Chapter Fourteen:
Surprises
"Aloysius. Do you have the necessary injections at the ready?" Nabilah Zabini asked, giving the balding man a pointed look.
"I certainly do." Using a nearby table to place a metallic case, before opening it, Doctor Blanchard prepared two injections. Getting the Death Eater heavies to hold the resisting Harry and Ron in place, Blanchard was able to inject both witches in a vein on the inside of their elbows, before he then covered up the marks with plasters. Harry gritted her teeth against the pain – but she felt no other effects.
"What was that for?" she snapped at the doctor.
"It's a special mixture. It affects a wizard's or witch's ability to travel by magical means for several weeks. You pair ain't getting away from us, now that we have you." Blanchard grinned.
"Remove the jackets of our guests, and hold them still!" Mrs Zabini ordered her followers. Harry and Ron bristled, and struggled against their captors – but to no avail. Harry watched, biting her lip as the woman unfolded the blank Marauder's Map that she had pulled out from Harry's trouser pocket.
"Ahhh! I will be keeping this, Miss Potter." She looked at him intently, her dark eyes dancing with delight.
"It's only blank parchment!" Harry spat back.
"Don't take me for a fool, Miss Potter… You once gave this map, in its activated state, to Barty Crouch Junior – not knowing who he was. He was good enough to tell our now-deceased Lord about it. And Peter Pettigrew, wishing to make himself seem important, also spoke about the map to the senior Death Eaters."
"In that case, you'll know how to activate it – won't you?" Harry tested her.
Zabini Senior gazed back at her impassively.
"Oops! Maybe not. Wormtail didn't tell anyone how to activate the map, did he? He wanted to use it himself, if I was captured. So that he could continue to have some value in being kept alive in Voldemort's service!" Harry reasoned. She saw the dark lips before her curl in anger for a moment – and she knew she was right.
"The fool certainly found and resurrected the Dark Lord – but he was weak in the eyes of many of us!" Blanchard snapped. "If it wasn't for that map and what it could tell us of who was at Hogwarts at any given time, with Wormtail's knowledge, we might have got rid of h-"
Mrs Zabini clapped her hands, gaining everyone's attention.
"Enough! Let's move! Take these two…girls…to separate cells. I wish to celebrate this victory of ours, before we get started on the questioning," she purred, the faintest of smiles playing on her face. Turning with a swish of her full-length dress, the black witch led the party to the only visible exit in the cellar, where there was set a pair of faintly-glowing glass globes – one set into the stonework at either side - and a pair of Death Eater sentries. Meanwhile, Cowan and the male Death Eater who had manhandled Ron grabbed hold of their charges once more. Umbridge and Doctor Blanchard formed the rear of the group.
Harry felt a faint tingle as she was forced past the glass globes. She remembered sometimes feeling the same sensation when she entered the grounds of Hogwarts via the main gates.
Must be the devices that set up their wards. So that any prisoners can't Apparate out of here! Harry thought to herself. And even if Ron and I did make it back to this cellar again, the injection sounds like it'll stop us getting very far, anyway…
She couldn't work out what building or place they were in – but it was underground, dimly-lit by wall-mounted fire torches, and it was sprawling. Once out of the cellar, Nabilah Zabini turned right into the corridor that ran both ways. The two captive witches were almost dragged along by the collars of their blouses. Both Harry and Ron had gone to bed at Number 12 Grimmauld Place in a hurry and both of them had been worried of the possibility of an attack – so neither had bothered to take off any clothes except for their shoes. Now, Harry's multi-coloured socks – which she had bought on a whim back at the start of August with some of her birthday money – rubbed against rough brown stone Floors. She tried to take mental notes of her surroundings, seeing a group of unmasked Death Eaters carrying metal drums between them in pairs, and passing through a stone door. At the next junction the two girls were separated. Ron tried to fight herself free from her handler.
"Harry…!"
"Don't tell them anything Ron. Be strong! We'll get out of this!" Harry shouted back.
Moments later, Harry found herself being forced into a windowless cell, where only another burning torch, mounted in a wall-bracket, allowed her to see anything. The place was dank, dirty, and smelt of dried sweat and blood. And possibly yesterday's vomit. Four pairs of manacles were fixed to a stone wall – and Harry was forcibly bound by her wrists and ankles by Umbridge and Cowan. Mrs Zabini had departed with Ron and the other Death Eater. But Doctor Blanchard was still present.
"Well, well. What do we have here?" Cowan took off his face mask, revealing a swarthy face, and grinned. He pulled off the ankle bracelet that Harry had been given by the Lupins for her birthday.
"That's my mum's!" Harry snapped.
"Turning into your mother's girl, are you? I suppose that maintaining a female body for over half a year, with the hormone levels that entails, would mean that you are now becoming comfortable with being a witch, Harry Potter…," Blanchard drawled. His voice was reedy. He pressed the tips of his fingers and thumbs together, and glanced at Cowan. "Hold onto it for now, my man. If Potter really wants it back, she'll co-operate – if only just a little."
"Get stuffed!"
"Now, now, young Miss. You and Ron Weasley should have died from the Widowmaker that I developed for our agent. The potion that you pair drank. But realizing what it was, and using Polyjuice potion to become female to escape death…? That was clever."
