Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter! For those of you who still don't know, he belongs to J.K. Rowling.
Author's Notes: Well I'm back for good, the holidays are definitely over for me as college is starting soon. Anyway I just saw the trailer for GoF, the new HP movie and it looks really cool. I'll definitely be at the Premiere if I can!
Thank you to everybody who reviewed so far, I'm really excited about this sequel, y'all seem to like it so far! Yay!
Big thank you to: Emily, nora, Malfoy'sAngel (your questions about Abby should be answered in this chappie and yeah – I know exactly what you mean about Draco :) ), MissDitzy (you guessed correctly, Abby's still indebted. Read on!), DodgerMcClure, dracosgirl2515, sApPhire rAiin, xOxOkIsSmYaSsXoXo, spicecat38, nightmistrie, magichappens11, May (you're right, Draco was 'dying' to talk to her…), I Dream of Draco, seghen, Pippin1177 (all I can say is that the Death Eaters certainly don't like Hermione.), sussan, AlexaPatronus6, JTfanaddict (hehe, good guess about Ron, but will they get married? Not if Draco can do something…), TariElena (It was Harry's name, Ron wouldn't speak because he's mad at him), crazyboy88, beaugarbage, DeadRose21, sarah and Tina3001
On with the story!
..~**~..
Chapter 3
Abigail Serpent, age 20, head of the Serpent family and member of the Order of the Phoenix, woke up in a start to the sound of her alarm clock. Switching it off, she slowly sat up in her bed, careful not to wake up the man sleeping by her side.
It was Luke, one of her on and off boyfriends, also a regular customer to 'The Hellfire Club', the wizard bar she worked with Ginny. She had been on a couple of dates with Luke before and sometimes spent the night with him in her flat. It usually occurred after a late night shift at the club and a lot of drinking. They always went to Abigail's flat in central London, where she felt more secure because of the advanced anti-Apparation and anti-jinxes spells she had cast on it. The security at her flat was almost as powerful as the magic protecting the vaults at Gringotts or even Hogwarts castle. It was necessary since she was a member of the Order and also because she was still in contact with Draco Malfoy. She had only lived in her flat for six months, but she liked it and it was certainly big enough for both Abigail and her dog, Beau.
Getting out of bed, Abigail headed straight for the shower to scrub the smell of cigarettes and alcohol off her. She spent as much time as she could in the shower as she tried to drown her hangover and forget the previous night. She didn't like Luke, he was just some nice guy she had once flirted with at the bar (like so many others) and since then he had stuck around her, hoping for more.
Abigail hadn't had a proper boyfriend for the past three years - at least nothing serious since, well - since the one who left her.
She took a long look at herself in the mirror. She looked like a mess; the red streaks in her messy jet-black hair were fading out to soft pink, her skin was too pale and she had dark circles around her dull eyes.
That's what you get when you only have three hours sleep!
She walked out of the bathroom, wrapped in her towel and noticed that Luke was awake. He was reading a book, but as Abigail took a closer look, she suddenly recognised the book and felt the colour drain from her face.
"Merlin, how could I forget about this: you were Harry Potter's girlfriend!" Luke exclaimed amused as he skimmed through a small leather bound book – her diary.
"Luke, give it back!" Abigail said sharply.
Seeing him continue to read through the book, she decided to grab her wand instead.
"Accio diary!" It flew into her hand.
"Hey, I was reading that!" he complained.
"Not anymore, now get dressed! I don't want to be late for work," she said coldly, throwing his clothes at him.
He slipped on his wizard robes and smiled cockily back at her. "Struck a nerve, did I?"
"Fuck you and get the hell out of my flat!" she answered angrily, clutching the diary to her chest.
"Yeah, yeah, I know the deal," he said bitterly, heading for the door. "I'll see you at the club."
Once he was out of sight, Abigail let out a deep breath and looked down at her diary. It had been months since she had looked at it. She had started writing it at the beginning of her seventh year at Hogwarts and had continued over the next few years. Newspaper clippings and articles were stuck in it as well, fattening the diary but it still seemed as good as new. It represented a part of her life that she so desperately wanted to forget, that she kept it hidden under her bed.
