James Potter and the Eight Marauders
Chapter 4
Lily instantly listened.
"See, it starts with the evil wizard, Grindelwald. I'm sure you all know him?" Dumbledore got nods from all over the room except from Lily.
"Who's Grindelwald?" Lily asked with her face scrunched up in confusion.
"Grindelwald," Dumbledore started. "Is an extremely evil wizard. Some of us in this room know the kind of cruel acts he can perform, right?"
At this point, Lindsay and Kat looked at the ground.
"There's this thing that goes far back into history. I'm sure you all have read about Covens?" said Dumbledore. Everybody looked confused. "Ah, I guess not. Well, you see, a Coven is a formation of witches or wizards, and a Coven has enormous powers, but none are formed that easily, for each person in the Coven has to have complete faithfulness to everybody else in the Coven. A Coven can be formed two ways. One way is to have four people of the same sex from the same House that are completely faithful to each other make a potion and mix it in their blood. Another way, the more powerful way, is to have four people of the female sex, one from each House, who are completely faithful to each other mix bloods among themselves. The last one is much more powerful, and the power will be multiplied many times if you pick the four females carefully."
Dumbledore stopped for a minute. "You can probably guess where I'm going with this." He took a deep breath. "We need to defeat Grindelwald. He's becoming a big threat, and he's going too far. So, four years ago, I picked the best girl from each House, hoping that you would agree with this plan and help save the magic world."
Kat burst out laughing. Everybody stared at her, except Dumbledore, like she was crazy. "Whoa whoa whoa," she managed between chuckles. "Are you saying that we-Kat moved her hands to include everybody in the room-are supposed to save the world? This is such a soap opera situation."
She shot out of her chair, and walked over to Alexia. "C'mon, Alexia. It's time to save the world. And while we're out there, let's run up the Himalayas and walk across the Pacific Ocean."
She spun towards Dumbledore. "You are crazy. We are just a couple of kids. You expect us to save the world?"
Dumbledore nodded, then motioned for Kat to sit down, but she refused to. "Well, Miss Blade," Dumbledore sighed. "I didn't think all of you would agree to this, but I thought you would want to do thi-"
"Oh, trust me," Kat interrupted. "I want to do this." She slammed her fist down on Dumbledore's desk. "I am going to avenge my brother's death. I swear it."
Dumbledore nodded, and looked at Lindsay, who was in deep thought. "Miss Fletcher? I was thinking you might have the same thought as Kat?"
Lindsay's eyes closed for a second, and tears poured forth. She sighed, and her innocent face didn't look half so innocent for a second. "Yes, I agree," said Lindsay quietly, with determination. "My sister deserves as much."
Turning his attention to Lily, Dumbledore asked, "Miss Oberlin? Well?"
With a little hesitation, Lily asked, "Professor Dumbledore...was it Grindelwald who killed my parents?"
James looked in surprise at Lily. He never knew her parents were dead, but as he looked around the room, everybody else knew.
Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I'm afraid so, Miss Oberlin."
Slowly, rising out of her chair, Lily stood up. "Then, yes, I am in this as well."
Lastly, Dumbledore looked at Alexia. "Miss Quan?"
Alexia stood up as well. "Definitely," said Alexia with silent menace.
Dumbledore nodded, and turned to James. "Perhaps I should explain your need in this, Mr. Potter." He smiled at James. "I need you to keep your friends from this for as long as you can. Can you do that?" James nodded. "Good." Dumbledore turned back to the girls. "In order to have this work out, I need you to tell each other all the things you've been keeping back from them. Everything. Then, take a knife, and mix your blood with each others. Within 24 hours, you should be able to notice the change. I'll call you later on to tell you what to do."
Alexia raised her hand, and asked, "But what do we have against this Grindelwald dude?"
Dumbledore smiled. "When the Coven is activated, your gifts will be heightened. But remember this," said Dumbledore in a low voice. "Your gifts are also your curses. And, Miss Blade, when the Coven is fully working, you WILL be able to run up the Himalayas and walk across the Pacific." He waved them off, and they exited the room, slightly dazed. They never heard his last words.
