Chapter Fifteen
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does and unfortunately I am not her.
Summary: After the Second Wizarding War, a Guardian was given to each child of the main families that helped in the war. They were all tasked with a simple job, protect their allocated person with their life. Somehow, Freya screwed it up in the biggest way. She fell in love.
There are going to be a lot of OCs, but the focus is going to be on Freya.
Hello guys! I'm back! Sorry this chapter took ages to get out. University has been keeping me really busy and I am on placement now so I am even busier!
I am so glad to see you all enjoying the story so far! I know most of you were happy to have Harry know something was wrong and I plan to further explore that aspect so there will be more to come!
HARRY POTTER
Freya stood in the Quidditch pitch at the dead of night. There was a light on in the Quidditch Pitch, it nearly illuminated the whole arena in the night, but there were a few shadows that could be used. She looked around, just to make sure that no one was around. She was hoping that no one would notice the light and come to investigate. Freya didn't want anyone watching as this was going to be her first attempt at trying to fly since the first year. When Freya was younger, she had attempted to fly and to say it didn't go very well was an understatement. She had failed disastrously at trying to stay up in the air. However, Freya was hoping that this time was going to be different. She was going to practice until she got it right. She looked down at her 'borrowed' broom. She had stolen it from the Quidditch shed. Freya made a mental note to return the broom when she finished so no one would notice. Taking a deep breath, Freya placed the broom on the ground careful and stood next to it. She stretched out her right hand.
"Up." Freya commended, her voice stern.
The broom did nothing, just like before. It stayed laying on the grass as if to mock her. Taking a deep breath, Freya tried not to get angry. "Up!" Freya commanded once more, her bark louder.
This time, the broom flew into her hand. Freya's hand stung on impact, but she couldn't hide the sense of pride that filled her. She didn't even get this far in the first year because the broom refused to lift off the ground and into her hand. In the end, Freya had to pick up the broom and go from there. To say that lesson didn't go well would be an understatement.
Freya mounted herself on the broom. She tried to remember all of James' matches when he played and how did it. Freya had watched him for years so she knew in theory what to do, but she wasn't so sure how she would apply it. For a moment, Freya hesitated. But after a few more seconds, Freya took a deep breath and gently kicked off the ground and waited for impact with the ground. She closed her eyes and waited for herself to drop.
But it never came.
Freya opened her eyes and saw that she was floating, she hadn't fallen to the ground straight away. Smirking victoriously, Freya grabbed the broom tightly and began to manoeuvre it, very shakily. Slowly, Freya flew around the pitch at a very slow speed, but she was happy. Freya felt proud of herself, she never thought she'd be able to fly. Feeling the adrenaline pumping through her veins, Freya felt adventurous and decided to go faster. Gripping the broom tighter, Freya went faster and she loved every moment of it. She could feel the night wind blowing in her face and hair and for a moment, Freya felt free. Feeling confident, Freya opened her eyes and felt her heart clench painfully. It was in that moment that she realised how high she actually was. Freya had actually managed to travel more than a hundred feet in the air without her knowing. Fear gripped Freya's heart and she held onto the broom became weak and she felt herself become unsteady as the world around her became fuzzy. She tried to grip the broom and steady herself as quickly as she could, but luck was not on her side that night.
Freya felt herself slip and fall to the ground. Quickly, Freya took out her wand and pointed it to the ground and said her spell. Seconds later, Freya hit the ground softly, making her sign in relief that she wasn't too hurt. She sat up and felt a sharp shooting pain in her wrist, causing her mentally curse at her luck. She may have escaped a lot of damage, but she had managed to sprain her wrist at the same time.
"Great," Freya muttered harshly, inspecting her wrist. It was definitely sprained and this just seemed to put her in a foul mood. Freya looked at her discarded broom near her and she glared it at. With a low hiss, Freya kicked the broom away from her in anger. Taking a deep breath, Freya raised her wand and was about to heal her wrist. If she was going to continue practising, she was going to need a healed wrist. She had seen people try to fly with sprained wrists before and it never went well. James had always sent them to the nurse's office to get it checked out.
However, luck still wasn't on Freya's side that night.
"Who's there?" Said a loud voice from the entrance of the Quidditch pitch.
