Nope I own nothing but the plot and the charactors you do not recognize! ;)
Sorry for the long wait but life has been busy once again!
Chapter Fifty-five
The Consequences of Decisions
Pacing like some caged animal Harry glanced over at the sofa where Ron, Hermione and Ginny all sat with worried expressions.
Four hours ago Harry had walked into the hospital to check on his sister and found she wasn't there. A horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach had driven him to Gryffindor Tower, only to find his sister wasn't there either but had said she was going to see a wizard.
The knot in the pit of his stomach had grown as he went up to his room to change out of his quidditch robes and saw the note on his bed. Dreading what it said, he had picked it up and unsealed it.
Dear Harry,
Please don't be mad. I have to do this. I'll be fine.
Don't worry, I'll be back as soon as I can.
Love Taylor.
He'd crumpled the letter up and driven it across the room, before his eyes fell on his trunk. Yanking it open he had grabbed the map to start looking. The thought that maybe he could find his sister on it somehow driving him on. When he couldn't find her, he had quickly told Ron and they had both raced out of Gryffindor Tower still in their quidditch robes.
He'd been able to find Hermione quickly enough and after telling her, she had mentioned that the Head Boy hadn't reported at the last few checkpoints. Searching the map, they couldn't find the Hufflepuff anywhere. Harry had seen Lupin on the map and after a quick discussion they had gone to find him.
Harry would never forget the look of dismay on the last Marauder's face.
**Flashback**
"Harry what do you mean Taylor is gone?" Lupin demanded.
"I mean she is gone! Left Hogwarts!"
"But that's impossible! The castle and grounds are sealed. No one can get in or out!" Lupin had explained.
"I don't know how she did it but she's not on the map! I've looked, and neither is Hunter!" Harry yelled as his worry slipped into his voice.
Lupin looked at James' son for a long moment before saying softly. "Maybe you had better tell me exactly what is going on."
Harry quickly told Lupin about Taylor getting the letter that morning and how she had insisted that she needed to go. He also told him about his sister going to the hospital and not returning.
Lupin had pinned Harry with a hard look. "You are telling me that a Death Eater sent Miss Porter a letter this morning, requesting that she go meet him and you told no one? Potter what the hell were you thinking!" Lupin snapped as he glared at the younger wizard. "Do you have any idea… Merlin boy! I thought, even you would have more sense than this!"
"Lupin uhmm," Hermione had hesitantly said. "We didn't want to get Taylor in trouble. If anyone knew she had received a letter from a Death Eater… She said it was from the Death Eater that saved us…"
Lupin thought for a few minutes, shooting angry glances at the Gryffindors every so often. "You three go back to your common room and don't come out again until I come get you! Harry, give me the map! I'll know if you venture out! I am going to search and make a few careful inquires. You are right, Hermione, this will have to be handled very carefully. Did Porter say when she would be back?" The three shook their heads. Lupin's frown deepened. "I don't know how she got out, and I doubt very much that she will be able to get back in, if she comes back… but I will search tonight. In the morning we will have to report this to the Headmistress."
**End Flashback**
Harry raked his hands up through his hair in aggravation. He hated this waiting, not doing anything, not knowing. Gritting his teeth he forced the horrible images of what might be happening to his sister out of his mind. His sister was going to be the death of him yet!
Slowly Greg blinked his eyes as feeling came back into his body. He knew he'd been stunned. Pushing the broom cupboard door open, wand at the ready, he could see his witch standing a few feet away staring at the empty doorway, her face blank with shock.
"Taylor, are you all right?" He asked cautiously as he looked around to make sure there was no one else around. When she didn't even turn he carefully made his way towards her. Thinking she may have been stunned also he touched her with the tip of his wand.
She wasn't stunned. Instead she wheeled, pointing her wand at him with amazing speed.
"Hey, it's just me." Greg said as he remembered the invisibility cloak and pulled it off his head. He saw the huge sigh of relief that came out of her.
"Yeah, sorry. I just… Are you all right?"
