I'm sorry for the bit of a wait here, guys! Normally this one updates fast but life has a way of taking you on strange detours and I was a little bit caught up in them. I didn't put this chapter through my editor because I wanted to get it out to you without anymore pause, but this is a nice long chapter with some interesting information and even more plot. After this chapter only three (possibly four, depending on length) chapters until we get into the Order of the Phoenix portion of Audrey's story! How exciting! Please see the bottom for more notes, but for now, enjoy!
Chapter Twenty: Crouch's Son
"Potter, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Snape asked suspiciously as I walked into his office earlier in the morning. He and I had been very distant compared to our normal habits after the second task thanks to the drama which had consumed my life and I had missed his company more than I probably should have missed the company of a professor.
It was now late May, two and a half months of solitude later. I was still completely alienated from the entirety of the school, and I had not had a detention in three weeks. Clearly something was terribly wrong.
"I've had a lot of time to think lately," I said with a frown, pulling the strap of my rucksack higher on my shoulder. The books in my bag seemed to way a little bit more now that I had gathered the courage to try and do even more difficult magic with Snape. That in itself was the truth behind having had far too much time to think. I was feeling like Hermione with the amount of time I spent in the library, only I spent my time behind rows of books so that Hermione, Ron, and my brother wouldn't have to see me – we had not spoken. "And I remembered something that you mentioned during our first Astral lesson – about another type of cantated magic. I was wondering if I could talk to you about it?"
"Aren't you to be studying for the final task?"
"I've been doing nothing but studying," I argued with a frown. "Which is the problem; I'm not getting anywhere."
He frowned slightly, as if he knew what I was about to ask before he juggled and straightened the papers in his hands before laying them on the desk before him. "Then perhaps you aren't studying the proper things."
"Exactly!" I announced a little more enthusiastically than I meant to. It was so nice to have some sort of interaction, nevertheless with Snape, someone who knew my mind and who I knew would rather do what was needed than what was easy. "Which is why I'm here."
"Ask, then." Snape did know. Of course he knew.
"Please professor, if there is some way I can use my talents with cantated magic to make up for my lack of techniques with incantation, I need to know. It could mean life and death. I'm not powerful enough to-"
"I meant to talk to you about this," Snape said with a strong voice, folding his hands in front of him so that he could look at me closely. I knew I was in some kind of trouble because of his level, unwavering gaze. I almost wanted to shuffle my feet guiltily thanks to the look I was receiving, but instead I held my head high.
"What about?"
"During the second task, when you fell into the water-" I could not suppress the shiver that shook from my knees to my teeth. "You did yet another interesting piece of magic."
"Oh, you mean the waves?" I furrowed my eyebrows. "That was hardly interesting."
"Whatever do you mean?" he seemed genuinely confused by my answer. I blinked at him, I felt like this was some sort of joke or he was trying to fish something out of me, but I couldn't tell what it would be. Besides, Severus Snape was the man I trusted most within the castle and right now he was my only confidant. I may as well not keep secrets from him.
"I mean, it was just a bit of nervous magic and energy, it was hardly interesting. Before eleven, witches and wizards do things like that all the time." I shrugged.
"Yes, before eleven, they do things like that." He agreed with narrowed eyes. "But not after one becomes dependant on one's wand. And it is never so focused. A burst of defensive magic is common, but you specifically raised the tides of a lake, Potter. That magnitude of power is not common."
I looked at him nervously. It was like I was in trouble but at the same time I knew he was trying to tell me something much more important than 'you have a detention for being a moron'. I was missing something very essential to this conversation.
"Because I'm older," I pointed out. "Of course I'll become more powerful with age. I don't see why this is such a big deal, you're acting like I slew a basilisk or something-" I cut myself off with a sneer, thinking about how someone very near and dear to me had already done precisely that. Not that he had gotten in trouble or a talking to from it.
"Potter, the question you came to ask me," Snape began. I was kind of annoyed that he had decided to branch into a new topic, but I had come asking something of him and it was good not to forget it beforehand. "What was it?"
"Right," I nodded. "That day, the day I came for Astral lessons and you were talking to me about all the different types of magical beings, you said a list of cantated beings or types or…"
"Go on," he urged.
I wrinkled my nose a bit, which made him clear his throat for some reason. "You said something about Astral beings, of course, and Occlumens, Legilimens, and something called Magnesium's – Magnusum's – or something as equally ridiculous sounding…"
"Magnusomes, their magic is referred to as Magnuse or Magnuse-magic." Snape corrected me with a nod, standing from his chair to go towards the narrow bookshelf besides his potions cupboards. He was rifling through it as I continued.
"Yes, that," I frowned. "Why was it when Bagman was telling the scores after the second task did he say I used Astral and Magnuse-magic? I was positive that I only did the projection. Was it something to do with the waves, sir?"
"The waves, yes." Snape swivelled back around to look at me with a large, deteriorating tome held in his hands. "But I've heard whispers there was something else, even more impressive you did down in that lake."
"Besides the Astral projection? Which, by the way, I don't think we get enough credit for. You and I did the unthinkable for a fourteen year old – I would bake you a cake were I not slightly afraid of the twitchy creatures hiding in the fruit down in the kitchens."
"How do you know where the kitchens are?" he asked accusingly. I looked over to the corner of the room, pretending that something had caught my interest.
"You said I did something else in the lake? I saved a life – according to Harry, anyway, because – you know – he thinks that volunteers are the ones who are going to be killed. Of course it wouldn't be that someone is trying to kill us by using one of his many ridiculous boughts of stupidity as a dagger in itself." Snape's lips rose at the sides – I could always trust that he would appreciate the venting done about my unreasonable, over-responsible twin.
"In the lake, how did you retrieve Mr Nott?" he asked, still flipping through the stiff pages of the old book he had retrieved. He stood above his chair and leaned over his desk as he skimmed – it was as if he was trying to intimidate another student, only he knew it would never work on me.
"I broke the rope and tried to levitate him – I didn't have the energy for that, so I grabbed his hand and tugged him up until that bloody grindylow decided he fancied my legs." I pouted. That grindylow had taken to watching me when I was in the common room – I had yet to decide a proper punishment for that blasted creature.
"And just how, in an astral state which has no matter-comprised body, did you manage to hold his hand?"
That was a great question. A question that I had asked myself as it happened, but had been too panicked to really think about. To be honest, I hadn't done any reading into it or into what the limitations should have been when I was in Astral form – I hadn't even attempted it since I'd done it at the end of February. Astral projection was exhausting it took all the energy out of me and lately I needed all the energy I could to defend myself against Pansy who was still hounding me for my attack on her precious ferret. I hadn't talked it out with anyone until now either – who was on my side enough to talk to me?
No one. The answer was no one.
"I'm going to go with guessing you're going for the brooding sorcerer look and ultimately know the answer, but are trying to stay mysterious." I said slowly to which he sighed.