Freya's head shot up and her heart stopped beating for a moment as she looked at the entrance of the Quidditch pitch. Without another thought, Freya dashed into the shadows where she couldn't be seen as quickly as she could. Freya had immediately recognised that voice; it was James. She had been so preoccupied with her injured wrist and trying to fly that she hadn't even noticed his presence. Freya mentally cursed herself at her stupidity. Holding her breath, Freya watched James walk further into the pitch. She was trying to regulate her breathing so that he wouldn't be able to hear her. Slowly, her hand reached up and grabbed her pendant. She wasn't too concerned that James would find her because she was wearing her pendant, this was her safety net. Freya had just been caught off guard – something that she didn't like and something that didn't happen very often.
James confidently strolled into the pitch and looked around. His hazel eyes scanned the whole field. He knew that there was someone here as the light to the Quidditch Pitch was on. For a moment, when his eyes passed Freya, she felt her heart clench painfully. In that split second, it actually felt like James was looking straight at her.
"Show yourself now," James commanded with his wand in hand.
Freya didn't move a muscle.
"Look, I know someone is there. You left your broom behind." James said with an unimpressed look on his face.
Freya's eye twitched as she looked at the broom still laying in the middle of the pitch. During her panic, Freya had completely forgotten about the broom and had been solely focused on hiding herself away.
When James got no response again, he raised his wand. "Lumos." A ball of light appeared at the tip of his wand, further illuminating the area around him. Slowly, James began walking forward to the shadows of the pitch. James had been feeling restless that night and couldn't sleep. It was during those nights that James would fly around on his broom to fully relax and help him release all that pent-up energy inside him. During all his years in Hogwarts, he had never met someone at this time of night, so the fact that someone was here intrigued him.
As quietly as possible, Freya attempted to creep around James, making sure to stay out of the light's path. Freya made sure to apply the least amount of pressure to her feet so no sound was made. Part of her Guardian training was to be sneaky, your charge isn't allowed to see or even hear you. Just as she was about halfway, Freya thought she was in the clear.
"Ah ha! That's where you are!" James said with a victorious smile on his face.
Freya froze where she was. She had been caught, she knew she had because James' light was shining in her direction. Turning her head, Freya saw that James was looking directly at her, which only made her panic even more. He was actually looking at her and not through her.
"But the question is, who are you?" James asked with a frown on his face. He had never seen her before, but that was a nagging in the back of his mind that maybe he had seen this girl before.
Freya said nothing. She was waiting for her pendant's charm to kick in and then she could get away. Usually, the magic in the pendant was really quick, but for some reason, it seemed to be delayed. 'Come on. Come on.' Freya thought to herself, waiting for it to activate.
James looked at her. "Is something wrong?" He asked with a concerned expression.
However, it didn't seem to be working, so Freya did something stupid.
She spoke to him.
"You… you can see me?" Freya asked, feeling heavily confused.
James sent her a look filled with confused amusement. "Of course I can see you. Why wouldn't I be able to?" He laughed, not understanding why she would have asked something like that.
Freya touched her pendant, wondering why it wasn't working. It had never failed like this before. Lance had made sure that the pendants wouldn't stop working ever. They would only ever stop working if Lance died. Freya was pretty sure he wasn't dead otherwise she wouldn't be standing here or even be alive.
"Now, why are you out here?" James asked, looking back at the discarded broom.
"That's none of your business," Freya said back calmly. She had managed to regain her outside composure, but on the inside, Freya was terrified. She had never been in this situation before and she didn't want to be. Just by talking to James she was putting herself in serious danger. If anyone found out then she was going to be in serious trouble.
For a moment, James looked taken aback. "I think you'll find it is. You see, you're out after dark which is against the rules." James said with a smirk on his face. As a Captain for the Quidditch team, James had access to the pitch at all hours – as long as they were approved by a professor. McGonagall had known for years that James would visit the pitch at odd hours and had tried to challenge him many times. But now, as long as McGonagall didn't see him or hear about him being on the Quidditch pitch at odd hours then she didn't mind.
Freya arched a brow. "You're going to lecture me about breaking the rules?" For a moment, she couldn't believe he had the audacity to do that.
