So, I got a job, have a potential second job for weekends and stuff and maybe maybe a third job between now and when my actual actual 'summer' fulltime employment starts. Thus I am looking for a horse to buy, and part-board with Lisa/Badger. I'm thinking of horse names as I type now, if you have any suggestions let me know. Right now we're looking at a dark gun metal grey horse who we want to name Riddle =) and yeah, after the 'oh so loved' Tommy boy ;)

Hope you like the chapter, it's sort of a 'calm before the storm' chapter... in fact that's a much better name for it... hold on I'm changing the name of the chapter... - . . . dooone. It had been called 'Seek You Out' but this works better, I think. More . . . fitting.

Anywho, enjoy!


Chapter 54:

Calm, Before the Storm


The days grow longer, and hope seems to fade. It's been nearly a month now, since the eve of her disappearance, and yet no news has been heard. Nothing, not even a whisper. The eyes, which seem only to appear after the dreams – which have steadily become more detailed – appear to be an omen . . . one which I cannot yet make sense of, and the thought of them staring back at me makes my stomach curl.

With a heavy heart I walked the halls, another day... the oak doors of the great hall loomed in front of me as I strode through their grand archway. Glancing around the hall it didn't take me long to spot them; the ones which had been avoiding my presence since Liz's capture. . . or maybe it was since I'd attacked Draco? Either way, the avoiding was getting... suspicious, it wasn't like them.

Nicole and Draco, along with Blaise and the other Slytherins sat closely huddled together, whispering devilishly amongst themselves. I stood behind them, twirling my wand in hand, waiting for one to look up. Inevitably Pansy caught sight of me, choking mildly on her pumpkin juice, "What's he doing here," she drawled, in her high pitched voice. "Looming about like a damn goblin."

"Seems I've a bone to pick with you lot, once again," I smirked mirthlessly, as I watched her glare waver a bit and then turned my attention to Blaise. "I seem to recall you having something to do with the last time something happened to Liz, don't you?"

"Look, Frost," Malfoy said, his voice laden with malice. "We don't associate ourselves with blood traitors, let alone traitors to Salazar Slytherin and his legacy; our house."

"That's just lovely and so very grand, but don't you recall why your arm doesn't quite work as well as it used to Malfoy? Would you like me to remind you?"

He shifted uncomfortably, a twisted sneer playing upon his lips.

"Frost," Blaise hissed sharply, drawing my attention back to him once again. "I hear rumours that you've risen to practicing real magic, does the power thrill you?"

How did he know that, I wondered, my calm confidence phased by his knowledge. Collectively they donned the same 'Slytherin' sneer, obviously knowing full well what Blaise was talking about. "I can promise you one thing Zabini; I've been taught well – so if I were you I'd be holding my tongue, and speaking only when spoken to."

A snicker arose from them. "You really think that by learning what you might'ave learned in the last few weeks that you'd better us in a duel? We've been learning it from the masters since we were born you fool. You've got no power we can't handle."

"Seems to me," I muttered nonchalantly. "That Draco here had a mighty hard time handling it – did you hear him whine like a little," I glanced at Parkinson. "Like a pansy after his injury? No wonder your father's so ashamed of you Draco; he hoped to have a son who would reflect his 'greatness', and instead he got you, a little girl who can't hold her own in a fight."

Malfoy jumped up from his seat, his fist swung high, though in my opinion it looked more like he was flailing uncoordinatedly towards me. I stepped back, and instead of his fist hitting me he underestimated how far he could lunge whilst still within the bench and fell quite ungracefully upon his face. Nicole jumped up, a frightened look upon her face as she quickly shot me a glare before stooping down to her boyfriend.

I stood back, laughing loudly, along with other students who'd seen the failed attempt at protecting his honour. "Really," I chuckled. "That was priceless, you blatantly proved me right!"

"Jason," Nicole scolded angrily. "You've become a right prick, you know that? First dark magic, now sinking this low as to taunt people you once called friends? What Liz would say if only she could see you now..."

"Get off," Malfoy hissed, shoving Nicole back. She stumbled and fell towards me, without a second thought I reached out and caught the small girl before she could hit the ground. "I don't need help from a girl! I'm a man – and can take care of myself, don't you know your place?" He brushed himself off and stomped out of the great hall. The others filed out behind him.

