Chapter 29
Something changed between Noelle and Sirius after that night in the dungeon. They became even more in tune with each other, and even more inseparable. Noelle was suddenly very at ease, quick to smile and laugh, and even quicker to talk. Sirius, still as focused as ever on the Order, began to take time off from his constant training.
In all, life seemed to have gone back to the way it was before any of them ever knew anything about the organization known as the Order of the Phoenix. There were fewer meetings and no reports of attacks. The four boys started to plan their end of the year pranks. Noelle was so happy to have a normal life back that she eagerly joined in on the tricks.
One morning at breakfast, while she was arguing with James over exactly how to get a goat into the Potions classroom, Etoile soared in, with a letter tied to his scaly leg. Clicking his beak loudly, he stopped in front of Sirius, even though Noelle had her arm out for him to land on.
"Traitor," she said teasingly to her owl, who stared reassuringly back at her. She fed him some bacon while Sirius removed the letter.
"It's from your father," he said in a low voice as he scanned the letter. "He wants to meet with me next weekend."
"I wonder why?" Noelle said, as she stroked Etoile's feathers absentmindedly. "Well, we have a Hogsmeade weekend. We could go there, but we'd have to be sneaky."
"It doesn't say anything about us, Noelle. It says for me to come," he said, scratching his chin. "Do you think he knows about the flat?"
"Sirius, get real. I'm coming. And how could he know about the flat?"
"I don't know. Maybe he wants to know what my intentions are to you," he said with a laugh.
Noelle raised her eyebrows thoughtfully.
"You know, you may be right. My father is relatively old-fashioned. He just may be doing that. What will you tell him?"
"That I've debauched his lovely daughter seven different ways until Sunday already, and fully intend on ravaging her sexually every chance I get," he said with an air of indifference.
Noelle's jaw dropped, Lily's juice flew out of her nose and James laughed so loud the Head Table even noticed.
"You wouldn't dare," Noelle managed to say. "He'd kill me. I mean, really kill me. And kill you, too, as a matter of fact."
"Please. I like my head where it is, thanks," he said with a smile. "I'm going, and I'm going by myself."
Against her better judgment, Noelle nodded her consent.
The Hogsmeade weekend was dark and dreary, which was unfortunate because it was Valentine's Day. It was too warm to snow, and water seemed to hang in the air everywhere. After they left the castle, Sirius kissed Noelle on the cheek outside of the Three Broomsticks and Apparated to Paris. Noelle felt bad about tagging along with Lily and James on Valentine's Day, so she had grabbed Remus on their way out of the castle and made him promise to hang out with her.
All in all, it was a boring day. Noelle checked her watch repeatedly, convinced that it was broken because it was moving so slowly. Finally, the sun began to set, and she and Remus made their way back to the castle.
She flew up the stairs, eager to see Sirius. He was seated near the fire. She could sense that he was deep in thought.
"How did it go?" she asked softly.
"You were right. He wanted to know my intentions towards you. He knows about our flat, how, I can only guess."
Noelle bit her lip.
"What did you tell him?"
"That I loved you, and I have only the best intentions towards you. He didn't say much after that. He's not happy that we're going to be living together, so don't be surprised if he tries to talk you out of it. He also gave me this to give to you," he said, handing her a large ebony wood case.
She took it silently.
"Other than that, he was fine. Offered me a drink. We spoke quite civilly. It wasn't really much of anything."
She could tell by reading his face that there were things he wasn't telling her. She decided that she didn't really want to know.
"Well, I'm going to put this upstairs. See you for dinner?"
Sirius nodded and continued his gazing into the fire.
After dinner, Noelle slowly climbed up to the seventh year girls' dorm. Lily and James were working on some graduation thing with Dumbledore, Sirius was working on dueling, as usual and Remus was downstairs writing to Nicky. Seeing the black chest on her bed piqued her curiosity. She sat down and cast her bed curtains around her. Carefully opening the lid, she saw an envelop with her name scrawled in her mother's handwriting. With her breath caught in her throat, she began to read.