"Hem, hem. I suppose Nurse Pomfrey and Professor Slughorn are the ones we should blame for that." Umbridge's look of respect turned to bitterness as she lowered her hand from her mouth. "I'll have to punish them when we reclaim the school. Then get them to use their expertise for our benefit." She looked to Blanchard with a look of eagerness. "Sir – can I be allowed to soften Miss Potter up, before you get to work on her for her secrets?"
"All right, Dolores. I think Nabilah will be uncorking a fine wine from another cellar right now, to mark this occasion. She will want me there. I'll give you…say half an hour. Don't do anything to…the girl who lived…that will impair her ability to answer my questions now, will you?"
Umbridge glanced down for a moment. "No. Of course not, Doctor!"
"Then I'll leave you and Cowan to enjoy yourselves. Just…not too much…" Sniggering, Blanchard left the torture chamber. A Death Eater guard shut the door to after him.
Harry trembled, remembering all too well the torture she had suffered at Hogwarts under Dolores Umbridge, in her previous life. She glanced at the toad-like woman's arms as she drew out her wand, and caught sight of scar tissue on the left forearm. Squinting she read a message: 'I must not help Death Eaters'.
"Not learnt from your mistakes, have you!?" Harry spat into Umbridge's face. She gave a hard smile. "What happened? Someone overseeing your captivity heard about what you did to me and my friends, and decided to teach you your own harsh lesson? Still, it's better than having a snake tattoo. Guess you haven't earned enough respect from your peers to get one of them!"
Umbridge's face flushed red with anger. Stepping back, she quickly pulled the sleeve of her pink blouse back over the marked skin of her forearm. She turned to Cowan.
"Hit her in the stomach!"
Harry's head snapped forward as Cowan's fist made contact. Panting, she managed to fight off her nausea and gradually regain her breath.
"And now… It's my turn. I've been waiting a long time for this…" Giving a sickly giggle, the hateful former Ministry official aimed her wand at Harry.
"Cruiatus!"
Harry screamed at the Unforgivable Curse struck her, ripping in her nervous system and making every part of her body throb with unbelievable pain…
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
Some time later, Harry opened her bleary eyes for what seemed to be the fourth time since the torture started. She felt sick and dizzy, and her whole being seemed to be reeling.
But the agony still wasn't as terrible as the Widowmaker had been, and that gave Harry a glimmer of hope – that she was strong enough to hold out…
But then, what chance did she have? She didn't know where she and Ron actually were, and she couldn't see how the Ministry would track them down.
"I'll ask again, Miss Potter. Why did you take that locket from me?" Umbridge breathed into Harry ear, as she pulled on it, twisting the lobe.
"Locket…wasn't yours! Despite your lie to Hermione… It needed to be destroyed…," Harry panted.
"Why?" Umbridge rammed the tip of her wand into the soft tissue underneath Harry's jaw.
"…held a part of Voldie's soul," she muttered, unable to stop herself.
"What!?"
"How long had you been working for Snakeface…and his toadies?" Harry raised her sweat-drenched face to stare meaningfully at Umbridge. "When they took over…the Ministry? Or earlier…when you came to Hogwarts to punish me for telling…the TRUTH!?" Harry summoned what little saliva she had left in her mouth, and spat at her torturer.
Umbridge automatically wiped her face, cringing as she momentarily stepped back. She then glared at Harry. Her voice shook with barely-contained anger.
"Augustus Rockwood approached me, after I was demoted by Scrimgeour. He realized that I had the right qualities to help run the Ministry under the new management that was waiting in the wings. But Scrimgeour paid for the dressing down he gave me. Oh yes, I personally made sure of that! And now, you will suffer for your insolence to me, Miss Potter…"
With a flush of crimson, she raised her wand – only to find her arm held in place by a pair of strong hands.
"What…? Lestrange?"
With an effort, Harry turned her head, alarmed at the older witch's exclamation. But the newcomer was not the detestable Goth-like Bellatrix. Instead, it was a grim-faced, black-bearded, tall man dressed in black and white robes. Harry recalled seeing his mugshot, after his arrest at the Department of Mysteries, the night when Sirius died. This was Rodolphus, Bellatrix's husband.
"I understand that Doctor Blanchard will want to question our prisoner, Dolores… Do you want to get into trouble with the doctor and the Dark Lady, for rendering Miss Potter incapable of answering his questions?" Mr Lestrange spoke with a gruff voice, that was tempered by his measured tones.
Umbridge stiffened. Slowly, she lowered her wand. Harry caught the glint of fear in her eyes. "No! No…of course not," she gulped.
"Then leave. The doctor will be here, shortly."
Flashing a look of anger at Harry, the squat woman slowly backed away, before turning to hurry out of the torture chamber. As she did so, Harry slumped against the stone wall behind her.
"Stay on your feet, Potter!" Cowan leered. He prodded her in the waist with the tip of his wand, and Harry flinched.
"Enough, Cowan! That stupid ex-Undersecretary has been too zealous with our…guest. I'll inform the doctor about this. Stay here!" With a sweep of his robes, Rodolphus Lestrange turned and strode out of the chamber.
The minutes passed. In the absence of voices, Harry could now hear, somewhere in the room, the steady drip-drip-drip of water. A constant leak into a pool, it seemed. Harry's skin crawled. She had heard of Muggle forms of torture involving water… And of course, centuries ago, Muggles tried suspected witches by dunking them in ponds. If they survived, they were obviously a witch – and so were put to death. If they were innocent of the charge, then they were dead anyway – having drowned.
