A Pivotal Time

Monsieur Charpentier was the Potion Master who tutored the set at Harry and Hermione's level. The new headmistress, Frau Roth had already implemented certain changes to the curriculum at Beauxbatons. He was not surprised that she had made German compulsory, but now she interviewed him personally to tell him of an addition she intended to make to the potions his syllabus covered and this did come as a surprise. She interviewed him in her office to make the suggestion.

"A Panacea headmistress?" he replied, somewhat surprised, "I preferred to restrict my syllabus to the intermediate level potions."

The headmistress smiled at him, her smile was certainly the sort to light up a room. Naturally he couldn't help noticing that while her face was bright green, she was extremely pretty with a fantastic figure and fine features.

"My dear Henri, I must recommend the Panacea, it is useful in so many contexts and I am certain we may have need of it soon. You are a fine Potioneer and have taught so well these twenty years, that's why I trust you to do it," she laid a dainty hand on his arm.

"Well yes, I could do it, that is certain," he agreed, pleased that she could see his value to his profession.

When it came to their next potion's session, Harry and Hermione worked together as usual. The potion session did not take place in a dungeon, but in a bright and airy laboratory on the first floor of the palace.

"The Panacea? That is advanced," said Hermione, rubbing her green cheek as she contemplated their instructions.

"I wish I had a book of short cuts and cheats," said Harry, "even without Snape breathing down my neck, I don't think I could do this one."

"Oh Harry, as if you would cheat," said Hermione laughing. They say love is blind. She scoured the instructions again, "I have been researching the uses for a Panacea and it is in essence a heal all that can cure most illnesses quickly and also break dark magic curses."

"We could do with a stack of these things," said Harry.

Hermione carefully measured out three drops of fireflower juice, using a pipette.

"Too bad muggles can't adapt this formula," said Harry. "It seems like one of the most useful potions there is."

"Sadly muggles and squibs don't have innate magic, so if they tried to brew a potion they would just make a toxic mess," said Hermione. Their cauldron was soon billowing silvery steam. "It certainly causes a lot of moisture," said Hermione, touching her bushy hair in which droplets from the potion's vapour had condensed, "I wonder exactly why they suddenly added it to the syllabus."

"Oh, if it's the headmistresses' idea then it'll be for the best," said Harry confidently, "do you think there's any way I could spend more time with her? Perhaps if I volunteered to be her secretary?"

Hermione was giving him a strange look with those sincere chocolate brown eyes of hers. Was it pity? Well undoubtedly his interest in Heidi may sound messed up when put into words, but at the moment, it seemed too strong for him to do anything about.

"Oh là là!" Monsieur Charpentier exclaimed in delight. He came over to their cauldron. "Miss Granger's done it again! One of the finest Panacea's I've ever seen."


Many Gryffindors had attempted to flee Mortvania, leaving Hogwarts behind when Voldemort took over. They had settled abroad and could all be accounted for, all except one. Ginny Weasley. She had left Hogwarts too, but they say it was because she dedicated herself to the dark side, body and soul and left Hogwarts so that she could learn the dark arts from Voldemort himself. There were some who said that he taught them as she sat on his lap.

Voldemort's inner circle knew that Voldemort didn't really have a deputy. A deputy is after all, someone who takes over when a leader dies and Voldemort would never die. No, he didn't have a second in command, rather, he had a handful of favourites who could change or fall out of favour. It was rumoured that he now had a new special favourite. Ginny Weasley who was known to have impressed him by hurting the Boy Who Lived in ways that her master never could. It was even rumoured that he had given her the gift of his ancestral home.

These rumours were not known to all muggles though. In Little Hangleton, the local economy had always been sluggish and now that all the muggles who couldn't work had been deported to the magically enlarged islands in the north sea (Azkaban was just one such island) those that remained were determined to avoid this fate at all costs.

A quartet of muggle lads who had lost their jobs as farm hands, were concerned about their prospects. With no useful occupation, they might well be considered expendable as well.

"I'm telling you, we've got to hide," said Eddie, their self-appointed leader, "the Doom Troopers will be on to us any day now."

The Doom Troopers were, in a way, the lowest ranking Death Eaters. The Death Eaters were very few in number and could not possibly hope to police Mortvania by themselves, so they had to resort to recruiting a new type of disciple to Voldemort – simply put, any muggle who could be diagnosed as having some magical ancestry (usually in the distant past) and who was ready to swear an oath of loyalty to the Supreme Leader. They did the dirty work of policing for the Death Eaters. They were men, insecure about their heritage, so all the more determined and ruthless and ready to crack the skull of an inferior muggle.

"I wonder what you think can be done Eddie, yes I do," said Doug, another of the four.

"I tell you what, we can hide in that mansion away outside the village, no one ever goes there," said Eddie, "and they're scared of the rumour about some gardener going missing – like that matters."

"Steady on," said Kirk, large, but mild mannered, he never had a bad word to say about anyone, "it's sad if a poor old man goes missing, it's just that we have so many problems nowadays…"

"Kirk, don't think OK?" said Eddie tersely, "we'll put up camp in the mansion, no one uses it any more. They still call it the Riddle House, but the Riddles are supposed to have been dead for decades."

"It's worth a try," said Lloyd, the fourth. "What could possibly go wrong?"


The four of them approached the Riddle House under cover of darkness. The rusty gates appeared to be locked at first, but as they approached, the gate swung open.

The drive was deserted, the front lawns still well kept. Eddie took the lead and to his surprise, found the large, oaken front doors unlocked.

"Well, that's simple," he said as they all trooped into the entrance hall.

