Chapter Fourteen
Harry sat huddled on his bed, having a staring contest with Hedwig.
He narrowed his eyes. Hedwig left hers unchanging, unblinking.
Harry's eyes began to water. Hedwig's beautiful amber orbs remained in their usual state.
Harry blinked. Hedwig cooed with superiority.
"Well, you don't have to blink as often," Harry defended himself.
He sighed. The past few days had been a terrible bore. After the Dementor attack, of course, which had been quite exciting. Especially since he was expelled from Hogwarts, then scheduled for a disciplinary hearing, and all those cryptic, condescending letters from his friends.
But after that excitement the Dursleys had locked Harry in his room, on a diet of bread and cold soup and twice a day bathroom breaks.
Harry sighed and lay back on his bed. He was sick of being kept in the dark. Ron and Hermione wrote to him, along with Sirius, about what was going on-sort of. From their long, aimless letters Harry had learned that they were all together at some unidentified location; Voldemort had been lying low so far; some man named Dung-or Mundungus in Hermione's letters-got yelled at by Mrs. Weasley almost as much as her own children.
But Harry didn't want to know any of that. He wanted to know more than just "Voldemort's been lying low." He wanted to know every detail about the man's movements.
He wanted to know if Dumbledore had gotten Jez to safety.
Harry shook his head. He had to stop thinking about her. He knew she was safe, from the letter she had sent, but Harry still had nightmares about her stuck at the graveyard if he thought about her too much before sleeping.
He rolled over, facing the wall. He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
The empty house creaked around him. The pipes gurgled. Harry lay there in a kind of stupor, thinking of nothing, suspended in misery.
And then, quite distinctly, he heard a crash in the kitchen below.
Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, was an eerie...place.
The house elf heads lining the hallway right when you walk in…not the most appealing sight.
Tonks held a finger to her lips as they crept past a pair of long, moth-eaten curtains. The adults filed down a short flight of stairs, and as Harry made to follow, a mass of curly red hair blocked his vision.
"Harry, dear!" exclaimed Mrs. Weasley, giving him a massive hug.
"Hi, Mrs. Weasley," he coughed out as she released him.
Her sharp eyes examined his thin frame. "Those Muggles starved you again, didn't they, you poor boy…"
She tsked and brushed invisible dust off his oversized sweater. Harry stood still, knowing to let her fuss.
At last she had deemed him "acceptable for now" and directed him to the second landing, first door on the right.
Grimmauld Place must be massive. It was narrow going up, at least five flights of dark, rising stairs. The main floor was sprawling, probably by magic, with about six doors that Harry had assumed led to other rooms. Who knew how big it was down the short stairs the adults had vanished down.
Harry could hear Hermione's rapid voice running from the first landing. He heard Ron's vague mumble.
Harry reached the second landing and flung open the door.
"Is it dinner-OH! Harry!"
For the second time that day, Harry found thick hair in his face, this time brown and bushy.
Hermione pulled away and grinned. "You got here!"
Harry smiled and nodded as Ron's lanky form came in and hugged him.
"You shrunk, mate," Ron said, grinning smugly. Harry frowned slightly. Ron had hit a growth spurt over summer, and now towered over Harry and Hermione, who were around the same height.
Harry let a real grin spread across his face in the company of his two best friends. "I've missed you guys so much, what's the latest news-"
"What, don't even say hi to the girl you ditched in a graveyard?"
Harry froze. He knew that smirky voice.
He whipped around and took in the sight of Jez Riddle, seated on a bed, perfectly fine. Smirk even more refined.
She grinned, entire face lighting up. "Hi, Harry."
She got up and engulfed him in a massive hug. He was shocked, but gave a weak hug in return.
"B-but-Dumbledore-safe-Malfoy-?"
She laughed. Hermione scoffed.
"Dumbledore sent the Greenswards here for protection. Jez is fine."
Ron chuckled. "And her and Hermione still don't get along."
Jez rolled her eyes. Harry studied her.