Sighing, she took one last look at the diary before throwing it away and decided to get dressed for work.
She had found a job at the Ministry at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures two years ago. She worked in the Beast division and had her own office, but she didn't earn much, which was why she also worked at the Hellfire Club. Her job consisted in healing sick magical creatures all around the country, which also proved helpful for the Order since she was free to come and go as she pleased at the Ministry.
As she used her wand to fix her tired and hung over face, she didn't notice her dog, Beau, walk inside her room and start sniffing the diary. Turning around in time, Abigail quickly snatched the diary away as she noticed her dog starting to chew on it. However, a page was torn out by accident.
"B! Now look what you did! Bad dog!" she scolded him, holding up the torn out page. She tried to fix it hastily, but her eyes caught sight of the particular page and she stopped, staring down, unblinking, at the crinkled piece of paper between her fingers and the words written on it.
It dated back to her seventh year at Hogwarts, October 14th.
"I saw Harry today," it read, "and things didn't go very well."
Abigail could feel the dried tear stains on the paper and although she was late for work, she read on.
"I can't even remember what we argued about, it all went so fast. And now Harry's gone and I have the feeling that he's not coming back."
..~**~..
(flashback)
Abigail sat quietly in the Three Broomsticks, looking down at different flyers on the table before her, each giving out information about potential careers. As she sat lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice a tall raven-haired boy step up behind her nor did she see the wide-eyed stares from the other students.
"Hey gorgeous!" Harry greeted suddenly, kissing her on the neck.
"You're late!" Abigail retorted, turning to kiss him on the lips.
"Sorry, had an interview," he answered casually, sitting down opposite her. A butterbeer was already waiting for him on the table.
"Again?" she exclaimed, amused. "I don't understand how you can enjoy this whole fame thing."
Seeing his eyes narrow from across the table, Abigail's smile fell.
"So, what are you looking at?" Harry asked, changing the subject.
"Oh, potential jobs after Hogwarts," she answered, her eyes skimming over the pamphlets. "I still want to work with magical creatures, but apparently it doesn't pay that well."
Harry pondered on her words as he took a sip of his butterbeer. Since Abigail's father had disowned her, she had had very little money for herself and had always refused her friends' help.
"Listen Abby," he began, taking her hand in his. "You know I'm more than willing to lend you –"
"No, it's ok," she assured him. "Next week, I should finally inherit the money from my mother and in the meantime, my aunt Isabelle is helping me out. Don't worry, I'll be fine."
Harry didn't seem convinced. "Well, if you ever do need my help, just let me know."
"I will."
Abigail looked down once more at the leaflets before her and smiled. "So, do you have any plans for next year yet?"
Harry sat back in his chair, drinking his beverage. "Some, but I can't tell you about them just yet. Besides, I kind of like things the way they are."
She snorted in return. "You mean doing absolutely nothing all day except giving out interviews and going to Ministry parties?"
"What's wrong with that?" he asked frowning.
Abigail looked back at him incredulously. "Oh Harry, come on! You can't do that for the rest of your life!"
"Why the bloody hell not?" he exclaimed, betraying a hint of anger. "I earned it, didn't I? I had a crap childhood and lived in fear of Voldemort for most of my life! Is it too much to ask to just lay back and have fun now?"
As he stopped, the whole pub became quiet. Apparently, everyone had heard the exchange and they all stared back at the couple with interest. Shooting dark looks around her, Abigail grabbed her Hogwarts cloak and pulled Harry out of his seat. Both of them headed out of the Three Broomsticks and walked silently up to the edge of the forest and the Shrieking Shack.
Finally Abigail took a deep breath and turned to face Harry.
"I'm sorry, Harry. Of course you deserve your peace and quiet now that Voldemort is gone, but don't you have dreams of your own? Something you've always wanted to do?"
