"I'm sorry" Scorpius said for what seemed like the millionth time. Albus was really considering punching him.
"Scorp will you stop saying you're sorry every five minutes, we're trying to make a plan and you're interrupting" Scorpius glared at Fred who was no longer paying him any attention.
"I agree" Albus said, Scorpius' head snapped around, his eyes filled with hurt and anger.
"So this is what I get for trying to apologize"
"For like the hundredth time" mumbled Fred.
"But you have nothing to apologize for" Albus rushed on before Scorpius could respond to Fred. "It might have been your hair but it could have easily been anyone of us, and none of us suspected a thing. Rose didn't suspect anything and she's the smartest so how could you have?"
"Thank, hey wait a minute. I think I should be offended" Mumbled Scorpius.
"But your too dumb to be sure" James said with a grin and ducked as Scorpius threw a quill at him.
"Anyway back to the important issue at hand" interrupted Albus.
It was the morning after he had woken up, making it nine days since the attack. He had spent the rest of the night before telling his parents and the teachers what had happened when he had found Rebecca and fake Scorpius. They had surmised that the bird who had taken a lump of Scorpius' hair had been working for the sisters, or cousins or whatever the hell those evil bitches were. They also found Rebecca's necklace and had been using it to try several locator spells but to no avail. With the necklace not on Rebecca there was also no hope of her popping up in the middle of the great hall anytime soon, although Albus doubt they would have let her keep it this time. Dumbledore's portrait had revealed that he had heard rumors of such women before but his wealth of knowledge was very limited when it came to them. What he did know however was that the women were usually born on the summer solstice and on the solstice of their sixteenth birthday their body could become the vessel for an ancient evil. Everyone was hopeful that the ceremony was being done then as that would mean they had plenty of time to find her but Dumbledore had also told them that the process could also be completed on the night of a full moon close to the sixteenth birthday of the curse bearer although a sacrifice or tribute was needed it. The first full moon since Rebecca was taken was three nights away and Albus knew without a doubt they were going to do it then.
"So what do we have so far?" James asked as they huddled around Al's bed. Albus had a feeling a similar meeting was taking place in McGonagall's office.
"So far…nothing." Rose said looking dismal. "The necklace is a no go and the find a lost loved on spell isn't working except to tell us she's in England."
"Yeah we already knew that, most likely they took her back to the same house she was living before as they're cocky and sure of the spells hiding it. And since Becca was home schooled before-"
"THAT'S IT!" Rose exclaimed looking so very excited everyone started feeling so too.
"What is it?" Thalia asked
"I know how to find Rebecca, come on!" With that she took off in a run. The others exchanged glances before following her, Albus feeling better than he had since he woke up.
Rebecca's leg itched, again. When you were tied up suddenly everything seemed to itch. She shifted her body and gritted her teeth as the ropes rubbed against the already chafed skin of her wrist; needless to say her plan had failed. She had barely even reached for the spoon when Miralda had swooped in like a bat, Rebecca didn't know why she had suddenly returned so soon or it seemed soon to her, but one look at her guilty face and her hand still clutching the rusty spoon was enough for Miralda, before Rebecca could even blink the spoon was wrenched from her hand and she was flung so hard against the wall she saw stars.
"You never learn do you?" Her voice was its usual calm, unlike Ivy's which always seemed interlaced with anger and hatred. "Guess we'll have to be a little rougher this time, remember every horse can be broken in Rebecca." As she spoke she flicked her wrist and ropes sprang from her wand tip and restrained Rebecca's hand to the headboard. After being forced fed for what seemed like forever she was briefly released to use the bathroom and clean up before she was restrained. She hadn't been moved since last night, somehow her arms hadn't gone completely numb but the rest of her body wasn't so lucky. She had a monster headache and her bladder was past full and gone on the numb. It had been impossible to sleep last night and she had only managed to grab a few minutes at a time.
The door rattled open and Miralda strolled in. "I have no time for your foolishness today, one foot out of line and you will be tied back to the bed until tomorrow, understood?" Rebecca nodded solemnly, wanting to get to the bathroom so badly she would have complied with just about anything. After a good five minutes in the bathroom she waddled back out, her legs numb and her tummy cramped. She ate a rushed breakfast of egg and toast before she was ordered back on the bed, she could already feel herself getting weak, you'd think with her tied up they would stop drugging her, guess not. As Miralda was restraining her again Rebecca realized that she looked happy? Yes, she looked happy, why? Her curiosity must have shown on her face because Miralda walked over to her and smiled, Rebecca didn't think she'd ever seen her smile before, but she did then and she leaned over Rebecca and said softly as if sharing a secret "Your time is almost up." With that she swooped out of the room seemingly taking the heat with her.
"We're all listening Ms. Weasley" said McGonagall addressing Rose as they all sat in her office. A couch had been summoned to fit them all as the office had gotten very overcrowded with Mr. and Mrs. Potter, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, professor Longbottom, Albus and all his friends and all the occupants of the portraits paying rapt attention.
"Well Albus mentioned Rebecca being homeschooled and I thought we could use the ministry's records to locate her."
"Of course, simple yet brilliant." Rose's mother said looking proud, Rose blushed.
"Luckily we keep a copy of those records here at the school" McGonagall stated and they watched as an immensely long roll of parchment appeared in the air beside her desk.
"That's a lot of names" Scorpius groaned.
"Let's narrow it down shall we. Females registered for the past five years, England address by the name of Rebecca Charles." About three hundred names suddenly glowed on the parchment.
"There can't possibly be that many children with that name." Pr. Longbottom exclaimed
"There isn't" Said McGonagall, "The problem is locating the real one in time."