The Wizard, the Alchemist, and the Hunter
Reviewers:
Charlotte: as one of the original readers I am happy you approve of the revised version!
BirdZilla: yeah- still rather slow, but it is getting there! Soon it will get interesting! (I hope) the main point of this chapter is to get more of Imogens' personality developed and more of an insight into "her" the sorting will be done next chapter! So stay tuned!
Chapter three: Finding Answerless Questions
It had been almost three weeks since she had begun staying in the leaky cauldron, three weeks of limited information three weeks worth of nervous glances and tense atmospheres- though that was nothing new.
For the time she had been here she had scouted around the area, both Muggle and wizarding. Imogen came to the conclusion that the Muggles in this area saw a lot of strange things and never really thought twice about it, so that was a dead end. Diagon alley was just as helpful; it was like they all had their heads in the sand, not even the ministry officials who had been at the leaky cauldron to greet her (much against their will) were of much help at all.
"Freaken' "splendid isolation!" she snarled savagely kicking out at the bed post's leg, which buckled, causing more cursing from her end as she clutched her throbbing foot.
The one thing that irked her more than anything else was the fact that people in Knockturn alley knew something, but trying to extract information from them was an easy as a staring contest with a statue. The only thing she managed to get out of the owner of the shop Borgin and Burkes, without resorting to the Cruciatus curse, was that he had been in that very shop not to long ago.
She couldn't pick up his scent though because of the layer of dust and other unspeakable scents she was picking up instead. So without further ado she threatened the greasy owner that if she ever found out that he told anyone she was here looking for him she would personally come over for a quick visit from which he truly would never recover from.
And now she was out of time, for tomorrow she'd have to get on the train for that stupid school, and waste her time with school work when she could be out prowling the streets for the bastard. She had hoped to catch him returning to Diagon or at least to that filthy shop in Knockturn, but that hope had been faint, and it turned out that she was right about him; he wasn't as stupid to return to any place more than once without double checking the people in his surroundings. He was smarter than to just walk into a populated area a second time without making sure his pursuers had left the area entirely, or he simply wouldn't go back. He was paranoid like that.
Truth to be told she was surprised to find that he had in fact been in a populated area. She had been at loath to check in the beginning, thinking that if he had been seen around Hogsmade then he wouldn't have traveled as far out as Diagon, but they had suggested it and she had nothing to do for three weeks… and what do you know he had been here.
The fact that he had been in this area the day he escaped meant that he had help, wizarding help. But it hardly made sense to her; Alec loathed wizards. So why would he accept help from one?
"Reparo" she breathed out waving her wand at the bed leg, then flopped on the bed itself.
Imogen still didn't fully understand why they were sending her to this school, it was illogical, there really was no proper reason for it and she knew that the Managers were keeping whatever the "real reason" was from her; until now they had been quite happy to let her run rampant around countries chasing other people until she dragged them back.
Imogen sighed; perhaps it was because of a lack of trust? She didn't like it though, it felt as though she was being caged in again, backed into a corner where there was no escape.
The train station was busy; Smoke and the sounds of excited animals filled the air and the students and parents crowed the platform to say their tearful goodbyes to each other. Imogen stood still for a moment in the middle of the platform taking in all the commotion around her. Suddenly she was visited by a fleeting desire to just leave all her luggage on the train and make her way to Hogsmade by foot… as though she never made it to the school… it would be so easy, she could say that she picked up a lead later if they caught up with her…. She would avoid the entire going to school thing.
Suddenly the train conductor blew on his whistle and Imogen was broken out of her daydreaming as the mass of people were suddenly surging towards the doors of the Hogwarts express. And she reluctantly followed.
Once on the train Imogen began looking for a compartment that she could have to herself-or mostly to her self anyway.
"Look out!" snapped an older student who had his toes stood on by her foot. Imogen turned and glared at him, her eyes narrowing into to slits. The student who had been halfway in a compartment door paled considerably at the look she had given him and slid out from the door and walked off in the opposite direction. Imogen now found herself standing in front of a miraculously empty compartment.
Once settled she realized that the train had already started moving- much to her surprise; she had been so distracted by her surroundings that she had not noticed the train lurching forward to start the long journey. Imogen shook her head berating herself for not paying more attention.
And speaking of attention, there was a group of people just outside of her compartment door talking in hushed whispers. Suddenly the door flew open and there was the boy from before standing with three others, two who looked like mountain trolls and a smaller one with platinum blonde hair.
This scene on its own instantly screamed trouble.
"That's her Malfoy! The one who purposefully stomped on my foot! And stole this compartment I was saving for us!" The kid form earlier said to the blonde boy, who now had a little smirk creeping up on his face as he looked her up and down.