James immediately laughed. "I know, pretty rich of me. But I've never seen you here before and you're not on any team." James said as he looked at Freya with a closer eye. He knew most of the Quidditch players in every team and James knew that he had never seen her before. He knew that she wasn't on his team, judging by her Gryffindor tie.
Freya sighed, seeing no way of how to get out of this. "I was practising." She muttered lowly. She was hoping that he wouldn't hear and she would be able to slip out at some point if he lost interest in her.
However, James managed to hear her. "For what?" He asked, his brows furrowed. He knew that this girl wasn't part of any team. As James looked at her more closely, he noticed she looked familiar. Then it clicked in his mind. "Hey, you're my brother's teammate in the tournament," James said, his eyes widening slightly at this realisation. Albus had been trying to find his teammate so they could discuss the clue together, but he hadn't had any luck.
Freya felt her heart rate speed up even more. James was remembering her and this only unsettled her even more. Her grip on her pendent tightened even more. She was silently begging for it to work and come back. For once in her life, Freya felt exposed
James frowned, noticing her lack of response. Without another thought, James moved closer to her, getting her attention. He was very close to her. James was so close that Freya could feel his breath on her and she didn't like it.
"What are you doing?" Freya snapped, a hiss in her tone.
James smirked. There was something about this girl that intrigued him. "Now I've got your attention."
"Yes, you've got my attention. Now get out of my space." Freya said back blankly.
James arched a brow at her. Usually, girls would be blushing or stuttering around him. James knew that he was attractive and he had used that to his advantage for many years. But he had never come across someone who acted like this.
"Not until you tell me why you're practising," James said cockily, his smirk only growing larger when Freya glared at him.
Freya sneered at him, feeling her temper begin to rise. No one – besides Lance – would get in her personal space and she liked that. She liked that people would leave her alone and give her the space she wanted. But James seemed to be pushing her. He was challenging her – and somewhere deep down, Freya liked it. She knew that James wouldn't give in until she told him. She had watched him for years after all.
"It's for the next part of the tournament. I think it's about flying. That's why I was practising." Freya eventually admitted with a sigh in her tone.
"Was that so hard?" James said, looking happy with himself. But he did stay true to his word. James moved back until he was a decent distance away from her.
Saying nothing, Freya walked over to discarded broom and was about to walk away. She knew she needed to get away before anyone saw. Freya was lucky that no one else was there to see otherwise she would have been in a lot of trouble.
"What? Are you quitting already?" James said loudly, his tone making him sound arrogant. "I thought you were practising."
Freya stopped where was and glared at him. "That doesn't concern you." She hissed at him, not pleased that James had called her a quitter. She knew that James was trying to get a rise out of her – he had been doing that to everyone for years. He would act cocky and arrogant around people and taunt them.
James frowned. "It does actually. You're my brother's teammate, and I don't want you bringing him down or endangering him." James said, his usual bravado was gone. In its place stood a serious James – one that surprised Freya.
Freya glared at him, not liking what he was implying.
"Do you even know how to fly?" James asked, standing straight. He was looking at the broom in her hand and then at Freya.
For a moment, Freya hesitated. "Of course I do," Freya said before inwardly wincing at her memory. She couldn't fly at all but she didn't want to appear weak in front of him.
"Then show me," James said, folding his arms over his chest.
Gritting her teeth, Freya glared and mounted the broom in her hand, all the while keeping her gaze focused on James. He was standing back, watching Freya carefully. James was in Captain Mode when all he cared about was Quidditch. Fred had mocked him a few times because of this – who was then made to do laps around the pitch.
Just as Freya was about to kick off, James stopped her.
"What's wrong with your wrist?" He asked, looking at her wrist with a confused expression.
Freya stopped, but she wasn't surprised. She knew that he would pick it up. When she had mounted the broom, she had tried to put less weight on her left wrist and more on her right. But she hadn't hidden it that well.
"I sprained it," Freya admitted, holding the injured appendage to her chest.
Without saying another word, James walked forward and held out his hand. Freya arched a brow at him. "Give me your wrist." James said with his wand in hand.
"No." Freya instantly said.
James sighed deeply. "How are you going to fly with an injured wrist?" He gave her an expecting look, as though he expected her to give in. However, Freya was not one of those girls that would fall to his feet.
