Chapter 29:
The night was quiet. Lily and Jamie, though concerned for their friend, were sound asleep in their beds. Gentle snoring occasionally wafted up from Lily's side of the room while Jamie had an arm and leg dangerously hanging off the side of her bed. If a feather were to fall the wrong way on her, she would've toppled to the floor in a giant heap of pajamas, pillows and blankets. They were content knowing that there was a party out there, looking for Sam, and so their dreams were untroubled.
Click. Lily stopped snoring, shifting slightly. Click. Jamie rolled over. Click. Lily pulled her blanket over her head. Click. Jamie stuck her head in between her pillows. Click. Lily tossed a bear over at Jamie. Click. Jamie threw it back. Click.
"Jamie, will you stop that annoying clicking noise?" Lily asked, sitting up to retrieve her tossed teddy.
Her sister sat up, equally annoyed. "It's not me. I thought it was you."
Click. "There it is again!" Lily announced.
"I heard it," Jamie hissed back. Click. "It's coming from Sam's room." The girls swung out of their beds, grabbed their wands and began advancing towards the empty room.
Jamie went in first, followed by Lily. The room was dark except for the sliver of moonlight that wafted through the split in Sam's curtains. Click. "It's coming from the window," Lily said, motioning for her sister to follow her.
A brown owl hovered outside of Sam's window. Jamie and Lily exchanged a look before the latter opened the window. The owl flew in, hooting indignantly at how long he was forced to wait for someone to answer him. He perched on one of Sam's chair, holding out a leg for one of the girls to take the letter off. Jamie did that while Lily gave the owl some extra treats. With that, the brown blur whizzed past them and back into the black again.
"What's it say?" Lily asked her sister, trying to peer over her sister's shoulder. Fortunately, Jamie always kept her hair in a neat bob so she was able to see it clearly. "Oh, it's from Will. I guess he wouldn't know Sam's running to find Uncle Sev."
Jamie didn't reply. Lily pulled back from her sister, shifting so she could see Jamie's face clearer. Her brow was furrowed. "What's the matter?" she asked.
"It's a warning for her. It says that no matter what she hears in the next few hours, she must resist the urge to come to him at Hogwarts. She is to stay away from the school at costs for her own safety."
"The next few hours?" Lily replied. "Impossible! We haven't had any signs that it was escalating. It's coming to a dramatic conclusion already?"
"Hold on, we don't even know if this is really Will's handwriting. It could be a trick. Sam would know if…what are you doing?"
"Looking for this," Lily said, stepping out of Sam's closet. "I raided it for a black shirt to wear on a date with Giachi a little while ago," she explained. "And I found this." Lily put a decorated wooden box on the bed.
"A box?"
"A keepsake box," Lily asserted.
"Okay. It's a keepsake box. How's that supposed to help us?"
"Jamie, honestly, I swear you do not have a romantic bone in your body," Lily sighed. "Pretend that you do. What would you put in a keepsake box?"
A light bulb switched on. "Letters. Brilliant!"
"I know."
Jamie looked between the two letters. "Well, I'm not an expert or anything, but I'd say that these two look the same to me," she said. "I guess we'll have to believe this letter is from Will."
"Brill! That still doesn't answer the question of why the final battle is coming," Lily said, sitting down on their friend's bed.
Jamie put everything back in order. "Well, we'll worry about it in the morning. Which will be in a few hours if Sam's clock is right."
Lily looked at the clock and her blue eyes nearly bugged out of her head when she saw it was nearly four in the morning. "The sun'll come up soon," she mused. "C'mon. I highly doubt my professors would be happy if I passed out at my desk."
"Precisely. G'night again, Lils."
"Night…wait, do you hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Shh. Listen."
"Sounds like people on the stairs," Jamie commented, shrugging. "No big deal…" A scream cut her off. "Okay, now it's a big deal."
Lily tiptoed to the door, trying to silently open it. A creak signaled she failed, as did the sound of hurried footsteps coming towards their door. She threw her sister a look before opening the door all the way. A man approached, one the two recognized as Mrs. Priven's son.
"Sorry, if I disturbed you girls," he said, wringing his hands. "I needed to pick up Mom."
"Is she fine?" Lily asked, concerned. "Was there an accident?"