The entrance hall was dark and decorated with oak panelling and a large oaken staircase led up to the floors above.

"Big place," said Eddie.

"I wonder if the Riddles are still here?" said Kirk, "hey Riddles! How are you? We mean no harm." The words echoed strangely around the entrance hall "harm … harm … harm…"

"Idiot! They're dead and don't yell," said Eddie.

"Look at the walls," said Lloyd. The dark oak panelling seemed to have a wet stain on it. A dark red viscous liquid seemed to ooze down the wall.

"Tomato ketchup!" said Kirk.

"Erm, I do believe that's blood, yes it is," said Doug.

"Rubbish, that's a prank of some half-baked sort," said Eddie. But then a cold sense of dread overtook them all, the air became very cold and a chill wind seemed to blow through the entrance hall.

"Hey!" exclaimed Eddie. There was now a girl standing on the staircase, glaring down at them. She was a strikingly pretty girl, with a bold, freckled face, long, fiery red hair and a slender, athletic figure. She was wearing what appeared to be something like a long, black wedding dress. She came gliding down the stairs.

"Oh hello, you live here? How nice to see you!" Bellowed Kirk, waving at her.

"Yes, I live here," said the girl coolly. "The question is, what are you doing here?"

Eddie sneered and pulled out a revolver, "don't mess with me, bitch! You are going to do exactly as you're told, without giving trouble."

"Put that away, someone could get hurt," cried Kirk.

"Eddie…" cautioned Lloyd.

The girl gave a small smile and whispered something. She seemed to be clutching an object hidden under her dress. Doug felt a strange notion enter his mind.

"I should watch over her with the gun, yes I should," he said, "and then you three should check out the rest of the house."

"Alright," said Eddie, coolly. "Don't mess it up Doug."

They left Doug with the revolver and left to explore the house, Eddie going up the stairs, Kirk to the kitchen and Lloyd to the cellar. Left alone with Doug, the girl fluttered her eye lashes and blew kisses at him. Her lips and nails were painted the same, bright red. She glided closer to Doug, staring right into his eyes.

"Hello, I'm Doug, yes I am," he said, shifting uncomfortably on his feet.

"I'm Ginny," whispered the girl, huskily. She glided closer and then smiled. Doug looked at her freckled face, her firm breasts and fiery hair. He had rarely been so close to someone so attractive. "This place need a lot of up keep? Yes it does." He stammered.

Ginny smiled and took out a stick from the folds of her dress, "your gun is so impressive," she whispered, "not that you need it." Suddenly she leaned forward and sucked on the barrel of the gun. Doug stared astonished. Ginny, her cheeks bulging, held out her hand and spat the bullets from her mouth onto her palm and then discarded them.

"Kiss me Dougie, you know you want to," she breathed and then flung her arms around him, locking her lips onto his. He found himself kissing her back, just as passionately. His manhood rose at the feel of her closeness and her firm breasts mashed against his chest. He did not even notice as she lifted her wand and drove it into his ear.


In the kitchen parlour, Kirk heard a horrible yell. He gave a little start and turned to see Ginny right behind him.

"Did you hear that?" he asked, gaping at her.

"It's just the TV," Ginny assured him, smiling, "did you want some cake?"

"Uh, OK, that's kind of you," said Kirk, "does it have cherries in?"

Ginny smiled him, "I hope you're hungry," she said, gliding towards the kitchen, her fiery hair streaming out behind her as if blown by an invisible breeze.

The kitchen was very dingy, with black and white flag stones. In the kitchen was a wooden table upon which there stood what looked like a three tier wedding cake. On top of the cake stood two small figures, one tall and shadowy and swathed in black, hooded robes. The other was a girl in a black wedding dress with long red hair. Who was that hooded figure? Kirk was not usually quick on the uptake, but he knew of the Supreme Leader…

"I hope you're hungry!" said Ginny, brightly, taking out a huge knife.

"Um, I think I'd better be going," he said, backing away.

"Don't be silly," cried Ginny, "it's Death Eater food." Then, moving with astonishing speed, she brandished the knife and sliced through Kirk's throat. Ruby blood spurted everywhere. She smiled and licked some off her finger.


Lloyd explored the cellar, chancing upon the old wine cellar, which contained bottles that would probably have been worth a fortune to the right collector. He picked up a strangely shaped triangular bottle which appeared to contain a thick, red liquid and yet was strangely warm. Hmm. He decided to take a bottle of vodka with him. He pushed through a pair of double doors in the back of the cellar and to his surprise, entered a gleaming, sterile operating theatre. And there was Ginny, covered in blood, brandishing a wand and a scalpel. "The doctor is here now!" she cried. She pointed her wand at Lloyd and he felt his arms and legs snap together and his body become as rigid as a board. With a rising sense of helplessness, he felt himself float into their air and onto the operating theatre table.


After searching upstairs and finding nothing, Eddie came storming down the stairs in a temper. He found Doug lying on the floor in the entrance hall with a strang snake mask over his head. "What are you doing?" snapped Eddie, kicking him.

Doug stirred and then sat up. "Damned if I know, perhaps the Devil made me do it?" he said. But it wasn't Doug's voice. It was deep and booming and the eyes of the "mask" glowed a fiery orange…

Eddie staggered back, but into the entrance hall from the other doors came staggering the bodies of Kirk and Lloyd, heads removed and replaced with the heads of giant serpents. Ginny came gliding into the entrance hall.

"I should tell you, I'm recruiting for my army for my campaign against Beauxbatons," she gloated. "You can be a recruit too – or I can simply conscript you?"