Well, I'm a witch now… So if I keep up with tradition, I'll survive the dunking…
Harry's eyes began to water. She sniffed, hating the fact of not knowing what had become of Luna, Ginny, and Hermione. Were they all dead – overcome by the fire? Or had any of them survived?
Her head began to feel heavy. The light in the chamber seemed different, somehow. Her head rolled onto a shoulder - then she slumped in her chains. Harry heard Cowan turn and step up to her.
"Oh no, you don't! No tricks, Potter. Keep your eyes open!" He slapped her cheek.
Harry yelled, startled by the fresh pain. But within the minute, she was losing consciousness again. The second slap didn't change anything. Nor did the rough shaking she received from the Death Eater.
"Blast it! The doctor won't like this… C'mon, you dozy cow! Crikes – I don't feel too lively myself… Don't you dare close your eyes on me…! Rennervate!"
The wake-up spell shook Harry up. But before long, her eyelids were lowering again. She felt sleepy. Unnaturally so, it seemed – as Cowan's repeated spell was now having no effect, despite his raging efforts to prevent her from passing out.
But Harry did just that. Her world soon turned blissfully quiet. And dark.
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
"Rennervate!"
"Harry! Can you hear me?" a familiar male voice called out. A wand light shone on her face.
"Ur… What…?" Gradually, Harry's mind fought its way through the fog of stupor. When she was more or less awake, her clearing vision gave her the welcome vision of Remus Lupin and a Ministry Auror. With them was Luna, her face still singed from the fire at Number 12 Grimmauld Place.
Apart from the three lit wands, the torture chamber was now in darkness.
"Harry! I'm so glad we've found you!" Her eyes glistening with tears, Luna hugged her. Harry now realized that she was slumped on the stone-flagged Floor, having been freed from the chains that had bound her.
"Aagghh! Luna – I'm still aching!"
"Oh! Sorry… Here – let me help you up."
Once she was steady enough to walk, Harry squeezed Luna back. "Thanks, cousin. Wait! Hermione…? And Ginny…?"
"Both safe, Harry." Luna smiled. Ginny's recovering from smoke inhalation. Hermione's well. Well enough to insist on coming with us, in fact."
"But how did you lot find…?"
"That…was thanks to me taking precautions," Lupin spoke up, looking sheepish. He held up a counter that looked vaguely like a compass – with the needle now pointing to the snoring body of Cowan, close by. Lupin bent down next to the Death Eater, and pulled out the gold ankle bracelet.
The penny dropped for Harry, and her mouth gaped open. "My birthday present from you… It's…charmed?"
"Yes, Dora came up with the idea, and I got Professor Flitwick – who excels at charms, of course – to lock a powerful spell into it, so that I could trace you with this unique tracker I'm holding. We feared that we would need to use it, sooner or later. Sorry for the deception, Harry. We reckoned that if you didn't know about the charm, then neither would anyone kidnapping you." Lupin glanced down at the Floor. "Without it, we would not have found you this quickly."
Harry's nostrils flared, but she held her temper. Ravenclaw logic overran her innate fiery Gryffindor spirit.
"You did the right thing – all of you," she conceded. "Is…is it my mother's bracelet?"
"No, Harry – I'm afraid not. Dora and I thought if we told you it was, you would want to keep it with you. And we were right."
Harry bowed her head, feeling despondent. Nevertheless, she snatched the bracelet from Remus's palm and slipped it back around her ankle. If it was that useful, she might well need it again. "Ron! Where's Ron?" she suddenly snapped.
"Well, I'll see if the other search party has found her. Stay here, Harry…" Lupin started to head out. "We're mopping up this facility. Trying to, anyway… There was quite a battle, and the Death Eaters did all they could to hold back the Aurors going in. Some of the enemy may have already escaped…"
"No, Remus! I want to find Ron."
Lupin took in the determined look on the battered-looking young witch before him. He sighed. "All right. Stay close to us! And keep away from that torch we snuffed out, as you pass by. The fumes irritated my nose, when we fought our way into here. I'll check that out, later…"
"Here's your wand, Harry. We found where it was stored." Luna pulled out from her jacket pocket the familiar-looking wand.
"Thanks, Luna." Harry curled her fingers around it, grateful to be armed once more.
The group departed from the chamber, passing the snuffed-out torch, which briefly made Harry feel strange. Then they were hurrying through the gloomy, brick-lined corridors and tunnels – taking care to not only avoid the bodies of fallen fighters, but also stop at junctions and check for danger, before pressing on. Remus sniffed the air, before heading onto the nearest door in sight. It was open.
It turned out to be another torture chamber.
"Oh Merlin…" Remus turned to the Auror with them. "Alert the medic! Now!"
The male Auror nodded, and slipped away.
Ron was in the chamber. She wasn't alone, however. An Auror and two Death Eaters were sprawled on the Floor, some yards apart. Harry sensed that there had been an exchange of fatal spells fired between the men, just a minute or so previously.
Another Death Eater was bound to the wall with magically-summoned chains. His wand was on the Floor nearby, next to Hermione's wand and a scattered pile of playing cards. The muscular man's face was red as he tried to pull the chains out of the bricks behind him.