"Oh no, no need to worry. There's just some…things…happening, you wouldn't understand," he said, trying to be diplomatic. "We—my wife and I—feel it'll be safer for Mom with us. I guess three o'clock in the morning is a bad time but…"
"What's happened?" Lily was now panicking. "Is everyone fine? Where was the attack? Oh Merlin…" She walked into the room, collapsing on their couch.
Mr. Priven walked into the house while Jamie rolled her eyes. "Lils, stop being such a drama witch!"
"Oh…I'm sorry…I didn't realize," Mr. Priven stuttered out. "You both are witches, huh?"
"Yes, and why are you taking Mrs. Priven now?" Jamie asked. "What's happened?"
"What makes you think…yeah, you two aren't idiots, are you?" Mr. Priven nervously rubbed the back of his head as identical sets of blue eyes bore into him. He caved. "Fine, there have been a series of attacks by those Dragons. They've reportedly captured the Ministry of Magic."
"Reportedly? No one can confirm?" Lily asked, jumping into journalist mode.
Mr. Priven tilted his head. "I've heard conflicting stories. Some say they have, some say the Ministry is about to fall, you get the idea," he explained. "Either way, everyone agrees London will feel the backlash first. I live out in the country and want Mom there with me. If I were you, I'd get out of here too."
"Thank, sir," Jamie replied. "Tell Mrs. Priven we wish her well and will hopefully see her again soon."
"Will do. Be careful, girls," he said, before leaving.
"You don't think it's that serious, do you?" Lily asked.
"I don't know. Could be true or could be mass hysteria."
"I'm not getting any sleep now."
"Neither am I."
Click. "Oh for Merlin's sake, not again!" Lily yelled, storming towards Sam's window. Click. The owl wasn't there. Click.
"Lily, it's coming from our room!" Jamie said, letting the owl in. "It's Hedwig!"
The snow white owl landed on Lily's bed, hooting softly. "Poor Hedwig!" Lily muttered, quickly fetching some water. Jamie untied the letter.
"It's okay, girl," she soothed, stroking the feathers. Hedwig had been retired for many years, mostly now just a mere house pet. She was still loyal to Harry and Ginny, but only went out at night for short hunts. The trek from Grimmauld Place to their apartment must've been excruciating for the old owl. Lily returned, placing the bowl down next to Hedwig.
"What does the note say?" Lily asked her sister, startling Jamie a bit.
"Oh," Jamie replied, unrolling the letter, "I was too worried about Hedwig to read it." She opened her mouth to start reading—
Click. Click.
"Good Merlin, are we now a bloody post office?" Jamie swore, thrusting the letter into her sister's hands. She opened the window, allowing two brown owls to glide in. One bore an envelope from Merlin U while the other held a letter from the Auror Academy. The two sighed.
"Mine says that classes have been cancelled…for the rest of the year. Happy summer!" Lily says, slack-jawed.
"So does mine—good thing I just finished muggle university," Jamie replied, scratching her head. "You don't think this has anything to do with the rumors of the Ministry being taken over?"
"I don't know. Why don't we read the letter Hedwig brought us?"
"Good idea."
The girls found the letter, reading it quickly. "How soon can you pack?" Lily asked her sister.
The former Gryffindor common room was in an uproar. "They can't lock us in like this, can they?" Madi asked Rawlins, whose brow was crinkled.
"Apparently, they can because they have!" James yelled, kicking the painting frame.
The pink lady rolled her eyes. "It isn't my fault, so don't kick me," she huffed.
Madi led James away from the portrait while the others continued to figure a way out. "Fat Lady, are you sure you can's move?" Arden asked.
"PINK Lady, thank you very much," the woman sniffed. "But since you are a Ravenclaw, I will forgive you. And I am positive I can't move. I would be so far from this place…I'd be in the National Portrait Gallery."
"I don't know what's scarier: not knowing what's going outside of this room's walls, or not knowing what's going on beyond the school gates," Alida replied, rocking a crying Allison. Rawlins turned to face her, only sending a sympathetic look. "Is there any way…any hint of a way to get out?"
"Li, if there was, I think we would've figured it out by now," Rawlins replied. "I want to get out myself."
"I think the question is: do we want to get out?" Jessica asked, arms crossed. Her brother turned to her.
"I do! I'm claustrophobic!"
"You are not!" Jessica shot back.
"Well," Draco continued, "I'm developing it."