Whatever had just happened, he could see that his witch had received a huge shock of some sort. Her face was pale, her hazel eyes were large and her wand hand shook ever so slightly. "Yeah I'm fine. Just stunned. Are you all right? You're shaking." He asked gently as he put his hand on her arm.
"Yeah I'll be fine," The witch picked up a thin tattered book lying on the table and stuffed it into her book bag. Her eyes dropped to the floor and she stared at a large dark stain there for a moment before taking a deep breath and looking at him again saying in a hard voice. "We need to go."
"Ahh, well…" Greg hated not to trust his heart, that told him that this was his witch but… her smile was tight when she looked up at him and repeated their code words. He had needed to be sure.
The witch extinguished the candles before stepping closer to him and pulling the invisibility cloak over them both. He smiled a bit, as he walked up through the decrepit house, at least under the invisibility cloak he could be close to his witch. He didn't know who the house belonged to, but he could tell no one had lived in it for quite some time. It gave him the creeps really. When they were once again on the doorstep his witch linked her arm with his and spun.
When the bands released he looked around cautiously. They were in a dark, thickly wooded area under a heavy covering of branches. It was a few seconds before the Gryffindor spoke.
"When we go back to Hogsmeade, we are going to have to try to break into Honeydukes and get to the basement as quickly as possible. When we reach the tunnel, we are going to have to run for the school. Don't stop! Any questions?"
He'd have liked to ask a thousand questions. But he settled on just one. "Why? What is the hurry?"
"If we don't make it back into the castle before midnight, the passage will seal again, and if we are in it when it does… Ready?"
Greg nodded, as the witch pulled him into her apparation once again.
They landed on the boardwalk of Honeydukes and the witch blew open the front door of the sweetshop, exploding crates of candy as they rushed through the store and down into the basement. Once they were beneath the trap door the witch pulled off the invisibility cloak and started to run.
Racing with the Gryffindor through the tunnel, with only their wand tips to see by, Greg couldn't help but think about what he had heard the Death Eater say just before he was stunned. "Porter, I believe you are even more foolish than that brother of yours."
He didn't understand. Taylor had never mentioned a brother. Was the Death Eater lying? How did the Death Eater know she had a brother? Could her brother be a Death Eater? Was he the one who had saved Taylor and Hermione from He-Who-Can't- Be-Named? But that couldn't be right. Death Eaters were pure bloods, and Taylor was a muggleborn unless… Greg shook his head. He just didn't have enough information to draw any conclusions, except that the mystery surrounding the witch he loved just got even deeper.
Breathing hard the two finally made it to the other end. The Hufflepuff lifted the Gryffindor up so she could crawl out of the stone hump before scrambling up and out himself. The hump on the witch sealed with a hiss as the clock in the school chimed twelve o'clock.
Bent over and leaning heavily on his knees as he gasped for breath, the Hufflepuff was starting to think that they might be all right after all and were now safe back in the castle.
A hard clipped voice shattered that thought.
"I suggest that you two slowly raise your hands, and you had better have the right code and one hell of an explanation!"
Breathing hard Taylor looked up to see Lupin step out from behind a statue across the hallway, his wand pointing at them and a hard expression on his face.
Lifting her hands up so that they were plainly visible, it was still a few seconds before she could gasp out the code that she had with Lupin. His face didn't soften as he repeated his code words but the shadows around his eyes weren't quite as severe as he waited for the Hufflepuff to speak.
"I don't know what to say…" the Hufflepuff panted. He didn't know the wizard very well.
"Tell Lupin… what spell he used in our first class third year… on the way to face the Boggart." Taylor suggested still panting.
The Head Boy gave the witch a relieved grin. "It was Waddiwasi!"
"Fair enough," Lupin nodded as he slowly lowered his wand. "You two come with me!"
Taylor glanced at the Hufflepuff as she started to follow her parents' friend and saw the worry on his face. They were in one heap of trouble any way she could look at it. If Lupin took her to McGonagall, she would either be sent to the Ministry for questioning, or expelled, and maybe both. If he took her to Moody and the Order she might not end up in Azkaban but she still might be locked up!
