The first complete draft of Change in the Air is officially complete! I am in the progress of the mother of all edits, (which may include adding a scene here or there) but intend to be uploading each of the remaining chapters at regular intervals - I would like to aim for one a week but am also working on some original pieces so will see how I go.
This chapter is dedicated to Manandit and their sister, who, after all this time have come across my beloved Changes and enjoyed reading it. I only hope I still have some of my old readers still around, and may gain some new ones.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy.
~ CannS xx
P.S. It's been a while since I've used this... PM me if you know how to turn html script off so I can read these previews and edit properly! Is it a Mac thing..?
CHAPTER TWELVE: "I've got her."
Amelia knew it was too good to last, but after a day of privacy, nearly all the students in Hogwarts had caught a report on the wizarding wireless divulging the details about the attack on her father and his team of aurors. On her way down to breakfast she had been approached by no less than six people, giving her their sympathies or digging for dirt. Once in the dining hall, she sought shelter between Lily and Remus as she tried to hide from all of the students' stares. She recognized a first year Hufflepuff receiving similarly unwanted attention and remembered the boy's mother worked with her father. In contrast, Billy Pepskinsy, a Ravenclaw whose grandfather was involved in the attack, was basking in the attention received from his peers.
"Gah! Muggle cleaning!" Cherie spat with obvious distaste, examining her broken fingernails as she joined the group. Her final detention came at 5am that morning requiring three hours scrubbing the dungeon floors on her hands and knees.
Without looking up from editing her Herbology essay, Lily responded to the unspoken request and charmed Cherie's nails back to their usual manicured state.
"Thanks. We've got a free period now, right?" Cherie stated more than asked, as she grabbed an apple from the large fruit bowl in the centre of the table.
"Uh huh." Lily confirmed, scratching out a spelling mistake.
"Brilliant, I'm going for a soak in the bath. See you guys in Potions." She finished, leaving the dining room as the school owls swooped overhead and showered the four house tables in mail.
Ignoring the fluttering of feathers surrounding her, Lily continued her study before she felt a sharp pain in her leg as someone kicked her under the table. Her gaze spun to Sirius who was sitting opposite her. "What was that for?"
Sirius narrowed his eyes reproachfully and gently shook his head before subtly nodding back across the table. Looking to where he gestured, Lily saw Amelia with her face buried in Remus' shoulder. In response to Lily's confused expression, Remus handed her the Daily Prophet and continued to run his hand in comforting circles over Amelia's back.
The cover declared 'Lambeth Leads Aurors to Ambush' over a picture of Amelia's unconscious father and team being treated by medi-wizards amidst the remains of a small suburban street.
Promptly, Lily turned her attention to Amelia. "Come on Mel, let's go back up to the dorm."
"Uh, Lily?" James interrupted. "We have to meet with Dumbledore now, remember?"
"Go." Remus said quietly. "I've got her."
Lily looked torn, but had no choice. "We won't be long." She promised before warily getting up from the table and leaving with James in search of the Headmaster.
Amelia self-consciously pulled away from Remus and wiped at the tears staining her cheeks as she quickly glanced at the people staring at her and gossiping behind their newspapers. "I've got to get out of here."
"Do you want me to take you back up to the dorm?"
"No, I need to get out." Amelia said decisively, racking her mind for somewhere to go. "Hagrid. I'm going to see Hagrid. You coming with?" She looked to Remus, her eyes red-rimmed and lashes darkened by tears.
"Sure." He agreed with a friendly smile, getting up from the table.
The cold autumn weather had a wintry feel about it this morning as dark clouds lined the skies whilst Amelia and Remus headed down to Hagrid's hut with Sirius and Peter in tow. Amelia walked briskly, hoping her purposefulness would leave all of her concerns and emotions behind.
Approaching Hagrid's front door Amelia reached her hand forward, but before she could knock on the large wooden frame, the door swung open startling the people on each side of it.
"What're you doin' 'ere?" Hagrid asked, taken aback as he walked into the four teenagers on his doorstep.
"We have a free period this morning and thought we'd come and visit," Amelia answered.