"Astral projectors are those who can manipulate magic and form it into a mental and spiritual state." I nodded, trying not to look as eager as I felt. "Whereas Magnusomes are those who can form it into a physical state wi-"
"Wands form magic into a physical state," I argued. Snape's dark eyes glared at me, clearly upset by my interruption.
"May I continue?" I sighed at his annoyance, but did not say anything. "Magnusomes form it into a physical state without the use of a wand."
I blinked at him, wondering if he was lying to me or pulling my leg in recompense for me interrupting him – he'd done crueller things. My eyes narrowed at him, examining how annoyed with me he actually was – though I knew what I would find. Snape would never lie to me about something like this, there was no point, we both knew that in the end we would work on this until we could work no longer. The matter of success could be argued later when I'd driven myself insane with frustration – he tended to enjoy that process.
"And I did that?" I clarified slowly. "When I pulled Theodore through the water?"
"You did," he walked around his desk to hand me the large, musty book. "So I suggest you start your reading tonight."
"My reading?" I looked down at the book he'd handed me and clutched it to my chest. If this had the answers I needed then I would not hesitate to start reading it tonight when the others had fallen asleep. Snape, of course, knew this.
"I assume that you'll want to get to work as soon as possible." Snape didn't ask, but rather stated it, walking back to his place behind his desk again. I couldn't help but smile and laugh at him.
"You know me too well," I sighed. "Will this be as hard as Astral projection?"
"Harder, if you don't remember the sensation." He acknowledged. "Though, if you've been practicing and using your Astral form, it will make this slightly simpler thanks to the ability to control energy."
"Ah, yes," I winced. "Astral form…"
"You haven't looked at it then?" Snape asked in a disappointed monotone. I shrugged.
"You know, being a woman is very busying. There's pampering, pranking, school work, saving the world, and general causing of discourse throughout the dormitories…"
"Potter," Snape muttered, making me stop and blush. "I say you start practicing again."
"Will you help me?" I asked, knowing that I was struggling enough with my thoughts as it was, I would never be able to calm myself down in this mentality. "Just this once."
"Just this once," he seemed hesitant. "Then I expect you to study Magnuse on your own and come to me with theories afterward."
To show him I found it a fair trade, I walked over to the first row of desks and placed myself on it. Pulling my wand from the pocket of my robes and holding between my palms, the tip digging into my left hand.
"Now breathe, calm your thoughts, clear your mind…" I nodded, closing my eyes and trying to focus on the feeling of my wand between my hands. I skipped immediately to remembering what Cedric had told me about-
Oh, Cedric.
The only thing my backstabbing best friend had gotten right through our arguing was that Hoe Chang had tightened her leash and was now keeping a firm hand on Cedric's communications – particularly with me. Cedric had not been allowed to speak to me at all – though he had tried once, after the news we would be going through an enchanted maze for the first task – but when he'd made his attempt it had turned out badly for both of us. Cho had steered him away and I had been mocked by the Slytherin Hierarchy who thought my misfortune was amusing.
Almost as amusing as I had found their screams when they woke up with Grubborms in their beds.
"Potter, you're such a nuisance!" Daphne had shrieked from her bed. I was surprised by how close to a symphony it sounded while I could hear Parkinson's from one wall over. "Get these off me!"
"I'm sorry, Greengrass," I had said with as much sincerity as I could fake. "I don't know if I can figure out how to do that. As you said, I have quite the reputation for having many things in my bed as it is. Apparently I just can't keep things out of mine either."
She had screamed again when she caught one crawling on her neck. "You and your mudblood mother are just the same then! Get these off of me or you'll meet her end!"
"Sorry," I'd said again, this time gritting my teeth. "But I'm on a no-shite diet. As in I won't take your shite just to get into your good graces. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a bed to sleep in – lucky I've so many men in it to ward off the bugs!"
"Pleasant," Snape's voice snapped me out of the memory I had unintentionally shared with him. His face held a heavy sneer when I dared to open my eyes again. "But not what you are to be focussing on."
"Sorry," I muttered. "I told you I'd need help."
"So it would seem," he drawled. "Again."
I closed my eyes quickly, focussing on what Cedric had told me to. This time I would focus, I couldn't let him see another memory of the torture I had been going through in the commons or else he'd pick sides. And I wouldn't be able to take it if Snape was not actively on my side.
The parchment I pictured was clean and thicker than the kind I used for school. It was the beautiful parchment that one got with expensive stationary, the kind you wrote with longhand and had a rough draft to ensure there were no mistakes you'd need to go correct. I tacked it up to cover my vision, as if I had stuck my nose right to the center of the page, unable to see past it. All my life was written on this parchment. It was what I needed to focus on, just like Cedric had said.
I missed him.
Focus. Stop thinking of boyfriends that won't help with Astral projection.
Snape's voice, annoyed as always. But it triggered another shallow pain in my chest – one that made me think of my favourite two 'boyfriends' as everyone always dubbed them. I missed the twins, the ones who knew my motives inside and out; the ones who made me proud of the adventurous streak that most said was what made me 'bad'.
Focus.
Right. Focus.
I stared at the parchment again, focusing, making sure it was all I could see. My energy started to droop noticeably, something that almost made me start – I couldn't fall asleep. Sleep is the stage just past Astral form, a lesser form of consciousness that meant I had strayed too far into my mind and not far enough into my magic.
I tried riding the tides of sleep as they started to roar and try to drown me. It was hard not to give in, sleep had been one of the few places I felt safe lately, thanks to those who had kept me a safe distance away from them since the second task. I felt my body fight to shut down, to give into sleep, and tried to fight it. I couldn't help shivering as the familiar sensation of being dunked into a pool of freezing water slithered it's way through my senses.
The familiar sensation made me blink my eyes against the colours – I watched as a vision, slightly dimmed by the weeks before it would conquer reality, invaded my Sight. The third eye that Trelawney always spoke of but had never been victim to. In front and behind and to every side of me, it seemed, were tall, thick hedges that swayed in an unearthly breeze. I felt the tension as I walked through, wand upraised in one hand – the other up defensively. I came to a corner, one that was illuminated with a light that was not from my wand.
The world shifted, though the colours stayed the same tint, looking true toned but somehow dimmed by time that had not yet passed. In front of me, I saw that red sparks were being shot into the air, hanging ghastly over the hedges as if they were a beacon for danger itself. Looking around, I watched as a beautiful head of silver-blonde hair lolled to the side. I heard a moan before the scene shifted again.
The colours shifted, but it was clear that these snapshots were all from the same night. I was being warned. I was being warned that something terrible was on it's way, something that was dangerous to me. I saw my hand reach out, towards two figures running towards a clearing in the hedges, one illuminated with a colour of light that I had never laid eyes on – before they disappeared.
I heard a scream, a hallow, dangerous, painful scream that sounded like a creature being put through death. It burnt my eardrums and made me cover my ears and double over to try and shield myself from the terrifying decibels. No matter how much I cowered, I could not hide myself from the sound.