Hermione was nearby, tightly clutching Ron. Both witches were on their knees – but Ron was weeping profusely, her ripped cherry-coloured trousers hanging down around her ankles. Her yellow sweater was lying next to her, cut into pieces by wand slashes, as were her bra and knickers…
"Oh, no…" Luna's voice was like a leaf on the wind. Harry barely heard it, as the world around her became muted in the next moment. It was like being thrusted into a void without sound. Her gaze moved from Ron's tear-reddened eyes and huddled stance as she hid herself behind Hermione – and shifted towards the chained-up wizard, who must have been spellbound by Hermione, who then had dropped her wand in agitation before rushing over to Ron. The Death Eater had literally been caught with his trousers down. His boxer shorts were not quite in place, either…
Harry strode forward in her world of silence. Brushing aside Lupin's attempt to hold her back, she briefly caught sight of Hermione's grim expression. Then Harry raised her wand and mouthed "Expulso!"
The Death Eater's scream shattered the silence of Harry's zoned-out state of mind, as part of his manhood exploded…
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
Harry tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear - then climbed down the stepladder, having just put on the final bauble from the set. She smiled and looked over to the rest of her friends. "Well…, what do you guys think?"
"I'd say it's perfect, Harry." Neville smiled back, roaming his eyes over the seven-foot tall Christmas fir tree that took up a corner of the formal-looking, but comfortable, lounge. He glanced at the others, keenly aware that apart from the Auror guards posted in the hallway and kitchen, he was the only wizard present.
"Oh! You, Ron, and Hermione have made the tree look wonderful, Harry!" Luna's eyes sparkled. "Ginny and I have made sure that there are enough baubles to go with the trimmings around this house. Tenebrae won't be getting us here in spirit – not now that we all know what she's capable of."
Harry nodded, automatically fingering her crystal-enhanced Butterbeer-cork necklace. From time to time, she still thought back to that eventful night: the previous Friday evening and early Saturday morning.
Remus had stressed to her that the wands at Hogwarts were more numerous, and stronger, than those at Grimmauld Place. There was no chance of Tenebrae entering the school in spirit alone. And the Ministry would ensure that the wards would hold at both the Rookery and the Burrow. That had helped to reassure Harry. Even so, with Luna's help via meditation, Harry was trying to overcome the nightmares she'd had suffered recently, due to the fire Tenebrae had been responsible for...
After being sprung from the Death Eater hideout where she and Ron had been taken, Harry found out that the pair of them were now unable to Apparate – or even side-Apparate – thanks to the injections from Blanchard. Trying to travel by the Floo network turned out to be unsuccessful, also – the two witches just couldn't be magically transported. And so Mr Weasley had been called in to pick up Harry and Ron in the flying Ford Anglia, with a pair of Auror guards to accompany them. Remus, Hermione, and Luna – meanwhile – Apparated on, to met them again in London.
It was now Monday, the 21st December. Outside the plush, Victorian-built safe house they were now residing in, the sun had just set. And Christmas Day would soon hit them. In spite of recent events, Harry and her friends were just about ready for it.
"Good job, guys!" Ginny smiled "Let's sort out the presents, and put them underneath the tree. We can be putting up cards around that cozy fireplace, too."
"You do that. I need to go to the loo," Ron muttered. She left the lounge, and headed upstairs. Harry paused, and exchanged a worried glance with Hermione. Then she followed the swiftly-departing figure of Ron up the plush carpeted staircase.
Ron did indeed go to the toilet and bathroom, but then she headed into the twin bedroom she shared with Hermione. Sniffling, she shut the door to, then flung herself on the bed, dabbing her eyes with her handkerchief.
"Ron…"
The wizard-turned-witch gave a squeal, as Harry rose from the Floor on the far side of Ron's bed. "Harry! Why did you do that!?"
"Well, I had an inkling that you were about to shut yourself away up here. And I didn't have time to get out the Invisibility Cloak. So I hid myself, Muggle-fashion, instead." Harry forced a grin.
"That's not really what I meant…! Wait a mo' – you knew I was coming here? How?"
"Um… You've been silent most of the time, so far today, Ron. And I noticed that you were jittery whenever Neville was near you…" Harry shrugged. "My intuition seems to be getting better these days, and…"
Ron pulled a face. "Feminine intuition – right?"
"Er… I guess so." Harry sighed. "Look, Ron. Let's talk. What you experienced was horrible – but Hermione's told me you're bottling it up, just like the boy you were before… Just…get it off your chest."
"Get it off…?" Ron angrily thumped her cleavage. "I can't get these off my chest, Harry! You know, as well as I do, that Slughorn's been told by Mundungus he's been unable to gather all the ingredients needed to turn us back into wizards. And we'll have to stay as witches until our NEWTS exams, anyway, if we're going to maintain our disguises at school! So now I'm becoming very familiar as to how 'the other half lives'. Including icky periods, and losing my virginity in the worst possible way as a girl, unfortunately!"
A part of Harry wanted to hug Ron as her friend trembled on the bed – but she held back, frightened by Ron's verbal explosion. "You're on your period now? That's why you dashed to the loo?"
There was a curt nod from Ron. "At least that means I won't be falling pregnant from my…first time."