Straightening Nicole up, on her feet I couldn't help but give her an apologetic look. "What," she murmured. "Stop looking at me like that – I'm not a wounded dog!"

"Yet he treats you as such."

Huffing she too straightened her robes, with a haughty look. "Look Jason," she said. "It may not look like he cares, but he does. He does everything he can to win his father's approval and love and I'm all he's got."

I shrugged. "Well the Nicole who used to be my friend, she deserved better. In your own words 'what would Liz say if she could see you now', allowing yourself to be treated like a bloody mistress. God Nikki, is it worth it? What satisfaction can you possibly get from letting him walk all over you like that? You're more like me and Liz than any of them; yet you betray your true friends simply for popularity and for what, to be treated like a damn dog?"

"It's not like that!" She fumed, but the stricken look within her eyes seemed to say differently. "He loves me, tells me so all the time! We're going to make it through this, he's just dealing with a lot of pressure right now, that's all..."

"Arlighty," I sighed. "If it's just pressure. But... Nicole you know they were involved in Elizabeth's fathers' death, and Draco attacked Liz... and now she's been dragged off to god knows where... If it was really them, who had her taken, could you live with yourself knowing that, could you live with yourself if she never returned?"

"I," her voice wavered as she adverted her gaze, no longer looking me in the eye. "I – I don't know anything. Nor do they – we've nothing to do with it Jason. I'd tell you if I could, but we've nothing to do with it. I'm sorry – you should... check the profit, I heard it mentions something about it. It's become rather big really; school might be in danger..."

Shoving the paper into my hands she stalked out of the great hall, no doubt running back to her bloody pompous Malfoy. "What was that all about?" Lisa stood curiously behind me, Luna beside her.

"Uhm," I said, my eyes glancing down at the paper; it's heading read 'Kidnapping at Hogwarts'. "Just Slytherins being Slytherins I suppose."

Luna leaned forwards, glancing at the paper. "Aren't you one too?" She asked in a 'far away voice'.

"No," I answered sarcastically. "I just dress like this because it's so much more fun."

"Oh..."

"I'm joking."

"Oh?"

Lisa rolled her eyes and took to standing beside me as I unfolded the profit and read the 'latest news'.

Kidnapping at Hogwarts, by Ritta Skeeter...

Seems our favourite school might not be so safe after all, a student, a young helpless girl (Elizabeth M. Martin) was taken, right from underneath Albus Dumbledor's nose. Is the great wizard losing his touch on more than just reality these days? It seems he isn't able to look after all those precious little ones anymore, what will the parents say?

The public fears that with the impending TriWizard Tournament the school is risking too much in the name of 'knowlege, education, magic and fun'. I tell you, it won't be long until someone dies there next.

In the last few years Hogwarts has proven to become increasingly unsafe, and unfit under the so called 'protection of the greatest wizards in history'. Well, let's look at what pesky things these great protectors have let in...

It jabbered on about the events in the last few years, and then wound it's way back to the present...

The missing Miss Martin lost her Father, Leonard Martin, this year in late August during the attack on the World Cup, and now she too may be facing grave danger. Our sources tell us that no one has of yet been able to reach the Martin family to notify them; could they too have fallen victim to the same fate as those family members referred to above? What mysteries lay within the history of the Martin family, and why has someone taken such an obvious and keen interest in her and her dear family?

And on a more important note; are your own children safe within Hogwart's 'beloved' walls?

Lisa swore loudly. "The damn women, she writes the most idiotic things! She hardly even focussed on the facts, I mean really. She's a journalist, yet the entire thing was biased and left out any real information... just... pointed fingers at Hogwarts."

I crumpled it up angrily and shoved it onto the long table. "Yeah," I growled. "She's just peachy..."

"You know," Luna chimed in. "I've been hearing stories, that the vampires are taking sides."

"What?" we asked in unison.

"My father, he told me to keep an eye out for any of the on my evening walks – when I go looking for nargles and such... sometimes they only come out at night you see, and so my Father told me that he heard the Vampires are disappearing everywhere, and when they do turn up they always seem different somehow, so he figures that they're taking sides... says its time another war might come – maybe it'll be with the Fea this time, do you think? Anyways that's why they've all been disappearing; preparing for some sort of war some people are saying..."

