Whoohoo! I hit the 400 REVIEWS!!! That. Is. AMAZING! I never thought this story would be more popular than the first (I hit the 300's near the 30th chapter) And here I am, in the 17 chapter, with 400 something reviews!...*sniff* Oh, What the hell! Wait a second; I'll go get myself a Kleenex! You guys are my salvation after a hard day at work!
MarsMoonStar Koosei Chibi Pyro Duo Jessica (JP) Miranda Compton Yadrianne Bishienomiko1
Dark Emerald Ishtar Hildi-chan Noin Mayumi-8805 Chibi Koneko Lady Light sailorsunandchildofthesun
Koneko-hime Sachi Nyoko SnowDragon Usagi Asia Maxwell Firelightz ChibiChaos Lady Aya
Maiden Genisis Setsuna-3000 Firlosse Silver Moonlight Angel Silver Moon Princess Zaeria
SylentMage: It's in the 7th year.
Moonlight Nageen: Correction. Sirius is not a wolf; he's a grim-like dog.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Father Mine
Chapter 17: To anger Voldemort
______________________________________________________________
Daily Prophet
Urgent message to the population!
A heavy harmed group of Death Eaters has succeeded in freeing the already imprisoned Death Eaters and the captive dementors Thursday, December 8th. They were imprisoned not in Azkaban, for its lack of good guards, but in the Ministry of Wizards itself.
The aurors were completely caught unprepared and stunned in place. No deaths have been reported in our ranks, the attack being too fast and obviously meticulously prepared. The ministers are outraged by the more than audacious move from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. His return had been mentioned 2 years before by Harry Potter himself, and our worst fears have been proven.
In spite of the efforts of the mysterious stranger who had made those imprisonments possible, Death Eaters now roam freely in the roads and lurk in dark corners again. It has become imperative that children stay home late at night and even go out in daylight is a perilous thing.
The only Death Eater who stayed in the ministry's cell is the one who had lost his mind by unknown means. He is still muttering the same phrase over and over and will not be of any help. We must prepare ourselves for hard times, people, for war is knocking to our doors. More info in pages 3 to 6.
Usagi scrunched up the paper she was reading and it caught on fire. Nobody seemed to comment, as they were all reading it at their own respective places. The reactions of the students were many, though fear and nervousness openly showed in their eyes.
She turned around and saw Malfoy stare emptily at his journal.
"Those sons of a bitch! How did the Dark Lord do to invade the ministry anyway?!" Ron said angrily, while Hermione hissed at him. "Ronald Weasley! Watch your mouth!" Ron pouted, but didn't apologize for his bad words. She could see Harry silently seething and say; "It must be even harder to take by this person who worked so hard to have them captured."
She gazed at her boyfriend, before getting up unnoticed because of all the commotion. She got out of the Dining Hall before anyone could see her and she faintly heard the headmaster starting a speech on safety for these hard times to come. She conjured herself a winter coat and some boots, heading outside.
The cold air hit her face like needles but she didn't take any heed. She walked in the thick snow and stopped short from the entry of the Forbidden Forest. She took a big breath, before releasing the tension that was eating her on a tree. She put the palm of her hand on it and let all her frustration come out.
Her hair swayed by her side and her eyes became almost black, which wasn't a good sign. The black energy swept through her and she let the tree get the most of it. The dark aura enveloped it, and the leafs withered and died, before all the tree just literally succumbed to the power of death.
The irritation she felt was too great and she let out a choked yell, mixed with a growl. The black aura grew wider and she destroyed a dozen of trees in one blow. She only stopped when she felt her power drain and a dark aura enveloping the air. She started to suffocate and backed away slightly. Dementors glided out of the forest and she stiffened. 'Shit! They felt the power of Saturn! Those things are attracted to powerful emotions!'
One of them tried to touch her and she kicked it away. She was preparing to use Neptune's Trident rod and was halfway there when calling voices echoed through the air. She cursed when her concentration broke and the rod vanished into nothingness.
It was Harry's voice, but it was still distant. A couple of other persons were there with him but now she was endangered even more. People present meant no use of attack powers. She was fairly far away enough but she couldn't take any chances.