"Good luck...you'll need it."
*****
"I've always had a weird obsession with chocolate," Lily revealed with great drama.
Lindsay giggled. "I'm not sure that's what they meant by secrets, Lily." She sighed. "Well, I have, well, had, a little sister. Her name was Joanna, and she was the best sister." Turning her head, Lindsay continued, "Then one day, she was playing with her neighbor in their front yard, just when Grindelwald and his followers came by." Her voice started to crack at this point. "To show that he had no mercy for anybody, not even a seven year old girl, he...performed the Crucio spell on her...and left her like that for over an hour!"
Alexia dropped her brush in horror as Lily's hand went up to her mouth. Lindsay broke down completely. "I couldn't help her, I couldn't even help her," she sobbed. "I remember holding her, having her tremble and scream in pain in my arms. She cried out for me to stop it, to stop the torture. But I couldn't." Lindsay stopped a while to fully cry. Each sob pulled at her heart. "She should be attending her first year here at Hogwarts right now. But no, she's in St. Mungo's for the Insane. Everytime I go and visit Joanna, she just sits there with this blank face. How much I try to get a smile, just a little one, out of that little face, nothing works."
Silence filled the air except for Lindsay's occasional sobs. Lily went over to Lindsay's bed and comforted her. Soon, Alexia and Kat got over the shock and went as well.
Kat smiled at Lindsay. "You're not the only one who hates Grindelwald. He took my brother's life." She sighed. "My parents died when I was ten, so we lived with my grandmother. My four sisters and three brothers, and me. I was second oldest, so I was sometimes in charge of everybody. My brother went to go get the groceries for that one day. Isaac, as the oldest, felt it was his duty. He came back in a coffin." Kat didn't cry, but her voice broke. "I had to be there when all the little kids found out." She shook her head. "How are you supposed to tell your little sister or brother when they ask about their dead older brother? I remember April running to tell me that Isaac couldn't be dead, that he still hadn't brought home the oranges she loved. Jayce crying by the fire, Pearl standing on the roof, threatening to take her own life. Harmony asking me where Isaac was. Sean and Xavier walking around like zombies. Grandmother helped me, but I had to watch all that."
Lily looked around the room. "Well, my parents were killed by Grindelwald. They were coming through our neighborhood and slaughtering everybody. Petunia and I, we hid under her bed. We heard the Death Eaters gang rape our mother in the next room. The cruel laughter and my mom's crying. Grindelwald himself tortured my dad, burned him in our fireplace. After they were finished with my mom, they did Avada Kedavra on her...and shoved her under Petunia's bed." Lily started to shiver. "I stared at my mother's beaten, lifeless face under there, and couldn't scream or cry or anything, for fear that the Death Eaters would find me and Petunia." Lily suddenly stopped, and burst into tears.
After some awkward patting, Alexia started her story. "Erm, I think I should start out with saying that...uh..." Alexia looked at Lindsay, before taking a deep breath. "Um...Tom Riddle's my brother..." When nobody responded (how could they? they were all in shock.), she continued. "Our mother died giving birth to me, but Tom's always been a good brother, and he never blamed me for her death, ever. But our dad left her a little after Tom was born, saying he wanted a daughter as an excuse. My mother was too naive to know that it was because she was magic did he really leave. So when she learned she was pregnant, she tried to tell him, but he wouldn't let her. In the end, she prayed that it would turn out to be a daughter. Well, it did. But Tom and I went through countless foster homes, and we split somewhere in the middle. I changed my name because I did not want my stupid father's last name, Riddle. However, Tom kept it for some reason."
Silence filled the room once more.
Lily sniffed. "Let's go on to happier secrets, like my obsession for chocolate." Giggles suddenly burst through the nervous and sad atmosphere. "Hey!" Lily exclaimed. "Let's make this into a Truth or Dare game. Okay, Kat, why do you not have a boyfriend and why are you not interested. I mean, you're fourteen."
Kat mocked thought. "Well, I know that I am strong and pretty tough, but all I ask for in a guy is that he can beat me at wrestling...or something."