The vision changed, to something beautifully silent. I took a moment to appreciate the lack of thrumming in my ears, though it sounded as if everything else was muted or underwater. I heard voices, familiar voices, but not the words they were saying – one was the same tones I'd heard my entire life. It was coming from my brother, dirty and beaten, who nearly hung off the ground as a man held him at wand point – a familiar man, with sunken eyes and dark hair…the man from the Quidditch World Cup.
I didn't even have time to gasp before I pulled myself out of my vision, breaking through the water that I'd drowned myself in to try and get into an Astral state. When I gasped awake, my eyes flying open, I saw Snape was surprised.
"I'd thought you were successful and in transition," Snape observed. I shook my head, breathing through the dizziness that it caused. I all but rolled off the table, shoving my wand back in my pocket.
"I have to go."
"Potter, what are you doing?"
"I have to go see Harry," I whispered. "I just saw something and…" how would I explain that away? 'I saw the man that I claimed not to see over half a year ago and I have a bad feeling that he's about to threaten my brother'? I couldn't see that possibly going well for me.
"I'm sorry," I told Snape as I grabbed my rucksack and flung it over my shoulder, almost tripping over myself thanks to the energy I'd spent between forms. "I'll do the reading and be back, I swear…but I need to go. Thank you!"
I left him after that, ducking through the halls to find my brother, which was easier said then done. He was not in the Great Hall for lunch, nor was he hanging around in the courtyard. I had taken the time to drop my bag off in my room and – after some painstakingly long tries – placed a charm around my bed to ensure my dorm mates couldn't bother it. I tried to hide behind my hair, wishing I looked like something like Ginny so that people would just leave me alone in my search.
"Oi, Potter!"
I wish for too much.
But I did not turn around. If I did, I would only be drawing attention to the fact that I was in the hall where other possibly aggressive Gryffindors were taking their afternoon walk. I was already nervous enough that I was hunting down the king of them. I was still in no man's land from my colourful, public outburst and I did not want anyone to draw attention to the fact that I had yet to break the disgrace I'd been living in thanks to it. "Audrey!"
That was new. No one had tried talking to me on first name terms since the Malfoy incident in March and besides that, no one had dared speak to me since the task. When I turned around, shamelessly hopeful that it was a certain Hufflepuff, I was very upset by the green robes swishing toward me.
"Well dash it all, it was such a fine day." I sighed. "What do you want, Montague?"
Adam Montague looked particularly well-groomed today, his robes still crisp and his hair immaculate. Perhaps it was this disturbing perfection to his slimy features that made him so repulsive to me.
"Someone's still got her wand in a knot," he commented with a smile. I was not in the mood for his taunts – I was irresponsibly sour, that was true, but no amount of flirting from him would change that. "And to think, I was here to lend you a hand."
"Not a clue why," I commented dully. "I've nothing to do today and no willingness to get help from you."
"It's to do with your 'popularity'," he mentioned again. "Malfoy's having himself a little party in the common room in two weeks time-"
"Yes, for his birthday." I nodded. June 5th was coming up too quickly to enjoy and then Malfoy's birthday celebrations would begin and last until the end of the year – he would use any event like this to get attention.
"Right," Montague smirked. "Are you sure you're not shagging him? You're pretty well informed-"
"Has his hair dye come out yet?" Montague's smile fell a bit, before he laughed it off and shrugged his shoulders. I happened to know that the hair dye had been able to be pulled from his hair d faded from his hair days after the little prank, but his face had still been stained in a thin layer of faux gold tan for well past two weeks.
"Well, I wanted to invite you. Have a date already, meself, but I would be more than willing to ditch her if you wanted to join me." I sneered just at the idea of it.
"What poor sod agreed to go with you?"
"Your best friend, actually." He said smugly. I couldn't hide the horror – Daphne was now dating Montague? I mean, I'd seen her waving him around in my face as if it would actually make me jealous, but I never would have thought she would stoop low enough to try dating him. She couldn't fancy him after everything this bloke had done – it was unnatural! Even though I was still horribly boiled by our argument, I couldn't deny there was now a worry for the woman's sanity.
"Well, it does go with what little she knows." I bit out bitterly, as I quickened my step. "I won't be attending that party, not even if you paid me."
"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" Was I hurrying? I just wanted to get to Harry as quickly as I could. Getting away from Montague would also be a bonus.
"Finding the oh-so-famous one."
"Then why are you headed this way?" He asked with a furrowed brow.
"Because this is the way to the Gryffindor commons." I responded evenly.
"But he was on his way to the headmaster's office, last I saw." I stopped in the middle of the hall and blinked up at him, I couldn't understand why he was playing so nice – it was suspicious.
"Er – well…thanks then, Montague."
"Adam," he corrected. I wrinkled my nose.
"Thanks then, Montague." I repeated as I spun on my heel to head toward the headmaster's office. Montague, as always, was on my tail.
"You're not about to apologize to him, are you? What you said at the second task was completely called for – it'd defeat the whole purpose if you went to do that." I stopped walking mid step this time, almost losing my balance with the shock of that statement. Why was he being so kind to me, was it for some more malicious reason? Probably. I just couldn't figure out what it was and yet at the same time, I almost felt relief that he had said it – that someone proved I wasn't alone in my inner dialogues.
Still Montague, though, so I didn't take the compliment too close to heart.
"I have better things to do than suck up to my brother," I informed him. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go have some private sibling bonding time."
He frowned at me, his face pulled into a frown so practiced it was like he tried different ones out in front of the mirror. Turning toward the dungeons, he left me without another word – I would have to remember to avoid the common room after the next two weeks…perhaps I'd stay in the Shrieking Shack.
The Gargoyle that guarded Dumbledore's office was already pulled to the side – Harry must already be here. As I went up, I saw his ear basically pressed against the door. He put his finger to his lips, not even seeming surprised or upset that I was here with him, before he pointed to the door.
"They think Maxime did it," he whispered, it was so quiet I could barely hear him.
"What?" I whispered back, confused as to what he meant. What did he mean 'it'? Oh Merlin, I wasn't hearing about Hagrid's sexual exploits, was I? Too curious for my own good, I went and pressed my ear against the door as well.
"-might be prejudiced in her favour because of Hagrid? They don't all turn out harmless – if indeed, you can call Hagrid harmless, what with that monster fixation he's got." That was the minister's voice. They must have been here talking about Crouch's death. I couldn't believe that they were accusing Maxime just because she was part giant – ridiculous! That's like blaming me for being a Slytherin because I like silver.
"I no more suspect Madame Maxime than Hagrid." Dumbledore's voice, calm and collected as always. "I think it is possible that it is you who are prejudiced, Cornelius."
I smiled just at the thought of it, looking to Harry who was doing the same.
"Can we wrap up this discussion?" Moody's voice, even more growling than normal.
"Yes, yes, let's go down to the grounds, then." Fudge again.