Arden laughed at the scene before her, shaking her head slightly. A hand grabbed hers, causing her to jump. She spun but was stopped by Maxim, who motioned to her to remain quiet. He led her upstairs towards his and Rawlins' room.
"Where are we going?" she asked. "Okay, stupid question. Why are we going to your room?"
"I need your help," he replied, gently pushing her into the room. "I'm going to get us out of here."
"How? And where are we going to go once we leave Hogwarts? The grounds are flooded by Dragons—I saw them out the window."
"Will smuggled in a letter from my grandfather. It'll help us," Maxim explained, digging through his trunk. "Once I remember where I put it."
"Why are you telling me? Why not Rawlins?" she asked, standing in the middle of the boys' room.
Maxim shrugged. "I don't know. Something just told me to trust you," he replied. He returned to his digging. "It has to be in here somewhere!"
"Are you sure you hid it in your trunk?" She finally knelt down beside him, starting to help move things around.
"I'm positive. It's where I hide everything."
"I'll remember that," Arden teased. "So, what did this oh-so-important letter say anyway?"
"It was about the secret cabins."
"Secret…cabins?"
"Yes, the ones Grandpa Albus sent the students to back when they fought the final battle with Voldemort."
"Oh, those. He sent you directions to get to them?"
"Yeah, so we can be safe."
"What about the other students? What are we going to do about them? We can't just leave them here in harm's way!"
"And you were sorted into Ravenclaw instead of Gryffindor because…?"
"Shut up. What will happen to them?"
"Don't worry. Grandpa Albus gave Will a separate letter with instructions on how to care for the other students. I'm in charge of us. Now, where is it?"
Arden stood up, ambling over to the nightstand next to Maxim's bed. She took her time so she could look over, trying to spot the letter. She pulled open a drawer. "Found it. Apparently, this must be where you hide all your important things," she said, pulling the letter out as well as his old teddy.
"Give me that," Maxim ordered, swiping the teddy from Arden's hand. He also reached for the letter. "And that."
"I think it's cute you still have your teddy bear," Arden replied. Maxim was so red, he could've done an impression of a tomato.
"Okay, I've got the plan. We need to get the Marauder's Map. Who has it?"
"I think James used it last. For what, I don't want to know."
"Neither do I. Come on, let's go get the map."
"Together?" Arden asked, her voice taking on a squeaky quality. She too was starting to blush as well.
"Why? What's wrong with that?" Maxim was confused.
Arden cleared her throat so that when she started talking again, she didn't sound like a mouse. "It's James. He's going to assume we want to go…make out."
Maxim's mouth made a perfect "O" shape. "Good point," he replied. "Fine, I'll ask him for it. You start spreading the word for people to start getting ready to leave as discreetly as they can."
Arden saluted him, causing him to laugh. The left the room, ready to put their plan into action.
Lily and Jamie burst into 12 Grimmauld Place, suitcases in hands and a flustered Hedwig in tow. They were panting and still in their pajamas. Their appearance just added to the chaos that had already engulfed the Black residence as various Order members and some Ministry and Auror personnel kept running around the place.
Harmony approached her daughters, coming seemingly out of nowhere. "My girls, oh thank Merlin, you two are safe," she said, hugging them. "I hope we haven't confused you too much asking you to up and run back here."
"No worries," Jamie said, tossing down one of her bags. "We'll go back for the rest of our stuff when things calm down."
"I don't know how much you know, but I can't allow you to go back to school," Harmony replied.
"That's okay, Mum. Muggle university was over anyway and all magical schools have been closed."
"Is it true?" Lily asked, still clutching Hedwig's cage. The owl had calmed down considerably now that she wasn't being touted around London. "Did the Ministry really fall to the Dragons?"
"I'm afraid so," her mother said, wistfully. "Now, why you don't bring Hedwig home and then someone will explain everything to you. We're waiting for your father to come back with Sam's search party and Sam."
Lily left with Hedwig after handing her sister her luggage. "Should I put it here or bring it home?" Jamie asked her mother.
"Bring it home, dear." Jamie nodded and left the house. A few minutes later, Remus walked in—dragging a rather reluctant Sam behind him.
"We have to find my father! He's at Hogwarts thinking it's the 1990s! We have to help him!" Sam was screaming, kicking at those closest to her. She was having her first temper tantrum since she was ten years old.
