CHAPTER 25: SURPRISING DEVELOPMENTS

LOCATION: Outside Proctor, Vermont, USA.

TIME FRAME: May 3rd, 10:30 a.m. Local Time, during "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows."

Focus, Jimmy. Focus.

O'Bannon snorted as he marched through the lush green forest. His eyes flickered back and forth, searching for any potential threats.

His mind, however, was on other things. Specifically, the battle with the Death Eaters a couple nights ago.

His shoulders tensed as the images bombarded his mind's eye. Icy pricks crept up his spine. He could clearly see Merak Mather's body lying on the ground, his face resembling bloody ground meat.

I did that. My God, I really did that.

He shut his eyes, his face scrunching up, trying to rid the memory of Mather's corpse from his mind. After a loud exhale, he checked over his shoulder. The rest of the group kept pace with him.

He winced as his eyes ran over the children. So many of them looked thin. Too thin. Including Holly. Worry swelled within him. Now that Mireet couldn't bring them food anymore, they'd have to hunt and forage all the time. To make matters worse, the boys' tent had been destroyed during the battle, so they all had to share a single tent now, and twenty-two people made for a very crowded tent, even a magical one. Plus, the boys' tent had contained their wizarding radio, so there went all their contact with the outside world.

Part of O'Bannon was glad they didn't have the radio anymore. Looking at it would only remind him of Rana.

He tried to recall a memory from their time together at Salem. But whenever a mental picture of their first kiss or one of her enthusiastic Quidditch discussions began to form, his imagination turned on him, creating horrific images based on what Merak had told him had happened to Rana and her parents.

His jaw clenched. Would that be the only way he would think of Rana from now on?

O'Bannon caught Rosa fixing a concerned gaze at him. He sighed and turned away. The last thing he needed was Rosa trying to get him to open up about that night. He knew he could brush her off with a flat, "I'm fine," for only so long before she forced the issue. But he didn't want to talk about it. He couldn't.

His shoulders sagged as he kept walking. Rosa probably thought the act of killing Mather itself was what bothered him. But she'd be wrong. O'Bannon didn't feel any sympathy for Mather, not after the two Cruciatus Curses, and not after declaring his sick desire to rape and kill women he cared about. If he did feel any emotion toward Mather, it was anger. Anger at making him do what he did. He'd killed other Death Eaters before Mather, true. But that night, something happened that scared him to his core.

He lost control.

A shiver went through him. Hadn't he always stressed the importance of keeping control of your emotions during a game, or more importantly, during a battle. It was even more important for a leader. Leaders always had to be in control, always had to be a rock of stability, even if the world around them descended into chaos.

But his control abandoned him. He let his emotions, primal, bestial emotions, take him over.

What if it happens again?

He knew he had a temper. What if he couldn't control it again and flew into a blind rage? What if next time he hurt, or God forbid killed, someone who wasn't a sick bastard like Mather? What if it was someone close to him? Rosa. Jared. Artimus. His parents.

Mireet.

Even worse, he couldn't talk to anyone about it. Who would follow a leader who couldn't stay in control of himself?

"What's that?" Madson spoke up.

O'Bannon turned around and stopped. Everyone else halted and looked around.

"You hear something, Madson?" Jared asked.

"Yeah." The boy lifted his head. "Listen."

O'Bannon concentrated. He heard the twitters of birds nearby – Food. A gentle breeze rustled some leaves.

And a muffled pop sounded in the distance. Another followed seconds later. And another.

"Are those explosions?" Mireet wondered aloud.

"Maybe the Death Eaters are attacking someone," offered Daedalus.

"I don't think so." Rosa took a few steps away from the group, staring off in the direction of the muffled pops. "They sound like . . . fireworks."

"Fireworks?" Artimus' brow furrowed. "Why would anyone be lighting off fireworks these days?"

O'Bannon wondered the same things. He couldn't imagine the Death Eaters letting something like that go on for long. Fireworks meant celebration, joy and fun. Concepts alien to You-Know-Who's gang . . . unless those S. considered murder and torture fun.