She looked exactly the same as he remembered her. If he looked closely, he could see the faint grey circles under her eyes, and there was a new crease on her forehead. She had her bangs pinned back, like she had at the Yule Ball. Her face seemed thinner. But the grin on her face made her the same old Jez.
At the moment the grin screwed up into a slightly disgusted facial expression. "It's not as bad as before!" she defended, folding her arms across her chest.
Ron rolled his eyes. "Sure. You guys can sit next to each other during dinner now."
Harry laughed when the girls rolled their eyes in unison.
Harry turned his eyes onto Jez again. "Your letter was brilliant, I would have gone mad without it...but what happened, exactly, after I left?"
Jez opened her mouth to speak, but Hermione cut across her. "Her letter was clear enough, Harry-Lucius Malfoy Apparated her away from the graveyard, and she wrote Dumbledore, who sent her here."
Ron sniggered at the irritation clear on Jez's face. Harry smiled, but replied, "Yes, but have you been in contact with anyone outside who you've seen in person so far?"
Jez shook her head. "Only faces I've actually seen this summer have been Order members, the Weasleys, my family, and Bossy over there."
Hermione scoffed and asked loudly, "Harry, what happened exactly with the Dementor attack?"
Harry's face darkened. Ron shuffled his feet, and sat beside Jez on a bed. Hermione seemed to not notice the effect her question had on Harry. She was too busy smiling smugly at Jez.
"It was a shock," he said stiffly. "Barely any real information from our world all summer, and the realest thing that happened was bloody Dementors attacking me and Dudley."
"What do you mean, no information?" Ron asked. "We wrote."
Harry shook his head. "Your letters didn't give me anything. Just a load of rubbish."
Harry felt anger rise in him as the three exchanged glances.
Hermione spoke up. "Harry, we wanted to write more, we really did, but Dumbledore made us swear not to tell you anything. He thought you might do something irrational."
"Yeah, I was pretty close to doing something that might be called irrational," Harry said. "Because I didn't get any information."
Ron gulped. "Look, mate, we wouldn't have been able to give you much anyway, Mum doesn't allow us into the meetings-"
"SO YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED IN THE MEETINGS, BIG DEAL! AT LEAST YOU'VE BEEN HERE, WHERE EVERYTHING'S HAPPENING, TOGETHER! I WAS STUCK AT BLOODY PRIVET DRIVE! HAVING STARING CONTESTS WITH BLOODY HEDWIG! SO DUMBLEDORE MADE YOU SWEAR! HAVE WE EVER LISTENED TO WHAT THEY TELL US TO DO? I DESERVE THE INFORMATION! IT'S ME HE'S TRYING TO KILL! WHO SAVED THE SORCERER'S STONE FIRST YEAR? KILLED THE BASILISK SECOND YEAR, AND SAVED GINNY FROM THE CHAMBER?" ("Ah, my other favorite person," Jez mumbled.") "WHO SAVED YOU FROM THE DEMENTORS THIRD YEAR, HERMIONE, WITH THE PATRONUS? AND WHO WAS AT THE GRAVEYARD LAST YEAR, SAW CEDRIC GET MURDERED, AND VOLDEMORT GET REBORN? ME!"
Harry took a deep breath. The other three sat, shocked, on the bed before him.
"Er, you have a saving people, mate," Jez commented timidly.
Harry released a long, deep breath. Hermione smacked Jez in the arm ("Ouch! Bloody Bossy.").
"Harry, mate-" Ron began.
CRACK!
"OI!" Ron exclaimed as two twin redheads popped into existence. One landed on Ron's lap, the other stood beside Harry.
"Ah, Harry!" bellowed the one beside him. "Thought we heard your lovely voice."
"Do continue, this lot hasn't gotten their daily dose of Mum yet," said the other, patting Ron on the head. Ron shoved him off his lap.
"Gerroff, Fred."
Fred dusted himself off and stood beside George.
"You two passed your Apparation tests, then?" Harry asked, anger fading slightly.
"Not even a question," said a voice from the doorway. They all looked up to see Giselle Greensward enter the room. "Honestly, you two will get fat one day from Apparating everywhere."