"Of course I do!" he answered sharply, turning his gaze away from hers.
"I mean, haven't you ever wanted to do something else or find out what you're really worth, you know... without all the fame and attention?"
Seeing the hurt and angry look on his face, Abigail knew she had accidentally hit a nerve.
"Yes Abby, it's a question that's been lingering on my mind ever since I started Hogwarts," he said bitterly. "Thanks for reminding me that I'm worth nothing without this scar on my forehead!"
"That's not what I meant!" she retorted, trying to take his hand in hers but he moved away.
"Don't worry, you're absolutely right," he admitted, deadpanned. "It's probably time I did something with my life."
And before she could say another word, he disapparated. Abigail knew she should have gone after him but since it was nearly time to head back to the castle, she didn't.
A couple of days later, she received an owl from Hermione, warning her that Harry had made plans and was leaving England the next day. Abigail didn't manage to reach him in time before he left and never saw him again since their dispute at Hogsmeade. He completely disappeared off the face of the earth for six months, only to suddenly reappear in Mexico, as a Quidditch player.
His sudden departure had torn Abigail apart with guilt and worry and she soon sank into depression. Only Dumbledore had been able to help her and as soon as she left Hogwarts, she became an active agent of the Order. However, Malfoy, during their last encounter, had been right. The war, although secret, was still on and therefore to maintain her powers and upon Dumbledore's request, Abigail had begrudgingly resumed her lessons with Malfoy in absolute secrecy.
..~**~..
After a long day at work, which consisted in healing an Augurey, which had a broken its wing in Dublin, and then capturing a Hippogriff which had escaped from its stable near Hogsmeade, Abigail returned home.
She smiled as she found Fred Weasley sitting on her kitchen counter, reading the Daily Prophet and a piece of toast in his mouth. Although still the famous owner of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, Fred Weasley had also become a public relations agent for Ron, Hermione and Abigail since Voldemort's defeat. He had greatly suffered from the loss of his twin brother George after the war, but knew how to hide his pain behind his sense of humour.
"How am I not surprised?" Abigail teased him, casting a spell to clean the mud footprints he had left on the wooden floor. "You know, just because you've got a key to my flat, it doesn't mean you can come here every evening and raid my fridge."
"Hey, I fed your dog," he said indignantly, as Abigail snatched the newspaper out of his hand.
"So, any news?" Abigail asked indifferently, making herself a cup of tea. "I have a mission tonight, so be quick."
"Yeah, yeah, don't get your knickers in a twist," he retorted, pulling out a bunch of letters from his dragon skin jacket.
"Here's your mail," he said, handing her the pile. "You'll notice the drastic increase since that git Malfoy mentioned your name in his interview and also because of the Annual party, coming up this weekend. Don't forget that the invitation is still in my office and so fortunately for me, you'll have to come by–"
But Abigail wasn't listening anymore. Her eyes were suddenly fixed on a piece of parchment adorned with the Serpent family seal. It was from her father.
Breaking the seal open, Abigail quickly read the letter inside, catching Fred's attention.
"What does he want?" he asked, his voice showing suspicion.
"It's a reminder," Abigail answered with disgust. "Apparently Daddy dearest has found some new way to delay paying up the money I rightfully own. I'd completely forgotten about this law."
"Is this another one of those stupid laws you have to abide to?" Fred asked, rolling his eyes.
"Yeah and it's an important one," Abigail sighed. "If the Serpent head doesn't get married within the five years she comes of age, then the Serpent powers and heritage are passed on to someone younger. It's an ancient law that was created to ensure that our family name doesn't die out. Most Purebloods used to follow the same rule, but that was more than a century ago. I can't believe he's pulling this sort of shit on me again!"
Fred put a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, Abby. You'll be fine."
"No, I won't," she exclaimed, showing him the letter. "Unless I get married before my 22nd birthday, I'll never get my inheritance."
"So? That leaves you another two years, right?" Fred concluded, crushing the letter into a ball. "Well actually, one year to find a decent bloke and then another for the wedding preparations."
