A/N:
Apart from Ron, Draco, Pansy and the mysterious (to some readers) her, more HP characters will make their appearance in this chapter. They all weave the plot of the story, so don't ignore any of them.
I'm asking for help. Do you remember what the potion for erasing memory and spells for opening, closing and locking (a door) are, if mentioned in the official Harry Potter books. I have just made up their name and incantations using Latin in this chapter. I know that Alohomora is for unlocking.
I have to thank Ayleeandra for pointing out the odd thing in Chapter 1. Because of her comment, the issue will be addressed in this part. Thanks, Ayleeandra.
- CHAPTER TWO -
ANGUISH AND RAGE
That night, I dreamt of lots of people, the Weasleys, the Gryffindors and Hogwarts teachers but most dreams were about her. I was suddenly aware that I hadn't been home for a very long time.
When I got up the next morning, Pansy Parkinson was no where to be seen. In two days, two persons had stayed at my place for no more than twelve hours and had left without notice. I didn't feel too happy to have been 'intruded' like that, but I reminded myself to set my mind on the task at hand.
I had found out that a Death Eater would be at Wooded Hills of South Bucovina which was very close to my base soon. The mating season of unicorns would start on the night of the full moon that was two weeks away and hundreds of those magical creatures would gather in that area. It was said that many Death Eaters had been seriously injured after a series of strikebacks by our Aurors and Voldemort wanted his servant to slay as many unicorns as possible for their blood. (Read Book 1 - The Philosopher's Stone / The Sorcerer's Stone - if you don't know the use of unicorn blood.)
After passing the news to Dumbledore, I had been informed that two Aurors who had joined C.A.V.E. would arrive soon. They happened to be my childhood friends - Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas.
*
I had been quite surprised by Seamus' decision to become an Auror three years after our graduation. In our last year at Hogwarts, I had tried to persuade him to join the fight against Voldemort as an Auror, an informant or whatever, but he had only wanted to get a steady job in the Ministry. His goal then had been to buy a small garden house, start a family and have kids. Working diligently in the Department of International Magical Co-operation for several years, he had finally saved enough Galleons to acquire a property, not an ordinary cottage but a villa in Barcelona. He had chosen the coastal city in Spain all for his fiancée who had always wished to move to a warmer European country. For her, Seamus had even considered quitting his job in the British Ministry and trying to find a post in the Spanish counterpart.
Their wedding was held in the garden of their villa. There had never been a more joyous occasion and a bigger gathering of old acquaintance since our graduation. Relatives of both families, friends from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, Hogwarts teachers, wizards and witches of the Ministry, employees of the largest wizarding bakery run by the bride in England, and even converted Slytherins like Draco, Adrian Pucey, Terence Higgs, Blaise Zabini were all there. Of course the biggest group was the Gryffindors, though three did not turn up.
Instead of having a honeymoon, the newlyweds invited their alumni, regardless of their House, to spend a month or so at their villa after the wedding so they could catch up on what had happened after Hogwarts. Seamus proved himself to be a very hospitable host. Everyone had a wonderful time at first. However, two weeks later, sooner than the guests had expected, Seamus abruptly asked everyone to leave his house at once.
Then, after a week, Seamus left Spain too and submitted a request to the British Ministry for a transfer to the highly demanding Aurors' Team. It had come as a surprise for me, not because Aurors only received a slightly better pay than other officials in the Ministry but had to undergo very tough training nor because of the fact that few of my friends had chosen that path. Harry, my best friend, had joined the Department of Mysteries and Dean, another Hogwarts formmate and roommate, had become an Auror. They had taken up the riskiest jobs in the Ministry before getting married, but Seamus' case was the other way round that made it strange. As a man, I could say that few men would put themselves in (further) danger after having their own family. I had not doubted Seamus' ability to become an Auror but having known him for many years and his personality and goals so well, that decision just didn't make sense. He even joined C.A.V.E., in which he had had no interest at all, straight after completing two years of Auror training. Because of his new post and the fight against Voldemort, he had rarely, well, I suspected he had never, gone home since his transfer.