"Good of you to tell me Blaise, we will not be tolerating any bullying from any one- regardless of who they are. Who are you anyway? I don't believe any of us have had the pleasure of meeting you before."
"Imogen Brandwick." She answered her eyes not moving from the two hulking figures in the back; they were more likely to be the ones who attack, rather than the leader or the accessory. She had a sudden nostalgic flash back to her younger days of schooling… hopefully this will end differently, in fact it most likely will now that Alec was not around. It was just a question if she could get out of this situation without sending kids to the infirmary.
"And what year are you entering Brandwick?" he sneered, his voice touching on that special part of her brain that was very fragile and was liable to snap quite easily.
"Fifth." Imogen breathed out, hardly moving her lips as she sat stock still.
"So, you must be that new exchange student, my father has told me a lot about you. I can't even believe that they let something like you enter our school! You're worse than a mudblood! Just wait until the rest of the school finds out-"
Before she knew it she had reached out and grabbed the Malfoy boy by the collar of his robes and jerked him down level to her face, whilst she slipped her wand from out of her sleeve and was pressing it to the boys' temple.
Out of the corner of her eyes she saw the others freeze in shock.
"Mr. Malfoy…. Malfoy… now where have I heard that name before?" she whispered into his ear while he struggled against her grip, "Oh, now I remember! It was on a list of death eaters that I was given!" the boy froze.
"Sounds as though your daddy is a man worth speaking too…. I should like to meet him and have a little discussion about some things… but of course you know exactly what that would be about, wouldn't you since daddy tells you everything, about why I am here- He did after all go to all the trouble to tell you what I was, maybe he mentioned another? Perhaps you've met him? You know- six foot two, emerald eyes, chestnut hair, dangerous atmosphere… no?" She sniffed his neck a little, revealing no trace of his scent.
She let out a disappointed sigh, and released him, and watched half amused as he staggered backwards.
"If you aren't bluffing, and you actually have some substance about what you know about me I suggest you keep it to your self for the time I am here… and if I get any whiff of him around you, whether it is his scent or a simple rumor- you can expect a visit from me."
The four stood still, not moving from the spot, all pale and shaking- but none were more scared than the Malfoy boy, who looked as though he'd pass out.
"Why are you still here?" she asked dryly, and they all turned and fled.
The rest of the train ride went without any more events, although there were some rumors flying around that there was some kind of "demon student" on the train somewhere. But aside from that it was rather peaceful.
When the train pulled up in Hogsmade Imogen jumped awake, partially because of an unsettling dream and partly because of a loud and sharp whistle that the conductor had blown- just out side of her window.
Grumbling and rubbing her aching ear that had been pressed up against the glass at the time, she disembarked with everyone, and collected her luggage.
Disembarking was just as noisy as embarking she thought with a scowl- it was giving her an irritating headache, and plus- there were just way too many people for her comfort.
"Fist years this way!" came a clipped voice of an elderly woman, "This way first years!"
Oh for the love of god, must you shout that much? That loudly?
Imogen supposed that she, whilst she was a new student, should follow the flow of all the older students to where she was told the carriages were- she wasn't actually told were she was supposed to go, and it wasn't like she wanted to humiliate her self by sitting in one of the tiny boats with all the first years ogling at her in awe.
So the carriages it was.
Imogen dragged her luggage behind her without any thought for its contents, or about the stares she was attracting. Suddenly someone crashed into her shoulder, and wheeled off in the other direction disappearing into the crowd. It had been Malfoy- but she had caught his expression, and from it she could gauge that she had made him more than just slightly angry… but Imogen was confident that he'd keep his mouth shut about her… unless he wanted life at home to become somewhat, strained…
She sighed and continued on toward the carriages, and stopped in surprise as she saw what was attached to them.
"Thestrals," she mumbled to her self as she watched the nearest dragonish creature flick its ears in irritation at a fly, "Honestly, Thestrals?" it was rather odd to be confronted with a creature that she had only ever heard about, a creature that she was supposedly able to see ever since… but never had the chance to prove the theory until now. It was fascinating and yet it brought back such memories.
Suddenly the heavy scent of Alec wafted towards her making her jump in surprise. She pushed her way through the crowd, following its scent, her luggage long forgotten. And then it was gone as quickly as it had come; the wind had changed direction and she now found her self standing in the half empty track half listening to a conversation between a red-haired boy and a black haired boy.
Did that just happen? Or was she imagining it? Was it really him?
BirdZilla: dunn- dunn- dunn! Nah- not really all that climatic : P bit of a short chappy too...
R&R!