"No, it's not that," said Moody. I barely had a second to realize what he was referring to before he actually said it. "It's just that our favourite set of twins want a word with you. They're listening just outside the door."
The door to the office opened almost before Harry and I could pull ourselves away from it. Moody looked at us with a twisted smirk, he was satisfied as it was for ratting us out. I narrowed my eyes at him in annoyance – why was everyone so keen on keeping me in trouble?
"Hello, you two," Moody smirked. "Come in, then."
Dumbledore was waiting in his desk's chair, where Fudge stood beside him in a lime green bowler hat. He was ecstatic to see us. "Harry, Audrey! How are you?"
"Fine," Harry said tightly. I could tell he was still upset over what we had walked in on.
"Dandy," I stated more coolly than I probably needed to.
"We were just talking about the night when Mr. Crouch turned up on the grounds," Fudge explained with a little bit of a wave in Harry's direction. "It was you who found him, was it not?"
"Yes," said Harry. Part of me was almost surprised, I had hoped it was just rumour. As much as I was still upset with the prick for being such a fame-seeking-attention-hogging brat, I couldn't help but feel a sense of nervousness. "I didn't see Madame Maxime anywhere, though, and she'd have a job hiding, wouldn't she?"
And there he goes playing the hero again. I sighed deeply, turning back to Fudge, catching Moody's good eye which read out his own annoyance with the subject.
"Yes, well we're about to go for a short walk on the grounds, Harry, if you'll excuse us…perhaps if you two would go back to your dormitories-"
"I wanted to talk to you, professor." Harry said quickly, looking to Dumbledore. I couldn't help but see the troubles here – I was about to get in a lot of crap. Harry was speaking to Dumbledore, I needed to speak to Harry – and in the end it was all going to come down to the fact that I had been lying when I said I had not seen who had shot the dark mark up in the sky all those months ago.
"Wait here for me; our examination of the grounds will not take long." That seemed like a lie – the Hogwarts grounds were extensive and if you were really looking, it would take hours. Either way, the men took their time to file out of the office without a second glance at us, leaving me alone with my older brother.
He didn't look at me at first, instead he decided to walk up to Fawkes – the beautiful phoenix loyal to Dumbledore – and pet his crimson feathers. I was the one who was supposed to be good with animals, but Fawkes had always had a closer connection to Harry than he had to me; I was almost jealous.
"You've been avoiding me." Harry finally spoke, but he didn't look at me. He stayed petting Fawkes, which was more than okay with me as the tension in the room suddenly built itself thicker than the boys' bloody skull. "You didn't respond to Snuffle's letter."
Ah, no I guess I hadn't. To be honest, I had thrown the reprimanding letter over my shoulder and didn't try to grab it from Circe when she assumed it was a new plaything. I wasn't really interested in rereading the lecture about how blood was thicker than water – I loved Sirius too much to respond how I would have for others – with a colourful answer about how I had almost died in that 'not as thick as blood' water and how ridiculous it was that Harry had been rewarded for that mistake.
"No, I didn't." It was probably not the proper thing to say, but it was all I could force out.
"We went to see him last Hogsmeade weekend. You didn't show."
"Didn't go." I said simply. I hadn't wanted to lose the few moments I would have alone in the common room. If I still had any power within my House it was against the younger years and the first and second years that were too young to go avoided me at all costs. It left my dorm and the common room free – I hadn't even considered leaving that solitude. Then again, had I known that Sirius was in town I probably would have slipped away for a visit when I knew Harry had left.
"Is this how it's going to be all year?" he asked, turning around with a sigh. "You don't think we should at least-"
"What, talk about it?" I sneered. "Don't you remember the last time we talked about anything, Harry? It involved me screaming at you in front of the entire student population."
"Yeah," he frowned. "And right before that you nearly died drowning. And just before that you were using some really exhausting magic. Just before that you were helping me with my tournament strategy – Audrey, I don't blame you for yelling at me."
"You don't?" I raised my eyebrows, I couldn't make myself sound relieved through all the suspicion.
"Of course not. Audrey, you nearly died and you were obviously embarrassed and upset and...well, I heard what's been happening with Daphne."
I frowned even more deeply. "Yes, I know what you're going to say – you told me so. You're right, we Slytherins are just diabolical and cruel-"
"No, you're not." The emphasis was not lost on me. "Audrey, I really don't blame you for what happened that day – I never came up to you because I thought you were ignoring me as you were still upset."
"Not because Ron told you to?" I asked suspiciously. He noticeably winced.
"Well, Ron hasn't been the most supportive of anything this year, has he?" I rolled my eyes. "Drea, come on. This competition is bringing out the worst in everyone. We said we could do this together, we said we'd survive by helping each other out, so why don't we do that?"
"Harry, it's not-"
"Yes, you freaked out. Badly. But you're still my sister. I know that you have a harder House life than I do and I know that these tasks have been getting to you – you've been doing some ridiculous magic and after talking to Hermione and finding out how much work you must have been doing..." he cut himself off with a shake of his head, before coming up to me and grabbing my shoulders to try and push his point forward. "You're my sister and I love you. Now can we please stop fighting?"
I looked at him for a long moment, suspicious beyond what I probably should have been. This was my brother, true, but I had humiliated him and myself all within the same forty seconds. I wouldn't want to just forgive him if our places were reversed...
But this was one of the things I both loved and hated about my brother, his ridiculous sense of loyalty. It was the thing that constantly put the both of us in the line of fire and at the same time made him the person who I commonly went to when I admitted I needed help with something. I had little doubts that he was being sincere, I just couldn't tell if this loyalty and sincerity would come with future consequences on my part.
"You don't hate me." I stated with narrowed eyes, he rolled his eyes as he hugged me tightly.
"You're an idiot."
As he hugged me, not letting go until I gave in and wrapped my arms around him as well, I couldn't help but roll my own eyes and sigh. "Yeah, I know."
"Can we talk and be siblings again?"
"I guess," I shrugged, trying not to show him how relieving it actually was to have someone to talk to. It was also nice knowing that if he forgave me, it wouldn't be long before the entirety of Gryffindor stopped being so scathing to me in the corridor.
"Can we talk and be siblings without you going crazy again?"
"I resent that. I also refuse to promise it." He laughed, pulling away from me and holding me at arms length, scanning me over.
"You look terrible."
"I know we're twins, but there is no need to insult yourself just because I started styling myself in your image." He snorted. "No, I've been doing some more of that 'ridiculous magic' you were referring to. It takes a lot out of me."
"Er, yeah – can we talk about that? Where the bloody hell did you get the idea to try that? Hermione thinks you're insane, by the way. I don't really get it, myself."
"I didn't either. I've been having sessions with Snape whose been forcing me to understand. It's exhausting and..." I felt my face flush. "It's amazing to actually be able to do something."
"Astral projection? Do you realize how crazy you seem to people – Audrey, it's brilliant magic, but it's not supposed to be possible for a student." He leaned a little closer to me, aware of the curious portraits listening in on our conversation. "What did we say about keeping that kind of thing quiet?"
