Chapter 11: Unexpected Visitors
Barely breaking the threshold of the bedroom Rachel was reduced to a blubbering mess when all the tears that started to form downstairs finally broke loose. The sobs that ripped through her body were some of the hardest she had experienced in a long time, and caused her to have to prop herself against the wall to stay upright. As her mind became a jumbled mess of various dangerous plans, each more outlandish than the other, of how to keep Hermione safe. Every one ended with Hermione, Harry, or herself dead. Somehow she managed to stumble to the bed.
I just need time to think, she thought wiping her eyes as she buried her face in the dusty pillow. At that point she didn't care that her face could be covered in soot, all she wanted was some time alone, I know I can think of a way to get her out of there safely.
Huffing loudly Rachel pulled the blanket back on the bed and climbed underneath to submerge herself in total darkness, hoping the blackness would prevent the migraine she felt forming behind her eyes from all the stress. Just an hour of silence that's all she needed then she would be okay to go back out. She would feel like a new person who could face any obstacle that would be thrown at her. Yes all she needed was a few hours of peace and quiet. . .
Have you completely lost your mind?!
"No!"Rachel screamed as she removed the blanket that she had placed over her head only seconds before to escape the world for a while. All she wanted was a few uninterrupted hours to think of a solution to the problem that had cropped up in the past ten minutes. That didn't last long as the familiar voice filtered through the covers. "No, no, no! Not now! You need to leave . . . NOW!"
Yanking the blankets away she sat up and for the first time was genuinely angry to be staring into the face of her lost girlfriend. Beth Stillwater, Rachel's first friend and love, who was tragically taken by Voldemort almost a year ago, sat on the desk by the window, looking rather agitated.
I am not going anywhere, since you obviously need a fricking babysitter to watch you at all times. So let's recap what is going on shall we? The most evil wizard in the entire history of existence is hunting you and Harry and instead of trying to keep yourself safe you want to go running off to the Burrow. Since when did you become such an irresponsible stupid ass? If I wasn't a ghost I would come over there and kick your fucking ass for being such a moron for even suggesting what you just did!
"Why are you yelling at me?" Rachel groaned letting her eyes creak open, "please go away. I've got a splitting headache, and you screaming at me like a banshee is not helping."
I'm not screaming, Beth's voice went down in volume as she seemed to calm down after her burst of venting; I'm just speaking loudly enough so that you can't ignore me. I know you have the tendency to do that to me.
Lying there in silence Rachel eventually picked her head back up to look across the room, meeting Beth's eyes. "Oh I'm sorry were you speaking to me?" she sneered and pulled the blanket back over her head but not before catching Beth glaring at her, "what? You used to love my award winning personality? But seriously, Beth please just leave me alone, come back later, or leave a message with my secretary and she will give you a more convenient time for you to come back and lecture me."
This isn't some damn joke Rachel; this could mean the difference between you living and you dying way before you are supposed to, and I already told you that I don't want you on the other side yet… no matter how much I miss you.
Silently, she jumped down off the desk, strolled over to the bed, and with one solid jerk the blanket ripped it straight off the bed. Having the blanket yanked off her not only caused Rachel's hair to stick straight up but also her level of annoyance to shot straight through the roof.
"Beth, I love you but. . .IF YOU DON'T GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE RIGHT NOW I'M GOING TO KILL MYSELF JUST SO I CAN COME TO THE OTHER SIDE AND CHOKE YOU!" Rachel screeched her voice raising an octave with each word.
The look upon Beth's face was as if someone had slapped her. She had seen Rachel get upset multiple times over the course of their lives together, but never before had she seen her get this escalated. For a split second the spirit thought about just melting away and leaving her hysterical friend to the alone time she was yelling about. Honestly the only thing that prevented from her leaving at that moment was knowing the girl was speaking simply out of fear and stress over everything that was currently going on. Plus she needed to be sure that she got her point across to her love. After all she hadn't sacrificed herself to let Rachel simply hand herself over to the death a few months later.