"Well, sorry, bu' I'm jus' leavin'." He placed a tatty worn suitcase on the front step with an equally tattered pink umbrella before distractedly bustling back into his hut.
Amelia peered into the room after him and saw that he was knelt in the corner talking to a pile of blankets. "Is everything okay, Hagrid?"
"Tis Fang." He sighed. Hearing his name, the dog responded with a weak whimper emerging from the folds in the blankets. "He's not well, yeh see. I can't fix 'im, so I'm taking 'im to Kalecia Weaver. 'er 'ole family were potions masters, goin' back 'undreds of years. She'll be able ter fix 'im."
"She certainly does have an amazing reputation," Remus agreed, knowing how his family had tried and tried to source wolfsbane potion from her. "But she lives deep in the mountains, it would be at least a two day hike from here."
"Tha's why I 'ave to go, now."
"How long will you be gone?" Amelia asked as Zell flew down from the rafters in a flurry of blue and landed in her arms.
"A week per'aps?" Hagrid said scooping up the Fang-bundle in his arms and turning back to them. His small black eyes went wide seeing the blue radafemia crawling over Amelia. "I forgot abou' Zell! She's too lil' to come with me."
"Do you want me to look after her?" Amelia offered. "It'll be no hassle."
"Could yeh?" His face lit up gratefully as he carried Fang out the door and they all followed him outside. Hagrid gave Amelia care instructions for Zell while Sirius locked the hut after them and passed Hagrid his suitcase and umbrella.
"We'll come and see you when you get back." Remus said wishing him luck, and half wondering if he could join Hagrid in his journey incase the potions mistress happened to have any of the rare wolfsbane potion to spare.
"Travel safe." Amelia concluded their brief interaction as Hagrid turned and began trudging towards the front gates, a small suitcase and umbrella in one hand, and a giant dog slung over his shoulder.
As Hagrid left, Zell flew out of Amelia's arms and onto Sirius' shoulder.
"What in the name of Merlin is that thing, anyway?" Peter asked, staring curiously at the delicate transparent wings cascading from the tiny ball of fluff that was Zell's torso.
"It's one of those rare Radafemia, right?" Sirius looked to Amelia who nodded. "I didn't think they existed out of legend."
Amelia shrugged. "It is Hagrid. If anyone were to have a near-mythical creature, it would be him."
"Good point." Sirius nodded.
"It looks a bit stupid, if you ask me." Peter scoffed.
"Well then it's a good job no one did ask you." Remus responded.
"But look at it; stupid scrawny blue pom-pom, with huge boggling eyes!" At this, Zell sharply flew straight up in the air before swooping down on Peter. Instantaneously he squatted down and began swatting his hands in the air before sprinting toward the castle with Zell chasing close behind and the others followed, laughing as the distraction broke through the dark cloud that had shrouded that morning.
"Do you have any idea what this is about?" James was the first to break the silence as he and Lily waited for Dumbledore in the headmaster's expansive office.
"No more than you do." Lily sighed, tight lipped.
"Okay, what's wrong?" James said, fed up of getting the cold shoulder.
Lily turned to James, her green eyes shooting daggers at him. "Oh, as if you don't know?"
"No, I don't. Why don't you enlighten me?"
"Of all the boys in this school, I still can't believe you are head boy. I can't believe I have to work with you."
"Hey!" James snapped sharply. "I didn't ask for this! If it were up to me, Remus would be the one sitting here with you. We both know he fits the profile much better. I don't know what on earth Dumbledore was thinking either, but I'm here and you're just going to have to deal with that."
The room lapsed back into silence moments before they heard the great stone staircase outside grinding upwards toward the office. Loudly, it came to a stop at the heavy wooden door which opened of its own accord, presenting Professor Dumbledore who swept into the room in his navy robes. Dumbledore pulled out his wand and a high-backed chair materialized in front of the head students that he proceeded to slowly lower himself onto.
"Did you have the oatmeal at breakfast? That drizzle of honey was ingenious, wasn't it?" Dumbledore asked the pair.
"I had the eggs…" James said, casting a sidelong glance at Lily who had her arms crossed firmly across her chest, clearly not warming to being in the same room as James. "Uh, sir, is that why you called us here?"