Freya glared at him. "I'll do it myself." Freya hissed at him, taking her own wand out. There was no way she was letting him anywhere near her again.
James watched as Freya healed her own wrist. There was something about her that really intrigued her. Now he was close again, he took in her appearance and he was not disappointed. The girl in front of him was pretty – but in a cold and alluring way. It was her eyes that stood out the most though. Her stormy grey eyes seemed to glow in the dark. They looked so similar to the eyes from his dreams.
"Have we met before?" James asked suddenly, staring at Freya intently.
Freya felt herself freeze where she was.
"I feel like we've met before," James said with a confused expression. He tried so hard to think back. There was no way he would forget this girl – her eyes were too similar to the girl in his dreams. Was this girl the one he had been dreaming out?
Feeling the air catch in her throat, Freya felt herself panic. This was going too far. At this rate, James would say something and Freya would be in serious trouble. Without another thought, Freya jumped off the broom and ran.
"Hey!" James yelled, watching her run away. For a moment, James wanted to run after her, but something inside him told him not too.
HARRY POTTER
Straight after Freya ran away from James, she darted over to McGonagall's office. Freya knew that the headmistress would still be awake as most days McGonagall didn't sleep until after all her paperwork was done for the day. Her pace was fast because she needed to speak with her urgently. As she made her way over, Freya couldn't help the feeling utter panic fill her very being. The knot in her stomach was enough for her to throw up there and then. Freya couldn't believe what she just did. She had spoken to James Sirius Potter and liked it. Freya had liked the fact he challenged her, it actually gave her a thrill.
"McGonagall." Freya burst into her office, slightly out of breath.
McGonagall looked up from her work with an arched brow. "Miss Williams, what are you doing out of bed?" She asked, looking at the clock on her desk. McGonagall knew that the curfew didn't really apply to Guardians, but she couldn't help herself.
"I have a problem," Freya panted slightly, walking further into the office.
Now, Freya had McGonagall's full attention. "What's wrong?" She asked, looking slightly concerned. She knew that Freya would never barge into her office unless it was important.
Freya looked around the room cautiously. She knew that McGonagall's office had a soundproofing spell around it, but she couldn't help but feel anxious. She didn't want to risk anyone listening to what she was going to say. "My pendant didn't work. James saw me and talked to me." Freya said in a hushed tone.
McGonagall gave no outward reaction other than a raised brow. "Oh?"
"This is bad. Very bad. If Lance ever finds out I am dead." Freya said very quickly as she began pacing around the office. Freya could feel her panic levels rising fast. She was going to be in so much trouble. Lance would find out and he wouldn't be happy. Just when things seemed to quieten down something happened. Freya began cursing her own stupidity. If only she had noticed James before he even entered the pitch then she wouldn't be in this situation.
"And how do you propose that Lance will find out?" McGonagall asked as she placed her quill down on her desk.
Freya stopped pacing and looked at her. "What?"
"No one saw you, correct?" McGonagall asked, arching a brow.
Freya shook her head, not understanding what she was saying. If someone had seen then this would have been a completely different conversation. Freya would have went straight to Lance to get it over with because that's what she had been trained to do by her mother and father. Dragging it out was never good because it just made Lance mad. However, no one had seen Freya talk to James.
McGonagall grinned slightly. "Then how will Lance find out? I'm certainly not going to tell him and neither should you." She said, picking up her quill and continued with her work.
Freya stared at McGonagall with an amazed expression.
"As far as I am concerned, this conversation didn't happen," McGonagall said, not looking up from her work. But she still had a small grin on her face.
"But what am I going to do about my pendant?" Freya asked, still concerned.
McGonagall frowned and took out her wand. She motioned for Freya to come closer and she obeyed. Silently, McGonagall cast a spell on the pendant. A bright light emanated from McGonagall's wand before disappearing completely.
"Alright, that should put the memory and invisibility charm back in place." McGonagall said before putting her wand away.
Feeling herself calm down, Freya nodded her head, thankful for her help. Lance didn't need to know about the incident with James or her pendant malfunctioning. No one saw it happen. Most times, Lance didn't know about some instances unless someone told him about it. Lance seemed to expect and encourage the Guardians to snitch on one another.