Don't you think that is quite a violent threat in order to get some peace and quiet? Perhaps if you just ask her nicely she will leave you be.
Turning towards the window Rachel sighed as she saw her newest visitor to join her in the room. Leaning against the wall was the specter that had just visited her a few hours ago with more "wonderful" news.
"Really?" she asked causing Dumbledore to smile, "it's bad enough that she's here acting like my mother, but now you too? Awesome, did you discover some more events about what's going to happen to me that you won't share but instead give me dark clues that cause me to go into panic attacks? "
Told you she's cranky when you interrupt her during a nap, the forever seventeen year old female said with a smile as she turned toward Dumbledore, learned that lesson the hard way. Did you know that when we were like seven she slept over my house and when my mom told me to wake her up in the morning she bit me?! I still have a scar on my arm from her, wanna see it, she added and began to roll up the sleeve of her sweatshirt.
"Oh you do not!" Rachel huffed rolling over while clamping a pillow down over her head hoping to drown them out, "jeez Beth, living or not you're still such a fuckin' drama queen!"
I now see what you mean; Dumbledore added which caused Rachel to emit a growl of frustration.
All she wanted to do was lay down to clear her head but instead she was being bothered like Scrooge on Christmas Eve. She had grown used to her spirit visitors over the past few months but this was the first time she had been ambushed by both at once. "If I would have known that you both would be showing up because of my crazy threats I never would have made them," she sighed rubbing her swollen eyes from her period of crying earlier.
You do realize that if you went to the Burrow without Harry's protection you wouldn't make it more than a few steps outside this door, Dumbledore said knowing that is not what Rachel wanted to hear, you two need to stay together and stay here until you get your sign that it is time to leave. For if you leave before then things will not fall into place as they are foretold, and your very future will be altered.
"My sign to leave? My future will be altered?" Rachel asked as she flipped over removing the pillow from her head, "I don't ever remember you talking in riddles like this when you were alive, Professor."
Smiling the old man remained by the window as Beth wandered about the room. She often paced when she was thinking. I am not here to tell you when or what you are to do, I am here simply to guide you and prevent you from making reckless choices like the one you were about to make.
Sighing heavily Rachel flopped back down on the bed closing her eyes. She wished she never would have let her emotions get the best of her downstairs and ran her mouth. "All I meant is that I'm not letting her life be put in danger because Voldemort is after me," she groaned draping an arm across her closed eyes.
Hermione can take care of herself, Beth almost scolded as she sat down on the edge of the bed a tone that Rachel hated, she was fighting death eaters and Voldemort long before you showed up in her life.
"I am well aware of that, Beth," she snapped kicking at the apparition at the edge of the bed, something she had done several times before when Rachel got annoyed with Beth's know it all side. Her foot felt like it had plunged into a vat of ice water as it passed straight through Beth's chest, causing a chill to run straight up the girl's spine.
Well you should start to trust that she can actually protect herself, after all she does have magic on her side unlike you, Beth laughed as Rachel almost pouted like a two year kid as she sat up and crossed her arms in front of her chest, and if you remember correctly the last time you tried to be her savior you ended up with a permanent reminder of that night.
"As hard as it is for you to believe my dear, I knew what I was doing that night," Rachel hissed through gritted teeth. She was getting angry that people kept bringing that night up and scolding her for the events that had occurred "I knew that I might have to sacrifice myself to keep her safe. You even told me that in the end I would be the one protecting her! So why are you now sitting there telling me to just let her fend for herself?"
That's not what I'm saying at all, and when I told you that I didn't mean for you to take a knife in the gut, babe, Beth said knowing that her nagging had upset her, I know you want to be a hero, especially hers, but I think she would rather have you hidden away then always running to her rescue. I know I would if I was her. And if you keep jumping in without thinking you will be spending the rest of forever with me instead of with her.