"It's fourth year," I said with a snort. "If people haven't noticed yet, they're too stupid to understand how impressive it is anyway."
I turned away from him and the curious eyes of the portraits above us, trailing my finger along the cabinet closest to me. It was black and towering – a door was slightly ajar on it. I fingered over the decorative grooves in the wood, scratching at a bit of it when the colours seemed to morph. Furrowing my eyebrows, I scratched at it again, seeing the colour worm its way from my fingertip.
Looking to the side, I noticed that it was not my finger changing the look of the cabinet but the door that was slightly ajar and emitting a silver glow. I looked at Harry, who looked back at my facial expression with some sort of understanding before finding his way beside me. We were far too curious for our own good, which was proven as Harry opened the door.
Inside the cabinet sat a shallow stone basin, lined with ruins and carvings so old I could not stand a chance of reading them. The light wasn't coming from the basin itself, but rather the silver liquid that was floating – no, swimming – no...what was it doing? I couldn't tell if it was liquid or gas, but the bright white and silver glow had a life of its own about it. I looked to Harry and blinked in confusion.
"What is it?"
"I don't know." He responded quietly. He moved his hand toward it almost subconsciously, but I saved him by slapping it away.
"Don't be a moron. Whatever it is, it's Dumbledore's. You can't trust anything he owns to be safe – the man speaks Mermish, for Merlin's sake!"
"Right," Harry agreed. He took his hand away for a moment and settled with watching the swirling silver tendrils again. It was strange, it looked kind of like the Grey Lady's cloak as she swished around, the fabric floating in a wind that wasn't there. At the same time, there was a grace to it that really did resemble water and-
"Harry!" I gasped, grabbing his arm away again as he stuck his finger into the bewitching silver-filled basin. I swore at him as I saw the contents begin to swirl and pull him – and me, since I was grabbed onto him – down into the depths of it.
This was it.
I always knew Harry would kill me.
When I opened my eyes, I was shocked with what I saw. I was not looking into the eyes of death – he and I were surprisingly ill-acquainted considering all the times we've met face to face – but rather a dimly lit room. It had torches attached with brackets and benches with witches and wizards that were ignoring Harry and my sudden arrival. In the center of the room, standing out like a sore thumb, was a chained chair, bolted to the ground.
I looked to Harry with a glare. "Look what you did, moron."
"I'm sorry, I didn't think-"
"I'm at a loss for surprise," I drawled, but as I looked passed him, my eyes widened. "Professor!"
Albus Dumbledore sat next to Harry, looking straight forward and not at all as enchanted as he normally was by our arguments and Harry's adventures. I felt my face turn red in embarrassment.
"I'm sorry," Harry began. "I didn't mean to – I was just looking at that basin in your cabinet – I – we – where are we?"
But Dumbledore ignored us, something which he never did.
"Great, you've gone and pissed him off." I muttered.
"I'm really sorry, professor. Please, just let me-"
"Wait," I held my hand out to him, looking around the room with narrowed eyes. It wasn't just Dumbledore that was ignoring us – none of the witches and wizards sat around us were surprised that we were interrupting their whispering and gossip, nor did they seem to realize we had materialized from thin air. I narrowed my eyes. "Wait," I repeated, looking around the room before standing up and taking a deep breath. "Oi! Liven up you boring, lazy, slug-faced barnacles!"
No one flinched.
"They can't hear us." Harry noted, with a sigh of relief. "Thank Merlin, you could have gotten us into serious trouble with your outburst."
"You're nervous about that?" I scoffed. "I'm nervous over the fact you pulled us into a mysterious basin where no one can see us or hear us so we have no idea how to find our way out."
Harry frowned. "Fair point."
We were silenced by the sound of the heavy wooden door in the corner opening to show three figures – only one of which was human. The man who shuffled in was nearly crumbling to his knees as he was lead by two particularly large dementors.
I tried not to let my blatant fear of the dementors show. I wasn't actually scared of them in the way that Harry was – Harry heard our mother's death, I knew that his pain and reactions were slightly worse than mine – but unlike Harry, I was unable to repel them. I had never been able to use the patronus charm and because of it, the dementors and I had become a little too chummy only a short year before.
The man was shackled into the chair, making me wonder what was so terrible about him that he needed to be restrained with iron and torture, before he raised his face to we – his audience – and I saw who it was.
It was Karkaroff.
I turned my eyes to Harry, his own gaze mimicking mine before I took the glasses off his face and squinted through them to look for sure. The tangled black hair, the dark and endless eyes, the disgusting sneer that revealed yellowing teeth – it was definitely the same man.
"Shite," I breathed, not complaining when Harry huffed and took his glasses back for himself.
"Igor Karkaroff," a familiar voice said. I gasped as I saw the recently deceased Mr Crouch up on a pedestal above us, looking down on the whimpering man with a sneer.
"Harry, I think we're in Dumbledore's memories..." I whispered, Harry didn't have time to reply before the memory of Crouch spoke again.
"You have been brought from Azkaban to present evidence to the Ministry of Magic. You have lead us to understand you have important information for us." His tone was nothing short of cruel, I was almost drawn into the anger that was behind it.
"I have, sir," Karkaroff said, his voice too weak to be familiar. "I wish to be of use to the Ministry. I wish to help. I-I know that the Ministry is going t-to round up the last of the Dark Lords supporters. I am eager to assist in any way..."
I looked to Harry, Ron's words playing through my head: 'Don't call him the 'Dark Lord', that's only what his followers call him'.
"He is a death eater!" Both of us chorused. I would have laughed at it again were it not so serious. But a scoff from the side, a very familiar scoff, made us turn our heads to see a younger, fresher version of our current DADA professor.
Moody didn't look nearly as worn down here as he was in present-day Hogwarts. For one, he did not have a magical, wandering eye. He also seemed to have fewer scars, though his bum leg was raised to show it had already been taken from him.
"Crouch is going to let him out," Moody was noticeably upset by this. "He's done a deal with him. Took me six months to track him down, and Crouch is going to let him go if he's got enough new names. Let's hear his information, I say, and throw him back to the dementors." Dumbledore made a noise of displeasure. "Ah, I was forgetting...you don't like the dementors, do you, Albus?"
"No," said Dumbledore calmly. "I'm afraid I don't. I have long felt the Ministry is wrong to ally itself with such creatures."
"But for filth like this..." Moody countered to himself.
"You say you have names for us, Karkaroff," said Crouch impatiently. "Let us hear them, please."
"You must understand," Karkaroff was nervous, it was obvious and understandable as I could all but feel the dementors breathing down his neck. "He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named operated always in the greatest secrecy. He preferred that we – I mean to say, his supporters – and I regret now, very deeply, that I ever counted myself among them – we never knew the names of every one of our fellows. He alone knew exactly who all we were-"
"Yet you say you have names for us?" said Crouch.