Her musings were caught short when a bony and cold hand grasped her neck firmly and lifted her in the air. She let out a choked gasp and tried to regain her breath. The dementor started to get into her head and feed of her memories. She had so many, she could feed an army.
She tried to squirm her way out but it only tightened its grip. She felt her consciousness slowly fade away and in a last attempt, she kicked full force in the air. She hit the dementor at his side and he dropped her. She fell in the snow on her knees and backed away as much as she could. Her strength left her and she felt the dementors approach.
She looked at them with dread and the voices in the background were still too far away to rescue her. She leaned in the snow and let the menacing auras take over her soul. Her clothes were wet and cold and she was freezing. Her adoptive parents, who loved her as their own, her little brother Shingo, the little brat, Ami, Rei, Makoto, Minako, Haruka, Michiru, Setsuna, Hotaru…So many happy moments she passed with them…
'Happy moments?' Her eyes snapped open and she crouched in the snow as fast as she could. "EXPECTO PATRONUM!!!" She didn't know what had possessed her to say this when she was about to have the life sucked out of her but it actually worked. A silver sheen of light appeared and she concentrated on Harry's words; 'You have to believe you can do it! Put as much happy memories or happy thoughts you can in your Patronus!' She focused on her happy memories;
"Come on Usagi-chan! You have to study!" Intelligent Amy…
"Odango-Atama! Why can't you be less childish! * throws a raspberry*" Fiery Rei…
"Usagi-chan! I made you your favourite cake!" Strong Makoto…
"Why don't we go to the arcade today! There's a new Sailor V game!" Loving Minako…
"Koneko-chan…*hugs*…I know! Why don't you come with me to the racetrack today?" Fast Haruka…
"Usagi-chan! I made a music sheet for you! Why don't I play it now!" Calm Michiru…
"Serenity-hime, the future only depends on your choices…" Mysterious Setsuna…
"Usagi-mama! Come to the park with me?" Courageous little Firefly, Hotaru…
The silver sheen glowed brightly and burst into several branches of colors, before they each took shape. When she opened her eyes, the dementors were already unconscious on the ground, and she was staring straight back at her senshis…Well, a Patronus form of her senshis. They weren't see through and looked so real.
They couldn't talk but they still smiled down at her. They were circling her protectively in their scout form and she smiled shakily back to them, a few tears making their way down. She was about to brush them away when a hand did it for her. She gazed at Uranus in the eyes and the protective senshi smiled proudly at her, before getting up. They gave her a last smile, before vanishing away in their own respective specks of colors.
She didn't hear the voices anymore and assumed the others had gone back in the castle, thinking she wasn't outside. Still feeling the effects of using Saturn's power, she got up shakily and leaned on a tree, gazing back disgustingly at the unmoving dementors. She slowly made her way back to the castle, wet, freezing, tired, and pissed as hell.
She stumbled through the doors and was caught by professor Snape before she hit the ground. "Tsukino! What happened to you?!" When he saw how frozen she was, he started to get her outer robes off and used the sonorous charm on himself. "POPPY, I NEED YOU IN THE ENTRANCE HALL NOW!" He then used the quietus charm and started to stroke the frozen rabbit's arms.
She tried to get out of his grip and tell him she was ok but he didn't let go of her. Minutes later, Pomfrey rushed in with Albus, a couple other professors and Harry, followed by his friends. Harry gasped, seeing his girlfriend in such a bad state, being held in Snape's arms, no less.
"Serena! What happened to you?!" He walked swiftly to her and almost pushed the potions master out of the way, who scowled in return. The green eyed boy took his robes off and put them on his girlfriend's back. Her shivering lessened and the nurse gave her a morsel of chocolate. Her strength returned a little but she would still need time to regain her true energy.
Lupin crouched down in front of her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "What happened, Miss Tsukino?" Mentally, she was screaming. She wasn't a child, damnit! She didn't need the entire school to take care of her! She had managed alone for a long time, and being in the presence of so many people made her uncomfortable. Still, she managed a small, almost triumphant looking gaze if it wasn't for her lack of energy, to her boyfriend.
"Remember I couldn't make my Patronus work?" She said to Harry, whose eyes widened considerably. "Have you been able to make your Patronus work!?" He said excitedly. She smirked at him, which confirmed his theory. However, she turned serious when she gazed at the headmaster.