My darling daughter Noelle,
If you are reading this, then I have passed on. My child, I'm so sorry that I have had to leave you, especially before I had the chance to explain the gift I have no doubt passed on to you. By now, I'm sure you have had some visions, and I'm even surer that you are confused and maybe a little frightened. Please keep in mind that God never gives us more than we can handle.
Being a Seer is truly a gift. Being an empathic Seer is an even bigger gift. You will feel happiness and fear, and you will feel emotions that are not your own. I know that you will handle this gift with grace and dignity, because you are my daughter, and more than capable of carrying out the duties necessary to being a Seer.
Enclosed in this case are the tools of our trade, so to speak. There are 20 precious jewels, each known for enhancing magical abilities. In the leather bound book is an explanation on how to identify the proper stone for each individual witch or wizard, and also what each stone means.
Please, Noelle. Read each one of your friends, and fit them with the correct stone. Dark and difficult times lay ahead for you all, as I'm sure you're beginning to see. I worry for you, my dear child, and deeply regret that I didn't share this with you in our time together. Keep your loved ones close, darling, but keep your enemies closer.
One last thing, before I go. Let Sirius love you, the way you deserve to be loved. Cherish each other. You are two parts of one soul, and were fated to be brought together. Never forget that.
I love you, Noelle. I will be watching over you.
Your ever-loving mother,
Catherine.
By the end of the letter, Noelle was sobbing. Really and truly sobbing. Finally composing herself, she looked down at the case. Her mother wasn't kidding. There were 20 round cut jewels, each about the size of a fist, in the case, each one fitted into it's own compartment. Noelle gasped as her mind calculated the worth of what was in her hands. She removed the leather bound book that was fastened to the lid of the case.
The spells were terribly complex. Noelle's eyes widened as she read through them. Flipping back to the first page, she studied her mother's precise handwriting.
In order to properly assign a stone to a witch or wizard, one must make a circle of the jewels on the floor. The witch or wizard must stand inside the circle while the Seer reads the incantations. When the incantations have been read, the stones will begin to glow. When there is only light from one stone, the wizard's magical ability has chosen the stone that will aid the wizard the most.
To properly maximize the benefits of the stones, the stone should be fixed to the end of the handle of the wand. This will help channel the power from the wizard, through the stone and into the wand.
Noelle sat back and sighed. Obviously, her mother had seen far more than she had ever let on. She wondered if she even would have believed what her mother had seen, if she had ever told her. What really struck a nerve with her was her mother's mentioning of Sirius. So, obviously, my mother saw Sirius and I together in the future. This caused her to relax slightly, but the pull of the jewel case was too much. She remembered seeing the large opal on the end of her mother's wand, but she never asked why it was there. She flipped through the pages until she found the paragraph that described opals.
Opal:
Aids in restoring harmony on all levels. Opens one to spontaneity of action and decisions. Helps one to understand forces of mysticism, intuition and shamanism. Promotes clarity of sight, helps purify blood, and relieves fatigue. Often times used in childbirth to reduce the effects of pain.Opens one to balance and clarity in the decision making process. Provides faith in oneself and helps one to release old patterns of being and embrace ones true nature.
That fit her mother to a T. She found the section on how to read herself, and quickly began to set up. She made a circle on the floor next to her bed, thanking the stars that her roommates weren't there. Picking up the book, she stood in the center of the circle and began to read.
Within the first few chants, the stones had begun to glow. Each stone cast a beam straight upward toward the ceiling. Slowly the beams began to bend, forming a cage over her head. She could feel the magic coursing through her veins. Closing her eyes, she called out the last spell. The room went dark, and then was filled with a deep blue light. She looked down and saw the dark blue stone that was still glowing. Sapphire, she mused. Flipping through the pages once again, she read the section on sapphires.
Sapphire:
Represents one's connection with divine mind. Opens the mind to beauty and intuition. Improves communication with spirit guides, promotes clarity and inspiration. Alleviates depression by helping the body correctly regulate the chemicals that affect moods.
It certainly was fit for a Seer. She read the section on how to create a capstone on her wand, and quickly said it out loud. My wand is getting a little tacky, she thought wryly to herself, studying her inlaid initials and now the sickle-sized sapphire on the handle's base. Already she could feel that her wand's power had intensified.