"I-I do, and these were important supporters, mark you. People I saw with my own eyes doing his bidding. I give this information as a sign that I fully and totally renounce him, and am filled with a remorse so deep I can barely-"
"Those names are?" Crouch was not pleased with his grovelling. I didn't blame him. It was cowardly, backstabbing, and weak – and that's coming from someone who didn't even like who he was betraying.
"There was Antonin Dolohov. I-I saw him torture countless Muggles and-and non-supporters of the Dark Lord."
"And helped him do it," Moody murmured darkly.
"We have already apprehended Dolohov, he was caught shortly after yourself." Crouch said. I couldn't deny I was on the edge of my seat and strangely I already knew the end of this take – Karkaroff did get off. Then he became a headmaster. Then he ruined my marks in the tournament around twelve or thirteen years after this memory.
"There was Rosier," said Karkaroff hurriedly. "Evan Rosier."
"Rosier is dead." Crouch did not seem remorseful. "He was caught shortly after you were, too. He preferred to fight rather than to come quietly and was killed in the struggle."
"No-no more than Rosier deserved!" Karkaroff was panicking now. Two of his names were worthless and he was not willing to be thrown back to the dementors care.
"Any more?"
"What of Bagman? He was a mule for the Dark Lord's information. He fed information from side to side so that we – and again by that, I mean his supporters – knew when to run!"
"Ludo Bagman was cleared of all charges," Crouch informed. "It was deemed an accident just after his-" Crouch grunted angrily. "Big Quidditch win."
"What a crock!" Moody grumbled.
"Is that all?" Crouch asked a now wild Karkaroff, who shook his head wildly.
"No, no! There was Travers – he helped murder the McKinnons! Mulciber – he specialized in the Imperius curse and forced countless people to do horrific things! Rookwood, who was a spy, he passed He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named useful information from inside the Ministry itself!"
And Karkaroff had struck gold. The crowd was whispering and excited now.
"Rookwood?" Crouch asked, not even hiding his interest. "Do you mean Augustus Rookwood of the Department of Mysteries?"
"The very same, I believe he used a network of well-placed wizards, both inside the Ministry and out to collect information-"
"Very well, Karkaroff, if that is all, you will be returned to Azkaban until we decide-"
"Not yet!" Karkaroff pled. "Wait, I have more! Snape! Severus Snape!"
My heart fell, a wave of cold passed over my body as if I were dunked into the Black Lake all over again. He had to be wrong. Snape wouldn't have been on that side – he was a dark, disturbed man – but he was not a killer. Snape could never be a killer.
"Snape has been cleared by this council, he has been vouched for by Albus Dumbledore."
"No!" Karkaroff screamed. "I assure you, Severus Snape is a Death Eater!"
"No!" I screamed back, unafraid of Harry's opinion of it. He put his hand on my arm encouragingly, but I dared not look at his eyes.
"I have given evidence already on this matter," Dumbledore said. I hadn't noticed that he had stood up as I had – the difference being that this audience could hear and appreciate his opinion. "Severus Snape was indeed a Death Eater. However, he rejoined our side before Lord Voldemort's downfall and turned spy for us, at great personal risk. He is now no more a Death Eater than I am."
I sat down as Harry tugged on my arm, sitting on the edge of my seat as I feared that I would jump out of it again. I didn't want to hear anymore.
"I'm sorry, Audrey." Harry wrapped his arm around me, I shook my head fighting off frustrated tears and a temper tantrum.
"Don't," I whispered, shaking my head. "You heard Dumbledore. He's not a Death Eater."
"But-"
"You heard!" I bellowed. Harry recoiled, slinking his arm away from me again.
"Yeah," he nodded, turning back to the scene in front of us which had started to swirl.
We were in the dungeon again, sat somewhere different and with more light shed on the podium where Karkaroff had just been released – or I assumed he was released since whenever we were able to escape Dumbledore's memories, he would be there to try and ruin us all over again.
"I was hoping we'd be tossed out after the first memory ended," I sighed, looking around to see that Dumbledore was sat beside us and wearing different robes. It was the exact dungeon we were in before, but now where the judges sat was also a broken down woman, heaving dry sobs into a handkerchief – the only sound in the room. No one was gossiping this time. No one was speaking, this seemed so much more violent thanks to the silences.
"He looks awful," Harry noted, looking at Crouch higher in the stands who looked gray and lifeless. I couldn't help but wonder if he looked somewhat similar when Harry found him in the woods.
"Bring them in," Crouch's voice echoed in the silence of the courtroom, only enhancing the sound of the heavy door in the corner as six dementors and four people scurried in – trying to run away from the monsters that flanked them.
The four were shoved and chained into chairs identical to the one Karkaroff had been confined to. The one on the far side was a thicker man who seemed completely emotionless – perhaps he'd already received his smooch from the dementor. There was a thinner man with shifting eyes to his side, he was sweating profusely. Beside him, a woman with crazy hair and heavy lidded eyes somehow still managed to look as if she owned the room. And on the closest end was a younger boy, barely out of Hogwarts, with freckled skin and dark hair. I took a moment to furrow my eyebrows.
"Do we know him?" I asked Harry, my eyes narrowing on the boy.
"You have been brought here before the Council of Magical Law," Crouch began, cutting off my question. Again I hadn't even realized that he had gone to stand. His face and voice were harder than the previous memory as he regarded these Death Eaters. There was less boredom and more hatred over his features. "So that we may pass judgement on you, for a crime so heinous-"
"Father," the teen whimpered. "Father, please…"
"-that we have rarely heard the like of it within this court." Crouch did not look at the boy who had plead with him, which made my skin cool nervously. Crouch's son…
"We have heard the evidence against you. The four of you stand accused of capturing an Auror – Frank Longbottom-"
"No," I gasped, my breath hitching nervously in the back of my throat.
"-and subjecting him to the Cruciatus curse, believing him to have knowledge of the present whereabouts of your exiled master, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named."
"Father, I didn't!" the boy cried. "I didn't, I swear it. Father, don't send me back to the dementors-" but Crouch ignored the pleas of his son, refusing to so much as look at him. The whimpering woman, with a similar nose to the boy, wailed again. His mother.
"You are further accused of using the Cruciatus curse on Frank Longbottom's wife, when he would not give you information." Crouch sneered. "You planned to restore He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named to power, and to resume the lives of violence you presumably led while he was strong. I now ask the jury-"
"Mother!" the boy bellowed, the witch began to rock back and forth, shaking her head to ward off his voice. "Mother, stop him. Mother, I didn't do it, it wasn't me!"
"I now ask the jury to raise their hands if they believe, as I do-" his voice was pointed and stern. It made my stomach lurch guiltily. "That these crimes deserve a life sentence in Azkaban!"
In a unison that seemed rehearsed, the witches and wizards along the deciding panel raised their hands. The crowd that lined the chained Death Eaters began to clap appreciatively, but my eyes were honed in on the boy who had begun to scream.