"I know," she whispered causing Beth to instantly stop talking at hearing her agree with her, "You think I would have learned after Voldemort killed you? If I wouldn't have tried to be a hero that night in the forest maybe I wouldn't have lost you," Rachel choked as an unexpected wave of emotion hit out of nowhere. Nearly a year had passed and still deep down she felt responsible for Beth's sudden death. "We both could have gotten out of there alive; maybe even all of them could have escaped if I wouldn't have acted like an idiot and tried to run to you."
You can't keep thinking that Rach, she sighed, we've been over this countless times before. It wasn't meant to be or else I would have survived as well. You were meant to be the sole survivor of that attack and to carry on with Hermione, not me, by your side. I'll admit at first I was jealous, even angry, that I didn't get to live out my life especially with you. But the more that I have watched you two since then I realized everything was how it should be, you two were the ones meant to be, not us.
"Well then why are you giving me such a hard time about wanting to go get her?" she snapped, just wishing the pair would disappear and she could get a few moments of rest. "You know I'm going to do what I want to do no matter what you tell me, so why are you trying to stop me when you should be helping me think of ways to do it so I don't die?"
Opening her mouth, Rachel could tell Beth wanted to blurt something out. A statement that she knew would cause her to stay put and not run off into the unknown, but a hand on her shoulder from Dumbledore caused her to remain silent. Shifting off the bed she joined the man by the window as the two exchanged some quiet words. Turning back toward her, Beth looked sadly at the person she has spent most of her life loving, Rachel swore she saw traces of tears in her eyes.
Look, you aren't meant to be the hero in this chapter of your story, so stop trying to be one or else you are going to get yourself killed. Don't be stupid because you are going to not only erase your future but you will completely destroy Hermione's, if you don't believe me go ahead and keep trying to save the world and see what happens. But if there is even that little doubt, that little voice that tells you that I might be right and you don't want to risk everything just let the other's be the heroes that they were meant to be for once. There is nothing wrong with being the one who needs to be saved, Rachel.
Beth's words struck her heart, as Rachel's anger at all her yelling from earlier melted away, but before she could say another word she watched as her love's form went transparent and she suddenly vanished from view. Deep down she knew Beth's words had been true and that she only meant the best in what she said, but she had been so angry about everything she didn't see that. Glancing over at Dumbledore she tried to repress the tightness in her chest at the thought of Beth being upset with her and leaving before she could apologize.
"I'm getting enough mysterious messages from you, can you please not have her delivering them to me as well?" she asked as she slumped back on the bed and closed her eyes, hoping he would get the hint and follow after Beth. After a few moments with her eyes remained tightly closed, Rachel could still sense a presence in the room.
You know that even in death she would do anything to keep you safe from harm? It takes a lot for her not to intervene and tell you exactly what is at stake if something happens to you. Perhaps you should listen to her Rachel, she had never led you astray, before has she?
"No," she sighed not opening her eyes to keep the tears that formed from escaping, "no she never did, and I think that she will continue to do so, but honestly professor I can't sit here and leave Hermione's fate to chance."
How do you know that chance doesn't know exactly what to do to help her fate stay on track, and all this is what needs to happen in order for her as well as your fate to end up where it is meant to?
Rachel sat up and looked at the old man with a puzzled look, before her eye gave a quick twitch causing him to laugh. "I think I might have just had a stroke," she said rubbing her temples and lying back down. "But I will admit, as much as I hate to do so, you both are right, and I will listen. I'm not going anywhere until further notice, but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to try to contact her!"
I never instructed you not to try and warn her, by all means reach out to Hermione and let her know that you and Harry are in fact safe. I'm sure that will be a great weight lifted off her heart. I just don't want you rushing and possibly severely altering your future as well as theirs.
Theirs, she thought looking back over at the slowly fading man, oh he is not leaving me with another riddle.
"Who is they?" she asked quickly trying to get an answer before he disappeared like the Cheshire cat did to Alice.