The fireworks continued for another five minutes. O'Bannon took out his magical map and scanned it for any nearby towns. The small wizarding community of Pennyfeather lay about fifteen miles to the west.

He looked up and still heard fireworks. Surely the Death Eaters would have put a stop to this by now.

And why set off fireworks in the morning? People usually did that during the night.

"We better check this out." O'Bannon folded the map and stuffed it in his pocket. "Rosa, you're with me. The rest of you, stay here. Standard drill. If we're not back in an hour, get out of here."

"Be careful, Jimmy." Worry flashed over Mireet's face. She then glanced at Rosa. "Both of you."

He nodded at her, then looked to Rosa. Seconds later, the two Apparated.

Noise surrounded them the moment they Disapparated. Deep, drum-like explosions filled the air, mixed with raucous cheering.

O'Bannon and Rosa exchanged curious looks. They peered around the large tree they Disapparated behind. A small village made up of several tall, wooden towers with pointed roofs lay before them. Dozens of people gathered in the main dirt road, jumping around and hugging and shouting and looking . . . happy. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen people so happy.

"What the hell's all this about?" O'Bannon cranked an eyebrow. He held his breath and stared at the ground. Images formed in his mind, ones he remembered from some TV documentary he saw. It was a scene like this, on a larger scale, in black and white, at New York's Time Square. The day the Second World War ended.

No. Could it . . .?

He whipped his head to Rosa. "Rosa. You don't think . . ." He hesitated to say it, as if giving voice to his thoughts would jinx it. "You think they're celebrating because . . . the war's over?"

Rosa stiffened. She, too, seemed afraid to say it. This war had lasted almost three years. How could it suddenly be over?

"We . . . Let's not jump to any conclusions. We gotta find out for sure."

"How? We can't just waltz over there and ask 'em? Not with the Death Eaters looking for us."

Rosa's head tilted to the left. "Actually, we can."

"What?"

"Remember when you raided the supply base at Staley's End? You brought back some Polyjuice Potion. All we have to do is stun a couple people, get their hairs, and we can blend in no problem."

O'Bannon bit his lip. It sounded risky. Then again, the last nine months had been nothing but risky. And if the war was truly over, they had to find out.

They Apparated back to the others and told them what they discovered at Pennyfeather, as well as their plan to infiltrate the little town. The pair each got a goblet of Polyjuice Potion and Apparated back to Pennyfeather. They scanned for any wards around the town, and surprisingly, found none. The pair dashed around the edge of town and turned toward a dirt alleyway between two of the wooden towers. The cheering went on, as did the fireworks.

"So what now?" O'Bannon said as he and Rosa peered out from behind one of the towers.

"Hide out in the alley, wait for a couple people to come by, then stun 'em and take their hair. It might be easy with all the celebration going on. It doesn't look like these people are paying a lot of attention to security."

O'Bannon nodded. "I'm down with that."

They started into the alley.

Two figures appeared at the other end; a tall lanky man with dark hair and angular features, and a slender woman with curly blond hair and a clear round face. They dashed into the alley, both laughing.

O'Bannon and Rosa jumped back behind the tower. He peered out and saw the couple wrap their arms around each other and kiss deeply. Both looked slightly older than Rosa and him.

"I think we have some suitable candidates here," he said.

Rosa nodded. "I agree. Body-Bind Curse?"

"Sounds good to me." That particular curse was relatively painless.

He checked the couple again. They continued kissing, their hands roaming up and down their bodies.

"Sorry, guys." O'Bannon frowned as he gazed at the young couple. He then turned to Rosa and nodded.

They leapt into the open. "Petrificus Totalus!"

The kissing couple went rigid. Still locked in an embraced, they toppled over and hit the ground with a thud. O'Bannon took in the sight, the girl lying on top of the guy, frozen in their kissing and groping.

A snorting laugh escaped his throat.

Rosa shot him an annoyed look. "Get your mind out of the gutter."

"You first."