"Noelle!" Lily's voice rang up the stairs. "What are you doing? Lighting off fireworks?"
With a quick swish of her wand, she sent the stones back into their case.
"No. I'll be right down," she said, smoothing her robes. She knew she would read her friends, and that she would do it sooner, rather than later, but for the moment she wanted to see exactly how the sapphire would effect her magic.
Spring was nearly upon them, and was starting to be felt in the air. By the beginning of March, the professors' already intense workload became nearly unbearable. Lily was on the verge of hysteria most nights, frantically scribbling on her parchment and chewing on her bottom lip. Noelle, thanking God that she didn't have to worry about Transfiguration, instead tried to focus on Potions, this time without Severus' aid. Remus had given up on trying to make James and Sirius study, and Peter was seldom out of the library. None of them, besides Sirius, had really given a thought to what they would do when they were graduated. Noelle was actually thinking that she would attend a Muggle university, like her father did. Being the Ambassador's daughter her entire life had given her the taste of working in diplomacy, and she was starting to think that she might want to work with the Department of International Magical Co-operation. She had sent a few letters to her father, asking his advice, and he had seemed to think it was a great idea. She filled out some applications, to places with names like Oxford, and Cambridge. She also applied to the Sorbonne, in Paris, just to please her father.
Finally, in mid March, she decided it was time to read her friends. After midnight, she gathered Remus, James, Lily and Sirius in the common room. They watched her with curiosity mounting as she set up the circle of gemstones. Finally she stood in front of them.
"These were a gift from my mother. She was a Seer, too. Apparently, this is part of my duty as a Seer. These are power stones, and each one has different qualities. These stones are to help aid and enhance your magical abilities. In her letter to me, where she explained all of this, she told me to read all of you, telling me that we were in for dark and difficult times. I don't know what she saw, because she never told me, but my mother never lost her control. If she was warning me, she had a very good reason to do so."
"I don't understand, Noelle," Lily said. "What do you mean, read us?"
"I'm going to find out which stone will help you the most," Noelle said softly. "I have a feeling we're going to need all the help we can get."
Sirius locked eyes with Noelle, silently asking her a question. She shook her head and quickly looked away.
"Who wants to go first?" she said, trying to hide the agitation in her voice.
Within an hour, all four had been read. Noelle was utterly exhausted. Not knowing how much of her own power and strength was necessary to read her friends, she could barely walk to the couch. Lily was grumbling about her stone.
"Topaz? Are you kidding me?" she pouted.
"Why are you so upset?" James asked, highly amused. "It's just a stone."
"It clashes with her hair," Noelle said with a weak smile.
"Exactly!" Lily seethed.
James and Sirius both laughed.
"It's not funny! At least you got ruby, James! And Sirius got amethyst, and Remus got…what was it called again, Noelle?"
Noelle struggled to sit up straight.
"Remus was malachite. My mother says in her book that it's a rare for a wizard to pull that stone. It says here that malachite assists one in accepting and allowing for one's shortcomings and proceeding in a manner that is supportive of one's unfoldment. It creates a clear path leading to a desired goal, and it helps one get in touch with the thought that caused physical disorders," she paused for a moment. "I imagine it was the werewolf inside him that was the deciding factor for this stone."
Sirius reached over and began to read off what all of their stones meant.
"James, ruby is known for creating balance in spiritual endeavors, brings about a state of stability and confidence and improves ones ability to deflect negativity. Lils, topaz instills a sense of trust in the universality of all. Allows the user to surrender to the pre-planned destiny that is set-up in the beginning. And let's see…amethyst…damn sissy color…Calms the mind, enhances mental activity and lends strength and will power to control passions and break undesirable habits. Amplifies thought, increases intuition and integrates emotional, mental and spiritual bodies to function as a single unit."
He sat back and ran his hand through his dark hair.
"You know, I'd say that this was pretty accurate. Noelle, what does yours mean?"
She told him.
"See? I think that this was a good idea. It's a kind of magic that I had never heard about."
He leaned over and looked at Noelle's wand, which was held loosely in her limp hand.