"Right," Abigail said, a smile lingering on her lips. She always loved being around Fred; he always knew how to make a joke out of everything.
He winked at her. "Alright, so you're broke for the next couple of years, what's new? Now, let's talk about a more crucial issue: what the hell does the Minister mean by '"formal Muggle clothes"?"
..~**~..
An hour later, Abigail met Ginny in the park next to her flat. It was their rendezvous point for the Order mission.
"Are you ready?" Abigail asked casually, casting a warmth spell on her clothes, which consisted on black trousers and a black sweatshirt.
"Yeah, I've got the bag and here are the coordinates," Ginny answered, a bit more nervous. Although Abigail had nothing to lose, Ginny had her son, Ryan, to think about now. That night, their mission consisted of stealing back an object from the Zabinis. It was an Orb that had been stolen from Hagrid's hut a couple of months ago. Hestia Jones was lucky enough to overhear Zabini tell Malfoy about it and after Lupin had been sent to spy on the Zabini manor, the Order was sure that the Orb was inside and therefore had sent Abigail and Ginny to retrieve it.
Abigail wasn't too sure why a crystal ball was so important to the Order, but Dumbledore had been adamant about stealing it back and she didn't want to question his motive. At least, the Zabini family would be absent from the manor that night, attending a party at the Dolohovs.
Taking Abigail's hand in her own, Ginny nodded at her and they both apparated inside the manor with a loud crack. The whole Zabini grounds were heavily protected with anti-Apparation wards and only Abigail was able to bypass them and multi-apparate at the same time.
"Okay, we're on the top floor, in the closet as planned," Ginny whispered, peering through the gap of the closet door.
She then turned to Abigail and saw her stumble against the wall with a pale face.
"Are you alright?" Ginny asked with worry.
"No," Abby admitted, closing her eyes. "I feel exhausted. The anti-Apparation wards were more powerful than I expected. I don't think I'll be able to disapparate us out."
A flicker of fear passed through the youngest Weasley's eyes, but then her Gryffindor courage seemed to kick in.
"Don't worry, we'll be fine," she assured Abigail. "We'll just have to leave by foot."
"Easier said than done," Abby whispered back, pulling out her wand. "Let's be quick."
They both stepped out quietly of the closet and searched the top floor for the master bedroom where the Orb was supposed to be.
"Here it is!" whispered Ginny, opening double doors leading to a huge darkly lit room.
"Lumos!" Abigail cast and then proceeded to look for the crystal ball.
As Ginny searched inside the wardrobe, Abigail looked around the rest of the room. Suddenly, her eyes set upon a small wooden chest on the large desk facing a window. Counter-cursing the jinxes and spells set upon the chest, she managed to open it and inside she found a large crystal ball, with a hint of blue in the centre, sitting on red velvet.
"Did you find it?" Ginny whispered loudly.
But Abigail didn't answer. She kept looking at the Orb as memories flooded her mind. She had seen the exact same Orb in Dumbledore's office during her last year at Hogwarts. He had let her peer inside of it, like a pensieve, and she had seen images within it that still haunted her at night.
"Abby!" Ginny hissed, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Someone's coming, quick!"
Closing the lid, Abigail took the chest and quickly stuffed it into Ginny's black bag.
"Let's go."
She opened the huge balcony windows quietly and the two girls levitated themselves down to the ground. Looking out for any sign of danger and finding none, they quickly ran across the garden towards the woods. As they reached the edge, Ginny suddenly spotted three large shadows to their left, emerging from the trees.
"We're being followed," she warned Abby as they continued to run.
"Wizards?"
"No, three dogs," Ginny said, glancing over her shoulder. "Really big ones too. Don't worry I'll take care of them."
Coming to a halt, she turned around brandishing her wand ahead of her, ready to curse them. But she didn't.
"Merlin help us!" she cried faintly. "Abby, those aren't dogs – they're werewolves!"
Abigail stopped dead in her tracks and turned around. "What?"