"Why walk when you can vanish, and appear where you want half a second later?" George asked cheekily. Elle pushed him over.
"Hi, Harry," she said, hazel eyes twinkling.
"Er, hi, Elle," he said.
Another head popped into the doorway.
"Oh, are we having a meeting?" Ginny Weasley asked, entering. "Oh, hello Harry!"
Jez made a pfft noise and began poking Ron in the arm.
"Hi, Ginny," Harry said, raising an eyebrow at Jez.
"Well, it was spiffing to see you all, but it is getting rather crowded in here," commented a twin.
"Yes, we'll just be going," said the other, scooching off the floor and exiting behind the first.
Elle sighed. "I'll just keep an eye on them…" She followed them out.
"Stop poking me, Jez," Ron said, slapping her hand away. She pouted.
Harry sat on beside Hermione on the other bed. Ginny settled on the floor between the two.
"So, what exactly is this place?" Harry asked, glancing at the night sky out the small window.
"Headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix," said Hermione. "It's this secret society that Dumbledore formed, back during the first war. They're like the anti-Death Eaters."
"It's a lovely house," Jez said, making a face. "Sirius' childhood home...poor guy."
Harry's eyes widened. "Really?"
"I'm sure he'll tell you all about it during dinner," Hermione said, giving Jez a condescending look.
Just as Jez opened her mouth to retort a twin popped into the room.
"Mum says come to the kitchen, the meeting's over and dinner's ready," he said, before cracking out of existence again.
"I'm starved!" Ron said loudly, lumbering to the door.
"I'll be right there," Jez said, running out the door. Her footsteps clattered upstairs.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Let's go, Harry."
(Jez POV)
I ran to Elle's and my room on the fourth landing. We had cleaned it up nicely, so it was now shiny and warm and cozy, as opposed to dirty, dark, and eerie like the rest of the house.
Just as I knew there would be, a handsome eagle owl sat regally on my desk.
"Hello," I whispered eagerly, carefully separating the green sealed envelope from its leg.
The owl hooted, then fluttered out the window I had left propped open. No one, besides Elle, of course, knew that I was in contact with someone outside Number Twelve. And Elle swore not to tell.
I broke the seal and scanned the letter hungrily.
Dear Jez,
Mother's been unbearable today. She wants me to get new dress robes, though this set she has is dreadful and horrid. Frills, on robes? I am not a Weasley!
There still hasn't been any mention of your father in our house, since my father told us he was back the day it happened. I promise, I will write immediately after he tells us anything. Hopefully never, though I doubt it.
I've been meaning to ask you, what are you doing when school starts again? You can't possibly go to Beauxbatons, your father could easily break the defenses and get in. Perhaps an overseas school? Salem Witches Academy in the States is rather prestigious, an all girls school, though I suppose the Greenswards won't want to send you so far away.
Personally, I think you should come to Hogwarts. Dumbledore is a madman but a genius, and he could come up with a way for you to be safe, while with us and enjoying yourself.
Well, now I really must know what your plans are for school. Write back as soon as possible, with your response.
Love, Draco
I frowned. He had brought up a good point. What was I to do when school term began?
"Jez!" Elle yelled from the ground floor. "Come eat!"
"Coming!" I called, hastily stuffing the letter into the locked drawer of my desk. It fluttered and blended in with the other thirty or so letters with a green wax seal.
I sprinted downstairs, mouth watering at the aroma of Mrs. Weasley's heavenly cooking.
Aunt Gina and Mrs. Weasley rolled their eyes as Uncle Jack, Sirius, Remus, and Mr. Weasley told stories about their Hogwarts days.
Apparently my uncle had pulled a few noteworthy pranks himself, and the two Marauders had always wondered who the mind behind the crime had been. Now that it had been revealed, they were just chummy.
"Ah, I cannot believe you were a Ravenclaw!" Sirius said, shaking his head. "If only you were in Gryffindor, we could have done so much…"
"Now, now, Sirius," Mrs. Weasley said, whacking the back of his head with a serving spoon. "Be a better example for the kids."
Sirius rubbed his glossy black head. Seriously, I was jealous of his hair. No guy should have that amount of sheen, silkiness, and luster to their hair.