"Those Death Eaters who were with you were drawing cards, to decide…"
"Yeah." Ron lowered her gaze. "And that's why I'm so shaky about even standing next to Neville. I don't want male company right now… And at the same time, although I want to be a wizard again, the thought of having a…, a you-know-what… Well, it makes me squirm."
Harry placed her hand on Ron's wrist. "I'm sorry you had that terrible experience, Ron. At least that Death Eater won't be doing that to anyone again. He's going to live with his loss, though Remus told me he won't be seeing a criminal dock until he leaves hospital. He will be sentenced, mind. We saw what had happened…"
"Thanks for what you did to that monster, Harry." Ron sniffed. She blew her nose on her handkerchief. "I'd rather not see that look on your face again when you reacted to my state, though! And I know that Remus is helping to keep a lid on exactly what happened, for your benefit. But…thanks. That Death Eater's expression when you made him pay…" Ron smiled. "It helps. It may not be the right thing to say, but…it's how I feel." She grasped Harry's hand. "I'd probably have done the same thing, if I'd found you or one of our other friends being treated the same way."
Harry nodded, squeezing Ron's fingers before pulling away. "Pity that most of the enemy got away. Our side only got a few of the small fry – all dead, apart from that guy whose manhood I…err…, removed, and…"
"…and Cowan – who fell asleep on the job. Just after you lost conscious," Ron pointed out, her eyes narrowing. "And we still don't know what was that powder found on that torch?"
"No. The Ministry will run tests – but we won't get to know until January, I guess." Harry clenched her fist. "I would have loved it if at least Umbridge had been caught! Still, we know that the Death Eaters are targeting Hogwarts again. But not how they're planning to achieve that…"
"And I heard that the Aurors found some strong door in the Death Eater base. The door and the surrounding walls are so well guarded by wards, that nobody has yet found out what's being hidden?" Ron pointed out.
"That's right."
"What's the latest on Kreacher?" Ron asked, looking worried.
"Well, he's out of intensive care and he's now recovering in the ward in St. Mungo's allocated for house elves." Harry sighed with relief. "After what happened to Luna at the hospital, I daren't go and see him – but I'll make sure he gets his presents from us. Dora told me she'll visit him, whilst Remus looks after Teddy. The Lupins have confirmed they're coming over here for part of Christmas Day."
"That's good. You'll get to see Teddy again," Ron pointed out.
"Yes. I'm looking forward to seeing him, as well as Remus and Dora!" Harry smiled and fell silent for a moment as she sat on Hermione's bed. Then she spoke again. "Look, Ron. About us being witches. Hermione's told me that the Hufflepuff lads regard you as a tomboy. You've not quite fitted in with Susan Bones and Hannah Abbott and the other girls, yet…"
"I've been keeping my head down, like Hermione, and studying hard like a good Hufflepuff. As well as playing as the team goalkeeper in Quidditch, as you know. But I still feel sore about what we've…physically lost. You know?"
"And what we gained…" Harry glanced down at her bosom. "Well, I'm personally glad that I don't have big breasts – but at the same time, the thought of being flat-chested now seems…wrong, now that I'm a witch. I'm…I'm actually starting to like having a bosom. Do…do you feel that way, Ron?"
Ron looked down, her face still flushed. "Err… Err, I guess a part of me can see where you're coming from, Harry. But I don't want to be thinking that way. I don't want to be getting too comfortable with my new look. Alright?"
"So you don't think there's been anything positive about us becoming witches?"
Ron sniffed - then narrowed her eyes in thought. "To be honest, I'm actually able to concentrate better this year, Harry. I've not had my eyes on the girls, for, um, obvious reasons – and since I don't pay the boys much attention, either, I seem to be more focused, and keener to prove myself." She gave a mirthless laugh. "I don't feel like I'm in the shadows of my brothers so much now, since I've got four of them left – and Ginny and I are the only girls in the family. Hermione gives me less support with my work now – as she wants me to develop more confidence in myself. So now I'm aiming to be a good a witch as either her or Ginny…" she trailed off.
"So you are trying to blend in with the girls, Ron – if only a smidgen? I've noticed that you don't ever wear nail varnish, or earrings, though," Harry pointed out.
"I wear a little make-up each day, ever since we started school. That's as far as I want to go, Harry! Take a look at you, though. I've noticed that your nails are painted, ever since around Halloween time. And now you've wearing radish earrings, like Luna. You're going native, aren't you, mate? Bit by bit!"
Harry fingered the miniature radishes hanging from her ears. She blushed. "The other Ravenclaw girls in my dorm wear earrings sometimes, Ron. And getting my ears pierced at the nearest Muggle jewellers involved just a tiny prick… Sorry! Sorry… That's not the right thing to say, after what you've been through, Ron... Anyway, Luna suggested that they would help to keep my mind focused whilst we had so much to think about with what's happened and with Christmas coming up. Besides, it struck me that they were actually looked good on Luna. I wanted to see…how they would look on me."
"I think they make you look ridiculous, mate." Ron snorted. "Perhaps you ought to ask what Neville thinks of them."
"Um… Why?"
Ron gave Harry a pointed look as she shifted herself on her bed. "I have noticed you running your eyes over him, Harry, when we all meet up. Especially in the last month. You particularly seem to like checking out the area of his chest, and his groinbox."
