Well, it's Friday and I'm here, stuck in bed because apparently "still coughing" classifies as "still sick" in my family. Most everyone has abandoned me in my room and flinch when I exit.

Yeah, so I'm posting this cause I said so, but also cause I'm hoping someone will make my day with a review.

Chapter 21

I will never surrender.

-Aster Jean Keeney, 31 October 1974

Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry

Headmaster's Office

8:29PM

"Harry's on his way," she set her teacup down. Severus glanced across the desk. There was no need to ask if he had a plan. If she were involved, there was a plan, one that was already in motion from the way she kept glancing at the clock.

Her mother had done the same thing, keeping an eye on the time and then cursing from the lack of information. Only by now Aster would have already started snapping at people in impatience to find out what was going on.

"So why'd you keep it a secret?" Ah, so that was the reason she wasn't pacing at the moment. She needed answers. "It was your mother's idea," he replied, "in case anything happened." There was no reason for her to ask what things could have happened. There were many things that she had set up as a minefield for Voldemort to navigate through. This was probably the most drastic.

"How come no one thought to tell me?" she asked. "If I'd gone to school in Brighton-"

"Then I would have told you what you needed to know and nothing more." he replied. "Or did you not tell Draco of your plan for tonight?" She fell silent at that, and he knew he'd struck a nerve.

"Point taken." she said. "What are you going to do about it?"

His look gave her an answer.

{PAGEBREAK}

The waiting was going to drive him insane.

Sirius kept checking his watch and glancing out the window, waiting for Abigail to give the signal that it was all clear and they could (quite literally) storm the castle.

He saw a red spark in the sky. "Let's go," he said.

{PAGEBREAK}

She stood overlooking the school. She'd thought about this long ago, but only fleetingly. But she hadn't taken anything seriously.

"Delaying won't make it happen any faster," the cool voice said behind her. She turned, tucking the scissors in her pocket. "I know," she replied. "But I don't want to have to do it."

"If you don't, the curse will follow your family until the end of time." the ghost replied.

"Do I have your blessing then, Domina Helena?" she asked, turning back to estimate how many Death Eaters were out there, waiting.

She closed her eyes, feeling the air grow cooler as the ghost floated past her. "Merde" a voice whispered in her ear.

{PAGEBREAK}

Voldemort had grown used to that voice taunting him. The whistling was growing louder, and he sensed that many of the Death Eaters could hear it too. He'd heard it before, of course, and every time it grated on his nerves. A slow, haunting three-note whistle.

He turned his gaze from Hogwarts in time to see a white mist appear, causing many to jump back in surprise.

"It's not too late, Tom," Her voice was taunting him. "turn back and I will forget this." Other voices joined in, but he couldn't make them out.

"Let them live, or you will die."

He didn't respond to the voice. Nagini inched towards it cautiously, trying to determine if she could eat it or what else. As the snake approached the mist, a white lightening bolt shot towards it and Nagini recoiled.

"Your time is almost up, Tom. Don't defy me again."

With a loud cackle of thunder, the mist vanished.

{PAGEBREAK}

28 July 1994

Avalon Academy, Avalon

He always knew where she was. Despite the age gap, everyone joked that they'd been twins in a previous life. Right now, they should have been heading towards the fields for their physical education class, but she had disappeared after breakfast that morning.

Most everyone just shrugged it off, even Draco played it up to her family just being weird, but Harry understood that sometimes you needed to be alone to get your thoughts in order.

"Hey," he said, seeing her up a familiar tree branch. The tree and river had been there as far back as anyone could remember.

She didn't respond right away, but Harry knew she wasn't being sullen.

"Someone send you looking for me?" she asked, readjusting her position. Harry saw that her jacket and bag were hung on another branch.

"No, actually." Harry dropped his bag and hoisted himself into a nearby tree so they were overlooking the same spot. "How are you?"

She shrugged, watching a family of ducks make their way towards the river. "All right, I guess. I can't stop thinking about her, though."

Harry remained silent. Abigail's mum had always been a touchy subject. Even Professor Snape didn't like talking about Aster Jean Keeney.

"What about her?" Harry asked as the bell rang, telling them they were late for class. It didn't matter, not really.

Abigail shrugged. "She went through hell defying everyone, just to name me Abigail in the end. Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did she bow down to tradition at the very moment she could have destroyed it forever? Every letter, she says she's never free, so why didn't she just break away?"

It was Harry's turn to shrug. "I don't know. Perhaps she was the only one that knew."

Abigail gave him a look that told him she didn't believe it for a minute. "She would've told Dad." she said simply.

"Then, maybe he's waiting for the right moment to tell."

{PAGEBREAK}

There was really no reason why she would be wearing a hat like that except for that something was up.

"Are the younger years evacuated?" she snapped at a shocked Percy Weasley. "The last are using the Honeyduke's passage now," he replied, "and four members of the Avalon Guard are going to follow to make sure there are no tails from the Death Eaters and they'll meet up with a recon team that'll use Portkeys to get them to the Titanica," he stepped away to go see if Fred and George had finished positioning the sniper rifles from the towers yet.

Muggle technology was really ingenious when used properly. His dad, at least, was pleased that this was being incorporated.

Time was ticking away. There was only so much they had until everything that was certain disappeared.

Well, once again, dear readers. It's battle time. Who does what? Who saves whom? And will my mom let me out so I can do my homework today?

Stay tuned…

Mischief Managed,

Sparky