She groaned and levitated the couple over to them. Once they were behind the tower, Rosa plucked a hair from the girl, while O'Bannon did the same with the guy. He picked up his goblet of Polyjuice Potion and dropped the hair in it. The thick concoction hissed and boiled and turned into the color of tar.

O'Bannon grimaced. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley had told him about their experience with Polyjuice Potion during the pair's Second Year at Hogwarts. According to them, the stuff didn't taste any better than it looked. And it looked disgusting. Smelled disgusting, too.

Rosa's face twisted as she stared at her goblet. She then looked over to O'Bannon, reluctance on her face.

He sighed and shrugged. "Let's just get it over with."

Rosa grunted in response.

O'Bannon took a deep breath and stared hard at the dark, lumpy mass. He raised the goblet to his lips and started drinking.

Ron was spot on when he told him the stuff tasted like vomit.

Actually, it tasted worse than vomit.

The stuff burned and slithered down his throat and into his stomach. He almost spat it out, but forced himself to keep drinking until he emptied the goblet.

He doubled over, mouth wide open. He braced himself to start puking, but only emitted dry heaves.

His heart beat faster as his body grew soft and bubbly. He nearly gasped as his hands and fingers narrowed. His face expanded and contracted. For a moment, he feared he'd melt into a puddle.

The sensation passed. He straightened up, breathing deep. Rosa also started to straighten. His eyes widened when he saw her in her new body. She turned to him and swallowed.

"Well, how do I look?" Rosa's voice sounded more high-pitched and . . . airy. It reminded him a little of Lavender Brown's voice, minus the British accent.

O'Bannon grinned at her. "You look good as a blond." He drew his head back in surprise. His voice sounded lighter than normal.

"Hm." She shook his head. "There's only one blond you should be interested in."

He frowned. Now was not the time for Rosa to lecture him about his love life . . . again.

"C'mon. Let's get their clothes and hit the street. We only got an hour before this stuff wears off."

They stripped the kissing couple and put on their clothes, then headed down the alley and into the midst of a wild celebration. A heavyset, middle-aged man slapped both their shoulders, laughing uncontrollably. A redheaded young woman them walked past and winked. "I thought you two would be in that alley for hours."

O'Bannon and Rosa smiled and nodded.

"Hold my hand," Rosa said out the corner of her mouth.

"What?"

"These two are supposed to be a couple, so we better act like one. No, on second thought. Put your arm around me. And smile and laugh. We have to blend in."

O'Bannon snaked an arm around Rosa. She hugged him around the waist and leaned against him, giggling loudly. He started laughing and pumping a fist into the air. It didn't take long before he didn't have to pretend to be so happy. The celebratory mood around him was infectious.

A fiery rocket whistled near them, streaking into the air. It burst into a shower of green and white sparks that took the shape of a top. It spun around and loosed jets of colorful light.

"Thank Merlin it's over." A plump, gray-haired woman threw her arms around him and Rosa. She hugged them tight, sobbing. "It's over. I never thought I'd live to see it. It's really over."

His heart raced. Tingles surged through him. Is it true?

"I know." He patted the old witch on the back. "Um, can you believe how it happened?"

"I know, I know. Bless Harry Potter. Bless that wonderful child. He did it again. And this time, that evil bastard is gone for good."

O'Bannon's legs quaked. For a moment he feared he'd collapse. Harry killed Voldemort? Part of him was afraid to believe it. The war had consumed his life for three years. Could it be over just like that?

The old witch put one hand on his cheek, and the other on Rosa's. "You can have a future. You two can have a future."

She kissed them on the cheek and headed off, still crying tears of joy.

O'Bannon spun around to face Rosa. "Oh my God. Oh my God, I don't believe this. You-Know-Who's dead?" He pressed his hands against his head. It took him a moment to catch his breath. "It's over. The war's over."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Rosa said, though her new Polyjuice Potion-spawned face registered surprise. "Let's talk to a few more people."

They walked through the dancing and cheering crowd. A thin, bald wizard talked excitedly to another wizard. "I gonna tell my wife we have to have another child, and I'm gonna name him Harry."