Harry felt her mouth suddenly turn dry. It was true that she did find herself gazing at Neville now and then, when her mind was wandering during their group meetings in the Room of Requirement. And Neville sometimes seemed to be sizing Harry up of late, unless Harry was imagining it. Then again, he was the only wizard in their gang, and he was surely more interested – if at all – in the natural-born witches such as Ginny or Luna? Or so she thought.
"But then perhaps you ought to test that look on Justin Finch-Fetchley," Ron went on. "From the girl-gossip going around the Hufflepuffs, he's taken a fancy to you!"
Harry's jaw dropped open, and she felt herself turning red. "Oh…! He…has?"
"Yeah. Actually I think Luna received some Christmas cards sent to the Rookery, passed on by the Aurors this morning. She mentioned something about cards from the seventh-year Hufflepuffs. Apparently you two held a study group with Justin, Ernie, Susan, and Hannah over the autumn?"
"Er, that's right. We did… Excuse me. I'll check that out." Harry got to her feet and rushed downstairs to look at the cards, still in their envelopes addressed to her at the Rookery. The Hufflepuffs apparently had been hoping to see Harry and Luna on the Friday afternoon – only for the Lovegood girls to leave Hogwarts early, thanks to Molly Weasley being shot.
There was a Christmas card from Justin. The cover bore an animated photo of Hogwarts in the falling snow, with Justin himself waving to the camera as he put the finishing touches to a snowman. Inside was a neatly inscribed message:
Dear Celine,
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Thanks for the study support! Maybe we should meet up more often in the next term?
PS: This is a photo taken by Colin Creevey of me, two years ago. I miss his friendly face.
Love, Justin. XX
Shaking a little, Harry showed the card to Luna.
"Did you get one from Justin?" Harry asked her.
"Oh, yes! It was addressed to me and Daddy, with a similar message. No kisses on it, though. And the other three Hufflepuffs we're studied with have sent a card to us both, between them." She looked at Harry and smiled. "Look's like you have an admirer, Celine!"
Harry wasn't sure what to think about that. Later, when she went to bed, she thought again about the card and the photo. She felt a tingling inside of her, lower down. It felt…good. And Harry eventually decided it felt reassuring to know that a young wizard wanted to know her better – even if he didn't realize who Celine had been, in her former life...
He must think that I'm pretty enough, too… Well, if Luna can attract a wizard as well, soon, the rest of our time at school should be…interesting!
Harry fell asleep that night, with a smile on her face.
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
During Christmas Day, Harry and her friends were visited at their London safe house by the Weasleys. Molly had now been discharged from St. Mungo's, with her arm in a sling – and she used a secure Floo network to get to Neville and the girls, accompanied by Arthur, George, and Percy. Despite the recent trauma, Molly seemed to be in good spirits as she watched Harry and the other girls tear into their gifts.
Harry tried not to laugh when she found out that she and Ron had bought each other the same brand of perfume from the Witch Weekly Christmas catalogue…
Ron, meanwhile, looked puzzled as she looked at Harry's present from Hermione.
"Black trousers? Weird looking ones, mind…"
"They are called lycra leggings, Ron," Harry explained. "Lots of Muggle girls are wearing them day-to-day. Not really for outdoor use in winter, but come the spring…" She turned to hug Hermione. "Thanks, Hermione."
Hermione smiled back. "That's all right, Harry. It's what you asked for."
After Christmas dinner, which had been cooked by Neville – with the girls helping in different ways – Harry rushed upstairs to her shared bedroom with Luna, to try on the leggings.
Four bedrooms in this house… Only Neville and Ginny get a room to themselves, Harry reflected to herself. Still, I don't mind sharing with Luna for a couple of weeks. We're family, after all, now…
Having changed, Harry looked at her profile in the mirror – first one side, then the other, pleased with how her new clothing showed off the outline of her thighs and slim legs. Her hand brushed the flat triangle between the front of her legs, before rubbing along her shins and calves. The material was smooth, and thankfully there wasn't a visible panty line.
Hmm… I'll have to see which of my sweaters go best with these. I'll definitely wear these during some of the weekends at school. I haven't seen any of the other witches wearing leggings yet. These will turn a few heads – mainly boys, I would bet.
Harry paused, frowning at her line of thought.
Harry… Remember not to draw too much attention to yourself at school! She scolded herself. Then another thought came along, making her smile.
I'll wear these for the rest of the day, in fact. They feel great! Hopefully, some of the other girls will like them too.
Feeling grateful to be alive, after everything that had happened to her during the year, Harry hurried back downstairs, in order to rejoin the festivities. Ron's parents and brothers were only staying until mid-afternoon – then Uncle Xeno would be coming to visit them for tea, along with the Lupins and Lavender.
At one stage during Christmas Eve, Neville and the five witches had decided on a plan of action. They bore in mind the kidnapping of Harry and Ron, and the ruse Remus had used to locate Harry. They also remembered the charmed coins they used to co-ordinate their membership during the year the DA was formed under the oppressive regime of Umbridge. With these factors in mind, the six of them had each selected a sickle in their possession, and laid a binding location-revealing spell on it. They also linked the six coins together, before storing each of their coins away in a separate part of their wallets or purses.
With Hermione guiding them successfully through the procedure, Harry and her friends relaxed, know that in an emergency they now had a way to find each other.
