Chapter Twenty-Six: (A/N-I really can't think of a title! Sorry)
When we owled my mom and dad, they both had different reactions. Dad thought it was great, and that it would be a very good thing for me to get this kind of practice in potions. Mom thought it was too dangerous, and I really shouldn't be doing it; even thought they both did it when they were younger than me. Remus, and Saraan were both on moms side and Maxis and Callisto were with dad, saying it would be great for me to have this power. I was sort of in the middle. On one hand I really did want to do this, but then on the other hand I knew that it could be very dangerous, and I was frightened. I didn't dare tell Mrs. Weasley for fear that she'd lock me in the house trying to keep me from any harm.
At first I tried to convince Harry, Ron, or Hermione to do it too, but they all turned down my offers of course. I didn't want to return to school because I knew that's where the potion would be started, and then there was the decision of choosing an animal. I had no idea what so ever on this subject, and my friends kept feeding me ideas, and letters came for me in the mail. It was nerve racking!
"Something powerful!" Hermione would say.
"Nimble." Said Harry one day
"Quick and muscular." Ron told me.
Finally I just got so exasperated that I opened to a page of and animal encyclopedia, opened it up to a page filled with animals, closed my eyes, waved my wand around, and hit down on a place on the page.
"Aphi that's not a good idea." Ron told me before I started
I opened my eyes to see what animal I'd picked.
"Red Fox." I read aloud. (A/N-just happens to be my favorite animal!)
"I personally think that canine blood must run in your family." Said Ron.
I rolled my eyes.
"Happy Aphi?" asked Hermione "you've got your animal so now you can be fully behind this project."
"Wonderful!" I exaggerated the joy in my voice, but I was now thinking about Ron's comment. According to dad anyone on his side of the family that had tried or become animagi ended up being something with-in the canine species.
"If I were you I'd research the animal." Said Hermione
"I already have enough homework, trust me."
When we went to Diagon Ally for school supplies we met Maxis in the Leaky Cauldron. It was completely by chance.
"So how've things been?" she asked us kids.
"Not so good." I answered as every one else said fine.
"Are you still upset about the animagus thing?" she asked kindly. "You're just like Lily. You'll grow to like it. Did you decide on an animal?"
"Red Fox."
"She let her wand decide." Said Ron dryly.
Maxis giggled.
"They made me agree to do this." I said.
"You'll love it, trust me." Maxis seemed to have some sympathy for me. "You should go, Mrs. Weasley's waiting."
We waved goodbye and walked out to the backyard where Mrs. Wesley was waiting by the trashcan.
"Hurry up then." She said irritably.
She opened the gateway with her wand and we walked through.
(A/N-Hi peeps! I hope you liked this part. In the next part Sirius and Remus will be back. I really can't figure out anything else to say… wait! I'll be starting a new story soon. Here's the plot: there's a girl named Molly Shields and she goes to a school in Tokyo, Japan. She's transferred there after her parent's die, and then Voldie starts attacking there, so there are problems. Anyway look for it!)
-Kendra Black (aka-Aphi Black)
Chapter Twenty-Seven: The Hogwarts Express
The day before the Hogwarts Express was set to leave dad, Remus, and mom came back. They'd finally found Hagrid and Madam Olympia (sp?). They'd been in a giant community for the last year. The negotiations had been long, and they didn't have owls accessible. Dad, mom, and Remus had finally found them up in the Swiss Alps. The giants had signed the treaty for Dumbledore so now they wouldn't help Voldemort.
The day they came back Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I were out in the back flying (I didn't mention I'd gotten a Firebolt for my birthday). Mrs. Weasley called us down, but of course we didn't listen, so she sent dad out side, and I ended up diving into him, because I wasn't paying attention.
"Oof!" he said under the broom and me.
"Dad!"
"Mind getting off?"
"Sorry." I rolled off grabbing my broom.
"Aphi are you ok?" called Harry. He was flying low looking down.