"How is it possible?" Ginny exclaimed, paralysed on the spot as the werewolves grew closer. "It's not the full moon!"
"Shit! Ginny run!"
Panicked, Ginny sprinted back towards Abigail as the three fearsome beasts quickly closed up on them with every passing second.
"Head for the woods!" Abigail shouted, taking out her wand from her back pocket. "Keep running, I'll slow them down."
Turning around the face them, she cast several stunning spells their way. There were three of them, a huge dark beast, another black one and a grey one. They didn't seem to notice Ginny, who ran towards the forest and disappeared within the dark shadows of the trees.
"Impedimenta!" Abigail shouted at the tallest of the werewolves, but it didn't seem to faze him.
She needed more powerful spells. Hiding behind a nearby tree, Abigail waited for the closest hound to find her. She had already confronted werewolves before, but this one was huge. It had dark fur and tiny yellow eyes.
Abigail saw it stop a few metres away from her to sniff the air. Growling in her direction, she didn't hesitate and she cast the first spell that came to her mind.
"Stonificus!"
This time the spell worked and Abigail watched as the werewolf, standing on all fours, slowly turned into stone. However, Abigail wasn't sure how long the spell would last on such a huge beast and so she quickly ran away, deeper into the woods, before it could come alive again.
As she ran further away from the manor, she could feel the magic barriers gradually fade around her.
Just a little bit more and I'll be able to apparate us out of here!
Suddenly, she heard the rustling of another werewolf behind her. She clutched her wand tightly, ready to strike, but then a deafening scream resonated through the woods, chilling her to the bone.
Ginny!
Her heart pounded frantically against her chest as she searched the woods for her friend. All of a sudden, she caught sight of the black werewolf, growling ferociously at a terrified Ginny, cornered by some tall bushes. She had lost her wand.
"Ginny!" Abby shouted, but it was too late.
The werewolf had pounced before she could stop him and the grey one was immediately behind her. Running towards Ginny, she cast another stunning spell at the black werewolf. It changed course abruptly and came charging towards her. Before she could say a word, it swiftly grabbed her by the neck and threw her against a tree trunk.
Abigail felt her head burst with pain as it banged against the hard wood. She fell to the ground, crying out as she heard her ankle crack. Her hair had fallen into her face, but her eyes didn't fail to notice the two werewolves slowly making their way towards her, snarling.
They had smelt her blood.
Abigail couldn't think straight as she watched the two beasts lick their lips in anticipation. Her hands shook in fear as she slowly stood up on one foot and spotted an unconscious Ginny on the ground ahead of her.
And then, she felt it. The wards – she couldn't feel them anymore - she could apparate!
She lifted her wand and sent a string of curses towards the werewolves as a distraction whilst she staggered blindly towards her friend.
"Ginny!" she shouted, but heard no reply. She finally managed to stun the black werewolf, but the grey one was hot on her heels.
As she reached her red-head friend, the last werewolf pounced in the air, ready to kill. As it reached them, Abigail managed to grab Ginny's arm in one hand and the black bag in the other and instantly disapparated from the woods in time.
The two girls landed painfully on an asphalt ground in a small deserted alleyway.
"Shit, that was so close," Abigail finally breathed out.
She heard Ginny wince and groan as she began to stir.
"Ginny, are you okay?" Abigail asked worried, trying to heal her friend's cuts and bruises as she spoke.
"I'll live," she said weakly. "Where are we?"
"Grimmauld Place," Abigail replied, pulling herself up on her one good foot.
"Bloody hell, I can't believe it - werewolves!" Ginny whispered. "We could have ended up in shreds. This was never part of the mission - we could have fucking died, Abby!"
"Yeah, I know," Abby replied, frowning deeply. "But we made it and we got the Orb back."
"Merlin," Ginny breathed out, slowly rolling on her back. "Thanks for saving me, by the way."
"Don't worry," Abby answered with a hint of sadness. "It was my pleasure."
..~**~..
"Merlin's Beard! What happened?" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed as she saw her daughter being levitated through the front door.