"No! Mother, no! I didn't do it, I didn't do it, I didn't know! Don't send me there, don't let him!" The dementors had returned by now, the others accepted their fate without complaint, though the woman was sure to make eye contact with Fudge and ignore the boys screams.
"The Dark Lord will rise again, Crouch!" She bellowed to him. "Throw us into Azkaban; we will wait! He will rise again and will come for us, he will reward us beyond any of his other supporters! We alone were faithful! We alone tried to find him!"
I turned away as the boy tried to fight off the dementors. I couldn't watch him destroy himself – his screams were enough. "I'm your son! I'm your son!"
"You are no son of mine!" Crouch yelled back down to him, finally daring to pay attention to the boy he had thus far ignored. The boy was so distracted for a moment that he lost what little leeway he had with the dementors who I could hear were beginning to drain his determination from him. "Take them away! Take them away, and may they rot there!"
"I think, Harry, it is time to return to my office," said a voice behind us. I looked around, catching eyes with Albus Dumbledore – who was undoubtedly acknowledging my watery eyes. He was real. "I believe Audrey agrees."
"Yes, sir."
"Come," the real Dumbledore said, putting his arm under my brother's elbow and his other arm around my back – almost as if he were trying to comfort me. It was the familiar feeling of falling into the gaseous liquid as we rose out of the stone basin and touched the ground of Dumbledore's office once more. It was wonderful to see the afternoon sun filtering in through his windows – the dungeon courtroom had severely dampened my already lowered spirits.
"Professor, it was my fault. I know I shouldn't've – I didn't mean – the cabinet door was sort of open, and-"
"I quite understand," Dumbledore nodded, with a small smile. He looked over toward me, almost as if knowing that I was not responding well to the scene I had just witnessed.
"What is it?" I asked accusingly, looking back to the stone basin with a glare.
"This? It is called a Pensieve," responded Dumbledore. "I sometimes find, and I am sure you know the feeling, that I simply have too many thoughts and memories crammed into my mind."
Harry made an uncomfortable sound, but it was one of the first times I could ever agree with something the old man had said. It was completely true – I constantly felt like I thought too much about too many things.
"At these times, I use the Pensieve. One simply siphons the excess thoughts from one's mind, pours them into the basin, and examines them at one's leisure. It becomes easier to spot patterns and links, you understand, when they are in this form."
Harry went on to ask about the thoughts, the gaseous things that drifted around in the basin. I was a few steps ahead, however, and made sure that I went to go look inside of it. I could not see individual thoughts there, but I couldn't help but wish I had one for myself. It would be the perfect way to keep my visions in check, my thoughts, all of the lies I tell…one of which was itching in the back of my mind now.
Beside me, Dumbledore had walked over and placed his wand to his temple. He focused for a moment, before withdrawing his wand which clung to a silvery wisp, like that of the Pensieve. Placing his wand and the memory into the basin, it spread across the surface and rippled into a memory.
Snape's face was before me – seeing it pulled at my stomach while I remembered what I'd found out minutes before. In the basin, Snape was showing his forearm – the crude marking as noticeable as the fear in his voice. "It's coming back…Karkaroff's too…stronger and clearer than ever…"
"A connection I could have made without assistance," Dumbledore sighed behind me. "But never mind."
"So, Snape really is a Death Eater." I whispered, my eyes raking over where his arm had been in the Pensieve, though now it had faded into the silver again.
"No, Audrey," Dumbledore said softly, but still sternly. "Professor Snape is not loyal to that cause. He is loyal to the cause that keeps this world, that keeps you safe."
I nodded numbly, not even able to look at him before I sighed. "That boy," I whispered. "The one in the memory – Crouch's son. Did he do it?"
"I believe he did," Dumbledore nodded. "He was like so many others, lost to the idea of community that Voldemort thrived on. Voldemort was sure to create a family to those who didn't have any, like he had not had any, and as you can see – Mr Crouch had never been the ideal father to his son."
"What if he didn't do it? What if he really was an innocent bystander?" I asked. Harry shook his head.
"Death Eaters aren't bystanders. He was a Death Eater, Audrey. He joined Voldemort to hurt those he feels hurt him." I frowned at him, feeling as if he was talking about Snape directly – which bristled me in a way that I knew I shouldn't feel now that I knew.
"No, Harry. Some people are caught in crossfire. It happens as easily as dying on the side you're loyal to does." I whispered. "This is the difference between you and me," oh yes, I was definitely bristled now. "You think that because you're considered brave and loyal that that is all there is. It's not that black and white, Harry. People don't live on the right or on the left – they travel between. I understand that. What I don't understand is how you can't see that's how life is lead."
I frowned, looking at my brother who wore an identical facial expression. I was glad we had made up, but I suddenly felt different about my reason for coming to see him in the first place. I looked up to Dumbledore, who had a strange twinkle in his eye before nodding my head respectively.
"I'm sorry that we walked in on your private thoughts, sir. If you don't need me, I'll let you talk to Harry and be on my way."
"That's fine, Audrey. Have a pleasant evening." He smiled. "And good luck in the third task."
Ugh, he shouldn't have reminded me. I almost walked out of the room without a last look at Harry, but as his eyes caught mine I could see that he was nervous. He clearly thought that from what I had just said to him I would decide to leave him alone again, I just shook my head.
"Can I eat breakfast with you tomorrow?" I asked, which made him smile.
"What about dinner tonight?"
"May skip it," I answered honestly. "I need to go to the library."
He looked at me strangely, perhaps he knew how much time I had been spending there of late, but nodded his head all the same. I smiled towards him before leaving the headmaster and his prized pupil alone – but I really did have to go to the library.
I wanted to look up Death Eater history and trials. After all, Mr Crouch's son had fascinated me though I barely knew anything about it. Was he innocent? guilty? Had he rotted away in his cell like his father had wished upon him?
I doubted that he had…after all, Crouch was the one in my visions who had now attacked my brother twice.
Yay! So that was over 10,000 words in itself, I hope it made up for the wait you guys had. The next chapter is the night before the third task – I wanted to keep the Magnuse a bit of a surprise, but you will not have to wait nearly as long for it. Please see the bottom, after the review responses, for more important information!
To my reviewers:
XXMizz Alec VolturiXx: Don't worry, Audrey won't be friendless for long. She has far too charming a personality for people to hate her for long durations of time. Hopefully you liked this chapter, thanks for reviewing!
Laurafxox: See, Harry isn't THAT bad – he understood her frustrations and accepted them. You'll grow to see they have quite a strange relationship thanks to their different personalities always butting-heads. As for the Daphne-Audrey thing, you can see from here that Daphne is not the best friend – but we see that Audrey feels lost without her. Sometimes you become friends with someone and they change in front of your eyes, it's hard letting someone you were so close to go like that. As for Draco, I think he's realized his feelings for Audrey, he just hasn't grown to accept them yet – but don't worry, we're getting closer to the time he will! And I can't tell you which side she'll fight for, but I'll tell you that she'll never do anything she doesn't want to do. Audrey doesn't roll that way. I hope you liked this chapter, thanks for your thoughts – I love hearing them!