"Fine," I shouted up, and then I turned back to dad. "Are Mom and Remus here too?"
"They're in the kitchen." He answered, "So of course I heard the good news."
"what?" I asked confused.
"you're going to be an animagus." He said.
"Oh," I said grimly "I'd kinda forgotten about that."
He looked at me. "you know it's not that bad, you're like Lily. She didn't want it at first. But she did grow to like it."
"I guess." I conceded.
"so, have you chosen an animal?" he asked.
I brightened "Red fox."
"keeping another tradition alive I see."
I raised my eye brows, "what tradition?"
"well it really isn't a tradition, it's just your form is some how related to a dog or wolf just like every one else on my side of the family."
"That's just weird." I looked behind me Harry had landed and joined the conversation.
Dad looked at him and grinned "I never really thought about it until recently when Dumbledore told me that Aphi was going to…"
Those words surprised me, "You knew!" I yelled "you knew, and you didn't tell me. I would have had a chance to freak out already."
He started to laugh "listen to yourself. I think you're freaking now."
"You knew!"
"I only found out about it at about the end of the year, I swear." He flashed a pure marauders grin, causing me to fully believe him and forgive him.
Ron and Hermione came over to us, wanting to know what was going on. I just told them to forget it, and we walked inside.
All to soon I was time to go back to school. Harry, Ron, Hermione and I were soon crossing the barrier at Kings Cross station to get on to the Hogwarts express. While we were waiting to board I actualy noticed Dean flashing looks at me; I giggled to my self when ever I saw this.
We sat in the compartment we sat in last year and waited for the train to start. Unfortunatly Remus and Maxis were up with the teachers so we had no adult company. For most of the train ride we seemed to forget about the problems and the tasks set upon us, for we talked about normal kid stuff. Sports, School work, who liked who (I'll have to meet Cho Chang), and things like that. After about two hours on the train the candy lady came in and we just about bought out the cart.
We sat around eating merrily, until a large rumble shook the train, and the lights all blacked out.
"Ugh," said Harry gloomily "I hope it isn't dementors." I hoped it wasn't either. We could hear screams coming from other compartments and we didn't know whether they were being attacked or whether they were just scared. Suddenly there was knock on the door. We all looked at each other trying to figure out how to deal with it.
"Wands ready I guess." Said Ron shakily.
Hermione stepped forward with her wand up and pulled the door open quickly. She jumped behind it ready to spring on top of the person if necessary.
"Aphi." Said the urgent voice.
"Lumos." I murrmered. From the light from my want I could see Maxis standing the doorway.
"All of you come here." She whispered. She hardly breathed, and sweat dripped down her face. "Death eaters; they're searching the train, posing as ministry officals. The conductor was easily fooled, and let them on. Then they blacked out all of the lights. No one know they did that though, so they're still posing as ministry officals. Every thing is now in chaos. They could be anywhere on this train. They're looking for you four. Stand together now." We all did, and I could see that they were all scared. Maxis looked behind herself.
"I'm going to take you up to the teachers compartments. You can't be in sight though, I'll shrink you."
"Wha…" Ron said something but Maxis hushed him.
"aborior." She whispered.
The ground came rushing up at me, and soon Maxis was forty stories tall. She looked down at us, and scooped us all up. we were all surprisingly silent.
"I'm putting you in my pocket (A/N-For all you people out there getting nasty ideas about the fact that there are two boys in a girls pocket, you really need to get a life. Just thought I'd add that.)
Maxis dropped us in a pocket in her robes.
"Ow!" said Harry when he landed on top of a loose quill.
"I can't believe this." Said Hermione as if she were in a dream.
"shh!" we heard Maxis whisper.
"It must be serious." I said. "I can't believe there are death eaters on the train."
"they'll let any one on." Said Harry dryly, obviously remembering the dementors. "This is new low. We're shrunk inside a pocket."
I felt us brush against something. I also heard Maxis.