Taylor remembered the book in her book bag… she'd need to do something with it, get it to her brother somehow. She also needed to get the Hufflepuff out of trouble. It wasn't his fault, after all, that she had left the school. Maybe she'd lie and say she stunned him in the tunnel. No one need know that he had gone with her.
She nearly ran into Lupin when he stopped and pointed at a door, waiting for the two of them to enter first.
Looking around, Taylor recognized one of the smaller classrooms. She heard Lupin seal and silence the room before he turned to face the two of them.
"Explain yourselves!"
Taylor glanced at the Hufflepuff and tried to tell him to keep quiet with her eyes, before she looked back at Lupin.
"Miss Porter, I already know about the letter from the Death Eater, and that you left the castle earlier this evening, so please do not try to lie to me. You two are in enough trouble as it is!"
"I'm not going to lie! Yes I received a letter from a Death Eater this morning. And yes I left to go see him. Yes I stunned the Head Boy and no he didn't go with me." Taylor's voice was defiant and cold. She decided the best way to handle this would be to show no fear and be absolutely sure of herself. She heard the gasp beside her from the Hufflepuff and hoped he'd keep quiet.
"Do not use that tone with me young lady! Do you have any idea how much trouble you are in right now?" Lupin demanded angrily.
"I have been in trouble before!" Taylor shot back aggressively.
Lupin stared at James' daughter for several seconds. Sure he had seen James, when they were just young kids, acting like this but… Suddenly furious he asked in a thundering tone. "Do know what would happen to you if the Ministry hears of this?"
"I do! I'd be questioned and most likely sent to Azkaban, but I'd never make it there. Voldemort would have me before morning." Taylor snapped back.
"And that doesn't bother you? Have you totally lost your mind?" Lupin yelled.
"Of course it bothers me! I didn't do this for some lark or grand adventure!" Taylor knew he caught her meaning. "This was just more important then the danger it posed! Even getting caught by Voldemort!"
"What in bloody hell could be so important? You are an underage witch. You're still in school! If there is something that important then you should have come to Moody or me! We would have looked after it! Don't try to throw what I did in school back at me! That was a different time and a whole different set of circumstances!" Lupin fumed.
"I couldn't! The information that I got wouldn't have been given to anyone else! Don't you see it had to be me!" Taylor was losing her battle to keep defiant and cool.
"It was the Death Eater that helped you escape? Didn't it cross your mind that he was trying to lure you there?" Lupin asked incredulously. James' daughter had way too much nerve and no sense.
"Of course it crossed my mind. But it was worth it! We need the information I got!" Taylor could have groaned, her and her big mouth!
"What information is that Porter? Tell me!"
"I can't. I'm sorry." Taylor said quietly as she met Lupin's angry eyes.
Lupin was quiet for a moment as he thought. He knew the look in the witch's eye. No amount of prying was going to make her talk. He tried a different tact.
"So Hunter, I take it you followed Miss Porter into the passage? Then she stunned you?"
"Yeah I did!" Taylor snapped quickly before the Hufflepuff could answer. "I nearly made it to the other end before he caught up with me and I stunned him." Taylor knew Lupin wanted to shoot holes in her story. Shifting on her feet she found the Hufflepuff's foot and bumped it, hoping he'd know to keep quiet.
"So Mr. Hunter you are willing to let this witch take the fall for this all by herself?" Lupin asked pinning the Head Boy with a piercing look.
"No, Sir! I'm not. I… ouch!" The Head Boy cried as he looked down at Taylor.
Taylor had gone for something a little less subtle and kicked the Hufflepuff in the shin as she growled. "I liked you better when you were stunned!"
"Taylor, I can't… oww! Will you stop kicking me!" The Head Boy said in exasperation as his other shin now stung.
"Then take a hint and shut up!" Taylor snapped glaring up at the Head Boy.
"Miss Porter, kindly stop kicking Mr. Hunter. I can clearly see that you are trying to protect him, and while I do understand your reason, it is not going to work." Lupin said seriously.