Bringing her mind back to the present moment, Harry decided that for the first time in years, she was going to push away her worries about the Death Eaters to one side during Christmas. She wanted to enjoy herself, and make sure that Ron, Hermione, Luna, Ginny, and Neville were having fun as well. They all deserved it, after all…
*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*o*
Later on, after tea with Xeno Lovegood and the Lupins, Harry got to cradle Teddy as she sat down in the lounge - whilst Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Mr Lovegood were in the dining room, playing Exploding Snap. A smiling Dora allowed Harry to feed her godchild with the baby bottle, after he made pawing motions at Harry's chest.
Well, that's the real reason human females have breasts. Not for men to ogle at, but to breastfeed their own babies, Harry reflected. As she watched Teddy suck on the bottle for his milk, Harry felt something stir within her. She wondered if the war against the Death Eaters would still be fought by the time Teddy became a teenage boy, or even when he turned into a young man. I hope not – but then, there will always be trouble around in the Muggle world. So there'll probably always be some bad witches or wizards in our world, too.
Teddy finished his sucking and looked at Harry, smiling widely. She grinned back and rubbed him.
Please don't become one of the bad men, Teddy! You're lucky to have your parents. They nearly died in the final battle… And you have me to protect you, too. Whether I'll be your godfather or your godmother, I'll do what I have to, to keep you safe…
"Can I hold him for a while, Harry? Dora says it's all right."
"Hmm?" Harry snapped out of her daydreaming, and looked up at Luna standing before her. "Oh, sure!"
Luna smiled and rocked the little boy in her arms. She started humming some tuneless lullaby. Harry frowned, but Teddy started to laugh and giggle.
Lavender giggled too. "He likes my singing too, Luna," she told her, as she passed a reddish-brown coloured teddy bear to the other witch. No – Harry realized, her eyes widening. It was a teddy wolf. "Here, pass this to him. He loves playing with Rusty."
"Oh! Here, Teddy. Here's Rusty!" Luna cooed, rubbing the wolf's dark snout against Teddy's pink nose. He laughed again, and grabbed his toy.
"Dora… Remus. Will Teddy grow up to become a werewolf?" Harry asked.
The Lupins glanced at each other – then Remus spoke. "We expect so, Harry. I bit Dora at her request during her pregnancy during the autumn, so Teddy would've been affected by his mother changing during the full moons. After his birth, Andromeda – Dora's mother – looked after our boy, when the moon called to his parents."
"Teddy hasn't shown any signs of changing yet – but give him another year or so for his metabolism to kick in." Dora smiled as the proud mother that she was. "If he does change, he'll make a fine cub."
Hermione, who was half-reading her Christmas present from Ron - a book on notable witches and wizards throughout magical history – looked up in interest.
"No regrets about…being what you are then, Dora?"
The older witch's hair glowed yellow for a moment as she snuggled up to her beaming husband and held his hand with pride. "None, Hermione. Our gamble paid off. We've both embraced our inner wolf – and apart from the night of the full moon, we're in control of ourselves. Remus has even allowed me to test him, by having him change when the moon wasn't full - then playing as a wolf with Teddy. Our little boy liked his dad's new form!"
"That sounds wonderful!" Hermione beamed.
Remus smiled. "Both Dora and I can transform all the way into a wolf, now. It's one of the benefits of accepting what we are – instead of my fighting my inner nature, as I had for so long. As well as changing when we want to – well, away from bright daylight, that is…" He paused, his eyes losing their humour. "After this school year, I want to see if Dora and I can find other werewolves and help them to be reaccepted by wizarding society. After the way they've been treated by most witches and wizards, they need to know that someone will fight for their rights, so that they don't have to fall in with the Death Eater cause. It'll be an uphill struggle though."
Dora reached out to lay her hand on her husband's shoulder. She exchanged a tender look with him. "Every journey begins with a first step. And we have already taken the first steps. We can help our kind, Remus. And we will."
He took her hand and squeezed it, his grateful expression and movements speaking volumes in the absence of his words.
"Ah… Maybe it's time that I did what I wanted to…" Lavender spoke up, suddenly looking nervous.
Harry, Luna, and Hermione all looked at her.
"Yes. We did agree on this," Remus declared, his nasal, northern-accented voice betraying some anxiety. He stood up. "I believe there's a cellar in this house, Harry?"
"Er, yes. This way." Harry fished for the key on the mantelpiece. A minute or so later, whilst Dora stayed behind in the lounge with Teddy; Harry, Luna, Hermione, Lavender, and Remus all stood in the brick cellar, which was now lit up magically with the activated glow light.
"What's this about, Lavender?" asked Harry.
She gave a sheepish smile, glancing momentarily at the Floor. "You'll see, Harry. Please turn around for now, girls. Remus will tell you when to look!"
So Harry, Hermione, and Luna did that. Harry tried to find something interesting to find amongst the dusty, cluttered wooden shelves – and settled on a spider spinning its web in a corner. Soon, from behind her, Harry heard Lavender moving. One shoe was kicked off. Then another. There was the sound of clothes being dropped. Some moments later, she caught Remus whispering.
"Focus, Lavender…"
"I know."
Silence fell. Then the sound of loud breathing became apparent. A moaning cry gave way to a series of 'cracks' and popping joints. Harry's heart missed a beat, as she realized what was happening. She began to feel scared – but the urge to look over her shoulder was strong…
"Wait, Hermione," Remus cautioned the curious witch. Then as Lavender's renewed cries deepened, before changing to a growl, he spoke again. "All right, ladies. Turn round – slowly. No sudden moves. And don't be afraid."