"No sir, I'm just going to my compartment. I'm a seventh year." She lied.
"Death eater." Hermione stated the obvious.
"shhh!" I said staining to hear.
"Miss…" said the man questioningly.
"Miss. Aaron." She lied again.
"Miss. Aaron, I suggest you make haste back to your compartment. My other colleiges will not be so kind." He stopped "do you by any chance know four students by the names of Aphrodite, Harry, Ron, and Hermione?"
"No sir, are you looking for them?"
"you could say that." The man grunted. "good bye then."
I could feel the man walk off and Maxis continue down the corridore to the safe compartments.
"We're there." She told us a few minutes later. "you're staying this way though until the train starts moving again."
"Are they ok?" asked someone.
"They're fine Minerva." Said Maxis quietly. "I only met up with one death eater. Hopfuly we'll be on our way soon."
Down in our little pocket we kept quiet to listen to all the news around us. Someone came into the compartment once and Maxis squeazed the pocket we were in so hard that we almost couldn't breath. The teachers did some sweet-talking and then the man left. in what seemed like a millenium the train started to move again.
"You guys were good. You can come out now." Maxis reached into her pocket and lifted us out. I saw two people other than Maxis in the compartment. We were with Remus and Professor Mcgonagall.
"deaborior." She said.
We grew and the compartment got bigger and bigger. I looked around. The teachers had it way better than we did.
"you guys get free candy." Harry voiced this injustice, then he saw Mcgonagall and quieted. To our surprise she laughed, they all did. I looked at my friends. We were all thinking the same thing.
"You should stay here, for the rest of the trip. We'll be there soon." Said Remus "Better to be safe than sorry."
(A/N-ok, now I know that there are some sick perverts out there that I have now supplied with some kind of disgusting image, I have three words for you… GET OVER IT! There, now that that's done on to other things, like… No!!! death eaters have gotten onto the train! How that hell did that happen? We'll find out in more detail in the next part. Toddles.)
-Kendra Black (aka-Aphi Black)
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Jamie
I sat tensly for the rest of the trip thinking that more death eaters were going to barge in. Maxis kept telling us not worry (though I don't think Remus or Mcgonagall approved of this line of thought), but if death eaters had invaded the train you were in, looking for you then you'd be scared too.
Remus insisted on coming in the same carrige as us up to the school, and then escourting us to the Gryffindor table. Throughout the feast teachers eyes were cast apon us at random as if they expected five million death eaters to come bursting through the doors. The girl Jamie looked cruely at us through the whole feast also.
"I wonder if she's related to Snape?" asked Ron once after her eyes crossed us.
"Nope." Said Hermione "he's just as mean to her as he is to Neville; I'm going to assume he's pleasant enough to treat his kin kindly."
"wouldn't put it bellow him." I put in. I looked up to see Jamie looking at us once more. I stuck my tounge out at her. she stared at me for a second and stuck hers out back, then turned back to her dinner. I thought I actually saw her smile.
Jamie came into the tower late that night, but I didn't care. I said hello, and good night but all she did was mutter some thing back. She looked distressed and immediately fell asleep.
Jamie almost always had a hand in her pocket. Why? I didn't know, but it was quite interesting. In between insulting Hermione and I she'd stick her hand in a pocket of her robe and grab something. it didn't look like it did anything, but she would grasp it and get a look of… well sorrow on her face. Then she'd go back to insulting us.
In the first week back she started to get increasingly pale, Hermione was the first to notice and pointed it out to Ron and Harry. Ron dismissed it say she deserved it. Hermione and I were a bit more concerened. Even with all the torment she gave us, she was still a Gryffindor.
"Jamie," she said that night. "are you ok?"
"I'm fine," she snapped. "What makes you think I'm not? You need a demo?" she balled her hand into a fist.
"We were just asking." I snapped back "geeze!"
"I'm fine." She said. Then she pulled the covers on her bed up on her, and went to sleep.