"He didn't do anything wrong! It was all my doing and I fully plan on taking the responsibility for all this." Taylor shot back heatedly.
"He admitted to willingly following you down a passageway that was supposed to be sealed and left school property. As Head Boy he is fully aware of what he should have done and that was to immediately notify either the staff or security about the breach in the wards guarding this school. To not do so, left this school and its occupants in grave danger." Lupin said it quietly but Taylor could see the Hufflepuff's shoulders droop a little as he nodded his head slightly.
"What do you want Lupin?" Taylor demanded. "I told you I can't tell you what I went after. It is for Harry alone. I can't tell you anymore about what that is now, then I could last summer. Is it worth the risk I took? Yes it is. Did I plan on Hunter following me down the tunnel? No I did not. Nor will you ever get me to admit anything but that I stunned him and left him at the other end of the tunnel."
Lupin glared at the young witch for a little while. He wanted to say more but couldn't in front of the Hufflepuff. He was surprised when James' daughter stepped towards him.
"Lupin maybe I could have a word?" Inside questions were eating at Taylor and she needed to get a few answers no matter what else happened to her tonight. When he nodded she glanced up at the Hufflepuff before walking to the other side of the small room and when Lupin joined her she put up a silencing charm.
"Taylor… what am I supposed to do?" Lupin asked as he shook his head. "Lily and James died to protect you and Harry, and now you go and do something this foolhardy and reckless?"
"I know why my parents died Lupin. But I am no longer a child. I may be only sixteen but to everyone, I am of age. I make my own decisions and am prepared to live with the consequences of those decisions. This is not some game to me. I am not James Potter looking for some adventure!" Taylor said as she stared Lupin in the eye.
"If your father was alive, Taylor, he'd skin you alive for the stunt you just pulled! I just might yet! Your father might have done some wild crazy things but he would never have gone off alone to meet some Death Eater!"
"Really? Not even if he knew he was the only one who could get the information that could possibly bring Voldemort down? He wouldn't risk his life to give Harry a fighting chance when he has to go against Voldemort?" Taylor asked quietly.
Lupin rubbed a tired hand up over his face. "Taylor… That still doesn't make it right what you did." He knew James would have done anything he could for his friends and his family.
"There is nothing right in this world as long as Voldemort is around. Even less right is that my only brother, my only family I have left, has to try to stop him somehow. I know what I did was dangerous. Extremely dangerous! If my dad was still alive, and my mum, then I could be a normal witch and the worst thing I'd probably do was get caught snogging the guy I like by my dad's best friend. Can't you see? I wouldn't have gone if I didn't think it was our only hope?"
"I… I can see what you are telling me, but I can't not report this." Lupin said shaking his head.
"Then tell the Order, and McGonagall. I will accept whatever punishment they see fit."
"And Hunter? You know he will most likely lose his Head Boy appointment."
Taylor looked down at the floor. "It wasn't his fault. He only came after me to try to protect me." She looked back up at her old professor. "I'll do whatever I can, to do the same for him."
Lupin shook his head again. It was the only bit of sorrow that the witch had shown through their whole talk, the fact the Hufflepuff might be in trouble. It was something James would have done.
With a sigh, Lupin started to move when the witch's hand on his arm stopped him.
"I… I need to ask you something… about my mom, Lily." Taylor hesitated as a thousand questions, along with the confused thoughts she'd been having since her talk with Snape. "Was she an Animagus? Like my dad?"
Lupin blinked a couple of times as his mind shifted gears. "No… your dad would have never let her. It was too dangerous."
"Oh… what was her Patronus then?"
"You know the answer to that Taylor. It's a doe just like yours. Why are you asking?" Lupin could see confusion clouding the hazel eyes of the witch.
"She… Lily loved my dad right?"
"Yes. Lily loved your dad very much. I don't think I've ever seen two people more in love. But why are you asking, now?" Lupin questioned.
Taylor's thoughts were whirling about in her head. She needed time to think and try to sort through it all. "I just needed to know for sure." She needed to talk to the portrait of Dumbledore.