He looked at her questioningly and her eyes darkened. "I learned it at a very high price. Hogwarts' wards are very weak, headmaster. Dementors were roaming on school grounds. I met them, I know." The twinkle in the old man's eyes was gone. Mc Gonagall gave a little gasp. "You met dementors?! You poor child! How could this ever happen, Albus?" Usagi almost snorted out loud. 'Me? A poor, defenceless little child? As if!'
"I don't know, Minerva, but I intend to call Fudge about his wards. I won't let any of my students get attacked like this so easily!" She was ready to swear Snape and Dumbledore were related by the way the old man's robes flew behind him when he turned around, marching straight to his office.
"Um…You can let go of me, now. I would like to take a warm bath and change…" Harry blushed and let go of his girlfriend's shoulders. "Sorry..."
*~*~*
"Hey Harry? Have you seen Serena? I wanted to ask her some advice on the next potions assignments…" Neville asked when he entered the common room. Harry was already scribbling some notes for the DADA homework and pointed to the girl's dormitory. "She said she had a headache and was going to rest a little. You can always check if she's up."
Neville nodded reluctantly, got up the stairs and knocked on the door. "Hey Serena! Are you up?" He knocked again but received no answers. He opened the door slowly, blushing at the thought of invading the girl's dorms. But there weren't any girls.
"Hey Harry! Nobody's in the girl's dorm! Could she have left without you knowing?" Harry frowned and looked at Hermione and Ron. The intelligent girl put a finger on her chin pensively. "I saw her go upstairs but we were so involved in our homework maybe we didn't see her go out."
Ron shrugged. "Bah! Maybe she was hungry and went to fetch something to eat. Or, you know, she always goes to the Divination classroom to do her stuff with the fire. Don't look so worried, Harry. You'll give yourself a bloody ulcer before you turn 20. And anyway! She promised she wouldn't go outside again. Dumbledore made this clear enough."
"You're probably right, Ron. Can I borrow your notes, Hermione?" He changed subject and Neville sighed. "What about my potions work?" He whined.
*~*~*
She attached her hair tightly in a bun and cloaked herself again. Her gaze wandered up to the window of the 7th year dormitory and she sighed. "I know I promised, Harry. I'm sorry." Then, her gaze hardened viciously, ready for another round of man hunting. She summoned Mercury's computer and stared at the biggest blinking point on the screen. She disappeared from Hogwarts ground in silver sparkles of light.
They were in great number! She grinned sadistically and moved closer in the shadows. Her eyes glinted menacingly when she finally spotted him. She adjusted her hood and stood up. "This seems like an interesting meeting! Can I join?"
The Death Eaters whirled around in shock and growled at the newcomer. "Who are you and what do you want!?" One of them asked darkly, and she sneered in return. 'Voldie wanted to play with my nerves, I'll show him total humiliation!' "I want Pettigrew! Hand him to me and I'll spare you!"
The Death Eaters laughed loudly in mockery. "And what are you going to do if we refuse? Tickle us? HAHAHAHA!!!!" It was dark outside and she used the chance she had. Smiling sweetly to them from under her hood, she extended one of her hands towards a lamp post. "This. SPACE SWORD BLASTER!!!"
She made a swift slashing movement and they almost didn't see the glowing golden sword that formed in her hand and disappeared as quickly as it came. The lamp post split up in 2 and the higher part fell on the ground with a large thud, the light at the extremity breaking in hundreds of glass shards.
She turned back to the speechless dark servants. "Give me Pettigrew NOW! I'm loosing patience!" They reacted as she thought they would. They took out their wand and started hurling curses and hexes at her. She started to deflect them with her own shield when she saw Pettigrew back away sneakily out the corner of her eyes.
"Oh no you don't!" She muttered. "MERCURY BUBBLES! BLAST!!!" A thick fog covered the area and she felt the animagus energy trail of Pettigrew. She immediately transformed and flew towards the energy. She spotted the pesky rat and inwardly smirked.
The idiot was trapped at the end of an alleyway and there wasn't any sewer holes nearby. The winged Unicorn flew low and landed gracefully on the pavement, before whinnying loudly and thumping its hoofs on the ground. She didn't leave Pettigrew any chance; he transformed back into his human self. She did the same, and he looked completely scared out of his wits. He shrank back in a corner.