"I think she got paler." I whispered to Hermione one day.
"I don't think that it's possible." I said. "she already looked like one of Madam Pomfrey's sheets." Hermione nodded and stirred the potion we were working on.
"Mcnulty." Said Snape loudly. "The potion is supposed to be purple not blue."
I looked at ours, and then at Hermione. "whoops!" ours was red. Then I looked back at Jamie. She looked small against Snape's wrath.
"weren't listening during class were we, Mcnulty?"
Jamie just looked at him and he continued.
"So thinking you can just waltz your way through Potions class eh? Well you can't, Mcnulty. I guess your fathers in…"
At the word father Jamie turned on her heal and walked out of the room with out a word.
"Damn!" I whispered surprised.
"Detention Black," said Snape catching me. "Saturday."
"Shit!" I whispered softer. Saturday was the day we were supposed to be starting my animagus potion.
"Trying for another?" asked Snape catching me again. "we can arange that. You have another detention on Sunday."
I laughed to myself trying for another one "F…" Hermione stepped on my foot.
"Why'd you do that?" Harry asked me later.
"I really don't know actually." I said concidering it. "It just came. It was fun though, of course I have two detentions now, but that's life."
"That was stupid." Said Ron. "Snape's detentions are killer if you remember from last year."
I shrugged. "Who said I was planning in going?"
Hermione grabbed my shoulders "who are you and what have you done with the real Aphi?"
"It's me Hermione. Are you like going for a Xena death grip or something, ow!" I pried her fingers off of my shoulders. "I just don't feel like going to those detentions. Now come one, lets go find Jamie. I want to know what's wrong with her."
Chapter Twenty-Nine: What''s wrong with Jamie?
We found Jamie underneath a tree by the lake. Hermione and I sent the boys away and went over to talk with her.
"Are you seriously ok?" I asked sitting down next to her.
she looked at me, and reached into her pocket. She pulled out what looked like a little stress ball (you know the kind you squeeze to releive stress).
"My father," she started, and looked at the ball. "touch this."
I slowly reached out my hand, but Hermione pulled it back.
"Are you nuts?" she whispered in my ear.
I pulled my and back from her and reached out to touch the ball again. when I touched it I could hear a voice, but I couldn't make it out. then the worst feeling I'd ever felt came over me. it was a feeling of sadness and dread. I quickly reached away from the ball.
"Well did you hear it?" asked Jamie sadly.
I nodded.
"good." She said, and she threw the ball into the lake. "I'm never using it again."
"What was it?" asked Hermione.
"My father is a death eater," Said Jamie. She practicly spit the word death eater. "he's been giving me instructions on what to do, last year and this year until I chucked just now."
"so you've been working for Voldemort?" I asked.
"Basicly, but I didn't want to. I was threatened and, I couldn't say no with out dying, so I accepted and did every thing he asked."
"Like what?"
"How do you think those defenses went down that much. Why do you think I haven't been exactly pleasant to you. I mean I would have loved to be friends with you guys, but I couldn't. why do you think I hang out with Malfoy?" she shuddered. "His fathers way up there with the death eaters, along with Crabbe and Goyle."
"Aren't you going to get into trouble now?" Hermione started to worry. "I mean with Voldemort."
"I'm no use to him anymore. I don't know why. I was told to throw the ball away. I did that gladly."
"So that's why you smiled at the feast?" I asked.
"you noticed." She smiled "I was hopping you would."
"Did you tell any one else?" Hermione said.
"No. In potions I was holding the ball and I just told me to throw it away. I would have left later, but the Snape well you heard him he was reminding me of my father and I couldn't take it."
We nodded.
"Guys thanks," she said to us. "But we'd better go back up to the castle."
I looked at my watch. It was 3:30 and I had a History of Magic paper due in thirty minutes that I hadn't even started. As we walked back up to the castel I started to think about open lines for my paper on the history of wands with unicorn hairs. (I know it's such a cool topic!).