"I'm an escaped convict from Azkaban, Molly," said the man. "I'm already a pretty bad example."
Remus chuckled and shook his head.
My uncle caught my eye and offered a slice of rhubarb crumble to me. "Crumble, Jez?"
I took it happily.
As I savored the sugared dessert I remembered Draco's letter.
"Er, Aunt Gina...what exactly am I doing, about school?"
"Were you planning on not going back to Beauxbatons?" she asked, amused.
I shrugged. "Well...don't you think going back might be a little dangerous, since my father could just walk in and take me?"
"He couldn't," Remus said. "Beauxbatons is as well protected as Hogwarts, and Voldemort doesn't even know the location of it."
"He got into Hogwarts easily enough," Harry cut in. "With Barty Crouch, Jr. He could do the same thing at Beauxbatons."
We ate our crumble in quiet after this. Then Uncle Jack spoke.
"Did you have any ideas, Jez?"
I bit my lip. "Um…" I could tell that my aunt and uncle had assumed I would return to Beauxbatons, pretend not to be concerned. Or maybe I should just wait, and see if they thought about it some more…
"...not really," I finished lamely.
We all polished off our food, and then Mrs. Weasley and Aunt Gina set about cleaning up.
Sirius took a deep sigh and fixed a grey eye on Harry.
"So. I'm surprised, Harry. I thought you'd be asking questions about every little thing the moment you arrived here."
The kids sniggered. Harry shrugged. "I did...they didn't share much."
We laughed harder. Sirius kicked back his chair.
"Well...what do you want to know?"
"Hey!" Ron protested. "How come Harry gets his questions answered and not us?"
"Because You-Know-Who isn't trying to kill us, Ronald," Hermione said in her sensible fashion.
I stuck my lower lip out. "It's my dad. You haven't given me any information!"
"Well, you never asked," Uncle Jack returned. I thought for a moment. It was true...I had been relying on Draco to give me inside information, so I wasn't ever curious about the information the Order might have.
The Weasley kids began arguing with their mum, and I sat back to watch. Then, when the twins brought up the fact that they're of age, I sat up.
"Elle's of age," I realized, glancing at her. My cousin coughed and shook her head slightly.
"You are of age, but still in school," Remus told the twins. No one had heard me.
"Elle's out of school, too," I said, louder. This time nearly everyone looked at me.
"Yes, your point?" Uncle Jack asked, eyes guarded.
I frowned. "Well, she could technically join the Order. But she's gotten no information, just like the rest of us."
Uncle Jack's Greensward eyes flashed. "That is our choice, Jez. Your aunt and I decided that we didn't want you two involved in this war."
The Weasleys picked up their argument, Remus joining in. Hermione, Harry, and Sirius listened to me argue with my uncle.
"Involved?" I scoffed. "My father is the one who started this war. I think I'm pretty involved."
"Your aunt and I are your guardians, Jez, we'll decide what's best for you."
"Not when it comes to my father!"
"Keep your voice down, Jezebel!" Aunt Gina scolded.
"Oh!" I glared down the table at my quiet cousin. "Aren't you going to fight this?" I demanded, as Ginny Weasley stormed out of the kitchen.
"They're my parents, Jez, I should listen," she said softly, standing to follow Ginny.
My eyes narrowed. "Weak," I spat.
The kitchen stilled. My glare at my cousin died out a little when I realized they were all staring at me.
Elle froze and turned to look at me. Was that...fear?
"Jez." My eyes flicked to my uncle. He looked at me with a resigned expression. "Just...go upstairs."
I surveyed the kitchen, shocked to find that each person looked wary, or scared. Surely not of me...right?
Hermione was clutching Harry's arm. Her eyes were wide, and frightened.
I forced myself to look at Harry. His beautiful green eyes...they were confused. But he, too, was fearful.
I swallowed and quietly made my way out of the kitchen. All the way up to my room. I heard Elle follow me. She was sniffling.