"Please!" He implored, with no pride whatsoever, "Don't kill me! I could lead you to the Dark Lord! You could do great things with him! Great things!" He stuttered. She glared. "You have no pride left, Pettigrew! I doubt there was anything Gryffindor in you…Ever! And I don't intend to kill you, oh no! I just want to make you suffer as much as he has suffered!"
She was loosing her control and she felt the familiar burn on her forehead, accompanied by the higher flow of power in her veins. Peter was lost as to whom she was referring to but he didn't have time to work that logic out as hands wrapped themselves around his neck.
He choked a little and with his fleeting movements, he accidentally knocked the hood off her head. He gasped as he saw who it was. A girl! A girl had been able to ridicule his master's servants! He gasped in horror when he noticed the symbol on her forehead. "The glowing moon!" He whispered frightfully. "It's you, the glowing moon! Mc Nair's warnings were true after all!"
She grimaced at him. 'What the hell is that psychotic murderer talking about now?!' Then, it dawned on her. The Death Eater she had rendered crazy always said the same thing; 'Never. Coherent. Moon! Glowing…Traitor…Watch out! Moon…' She remembered that event…
Months ago…
She had the Death Eater named Mc Nair trapped at the end of her arms in a death grip. "You'll never be coherent again!" Her moon insignia started glowing and the man watched the symbol with pure fright and dread. "The traitor will get what he merits! Yes! Watch out, you rat…" She had spoken to herself hauntingly. "MOON MIND BLAST!" The flash of light illuminated the place and a last cry of despair was the last thing heard.
'What do you know! Mc Nair had actually been able to form a coherent warning with what he had heard her say and see after all!' She mused, but came back to the matter at hand. "Now that you've seen me, I'll have to knock you out!" The rat animagus squeaked but pity wasn't a part of her vocabulary for this particular night.
She glowered one last time at him and put a hand on his chest, as disgusted as she was by the simple task of touching him. He whined but she didn't pay attention. She called Jupiter's electricity and only focused on this hand. Her hand glowed a light green and the shock Pettigrew took was enough to make him lose consciousness.
"There. You'll be knocked out for a couple of days, long enough for the ministry's idiots to do the test of authenticity on you. Now, let's make a bigger fool of Voldie even more, shall we?"
The thick fog was still there and she could hear the angry remarks of the Death Eaters, still caught in it. She laughed loudly in pure pleasure of seeing them all scattered around and threw something on the ground. "It's been a pleasure to do business with you!" She teleported away, still laughing.
The fog cleared when she vanished and the Death Eaters looked over for Pettigrew, but to no avail. The only thing they found was a card imbedded on the pavement. One of them took the card and growled at the picture, before he threw it on the ground. Another Death Eater took the card and showed the picture to his other comrades, shocked and angry himself after seeing the single image; the Hogwarts crest.
*~*~*
She chained Pettigrew around the old telephone booth; the main entry of the ministry. "Take care, Pettigrew. And may our paths never cross again." She vanished again, leaving the unconscious man on the ground.
"Where were you, Serena?" She was rather surprised when she saw half of the Gryffindor 7th years still up at this hour, studying for their exams. She looked at Harry who had addressed her. Lucky for her she had changed into her day clothes immediately after coming back.
"You worry too much, Harry. I did my things, that's all." She kissed him deeply when she saw he was about to retort. "I'm going to sleep. See you tomorrow, Harry." She gave one last glance at him and got up the stairs.
Neville groaned. "Darn! I still didn't ask her about my potions homework!" The others laughed. "You and your potions homework! Seriously!" Seamus said, still laughing at him.
Harry gave a worried and longing look towards the girl's dormitory and reluctantly went back to his work, shaking himself mentally that nothing was wrong. Still, why did he have this feeling she was hiding something from him?
________________________________________________________________________________
OHHH!!!! It's getting interesting, isn't it?? *_*
He!He!He! It's not really a cliffhanger for me, although it might be for you…^_^;;; You've been waiting for that bit for a LOOONG time haven't you???
You know what to do………………………………
REVIEW!
REVIEW!
REVIEW!
REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love ya all!
Eternal Cosmos ^_~