"Do we get the stones on our wands too?"
She nodded and took each one of their wands. Within minutes, each wand had its respective witch or wizard's stone on the end cap.
"Just be careful. After I first did mine, I noticed that spells were amplified, especially if I was upset or excited about something. I almost knocked Flitwick off of his books when I was trying to do the Charms work yesterday."
She could barely talk she was so tired. Sirius noticed this and got to his feet.
"You're staying with me tonight. No arguments. I want to keep an eye on you. We don't know what that just took out of you, and I won't have you getting sick again."
She nodded and he carefully lifted her into his arms. Before they even got to the stairs, her breathing was slow and even, and she was fast asleep.
A few nights later, Noelle was once again in Sirius' bed. At his request, she had read Peter. He had been the most difficult to read up to this point. The stones couldn't decide and she had kept chanting the spells until finally he had pulled abalone. This worried Noelle greatly, but she wouldn't say why until she was safely tucked in Sirius' bed.
"Abalone is tiger's eye. Its wizards are easily influenced and quick to follow. It's not really a good stone," she confessed. "My mother cautions against anyone with this reading."
Sirius wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead.
"Don't worry about it, love," he whispered into her ear. "Peter can be trusted. Even Dumbledore thinks so."
But what if Dumbledore is wrong? a voice in her head said. She shook it slightly and nuzzled into Sirius' neck. She quickly fell asleep.
Shouts awoke them both.
"What is it?" Noelle asked fearfully, clutching the blanket to her chest.
Sirius shook his head and peered out of his bed curtains.
"Oh, no…James!" he cried, leaping off of the bed.
Noelle peeked her head around the curtain. James was crumpled on the floor, sobbing. Professor McGonagall was standing awkwardly by his bed.
He pounded the carpet and howled. Sirius quickly embraced him and James collapsed into his arms. He locked eyes with Noelle and she slid off of his bed on the other side. McGonagall was too occupied with the distraught boy in front of her to notice Noelle scampering out of the room.
Quick as a cat, Noelle flew down the boy's staircase and up the girls. She fell to her knees next to Lily's bed and shook her best friend awake.
"Come on Lily. Something has happened. McGonagall just woke James up, and he's hysterical right now."
Lily's eyes flew open. Without a word, she followed Noelle to the seventh year boys' room. James looked up and reached for her. She sank down beside him and wrapped her arms around him.
"What, James? What happened?" she whispered to him.
He couldn't answer. His mouth moved up and down, but no words came out. Noelle looked at McGonagall and read the older woman's emotions. Her hand went slowly up to her mouth and she began to sob.
"Charles and Elizabeth Potter were killed this evening," McGonagall choked out.
Sirius, visibly shocked, keeled over as if he had been punched in the gut. He reeled backwards, not believing what he was being told.
"That's not true. It isn't!" he shouted.
Professor McGonagall nodded.
"I'm afraid it is. All of you, please come with me," she said, waving her hand to include a very confused Remus.
Lily helped James to his feet and half carried him down the stairs. Remus rushed to his other side to help her. Half of Sirius' weight was leaned against Noelle, and she struggled to get him to the common room.
The five friends huddled together on the large couch, arms entwined and heads together. Professor McGonagall went to the fire and called for Professor Dumbledore. While they waited for his arrival, James turned swollen, bloodshot eyes to Noelle.
"Did you See this? Any of it?" he asked.
She shook her head quickly.
"Don't you think if I had, I would have said something?" she managed to answer.
James nodded and squeezed her hand. Noelle reached for Sirius with her other hand, but he had pulled slightly away from them. He was staring fixedly into the roaring fire, his grey eyes heavy with tears. Noelle touched him on the shoulder, and he swung his eyes towards her. She reached for him and he fell forward into her arms, sobbing silently. Noelle closed her eyes and held on as tight as she could to both James and Sirius. The five of them clung to each other, wondering why two loving people, who had been parents to them all, had to leave this world so early.
Author's Note - The "power stones" idea (how they're being used in the context of this story) was 100 mine...but I did have help on the uses and meanings of the stones...thanks to it out to learn more!