"Thank you," Freya whispered before leaving her office. Feeling much better, Freya knew that she would be able to sleep easier that night. Freya was still worried about Lance finding out, but for now it would be fine. Freya would just have to make sure her Occlumency shields were up.
Now alone, McGonagall looked up and leaned back in her seat.
"Looks like all your hard work is paying off, Minerva." Said the portrait of Albus Dumbledore behind her. His blue eyes twinkling in the low lighting.
McGonagall nodded her head. "It has. It's taken four years to break through that charm." She said with a frown on her face. For years, McGonagall had been trying to break through Lance's charm on the pendant. Those extra protection spells for Freya were a cover. McGonagall would be trying to get through the charm and then cover it with a charm of her own, so her meddling would stay undetected. She had been digging deeper every time, just so not to make Lance suspicious or alert him of any changes. It still amazed McGonagall of how complex the magic behind the pendant was. It was extraordinary – and that's what worried McGonagall. However, McGonagall had to restore it slightly so not to put Freya in any danger.
"Just make sure the girl isn't harmed in the process." Said another voice. This time, the voice came from the portrait of Severus Snape; whose sneer was hardened in the harsh lighting.
McGonagall sent Snape a side glance. "Who do you think I am? My main priority is to free Miss Williams. If I can free her then the others will follow." She said with the utmost confidence.
"And what makes you so confident they will follow?" Snape questioned with genuine curiosity. He had always wondered why McGonagall's attention was solely focused on this one girl when there were other Guardians too.
McGonagall frowned. "Miss Williams is Lance's strongest Guardian and she is well respected." She knew that if Freya turned against Lance then others would follow her example. McGonagall knew that there was a so much more going on – McGonagall was only told what she needed to know and nothing more. But, she felt confident that Freya knew a lot more – a lot more than any other Guardian. If Freya turned against Lance then the Guardians would crumble.
"Just remember Minerva, you're playing a dangerous game. Miss Williams is Lance's favourite pet and will keep her at all costs." Dumbledore warned with a grim expression.
McGonagall nodded her head.
"She's a child. Why don't you just leave her alone?" Asked a fourth voice. This one belonged to Armando Dippet, whose portrait sat in the corner. He had been watching for a while and hadn't spoken much. But he was curious about why this girl was getting so much attention.
McGonagall glared at his portrait. "Exactly, she is a child. She and many other children are being deprived of a life. If I don't intervene, she will never have a future."
This seemed to shut Dippet up.
"You've grown attached," Snape stated with a frown.
The room was silent for a moment as McGonagall didn't react to his words. Snape was always known to be blunt and straight to the point – that was something he was well known for and that's why he wasn't well liked. However, McGonagall was a tough Witch – one that even Voldemort could crack.
"And if I have?" McGonagall challenged with a sharp expression. She wasn't afraid to admit that she had grown rather fond of Freya. However, McGonagall suspected that Lance also knew that and that's why he summoned Freya that day he threatened her.
Dumbledore sighed deeply. "Just be careful McGonagall. Feelings can become a hindrance,"
McGonagall said nothing as she folded the piece of parchment. Standing up, she walked over to Fawkes. Fawkes had stayed even though Dumbledore had long passed. The Phoenix guarded the office and made sure to keep Lance away – who was deathly afraid of the Firebird.
"Take this to Harry Potter," McGonagall said, holding the paper out.
Fawkes screeched and snatched the parchment before flying into the air.
McGonagall watched the Phoenix fly away. She had sent this bird on purpose and that was because she knew Freya wouldn't be able to intercept it. McGonagall knew that Freya had been watching her ever since Lance had confronted her in this very office. As talented as Freya was, McGonagall was better. She knew that Freya had been ordered to spy on her by Lance – it had his name written all over this. She knew that Freya had snuck in a magic mirror and was watching her and she found it soon after that incident. That's why McGonagall now began taking all the very important documents into her room. McGonagall had also placed a charm on the mirror, so Freya wouldn't see this exchange at all.
"I'm not going to be able to do this alone. To bring down Lance, people need to know all the facts. Miss Williams is the key to unlock all of Lance's secrets." McGonagall ominously said into the air.