Some you already know, but the rest you will just have to wait to meet; a playful tone to his voice that filled the room as his form vanished right before her eyes.
"Sometimes I think he tortures me on purpose," groaned Rachel as she lay back down on the bed trying to relax her brain into thinking of a plan that would allow her to remain here while getting a message to the Burrow. Owls were out, after all they could easily be tracked and captured, and she was almost positive that the Weasleys did not own a telephone so they would not be phoning the family. Every idea she came with seemed brilliant until she came up with a way that it could be easily foiled, and after about twenty minutes of this she decided she wasn't getting anywhere.
"Rachel, you awake?"
The familiar voice of Harry floated up from downstairs and penetrated through the haze. Opening her eyes after her epic failure of a brainstorming session she did not feel rested in the least bit, but then again she knew that she probably wouldn't get proper rest until Hermione was beside her again. Slinging her legs over the side of the bed she made her way out into the hallway, to join her companion down on the first floor. Finding him was easy enough as there was only three doors to choose from: the front door, the closet, and then the open one that led to the dining room were the order of the phoenix held all their meetings.
Eyes adjusting to the dimly lit room Rachel was relieved to see that in her absence Harry had finished getting dressed." Hope you had a better time thinking up some way to get a message to them, than I did," she yawned rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she entered the room to find Harry, setting up a chess game on a solid wooden chessboard on the large dining table. Here she was trying to save her friends and he was getting ready to play chess with her! "Seriously!? I've been up there wracking my brain and you are down here playing games!"
Looking up from the board he smiled at her. Harry knew that he was going to get that reaction when she first came into the room. Snatching a pawn off the board he tossed it at Rachel, who easily caught it with one hand. "What you are holding in your hand is going to help us warn the others," he stated brightly as he watched Rachel turn the piece over in her hands, trying to figure out what he possibly could be talking about.
"Head injury acting up again, Harry?" she smirked bringing the pawn up to eye level to inspect it more carefully, which only helped confirm that this was just a regular pawn. "This is a chess pawn, nothing more, so unless you can make this thing talk or do a jig, all it will do is help us pass the hours here."
"But that's precisely what I intent to do," he smiled as he grabbed the knight from its home on the board.
Blinking several times Rachel let Harry's sentence bounce around in her still tired brain. "Come again there sparky?" she asked screwing up her face like a puppy hearing a strange noise for a first time.
"It's quite simple when you think about it, I've thought about all the usual ways we could try to contact them, you know owls, fireplaces, letters, but every single one of them I could think of an easy way it could be intercepted. So I thought maybe if we send something that doesn't look like a message we might have a better shot of it actually getting to them. Now, if I do this correctly we should be able to record a message to some of the pieces and will just send the whole thing to the Burrow. Once there, the board will know when it is safe to play the message that we have recorded," he beamed obviously proud of himself for coming up with the plan, "in theory that is."
"That is absolutely . . . genius," Rachel cried joining his grin, which caused him to break into laughter, "seriously, I think you could defiantly give Hermione a run for her money if you wanted to, Harry. But, I hate to be a Debbie Downer but what about if somehow a death eater got their hands on this, wouldn't it be leading them straight to us?"
"I thought of that," he replied taking a few steps toward Rachel, knight in one hand, wand in the other. "If it's intercepted by the death eaters the pieces with the messages engrained in them will simply disintegrate into dust taking out message with them. Annnnd..." Harry continued before Rachel could ask the question he could see formulating in her mind, "the way that it will know it has safety reached the Burrow is truly brilliant if I do say so myself."
"You're so modest, Mr. Potter," Rachel teased causing a cheeky grin to spread across his face. "And what is this truly brilliant trigger for the message going to be?"
"It will be enchanted to listen for a particular phrase that is bound to be said at least some point at the burrow. If we can make it be something that is said almost daily then we don't have to worry about the message not getting played," Harry said scratching his head with the tip of his wand, "I just need help thinking of what that could be."