I went into my drawer and got out Draco's most recent letter. I found parchment and a quill, then slipped and ink bottle into my pocket and left the room. I couldn't sit in the same room as Elle when she was sniffling like that.
I made my way back downstairs.
Had I been the one to scare everyone in the kitchen? What had I done?
"Aren't you going to fight this?"
"They're my parents, Jez, I should listen."
"Weak."
Weak. Oh.
A flashback hit me, taking me back to the graveyard, and the things my father had said.
"You see, Jezebel, we are above them. We are the line of Salazar Slytherin, we will rise above people like Harry Potter, the weak ones...see how they bow to us already!"
I shook my head. I would have to be careful, watch myself. Being around my father that time had brought out my Riddle side.
I reached my destination on the ground floor. At the very back of Grimmauld Place was a spot I had discovered while exploring.
The Black family was a well-known pureblood family, so they held social gatherings. They couldn't, and wouldn't dare, have their parties in the kitchen or drawing room. They had a ballroom.
The ballroom was dusty and dull, but if I stood in there long enough I could picture what it looked like before, with the gleaming chandeliers, painted ceilings, shiny dance floor. The French doors lining the walls at intervals would lead out to balconies overlooking enchanted gardens that had fallen into disarray and a terrible state of unkemptness.
My favorite spot to sit and imagine was at the top of the grand staircase. I had brushed some of the dust away, so that the dark, rich green carpet wouldn't leave dusty stains when I sat. There was a small curve in the marble that suitably served as a backrest, and gave me a perfect view of the entire ballroom.
I sat there now and lay Draco's letter out before me. I frowned. How to explain everything in a letter…
I just started writing.
Dear Draco,
About school. My aunt and uncle are assuming I'll go back to Beauxbatons. They were so confident in it, I think that's what will happen.
Something strange happened during dinner today. It was scary. I was arguing with Uncle Jack, and I asked Elle why she didn't fight what they told her to do. I called her weak.
They all looked so scared, Draco, and I think...I think I looked like my father then.
You should have seen Harry, he looked like he was watching Tom Riddle in the graveyard again.
I think
I paused, hearing a tapping noise. I scanned the ballroom. Then gasped.
Tapping its beak on one of the French doors was Draco's eagle owl.
I slipped on some dust rushing over to the door. It took some effort to crack it open, but the bird managed to fly in and hoot importantly after landing on my arm.
"What could he possibly want right this moment?" I muttered, untying the letter. The owl stayed put. I assumed Draco would wait for a response this time.
I broke the seal, and scanned his elegant handwriting.
Slowly, I grinned. I slipped the tiny vial he had sent me into my pocket and left to find a fireplace.
(Third Person POV)
"Has anyone seen Jez?" Elle asked the next morning, coming into the kitchen with a puzzled expression.
Harry swallowed his toast. "Wouldn't you know?"
The Greensward girl shook her head. "The last time I saw her was last night, she left our room and never came back."
Sirius sipped his tea. "Did you check the ballroom?"
Elle made an "oh, duh" noise, then left the kitchen.
"There's a ballroom?" Harry asked. He didn't think Grimmauld Place was that big.
"Yeah, but it's dusty and hasn't been used...probably in about twenty or so years," Sirius said. "Jez likes to sit in there, she says it's pretty."
Harry nodded, eating more toast.
"Oh!" came a strangled yell from down the hall.
Elle came running back into the kitchen. "Sirius, where's your Floo Powder?"
"The mantelpiece in the drawing room, I think. Why?"
Elle threw a slip of parchment onto the table.
Harry picked it up and read.
I slipped some Floo Powder from the jar above the fireplace. I need to see you. Please come tonight. Just say Malfoy Manor.
-Draco
"Don't tell Jack or Gina," Sirius said, getting up from the table.
I'm back! And it's only been like a month...or two...(or four or five...)
What do you think of the new chapter? Like I said before, this story will keep going until partway through Order of the Phoenix. The next few chapters will be at Grimmauld Place, to build some bonds between the characters.
It feels so good to be writing again!
Preview for next:
Harry stood up and walked over to her with determination. He caught her fidgeting arms tightly with his hands and spun her to face him.
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