Dumbledore took a deep sigh and all lightheartedness melted from his expression. "Not precisely, but very well, let's get to the point. Without making either of you unduly concerned, I am becoming increasingly worried about these terrorists that call themselves 'death eaters'. The Minister is insisting that the Ministry have matters under control, I however do not see the harm in taking further precautions to increase the safety of my students in and out of the castle."
"What do you mean, Professor?" James asked alarmed. "They could come into the castle?"
"I have reason to believe that these death eaters will not be approaching Hogwarts, or Hogsmeade any time soon. But I will not be able to forever protect my students on these grounds. I am sure all of my students have high ambitions and when you follow these dreams I want to know that I have done everything in my power to prepare you for the dangers that may await you in this world."
James and Lily exchanged a worried glance. Neither of them had even considered these recent attacks meant that they may be in danger when they graduated in a mere few months' time.
"I have called in a friend of mine in to teach an advanced defence against the dark arts course. The classes will be largely practical, consisting of numerous charms, duelling and whatever else he chooses to teach. I hope to have these classes commencing next Monday.
"Unfortunately, the Ministry is refusing to support this and it cannot be compulsory nor contribute to your final grades. However, I was hoping that you may help in encouraging student turn out?"
"Of course, Professor," Lily asserted. "I am more than happy to help out."
"I'm sure I can find people keen to come." James said, knowing that it would not be a challenge to get Sirius' attendance after a mention of the word 'duelling'.
"Brilliant!" Dumbledore's face suddenly lit up and he swiftly crossed the room and returned with a thick silver folder. "Now, onto something more enjoyable."
"What's this?" Lily asked, cautiously opening the folder as he handed it to her.
"Some of the teachers have suggested we should have a Christmas ball to lift our spirits amidst these dreadful current affairs." He explained as James peered over Lily's shoulder and they flipped past pages of menu drafts and past decoration plans. "Social events are usually arranged by the head students, but you may of course enlist the help of your friends or other prefects if you wish. All of the information you need is in that folder, and you are to liaise with Professors McGonagall or Flitwick if you have any issues."
"So, we've got to work together, to arrange everything?" Lily confirmed. Until now she had not been forced to work together with James on anything and they had been splitting their duties clearly down the middle with no interaction with one another.
"Yes." Dumbledore answered simply with a twinkle in his eye. "I chose you both as head students for a reason and I feel that this is an ideal opportunity for you both to prove that you actually can work together." He placed a clear emphasis on this last word, demonstrating to them both that he had not missed their avoidance and unwillingness to work together.
"Yes, yes of course." Lily said, her cheeks flushing pink.
"Now, I believe that is all. You may go off to prepare for your first class now." Dumbledore concluded, showing them both to the door.
James was half way down the stairs when he suddenly stopped and Lily slammed into the back of him.
"I think I dropped something, you go on." James said, moving aside to let her pass before running back upstairs.
Dumbledore was in the corner of the room, feeding a bright red phoenix out of the palm of his hand. "Yes James? Is there something I can help you with?" He said without turning around.
James wrung his hands. He had had this question on his mind for a long time yet still found he had no words.
"Well," James began. "With all due respect, Sir, why did you choose me as head boy?"
Dumbledore turned to James, a smile crossing his face.
"Because, I believe in you, James Potter. I believe that you can, and will, do great things." He said sincerely.
"Excuse me for being blunt, but Remus is great now. How could you not have chosen him?"
"Undoubtedly, Remus is indeed hard working and courteous. An all around model student," Dumbledore agreed. "However, of all of my students, James, it is you who I believe will need the skills of leadership. He is not a leader, James. You are."
James could not have been more taken aback by what he was hearing.
"I wanted you to experience and explore a role of leadership, beyond adolescent pranks, before you leave the bounds of this school to confront what awaits you in this world." Dumbledore lowered a hand gently on James shoulder. "I know this answer may not satisfy you now, but I hope with time, you will understand why I have placed you in this role alongside Miss Evans. For now, I just ask that you trust this old fool's judgement."
James' voice caught in his throat as he racked his brain for a response. "Thank you," was all he could get out before making a hasty retreat from the headmaster's office.