"Are the bumblebees involved?"Lisa asked jokingly.

"Actually," Luna began again, her eyes glazing over ever so slightly. Here we go again, I thought. "Maybe, I mean... every time you see a bumblebee it really seems like it's actually listening to you, you know? Like when you speak, it likes to move in front of you, whizzing about and such? Maybe they've turned into some sort of spy... or maybe they're really the Fea and they're going to one day rule over us with –"

"Honey?" I asked sarcastically, my impatience getting the best of me.

"Well, I don't know how that would work... unless they had a form of poison in the honey – maybe that's why the vampires are involved?"

"To poison the honey?" Lisa asked, a little perplexed.

"Well, it might sound crazy – but I'm sure if you where a muggle you'd think this entire world we now live in was a make belief and silly story. Wouldn't you?"

We nodded slowly. "Sure," I murmured. "Sure. The bumblebees will one day rule the world and Vampires will be their right hand men . . . that's – that's exactly the same as having magicians, you're right Luna."

"Wizards," Luna piped up.

"Right, Wizards."

"And witches," Lisa added giving us both a slightly reproachful look. "What? You two shouldn't be sexist in your classifications, even if they might be in the context of sarcasm and fantastical ideas about bees."

"Bumble Bees," Luna smiled sweetly. "They're not just any bees, they're Bumble Bees."

"Okay," I sighed. "So I miss Liz, if not only for the slightly more sane conversations we have with one another."


Would it be right to think there wasn't much hope anymore? I mean, if it was in the muggle world than people, by this point, would already be thinking the worst, wouldn't they? Statements would be issued about how people were sorry for the family's loss, and inevitably the police who'd been investigating would begin to back off, and focus on 'more pressing' matters...

The teachers seemed to stop meeting as often, or in the very least when they did meet I wasn't informed about what had been discussed. If anything I'd get a somewhat cryptic response somewhere along the lines of "We're taking care of it the best we can, until then I'd advise you to stay in a normal routine and stay on top of your schoolwork."

Typical teacher approach; 'Oh yeah, even though you're experiencing immense feelings of loss and grief and have extreme difficulty concentrating it'd be bloody great for the both of us if you could do well in my class, alright mate? Good on you!'

Sickening really... I mean, Moody was the only one here, in this entire school who didn't treat me like 'just another student' and my detentions soon became the best parts of my days as I decided that one day, even if Liz never was found, I would find the people that took her and make them wish they'd never set foot on Hogwarts grounds that or any other night.

The rumours in the paper continued to circulate, and even the quibbler posted something, which I have a suspicion had something to do with Luna... seeing as it was detailing how the Bumblebees and Vampires where consorting against the Wizarding World.

And as I mentioned before, the red eyes kept appearing... only they'd never last very long... long enough to be fairly unsettling, but at least no one else ever saw them, yet . . . I suppose. I had to wonder; what if they just... stayed there one day, right there in the big old sockets, replacing where my own eyes – the ones I knew and well, was fairly acquainted with?

On the other hand... it would be a fun and fairly useful tool on the intimidation side of things...

Nicole hadn't spoken to me since the day in the Great Hall, and the other Slytherins continued to avoid me like the plague. In fact, I'd meant to ask how they managed to stay out of sight for so long, seeing as we where after all in the same bloody dormitories.

But as the days passed I found myself slowly losing grip on that which set me apart from those very Slytherins which I hated so much. I was constantly in a dark mood, and began to revel more and more in the dark arts... beginning to read more and more books on them at the Library, outside of detention hours. Moody didn't seem to notice, thankfully, as I tried my best to conceal this from him during our sessions, for fear he might call them to an end.

Potions continued as usual, partners as dull as ever, and as stupid as ever too. Did no one else know how to brew a potions? Apparently not;

One Friday, two weeks before the final tournament I was paired up with Neville for a potions test... by the end of it he'd ruined the entire thing within the few seconds it took me to pull out our vial from my school bag. I wanted to ring his neck, but, I refrained of course... seeing as he honestly seemed like a decent guy, other than his obvious inability to do much of anything useful.

"What did you do," I growled violently as I eyed the horrific scene of our previously perfect potion literally burn through the caldron. "Neville, I swear... if I fail this class because of you!"

