter Lepard and Tracey Davis broke into the Spirit Division and actually managed to free the spirit."
Madam Hooch needed a while to recover from that. "Death Eaters lured Hogwarts students to the Ministry? That should not have been possible!"
"Had Dumbledore been present it would not have happened", McGonagall said with a mighty believe behind those words. "Apparently the Death Eaters injures the five they lured there, leaving only Potter capable of fighting. Professor Muto came to their aid and managed to cure the injured students and to protect them until the Aurors could arrive." Then McGonagall took an unexpected break. "Scrap that. It was the spirit who cured the students and protected them. When the Aurors arrived chaos erupted."
Madam Hooch had a vague feeling about what was coming and it made her feel sick.
"Lucius Malfoy is in Azkaban now, he killed a student."
"Who?" madam Hooch asked horrified. She thought about the possibilities. The somewhat dreamy Luna Lovegood, Hermione Granger, the poor flyer, the goalkeeper Ron Weasley, the late Rebecca Hawkins or her best friend Peter Lepard, or the calm Dean Thomas or the revolutionary Slytherin? It couldn't have been Potter, that she would have known by now, that would not have escaped her notice.
"Rebecca Hawkins, right in front of Professor Muto's eyes. He has resigned."
"Of course he did", madam Hooch said and noticed the tears in her eyes. She really hated crying.
"Dumbledore showed up at the scene and rounded up most Death Eaters. They are all in Azkaban now, with exception for Bellatrix Lestrange", McGonagall explained. "You-Know-Who himself showed up. Professor Dumbledore said that Professor Muto's spirit was the one to safe Potter's life."
"And that's the reason for Fudge's turnaround", madam Hooch stated silently.
McGonagall nodded. "And his resign. Having denied his return and then suddenly being forced to admit that You-Know-Who is back was poor for his career, but all by all, I think he is glad to have resigned. Being Minister doesn't seem to be such a safe job in these dark times."
"I can't believe this. I should have never left!" madam Hooch hit the table with her gloved fist. "That's the second dead student in two years. Who is going to die this year?"
"No one will request Dumbledore to leave the school again after this with Umbridge. The students will be fine. Hogwarts is the safest place at the moment. Muggle-borns are safest in Hogwarts, in the muggle-world they will be found by Death Eaters eventually." McGonagall looked bitter. "This must end as soon as possible."
"We'll fight, as long as there are rats like Lucius Malfoy and Bellatrix Lestrange we will fight", madam Hooch said, doing her best to encourage herself.
"I know I will. But protecting the students comes first", McGonagall said firmly.
"That's true", madam Hooch agreed. "But Minerva, how do you know all this? You weren't in the Ministry of Magic."
McGonagall looked somber. "Rebecca died, but did not leave. She's a ghost. She came to find me shortly after she died."
"A ghost!" madam hooch called out. "But why?"
"I asked her that. She said that she had to know for sure that she had succeeded and that if she hadn't she wanted to be able to change that." McGonagall's expression was a mixture of annoyance and grief. "She never explained what she meant with that. She doesn't clarify anything, she only gave me a brief summary of what happened at the Ministry."
"Did she succeed?" madam Hooch asked.
McGonagall nodded. "According to her, yes, she did."
"So she gave up on the afterlife to do something already done. How sad." Madam Hooch once again wiped the tears away.
"She disagrees. Let me quote her", McGonagall said with an odd expression on her face. "She said: 'Others have made similar or even greater sacrifices for this than I have. Our goal is of great importance and for me to make a choice that could endanger the outcome we desire would have made the afterlife unbearable. I rather remain in this world as a ghost knowing I have achieved what I had to than entering the afterlife unsure if I did what I was suppose to do. I'll always know that I saved the light.'" And then even from McGonagall's eyes tears flowed.
It was cruel date, a date of great importance to many. A date which made Yugi stop in front of the calendar and trace his fingers over that single number marking the start of a new month. It was the first of September.
The calender was a simple block calender. He had just torn the thirty-first of August away to be met with that large black one, the word September written above it. Ryou had asked him why he had bothered with a western calender once. Yugi was fairly sure that the date facing him was that very reason, although he hadn't told Ryou that. Underneath the large one stood a quote by Anthony J. D'Angelo. The only real failure in life is one not learned from. It was a quote as cruel as the date.
Yugi rested his head against the wall without removing his hand from the calendar. His mind was with the great red steam-engine which he had missed, the candles floating in the Great Hall, the feast, the laughing and chattering students … but no Rebecca.
He wondered who would have taken his place, and that of Umbridge. To be honest Yugi didn't like the thought of his seat being taken by a stranger, he had found great joy in teaching and somewhere he wished that he could have continued it.
/Then you should/ Atem whispered softly.
/I don't have that which is required to become a teacher here. Besides, being a teacher here is far different from being a teacher there. Here ones every step is controlled by loads of people. Actually, I don't have what is required to educate myself further in any way/ No, he would never teach again. It was just something he knew, he would never teach again, with the exception of explaining games to children and actually that was enough.
They had more important things to worry about. They had no idea how they could ever destroy the Millennium Items, and all by all Yugi felt no desire to do so with Atem still residing in one of them. Making the Shadows unfit for use was a different matter, although even there neither Atem nor Yugi had any idea where to begin. Making the Shadow Creatures independent of the shadows and help them to the Dominion of the Beasts was the only right thing to do, Yugi and Atem had agreed on that, but neither of them knew how.
Yugi felt like tearing the date and the quote of the calendar so he could deny that it was that particular date. The date when many unaware children would be drawn into a world darkened with war. The little piece of paper with the black one felt more like a death sentence than a date, and it wasn't Yugi's death sentence either. He would have preferred it being his, it seemed more fair than that of the students of Hogwarts.
"Yugi, are you alright?" Ryou asked from behind him.
Yugi turned around quickly and first then noticed his tears. He wiped them away quickly, but Ryou had already seen them. The Albino looked confused and troubled. After a while of silence he spoke, every word was carefully considered. "I know that there are things you don't want or perhaps can't tell me. But … If they affect you this much, should you not be part of them?"
New tears found their way down Yugi cheeks and he shook his head. "I have been part of it. It killed Rebecca, Ryou. It was my fault."
/No, Yugi, in fact it was mine/
Yugi ignored his darker and Ryou couldn't hear the spirit. "I don't believe that", Ryou said, a voice filled with conviction. "I don't know what happened but … that one can't save a life doesn't mean one is responsible for the end of it."
Yugi shook his head fiercely. "It was my fault and today more are condemned."
Ryou looked at the date, he did not understand what was so special about it but he didn't care. "Whatever happens today, whatever you've been part of, whatever you choose to do, just know that you don't have to do it alone anymore."
I'm working again tomorrow and the rest of the week so the next update will be hard to predict. Bare with me.
Nine reviews on the previous chapter, it's nice you are all still with me. Sorry I had no time to reply, again, bare with me
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