The three witches faced Remus and Lavender. Hermione gasped. Their Gryffindor friend was now nearly at the end of her metamorphosis into a wolf-girl. Light brown fur finished covering the witch's body and face, as both shifted into a canine-like form. Harry noticed that Lavender's human bust had shrunk – and she now bore three pairs of tiny teats, instead. Her twitching ears stretched towards the top of her hairy cranium, developing arrowhead points, and Lavender's muzzle formed with a series of 'clicks', the nose darkening and turning leathery. Her jaw hung open, exposing her lengthening fangs and tongue.
Her hands and feet, stretched out on the floor to support Lavender, were now claw-tipped paws – the hands still looked capable of grasping, given the shrunken, fur-coated thumbs. A tail sprang free from her rear, and grew to the correct length for her hybrid form, which was essentially the same size as the human Lavender. Then, with a final growl, the transformation ended. The werewolf sniffed the air and swung its head round to face the three witches. Remus held his wand at the ready – his face guarded.
"Wow…," Harry heard herself say. She gulped, hoping that her anxiety wouldn't provoke Lavender into any dangerous actions. The nerve-wracking seconds passed as she forced her feet to stay put.
Lavender got up on all fours and turned, licking her teeth. Her eyes were now an animal yellow, but they regarded Harry with intelligence. Recognition, even.
Remus let loose the breath he had been holding. "Well done, Lavender! Harry, hold out your hand for her to smell. Show her you're friendly. Her wolf needs to accept you."
Harry crouched down, her shaking palms held face-up for the witch-turned-werewolf to examine. Lavender padded forwards slowly, sniffed Harry's hand, and then licked it. She did the same with Hermione and Luna. Separately, all three witches got to stroke Lavender behind the ears, and rub her fur coat. Everyone relaxed and smiled, including Lavender – who gave a lupine grin.
"You really are in control of yourself - aren't you, Lavender? That's amazing!" Hermione declared.
"She had a good teacher," Luna pointed out, making Remus smile at the compliment.
"Thank you, Luna! Now, if you'll like to fetch Xenophilius, Neville, and the Weasleys out of their game, Harry – Lavender will change back in their presence."
"Right. Let's move out of the way, then. Hermione, Luna…"
Some minutes later – when the awestruck Ron, Ginny, Neville, and Mr Lovegood emerged from the cellar, followed by Remus Lupin and the reclothed, human Lavender – they were all ushered back into the lounge.
Lavender headed straight for the tray of leftover sausage rolls and mince pies, eager to restore the energy she had used up in her transformations.
"Right… I've called everyone back here, because there's a special Christmas present still to be given," Remus announced, looking straight at Dora, who nodded back as she cradled Teddy. He then retrieved a thin-looking wrapped gift from underneath the sofa at Dora's feet. "This is for you, Lavender."
She froze in mid-scoff on a sausage roll. Hurriedly, she put down the plate on the mantelpiece. "M-me!?"
"From both of us, kiddo." Dora grinned. "You've earned it."
"Eh?" Ron muttered. Hermione also looked perplexed.
Harry saw Luna look from the Lupins to Lavender, tilting her head. She smiled and nodded.
"You know already, Luna?" she whispered to her.
"No. I'm just reasoning from the facts we know, Harry. What do you think it is?"
Harry thought it through. Lavender had lost her parents in the war, and her aunt had rejected her, because she had become a werewolf…
Her eyes widened. "Of course!"
Meanwhile, Lavender had torn the wrapping apart with nails that looked a little sharper than they had before the demonstration of her transformation. An official-looking certificate, bound onto sturdy card was now being read by Lavender – and she started to tremble. She sucked in her breath.
"What is it, Lavender?" Ron asked her.
"It's a deed…! A certificate approved by the Ministry of Magic. Remus and Dora have…they've signed it." She raised her wide eyes and stared at the Lupins. "You are really prepared to become my official parents!?"
Hermione and Ron gasped. Harry saw Mr Lovegood slowly nod – his reading of the situation proven to be the right one. Luna continued to smile as she glanced back at Harry. The twinkle in her silver-grey eyes confirmed that she too had correctly guessed the nature of the present.
Dora looked the younger witch straight in the eye. "We are, Lavender. As far as we're concerned, you are family to us now. We won't let you be a lone wolf."
Remus's broadening grin mirrored his wife's. "And you will be a sister to our Teddy, too. You've bonded with him. And…I would be honored to have you as my daughter. All this certificate now needs is your signature, in front of witnesses."
"Th-thank you… Thank you so much!" Her eyes weeping tears of joy, Lavender rushed forwards and embraced her new parents.
"Well… We'll take that as a definite 'Yes'." Ron smiled. Giving the Lupins time together to savour the moment, she, Harry, and the others then stepped forward to congratulate Lavender, Remus, and Dora.
When Harry got to bed, later on, she smiled – reflecting that it had been her best Christmas Day for years.
Then her face fell, as she thought of the year to come.
Now we all just need to carry on staying alive, and hope that the Death Eaters don't track us down again…!
Only another six months at Hogwarts, she told herself. She could persevere.
She had to.