Lupin waited but the witch didn't say anymore. He didn't know why but he could tell the questions had been very important to her.
The school clocked chimed one o'clock as the last Marauder led the two seventh years up through the castle. He had made his decision and was now taking them to Gryffindor Tower. He knew Harry was going to be worried sick, and now that the school was once again safe from attack he wasn't going to wake McGonagall or Moody. He'd tell them in the morning. The Hufflepuff he decided to take up to Gryffindor Tower also. There would be less chance that they'd be seen returning this time of night this high up in the castle. Security was much tighter in the lower levels around the doors.
When they arrived at the Fat Lady, Lupin had to prod her awake with his wand and listened to her grumble before finally swinging open when Taylor gave the password.
Lupin stepped into the common room first and saw Harry sitting with the others by the fire. He didn't even get to utter a word before Harry was up and looking past him at his sister.
"Taylor!" Harry cried with relief as he rushed to his sister and pulled her into a bone-crushing hug.
Taylor smiled a little as she hugged her brother back, but it didn't last long.
"What the Bloody hell, were you thinking?" Harry started after only a few seconds as his relief turned to anger.
"Harry…" Taylor got in before.
"Don't you Harry me!" her brother yelled. "You could have been killed! Or captured." He was just warming up to his rant when Lupin interrupted him.
"Harry, I need to go. I trust you will look after Miss Porter until morning? I think it best if Mr. Hunter stay here the night too." The werewolf could almost feel the anger emanating off of James' son and decided that maybe he could impress upon his sister how dangerous what she had done was, though he did offer some parting advice. "May I suggest a silencing charm, and keep the magic to a minimum. The less who know about these two's travels tonight the better. I'll see you in the morning." He nodded to the others and left. He saw both Hermione and Ginny waving their wands to put up silencing spells and couldn't help feeling just a bit sorry for Taylor. She was in for a rough time from all the Gryffindors by the looks of things!
The Head Boy watched as the werewolf left, a little surprised by his parting words, though when the portal closed he wasn't prepared for the freezing charm Weasley used.
"Ron! What do you think you are doing?" Taylor demanded, wand out ready to deflect any more spells.
"That bloody git had that coming! Besides what do you think you were doing taking him along with you?" Ron demanded angrily as he glared at Taylor nearly as angry as Harry.
Taylor never got to answer because Harry started in on her anew.
Brother and sister stood toe-to-toe yelling.
Harry questioned her judgment, common sense, sanity and overall disregard for her life. Taylor's comebacks were immediate and sharp tongued and she didn't give one inch.
The other three Gryffindors watched. The two witches were ready to intervene if necessary and Ron was ready to back up Harry if Taylor got the drop on him. It was a good twenty minutes before Harry calmed down a little.
"What were you thinking?" He asked again for the umpteenth time.
"I've told you if you would just listen!" Taylor was getting tired of her brother's bullheadedness, as she saw it.
"I've heard you, but I don't believe any information is worth your life!" Harry shot back glaring at his sister. He hadn't forgotten about the Hufflepuff leaning against the wall. He'd deal with him later!
Taylor knew that until he calmed down some, her brother wasn't going to listen to her so she hadn't yet mentioned the book.
Hermione finally had a lull in the argument. She had been listening closely to the argument, very curious about what information Taylor had gotten. She took her opportunity to speak. "What did you get, Taylor?"
Taylor glanced at her friend. She knew Hermione was going to chew her ass off too. It would just be done when her friend had all the facts. With a grim smile, Taylor removed the book bag from her back and pulled out the tattered old book. "I was able to get this. Just what it contains I have no idea. I haven't had a chance to look at it yet."
Hermione took the book cautiously from Taylor and walked over to a table behind the sofa and sitting the book down, she pulled out her wand making sure the book had no curses or hexes on it, before opening it and gasping.