"I-I-I just, just stirred it. Like-like you s-said to," he protested, his voice reaching an all new record high octave. "It-it j-just s-started t-to fizzle... and th-then..."

"Melted through the caldron?"

"Y-yeah..."

I threw the vile violently back into my bag, hearing it shatter upon impact with by books. "You," I pointed in his face. "Are never to touch my potions again, ever."

"I-it was our p-potion th-though," he was staring at the tip of my finger, eyes crossed as he stuttered and teetered backwards on his stool.

"Hmph," I indignantly replied. "I don't care, if you'd simply left it to me and agreed to getting the damn vial yourself than we would have passed with a bloody hundred percent! But no, no; instead we're settling for what now? Yes, that's right, a giant bloody zero on one of our finale practical tests!"

Stomping out of the class I told him to clean up his mess as I headed down to the Library for my spare period.


"Hey, Jason, listen," Lisa said as she sat down beside me that evening at dinner, closely followed by Luna. "I can't stay long, have to meet Harry in a few, but have you gotten any news about Liz lately? I tried to contact her family but without a telephone it's not really worth it..."

"No," I replied the worry in my voice was evident. "And... just – just keep trying I guess, I would too but... I honestly never knew her family very well, and you've known her so much longer than me – I figure it'll be easier... maybe with the news in the Profits they'll contact the school themselves?"

Luna shook her head, "No, no one else in her family is magical, her brother never inherited the 'magical genes' and the rest of her family, that're around are all muggles."

"Yeah," Lisa agreed. "Her dad, he was muggle born; her and him where the only ones really, that I know of... so, they won't be able to get a hold of a Daily Profit – and it's not like her disappearance has been aired on the muggle news... they won't know."

"Okay, then we keep trying, it's all we can do at this point," I said. "Go, have a nice night I suppose... I've – I've got everything else covered, promise."

Lisa smiled sadly as she and Luna bid me goodnight, heading off to their own tables.

I'd figure it out, eventually . . . I'd get her back, it wasn't an option but a fact, a determined decision I'd made...


"What do you mean you're going to 'hold back on the search?" I hissed angrily. "You've just given up haven't you? Well, I should have guessed it – your bloody tournament is top priority, compared to that a girl's life means nothing."

They'd told me that they had made no progress and that until something else 'useful' turned up they were 'taking a step back' from the events, leaving it 'on the back burner' so to speak.

"I'm truly sorry for your loss Jason Frost, but there is nothing more we can do at this point, as we have told you before the tournament must continue, and tomorrow is the eve of the final challenge," Dumbledore said softly, as if a soft tone of voice would make this all better. "After which we may focus our attention solely upon her disappearance and finding the location of her remaining family... but you must understand, the work we do is tedious and difficult, I fear that if we lose proper control over these final days we may risk the safety of more of our students. This you must understand Jason."

"But, but how can you simply ignore the fact that you've all proved utterly useless thus far and now, now you're completely turning your back on her!"

"No," he said, his voice still as calm and smooth as ever. "We would never turn our backs upon any of our students. But for a while, our attentions are required elsewhere, I am not asking your permission, simply for your understanding. What the school does with its time is my business, and my choice, you will accept this and I hope one day will understand why such decisions must be made."

"You people make me sick, claiming to be the greatest wizards around, when really you can't even multitask!"

I pushed my way out of his office, taking the spiral steps two at a time; my temper was spiking high once again as I realised how utterly useless magic could be when those who wielded it possessed little to no desire to actually put it to use.

Tomorrow, and the next few days... it may seem like a small amount of time but Merlin only knows what things could happen between now and the end of this god forsaken tournament.

No more would I take a safe approach to the dark arts, I would not fear losing myself in their power, if it was up to me to do a job I'd entrusted them to complete, then I would do it right.


AN: Sooo, whatcha think? The next chapter his halfway written, and should be up soon. This is the third last chapter of the fourth year, the next will be the second last and the one after will be the tail end of the fourth year. =D Who wuda thunk it? Here I thought I'd never finish the fourth year!

Reveiw pwease? =D *blink-blink*

This story shalt be back in a few days time, I have much planned for the next chapter, and much already written.