Sirius hurried over to the Snape girl. "Sam, we can't help your father without a plan. You know we can't just go barreling into enemy territory blindly," he chastised.
"I don't care. We can't leave him in enemy territory!" Sam screamed back.
"Sam, your father can take care of himself even if he can't remember what year it is or who the enemies are!" Sirius screamed back.
Sam readied to launch another verbal attack when her mother's voice cut the tense air. "Samantha Kristin, don't you dare say another word or else I'll lock you in the attic!" Sam went slack, all fight leaving her at the threat of being in the one place the Black family's fascination with the dark arts still haunted.
Kiki walked over to her daughter. "We'll get your father back," she said, now in a soothing voice. "But we first need to make sense of the world now that the Ministry is enemy territory."
"What?" Sam asked, yawning. "The Dragons…?"
"Sam, when was the last time you slept?" Kiki asked, more concerned for her daughter's health.
Sam shrugged. "I dunno, a day ago?"
"Okay, young lady. March yourself upstairs and go straight to bed. You hear me?"
"Mom…"
"Attic."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Where are our daughters?" Remus asked Harmony as Sam dragged herself upstairs. He then kissed his wife's cheek.
"Lily went to bring Hedwig back to Harry and Jamie went to put their luggage away…they're probably asleep."
"Sleep…that sounds good. Don't you think sleep sounds good?"
"Sleep sounds wonderful to me," Harmony replied, leaning against her husband's shoulder. "G'night."
"Hey, you are not going to sleep until I can," Remus chided mockingly. "So wake up."
Harmony pouted. "You're mean."
"You sound like one of our children."
"Shut up."
"Oh, that sounded so grown up."
"Will you two stop your witty foreplay here and wait until you are in your bedroom?"
"Sirius!" Harmony started chasing her friend around his house, much to the amusement of the Order members present. Those not familiar with the ways of the organization were confused.
"We are in a critical time and they are chasing each other around like school children!" one Auror whispered to another.
"No wonder the Ministry fell to the enemy," the other whispered back. "I am starting to fear for our world."
"Starting to? I've been in fear since those red robes invaded our space! And now look at how the war heroes are acting," the first said, practically spitting out the words "war heroes".
His friend shook her head. "It's amazing we ever won against the first You-Know-Who with people like this fighting him. I mean, look at our beloved savior!" She waved a hand in Harry's direction, who was cheering on Harmony. Sirius paused to scowl at his godson before resuming his flight.
"I dunno," a third Auror said, having remained quiet during this exchange. "It's a good release for the tension instead of hexing anything that moves."
The first one rolled his eyes. "In these times, that is better than running around like this!" he scoffed.
"He's right," his friend replied. "We need to exert our power so people will calm down and know that there is order."
"I think throwing hexes blindly into the night may cause more panic rather than less," the third Auror shot back.
The first Auror was ready to explode. "Have you ever been involved in a war before?" he shouted, causing everything to come to a halt—including Sirius and Harmony.
"No," she answered. "I haven't been in a war before but you—"
"You haven't been in a war before either," Ace said, suddenly coming up behind the young Aurors. The second Auror had gone pale but her friend was not ready to calm down.
"But I think I know that all this goofing off is not a productive way to fight our enemy! We should be out there—right now!"
"Without a plan? No, it wouldn't work. If you don't trust us, you can leave. Because we can't deal with loose cannons like you right now!" Ace replied. The Auror left. "If anyone else feels the same way, they can leave as well." No one moved.
"There really is a gap between us and them, isn't there?" Harmony asked, motioning towards the young Aurors now clumped together.
Remus nodded. "Unfortunately. I hope this isn't as hard as I fear it will be," he replied, squeezing her hand.
"The tension in this room just rose a few notches," Sirius joked. Harmony looked at him. "DAMN!" He started running again.
Moody chuckled. "Now the Order can start its meeting—someone is chasing Sirius. I'm surprised it's not Kiki."
"Me too," Kiki replied, walking out of the kitchen. She caught Harmony and handed her something. "Thought this might help." Harmony smiled, now chasing Sirius with the Spatula of Death.
A/N: Sorry about the delay. It seems my muse for this story is slipping, but I promise to finish this! We're almost there, after all. My semester is going well…a lot of work, but it's fun. Roomies are starting to annoy the living daylights out of me (someone is asleep so maybe yelling isn't the most polite thing in the world!) but we'll survive. I hope. Mac