Laughter filled the room. "Whaaat?" Kat protested. "Fine then, Lily. Who do you have a crush on?"
The room quieted as Lily smiled. "Promise not to tell anybody. I like...James Potter."
Brief applause resounded in the room. "You'll get him, Lily," Lindsay reassured her.
Lily glared at Kat. "Not when Kat's around. He didn't seem to be able to keep his hands off of her during the Yule Ball." Lily sat up straighter. "But it's okay. I don't blame you, Kat. In fact, it's perfectly fi-"
"Aww, shaddup," Kat groaned. Lily stopped. "It wasn't like that at all, Lily." Kat explained what really happened during the Yule Ball. Everybody cracked up at the James making smacking noises.
"Wait, you guys," Alexia suddenly burst in. "I think we should start the Coven ritual now."
Lily took a deep breath. "Yeah, we should."
Kat rose and got a knife from her sock drawer, and drew a breath. "Okay, ready?" One by one, they pierced their right palms with a streak of blood that ran through the middle. After shaking each other's hands, they washed the blood off and bandaged their hands.
"That's it?" Lindsay questioned. "Isn't this a little too easy to form a Coven?"
Lily shrugged. "It's probably because hardly anybody are faithful to a Slytherin, and no Slytherin would go near a Gryffindor, and everybody thinks Hufflepuffs are too sweet to trust."
"Yeah," they all agreed in unison.
Silence and thought filled the air.
"Sooo, Alexia," Lindsay said happily. "Truth or Dare?"
The Truth or Dare game continued til midnight, and since they couldn't do the dares, Lindsay wrote them down, and they would do them tomorrow. Which meant that the next day would be full of surprises.
*****
In the Gryffindor common room, things were a different matter.
"Hey, Sirius," James said cheerfully as he came in through the portrait door.
Sirius, however, just turned away and started to talking to Yelle Abott, a second year who seemed to be happy Sirius bestowed his attention on her. James was puzzled, and a little mad. He walked over to where Remus was reading a book. "Remus?"
"Hmm?"
"Is something wrong with Sirius? Is he mad at me?"
Remus put the book down. "James, I really don't know. Sirius wouldn't talk to me either. I think something happened between Jane and him. Now leave me alone, I'm at a good part."
James sighed and went up to bed.
*****
The next morning, James and Remus walked down the stairs to find Sirius sitting with the Faeries, and seemed to be having fun. When James sat down next to Lily, however, Sirius's posture quickly stiffened. Remus patted James's shoulder.
"What's going on?" James asked Lily.
She smiled at him. "We were up playing Truth or Dare last night, and we're finishing up our Dares."
James whispered quietly in her ear, "Are you guys a...Coven?"
Lily's smile disappeared, and she nodded solemnly. "Yeah, but I haven't felt anything different."
"Hey, Lily," Lindsay said, yanking Lily and James from their brief conversation. "Kat's doing the last dare."
"Ooh," smiled Lily. "This should be good." She started to rub her hands together and grinning evilly.
James watched with interest as Kat walked over to the Slytherin table, where everybody sneered at her. She was talking with Tom Riddle for a second, then he rose from the table and stood up. They talked for the longest time, and James almost fell asleep. Suddenly, with lightning movements, Kat grabbed Tom's wand. She twirled it in her fingers, while Tom's face got bright red. Kat leaned close and whispered something, flipped Tom his wand, and walked back.
When Kat walked back to the Gryffindor table, she was smiling. "Damn," she breathed. Looking at Lindsay, Kat said, "Your guy has one bloody temper, Lindsay! WHOO!"
Laughter erupted from the table, except for Sirius. Alexia seemed to notice. "What's wrong with you today, Sirius? You're not really smiling."
Sirius shook his head, but Lindsay seemed to mind. "Ah, c'mon Sirius. What's wrong? We can help you."
Again, Sirius shook his head. "So, Kat, are you interested in James?" he said, changing the subject rather quickly.
Kat's eyebrows went up. "No. Didn't he explain what happened last night?" Sirius shook his head, so Kat quickly explained what really happened. "It was just a joke," she finished.