Kimberly. : I agree the last chapter was more character building than action or plot. You are very right about what happened between Harry and Audrey during their first adventures in Hogwarts. Audrey does not speak Parseltongue, she just has that strange connection with animals. Hopefully I redeemed Harry in this chapter, I agree he was being a bit of an ass, but I tried showing they've both been going through a lot: Audrey's become an outcast and Harry found Crouch's body. Thank you for reviewing, I'm glad that you're liking it and hope that continues :)
britstar4: Well, thanks to Draco's rude comment at the end of last chapter any progress he had made with his small act of kindness disappeared – but don't worry, she'll start to see the light soon. She already has, she just can't admit it yet. Hopefully you liked this chapter, thanks for the review!
Dustfinger's cheering section: This was an epically FANTASTIC review, thank you so much for it! Alright, on with the response. I think Draco's starting to realize he has feelings for Audrey, he just hasn't grown to fully accept them yet – he and her brother are enemies and Audrey is too stubborn to be one of his trophy dates. It's throwing him for a loop, I'd think. I also think that he never really stopped caring for her, but that will be more determinable once we see the romance blossom between the two. I also don't think that Audrey is THAT beautiful. I mean, she looks like Lily who is said to be beautiful, but I do like to highlight her flaws because I don't WANT her to be gorgeous. To me, it's her personality that really sets her apart – not just the Slytherin to Gryffindor gap or the sharp tongue to cruelty addition, but because she sees things in ways that most others don't. Though you'll hear more of that later. Anyway, Audrey DOES depend on Draco for a lot of abstract encouragement, usually regarded as spite, but the two tend to make a great team so long as they aren't labelled in that way. Daphne is on a high horse of teenage hormones and jealousy, not necessarily over the many men she's accused Audrey of harvesting, but rather the one man neither of them seem to have. I think the same problem Audrey has with Harry is starting to reflect in her own friendship with Daphne…don't you? GREAT thoughts, thank you!
Puckabrina dreamer: Oh, eventually Draco and Audrey will admit their feelings for one another, but first they have to accept that they have them in the first place – THAT is what will make a long story. These two are far too stubborn to just say 'I like you' and go along with it, not to mention the years-old rivalry between Draco and Harry. Thanks for the review!
Novella Vialli: There IS so much sexual tension, and to think, these are just children. What will happen as the years go on?
xxz0eyxx: Hopefully I rectified Harry and Audrey's fight quickly enough for you. Don't worry, in the next chapter when we see Draco he will be all squeaky and clean and Daphne will get a good lesson her way. I hope you liked the chapter, thanks for reviewing :)
Ella710: Daphne is a hard character to appreciate because she's been so hard on Audrey, but as I said to someone elses review: sometimes you become friends with someone before they change into someone you don't like and then it's hard for you to let them go. Theodore will have some answering to do, but not before more drama between that trio. I'm glad that Audrey was justified in her flip-out to Daphne, I try to make it as fair as possible, and I agree that it was a little harsh – but that's just the way that Audrey is. If she didn't have that extra dash of mean and that lack of care for peoples sensitivities, I may as well have sorted her in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. You'll have to wait for answers about the Graveyard – but not long as it's only chapters away! And don't worry, you're not demanding – hearing what readers want helps me know what they enjoy from the characters and bring out that type of juiciness. And don't worry – I made a promise with a kiss and she will have one! And your review was wonderful, not at all pathetic – thank you very much :D
xOxO Lost Angel OxOx: Yes, Audrey tends to get sliced up a bit more than her brother does when drama like this happens, but to be fair her friends were much more supportive over her becoming a champion than Ron was to Harry. I'm glad you liked the last chapter, thank you so much for reviewing!
XxI-Stole-Your-CookiexX: Thank you so much, I'm so glad you like it! I'm honoured mine was the first one you started reading, hopefully you end up sticking with it since Draco has many more moodswings than George would ;)
Invincible Shadow: I know, it almost hurt to put both Daphne and Draco into the same blonde haired asshole category, but it had to be done. I also agree calling her a whore was not acceptable – that's why she took back her kind act for the day by hexing him. I'm sorry I didn't fit in Theo-Audrey forgiveness, but at least she has Snape to lean on and now even Harry if she can ever get past her pride and embarrasment to tell him about Crouch. Hopefully you liked this chapter as well – thank you for the review!
WulfLuvr22: Daphne was being bitchy, she still is, but don't worry Audrey's nerve will get her through such a sticky situation! She's too strong to just sit down and take a beating. Thank you for reviewing :)
KamiKase: Yes, Audrey was a little alone for a while there, but she's starting to get back on track. I think most people can relate to having a friend who changes and then not knowing what to do with your relationship that's been left over – it's one of the challenges of life, I guess. I hope you liked this chapter and thanks for your thoughts!
Angel of the Night Watchers: I'm sorry I didn't get this out to you before I updated, I just wanted to get it out after I'd made everyone wait and it was so long I didn't want to just spring it on you. I'm going to see if I can find a time for some more twin loving, but everything is going to get so dark in the next few chapters I'm having trouble seeing where an appropriate place to fit it in may be. As for the Cedric and Moody thing, I definitely plan to change a little bit of what happens there, but not in the way most people are thinking. I'm so excited for it I could burst! If it's alright and you have time, I hope to have some chapters by the end of the week if you're feeling up to editing :)
saving my soul: Thank you for the review :) I am glad that you like Audrey's stubborn personality. The peck from Cedric didn't count as her first kiss, I promise when she gets her first one it won't be one you can mistake and it will be in the next three chapters. Thank you for reading and enjoying – I hope it continues!
MiniMyrnin1997: Thank you for the review, I'm glad you enjoy it!
Alright, I have notes! As you can see, to my utmost pleasure, I've been getting lots of response and reviews – more than any of my other stories have gotten. It is absolutely flattering and fantastic, but the responses that I normally do have been dragging the chapters on and on. Would you like me to continue putting them there, or would you like me to respond to them through PMs and little notes for those who bring up important questions/don't have accounts? I leave it up to you as you are the ones who may be getting upset with the format.
Also, the end of the Goblet of Fire segment is drawing closer and with that begins the Order of the Phoenix plot. This is super exciting for me, really, but I would love some input on what you'd like to see. Is there anything you really want to see before GOF ends? Anything you would like to see in OotP that you want to tell me before I begin writing it? I will take a two-three week hiatus on this between the two stories so that I can get started on the OotP portion and get chapters out to you faster because I'll be ahead. Half the reason this one was so late was because I no longer had the lead in chapters I did up until the second task.
Anyway, enough notes. Please tell me what you want to see, would like to see, and what you think about the notes to reviewers (ironically) in a REVIEW!
-Egypt