Written in neat script on the inside cover of the book was Property of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The title of the book was Moste Potent Potions and Spells For Death
The Gryffindors gathered around Hermione as she carefully looked through the book, finally coming to a stop around the middle of a spell called Deathed Stopper
Taylor looked over Hermione's shoulder and read down through the incredibly complicated spell and saw where it spoke of ripping one's soul in two.
"This is it! This is the book we've been looking for but how…?" Hermione looked at Taylor questioningly.
"I have no idea." Taylor said quietly, glancing over towards where the Head Boy still leaned against the wall petrified, knowing he could still see and hear everything.
"Oh bugger it! Stupify!" Ron said with a flourish as he stunned the Head Boy.
Taylor's wand was in her hand instantly, "Ronald Weasley! I should…" her anger made a couple of sparks shoot out the end of her wand.
"What? The git deserved it! Letting you go off all by yourself! Besides he'll be alright in an hour or so!" Ron defended as he glared back at Taylor.
"Taylor, that is enough! You know as well as I do that the Hufflepuff couldn't hear what we need to talk about." Harry growled at his sister. He was still mad at her but knew that they needed to talk about what she had found out.
"I'm warning you Weasley, once more and I'll hex you a new one!" Taylor threatened before stuffing her wand back into its holder on her arm.
"Maybe you had better tell us what all happened tonight?" Ginny offered as she pointed at the sofa.
Taylor nodded. She knew she couldn't sit down so she went over to the fireplace as the others sat. Then as she began to tell them about going through the one-eyed witch's hump, she began to pace. She kept to the story she told Remus and said she stunned the Head Boy. Harry wanted to know how she knew that passage would be open and she told him about the hidden writing on the letter. When she got to where she went, she hedged, not sure if she should tell her brother about going to Grimmauld Place, fearing that he might guess who the Death Eater was. So she kind of skipped over where she went and dove right into telling them about the Curse Breaker from St. Mungo's.
"Voldemort knows that there is a witch at Hogwarts who can use Dark Magic? Taylor that's bad, really bad!" Hermione whispered fearfully.
"Really, Hermione? That never occurred to me!" Taylor snapped sarcastically.
"So the Death Eater warned you not to use any more Dark Magic?" Harry asked.
"Yeah, basically. Though he said that Old Voldy was now searching and it would only be a matter of time before he found out what I can do." Taylor said matter-of -factly. Truthfully, that was some of the less troubling news she had found out that evening. Though she went on to tell them that there was a spy at the school and that it was most likely one of the aurors.
"Well that is very disturbing, though I suppose now that we know… well, we are going to have to be even more careful! Especially you Taylor! You can't use Dark Magic any more! For any reason!" Hermione whispered, looking imploringly at her friend.
Taylor only nodded as she paced. What she most desperately wanted to talk about she couldn't. Not with her friends because they didn't know who she was and not with her brother because he would never listen past Snape's name.
"Then the Death Eater just gave you the book and left?" Ginny asked. She had been quiet through most of the discussion.
"Yeah, basically." Taylor said as she paced restlessly. She told them about apparating back to Honeydukes and blowing the shop up before going back in the tunnel, slipping in that she revived the Head Boy and they both ran back to the castle, arriving just before the passageway sealed itself again.
"That was really close, Taylor! What if you hadn't made it back in time? Hunter could have been sealed in there!" Hermione asked worriedly.
Taylor didn't meet her friend's eye. That was the main reason she hadn't left the Hufflepuff in the tunnel. It had been too big of a risk.
Taylor listened as the others talked about what they had just learned, as she paced in front of the fireplace. She glanced over at her brother every so often to see if he was starting to calm down. She really didn't expect him to be happy with what she did, just to accept that it had to be done.
A/N Well there Taylor made it safely back into the castle... even if she now has to try to get out of the trouble she has once again gotten into! I could see Lupin being mad at her... and the way Harry reacted... well that was rather fun to write! ;)
Thank you to those who reviewed! and those who added this story to their alerts and favorites! Plus all of you who are just reading cause you sure have stuck with this story for a long while! Cyber cookies to everyone! :) Plus I a huge thank you to my wonderful beta barbc! You are just awsome! Well until next time, cytpotter.