"Now will you please start talking and tell us what's wrong?" Lily persisted.
Sirius sighed. "I'm going out with Jane Keller."
Remus and Alexia applauded while Kat whistled. Lindsay hugged Sirius. "Congrats," Lily commented with a smile on her face. Only James didn't say anything.
Sirius looked at James, who shrugged. "Is that why you wouldn't talk to me?"
Smiling disappearing, Sirius shook his head. "Sorry, James. It wasn't about you."
James smiled. "In that case...CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ENGAGEMENT WITH JANE KELLER, SIRIUS!" James shouted in the air. Everybody in the Hall turned to Sirius and started clapping and cat-calling.
"Sirius, I think your girlfriend is morphing into a tomato," Kat commented with a wild smile on her face. Sirius and James turned, and saw that Jane had turned to the color of a bright cherry.
*****
Finals came two weeks before the year ends.
In Charms, Lily got top ranks. Transfiguration, however, was James's specialty. Astronomy went to Remus. Potions, surprise surprise, went to Alexia and Lucius. Herbology and Care of Magical Creature went to Lindsay. In Dueling, Sirius got full marks along with Kat and Tom. Kat's one favorite class, however, was Divination, even though the teacher was a piece of fluff.
At the train station, a mob of chestnut haired, honey eyed little kids attacked them. "Hello," said a particularly small one with wavy light brown hair. "My name's Harmony. What's yours?"
James smiled down at her. "I'm James, and this is Alexia, Lily, Lindsay, and Sirius." Sirius made a face at Harmony, who giggled.
"But where's Uncle Remmy?" asked Harmony.
"Uncle Remmy, is it?" said Sirius with an amused expression. "Well, I'll go get your Uncle Remmy." In a moment, Sirius walked back with Remus in a headlock. "Is this man your Uncle Remmy?"
Harmony nodded, then started to whimper. "What are you doing to him? Don't hurt Remmy!"
"What the hell do you think you are doing?" said a sharp voice behind them. James and Sirius whirled around with some difficulty in Sirius's part with Remus under his arm.
It was Kat.
In regular clothes.
Sirius's eyes popped open at Kat's low cut T-shirt, bellbottoms, and Nikes. "K-Kat?"
"Yeah," said Kat icily. "And what are you doing to my little sister?"
"Her?" sputtered Sirius, pointing at Harmony. "E-Er, no-nothing. At all."
Kat held her arms out for Harmony, who rushed in. "Aww, is the evil Mr. Black hurting you?" She smiled devilishly at Sirius, then turned her attention to Remus. "Hey, Remus, we're taking you home...Let go of him, Sirius...Let him go...Eww! What are you doing?"
Sirius had stuffed his finger up Remus's nostril.
Seeing that he wasn't going to release Remus, Kat took things into her own hands. She pounced onto Sirius, and knocking him onto the floor with her on top.
"Now I know why they call you Kat," gasped Sirius who had the wind knocked out of him.
"Ha ha," replied Kat sarcastically. She picked herself up, dusted off, then proceeded to herd the remaining mob of carbon copies of Kat and the now dancing Uncle Remmy into the car. "See ya guys later!" she called, waving.
As the car passed, Sirius and James both blew a kiss at Kat.
She stuck a rather rude finger out the window in response.
At this point in time, a nice little woman with black hair ran up and yanked Lily into a big bear hug. "Oh, Lily," she gasped. "I missed you so much."
A spindly looking girl with the same red hair as Lily showed up behind her. "So, Lil," she sneered. "Do you have a boyfriend? Or are you so messed up that you're gay?"
This was obviously Petunia, James thought with disgust. And the black haired woman was obviously not her mother. Probably foster mother.
Saving Lily from her tears, James swept up gracefully and placed his arm around Lily's shoulders. "I'm James Potter," he said politely. "Lily's boyfriend." He could feel Lily's surprise. Petunia goggled. Oh you wish, thought James to himself. You wish you were her boyfriend. Yeah, if only.
*****