Rachel fell silent as she began to ponder the perfect phrase that could be uttered at least once a day in the burrow. At first her and Harry tossed various phrases back and forth trying to find the perfect one. It had to be unique but not so unique that it might be a fluke that it is ever said, at one point she even suggested that perhaps it should just be either her's or Harry's name. That was quickly dismissed because let's face it a death eater, especially one who's duty it was to track down the pair, would more likely than not say their names at least once. If they were to think of a phrase unique to the Burrow they would have to narrow it down to its inhabitants, especially the ones that the message was for, Ron and Hermione.
Closing her eyes Rachel tried to recall a typical day with the pair, and it only took a minute before she had the answer that they'd been searching for. A giggle slipped from her mouth breaking Harry's focus as he turned to laughing soul piercer.
"It's so obvious," she cackled can't believing it had taken her this long to come up with it, "What happens at least once a day between those two?" She paused waiting to see if Harry was going to catch on, but the blank look on his face caused her to continue. "They argue, Harry! Seriously, try and think of a day that you don't remember Hermione and Ron going at each other in the past seven years."
Harry had never really thought about it like that, but what she was suggesting was true. His two best friends' arguments had become such a daily occurrence he didn't even seem to notice them anymore. Also the fact that they never lasted that long made them easily forgettable.
"Honestly Ronald!" Rachel cried imitating Hermione's tone when she scolded Ron perfectly, causing Harry to chuckle, "she says it every single time they fight."
Breaking into laughter, Harry slapped his forehead where his famous scar lay. "Of course! It's such an obvious choice I can't believe we didn't think of it right away," he said, imaging the inevitable fight that would bring about the surprise message from the missing pair. In a flash he pictured them, at each other's throats shouting, then the look of total surprise as his and Rachel's voices suddenly floating up from the chessboard, and instantly causing the hostility between them disappear.
Now that they had their trigger phrase Harry could begin the very complicate process to not only give the pieces a voice, but a face as well. Raising a wand he pointed it at Rachel, who instinctively closed her eyes, and then at himself, muttering under his breath. At first nothing happened and for the first time ever she doubted Harry's ability to cast a spell, but suddenly a breeze picked up around her. "You might feel a slight burning sensation," he stated causing her eyes to fly open and to be nearly blinded by the bright purple light that had surrounded them.
Harry hadn't been lying when he said about it burning, but what he failed to mention was the intensity of the fire. Rachel's face felt like it had been plunged into boiling water that also seeped into her mouth and down her throat. Gasping she attempted to put out the flames that ignited around her vocal chords with bursts of cool air. Moments later the burn subsided, leaving her face and throat tingling. Opening her eyes she looked at Harry who was trying to dislodge the sting left in his throat with coughs of his own.
"Right," he wheezed, stuffing his wand in his back pocket, "that should do it."
Wiping the remnants of the tears that clung to the corners of her eyes, she strolled up to the board, figuring that she would need to be near it in order for her voice to be picked up. "What do I have to do?" she asked placing the pawn she had been holding back in its rightful place. "Now do I focus on one piece to record my voice or. . ."
"No, no, don't worry about that," Harry said joining her, and added his knight to the board. "Just talk like you are leaving a message on the answering machine, it's already recording."
Butterflies took flight in her stomach as everything she wanted to say to Hermione flooded her mind. She wanted to tell her how much she missed her, that she loved her, and how very sorry she was for once again leaving her without any explanation. But first things first they had a very important message to pass to their friends, before she could ramble on about her feelings. Leaning toward the board she decided to imprint her voice on the queen, after all it is the only female piece in the set, and seemed fitting it should hold her vocal sound. Inhaling Rachel was about to begin speaking when she caught some movement on the board from the front row.
What the hell, she thought squinting at the pawn that she had just set down moment before. An audible gasp was uttered as she looked up at Harry, who was trying to hold in a laugh.
"Seriously dude?!" she cried as she watched the little pawn not only mimic her movement but her voice as well.