"What if it's a girl?"

"I'm still gonna name her Harry!"

A bole-legged man with powder white hair bounded out of a nearby house. "I just got word! The Death Eaters are pulling out of towns all over Vermont and New Hampshire and Maine!"

A thunderous ovation went up from the crowd. O'Bannon fought through his shock and cheered as well. He turned to Rosa, who smiled even though moisture filled her eyes. That look alone proved to him she didn't need any more convincing.

"It's over. Oh my God. It's over!"

He flung his arms around Rosa and lifted her off the ground, swinging her completely around. She laughed and cried at the same time.

"We gotta get back to the others," he spoke fast as he lowered Rosa to the ground. "We gotta tell 'em the good news. Oh my God. I can't believe it's over."

Rosa nodded and wiped her teary eyes.

They started back down the road, holding hands and almost skipping.

"Raymond! Matilda!" someone called out.

They kept going. O'Bannon picked up his pace. He couldn't wait to get to the alley and Apparate back to the others. They would go out of their minds when they heard –

"Raymond! Matilda! Where are you two going!" The demanding voice sounded closer.

O'Bannon turned around. Two people stalked toward them, one a lean wizard with a salt and pepper beard, the other a short, stocky witch with stringy brown hair.

He tensed. Uh-oh. We're Raymond and Matilda.

"Hi . . . guys. What's up?"

The man stopped inches away, scowling at them. "You two will have plenty of time to get into each other's robes later. We just received a general recall for all Guild members."

"The Guild?" O'Bannon sounded more surprised than he wanted.

"Yes, the Guild." The man eyed them suspiciously. His hand moved inside his robes. "Where in Pennyfeather did you have your first kiss?"

O'Bannon swallowed. They were busted.

The wizard pulled out his wand. So did the witch.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" He held up his hand. "I'm Jimmy O'Bannon. This is Rosa Infante. We drank Polyjuice Potion so we could blend in here and find out what's going on."

"Why would you need to blend in with the townspeople?" asked the witch, her wand pointed at them.

"Look, we've been up in the mountains with no way of knowing what the hell's going on. We heard the fireworks and came here to check it out. We didn't know what was going on, and we sure as hell couldn't just waltz into town with the Death Eaters offering a big reward for us."

"What about Raymond and Matilda?" This from the wizard. "What did you do to them?"

"They're behind that building." Rosa pointed to the tower nearby. "They're fine. We just used a Body-Bind Curse on them so we could get their hair."

The wizard and witch looked at one another. After several long seconds, the wizard turned back to them. "Hand over your wands and follow us. We're going to get this straightened out."

Both O'Bannon and Rosa surrendered their wands and walked ahead of the two Guild members, who hid their wands behind their robes.

"I can't believe I turned myself into a woman named Matlida," Rosa grumbled to him. "That's the kind of name you give to some eighty-year-old aunt who pinches your cheeks until they bleed."

"Yeah, life is so tough for you, isn't it?"

Rosa made a face at him as they left the festive crowd behind.

"To your right," the wizard directed him.

He and Rosa headed to a squat log cabin. Sobbing from across the street caught his attention. O'Bannon turned his head. His eyes widened.

A witch knelt on the ground, convulsing with sobs. Two other witches stood over her, anger lines etched in both their faces. One witch used her wand to slowly shave the crying woman bald. The other waved her wand and conjured wriggling green snakes to replace the woman's hair. O'Bannon also noticed a glowing red snake tattoo stretching across the crying witch's forehead.

"What going on over there?" He nodded toward the witches.

The wizard followed O'Bannon's gaze. "She was a collaborator. Screwed every Death Eater that came through town. Told them anything she thought they might want to hear. Inside."

They stepped onto the porch and went inside. The two Guild members took them down to the basement, where eight other witches and wizards stood around. O'Bannon and Rosa were marched in front of a fireplace, one that looked like it had been built in a hurry. The wizard grabbed some Floo powder from a nearby urn and tossed it into the fire. Green flames gushed from the fireplace. A face took form, one with dark features and a beard.