"Arthur, Bill!" she cried out over her shoulder. "It's Ginny! Quick, take her upstairs and lay her out on a bed. I'll grab my wand."
Part of the Order, sitting in the kitchen for a meeting, watched anxiously as Arthur and Bill took Ginny upstairs. Grabbing her wand, Mrs Weasley quickly asked McGonagall to fetch Madame Pomfrey from Hogwarts and then disappeared upstairs too.
Abigail, with Fred's help, hobbled into the kitchen, facing the rest of the members.
"What the bloody hell happened to you?" Ron exclaimed.
"Werewolves," Abigail said in a low and dangerous voice. "We were attacked by werewolves."
"But it isn't the full moon yet!" Lupin exclaimed, standing up from his seat.
'"Exactly," she said fiercely, letting Hestia heal the cut on the back of her head. "Zabini isn't going to get away with this!"
"Woah - slow down Serpent," Moody called out opposite her. "We ain't got nothing on Zabini Sr. yet and neither has Jones. He can't be touched."
"If we capture the werewolves, then he's history," Abby explained hotly in return. "Lupin, search the woods behind the Zabini manor and warn me when you've found them. Your smell should attract them before they transform again."
However, Lupin shook his head. "It's not so simple Abby, the other werewolves don't trust me and –"
"I don't care Lupin, just find the bastards!" she cried out, standing up on her feet.
"Abigail," said a quiet voice from behind her, "there is no need for such language."
Turning around, she saw Dumbledore at the kitchen door, followed by Pomfrey and McGonagall who were shown upstairs to Ginny by Fred.
"Alastor, Remus," he continued, turning to them. "Go back to the manor and see if you can recognise these werewolves. Do not confront them, report immediately back to me and try not to be seen."
Both men left the kitchen straight away.
"Now except for Abigail, the rest of you are dismissed for tonight. If there is an emergency, I will warn you. Goodnight."
They all got up and filed out of the kitchen door, bidding farewell as they left.
"I have many questions for you, but first of all," Dumbledore said gravely. "I will do my best to heal your ankle. I see that you have broken it."
He took out his wand and tapped it gently against her foot. Immediately, Abigail felt the pain go away.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Now, I think it is best that you start from the beginning."
Taking a deep breath, Abigail told him everything that had happened at Zabini manor and eventually showed him the Orb in the bag that was still clutched in her hand.
"Professor," she couldn't help but ask, "isn't that the same Orb, you once showed me in your office?"
"Yes, it is," he admitted, putting the crystal ball back in the wooden chest. "I had lent it to Hagrid sometime before it was stolen by a thief working for Lord Zabini. Now you understand why we so desperately needed to steal it back."
"Yes, of course," Abigail replied, fidgeting in her seat. She knew Dumbledore had one more question to ask her and it scared her above all.
"Abigail," he said, sitting down beside her. "Tell me, do you know of the curse that allows a man to transform into a wolf without a full moon?"
"Yes professor," she answered truthfully. She couldn't seem to bring herself to look him in the eye and stared firmly at her ankle instead. "It's a curse from one of the Serpent books, which I taught Malfoy at the beginning of the year. I'm so sorry, that's why I wanted to catch the werewolves at Zabini manor, I want to fix this! Ginny could have died!"
Dumbledore paused. He seemed lost in his thoughts for a while.
"There is no need to be sorry, Abigail," he finally spoke up, standing again. "If it is the only way for you to keep your family magic and continue to be part of the Order, then so be it."
..~**~..
So there's Abby for you. I haven't made it easy for her either, but where's the fun if they all have simple lives?
Just to clear things up, Abby is indebted to Draco because she helped to defeat Voldemort and now she must help him out to keep her magic. Also, now you all know what happened to Harry; he left them all to be a Quidditch player but he'll be back very very soon! Oh and this was my first time writing Fred, so tell me what you think!
As for Draco and Hermione, they'll be back in the next chapter, promise!
Review – pretty please :)