"Sir, we picked up these two outside, said they drank Polyjuice Potion to look like two of our operatives. They claim to be Jimmy O'Bannon and your daughter."

"What!" Rosa whipped her head toward O'Bannon. Her jaw dropped open. She hurried forward. Every witch and wizard gripped their wand nervously.

"Dad? Dad!" She got on her knees and stared at the face in the fire. "Dad, it's me. It's really me."

A pause. The face in the flames spoke. "If you are Rosa, you'll know this. When you were ten, how long did I ground you when you used one of your grandmother's sewing needles to pierce your ears?"

Rosa grinned wide. "Two weeks. And I was eight at the time, not ten."

A huge smile formed on Mr. Infante's face. He then looked past his daughter to O'Bannon.

"Jimmy. What year did Roy Bark make the shot that won the Stanley Cup?"

O'Bannon couldn't help but chuckle. "That was the 1970 Stanley Cup Finals, Bruins over the Blues in four games. And it was Bobby Orr who made 'The Shot.' Oh yeah, and it's Ray Bourque, not Roy Bark."

Mr. Infante's smile grew broader. "Stand back, everyone."

The face vanished from the flames. Rosa and the wizard stepped back.

A minute later green flames roared from the fireplace. Out of them stepped Cesario Infante.

"Dad!" Rosa charged at him and threw her arms around him.

"Rosa." Mr. Infante embraced his daughter and kissed the top of her head. Rosa shook with a sob.

O'Bannon's throat clenched. Tears stung his eyes as he watched the surprise reunion.

"I missed you," Mr. Infante whispered to Rosa. "I missed you so much. Merlin's beard, I love you."

"I love you too, Dad." Rosa's voice cracked as she hugged him tighter. "What about Mom? Is she okay? And Uncle Irving? And Esteban and . . ."

"They're all fine. In fact, they're all on the other side of the Floo portal. They're going to be so excited to see you."

Rosa sobbed again.

"What about Jared? Is he all right? And Artimus and the children?"

"They're fine, too." O'Bannon answered. "They're all fine. And so's Mireet. She joined us over a week ago."

"Mireet Miradeaux?" Mr. Infante's eyes widened in surprise as he continued to hold Rosa. "Thank Merlin for that. We feared the worst when we learned she disappeared." He then smiled at O'Bannon. "It's good to see you again, Jimmy."

"You too, Mr. Infante."

He finally released his daughter and looked at all the wizards and witches around him. "They're fine. This really is Jimmy O'Bannon and my daughter."

Everyone in the basement relaxed. The wizard who had captured them returned their wands.

"My apologies," he said to both of them. "But you can't be too cautious these days."

"No need to apologize." O'Bannon shook his head. "We understand."

"It's really true, Dad?" Rosa walked up to her father. "The war's over? Harry really killed You-Know-Who?"

"Yes he did. Four of our embassy contacts in Washington confirmed it. We don't have a lot of details, but we do know it happened during a huge battle at Hogwarts."

Intense cold gripped O'Bannon. He couldn't breathe as dread filled his soul.

"Was . . . was . . . do they know who was killed?" His muscles tightened, bracing for the worst.

Mr. Infante shook his head. "I'm sorry, Jimmy. We don't have specific names."

He swallowed. He didn't know which was worse. Knowing which of his British friends were dead, or not knowing who had died and being tortured by never-ending worry.

"So it's all over," Rosa muttered. O'Bannon noted the worried look on her face and in her eyes. He knew which of the Brits would be first and foremost on her mind. Ginny Weasley, who she became close friends with, and of course, George Weasley.

"Not quite," answered Mr. Infante. "We have reports that Death Eaters all over the country are converging on Helghorst Island. Maybe to reorganize, maybe to make a final stand, maybe just to mourn You-Know-Who's death. It really doesn't matter to me. We're making plans to launch an attack on Helghorst Island as soon as possible. We're going to finally finish off these bastards."

TO BE CONTINUED