Many people, including nosy colleagues in the Ministry and friends who really cared about him, had tried to talk with him about his strange decisions but he looked irritated and changed the subject every time. Gradually, no one asked him about them.
*
Seamus arrived in the afternoon on the day of the full moon. We still had to wait for Dean before discussing the plan to rescue unicorns and capture the Death Eater. The attack would be launched at midnight.
I treated him to an afternoon tea. I had got used to having and quite enjoyed some Muggle food and drinks. Seamus stared at the bread on the coffee table. When I came from the pantry with two cups of Expresso, Muggle black coffee, he was playing with a ring on his fourth finger.
"Thinking of your wife?" I asked casually.
He stopped playing but didn't answer me.
"Why don't you stay at her side if you miss her that much?" I continued.
He took a sip of black coffee and looked intently at the cups on the table.
- Flashback -
One week before...
A stern-looking man was drinking at Varázspálca (meaning "Magic Wand"), a quiet pub in Budapest, the Hungarian capital, alone.
"May I buy you a drink?" a hooded figure with a cloak had just sat down next to him and asked.
The stern-looking man glanced at the stranger. From the hair and eye colours, he knew that was no stranger. "I just want water tonight."
"Have we met before?" The hood was pulled down and a handsome face was revealed.
"More than that." The stern-looking man paused. "I once thought that even bad guys, except You-Know-Who, would have a little good inside them. I was so stupid to have believed you could turn good and even invited you to stay at my house. You just proved yourself to be the scum of the earth!"
He finished his glass of water in one gulp. "What are you doing here?"
"I asked Snape to brew Alienodolor for me a few days ago. It can take away painful memory. I've had a little and can feel it's really working gradually. Want to try some?" The cloaked man took out a very small bottle of blue liquid.
"Do you know the difference between drinking potion and water? Potion makes you get what you desire. Water'll only make you mind clearer," the stern-looking man answered coldly.
"Then, will you... forgive me?" asked the cloaked man.
The stern-looking man threw some Knuts on the table and stood up to leave, apparently ignoring the plea.
"Will I find you here again?"
"No," said the stern-looking man without turning back. He had sworn that if he ever ran into that bastard again, he would kill him. He did not do it that night because he had to put aside his anger in the light of a mission ahead in a nearby country.
- End of Flashback -
Seamus banged his fist on the table, causing half the coffee to spill. He used a Scouring Charm to clean it and said, "I wonder when Dean will be here," obviously avoiding the subject again.
"Soon," I said, looking at my friend's profile. He had changed quite a lot, not his appearance but his expression. I missed the lively, cheerful and carefree Gryffindor who had always loved to talk about Quidditch, but when I looked at myself, I wasn't any different from him.
*
Dean arrived about half an hour later. As I had sent information about that area to my two friends through Dumbledore and they were experienced, it took us no more than an hour to confirm the plan.
Seamus was taking a nap in the guest room. I stayed in my study, leaving Dean alone in the living room. Suddenly, I heard him say, "I told you to wait for me at home. What are you doing here? Go home!"
"No, I won't," came a woman's voice. It was the second time in two weeks a woman Apparated to my house looking for her man. Perhaps it was time to consider putting more charms to the house to protect my privacy.
"Go!"
I peered at the woman round the corner of the corridor. There stood Parvati Thomas, arms crossed over her chest, turning her back to her husband in my living room.
"Alohomora Patefacio! Wingardium Leviosa! Occludo Obfirmo!" Dean pointed his wand at the front door of my house, then to Parvati, sending her floating out and locked the door.
I knew very well the reason for their argument and I had heard from other members in C.A.V.E. that the couple had always argued about it since their marriage. Fred and George had taught me not to involve in quarrels between husband and wife so I retreated to my study, but it didn't mean I agreed with what Dean had done.
*
It was eleven o'clock, an hour before the scheduled attack. Dean and I were standing by the window, gazing the view outside, but I knew what, no, who he was looking at.
"She's been waiting there for four hours," I couldn't help saying.
"Is your place safe?" asked Dean.
"Yes, my house and garden are protected by charms and Vampires, Veela, Dementors and wizards and witches with Dark Marks can't enter my boundary, not even by Floo powder, Portkeys or Apparition, if that's what you're concerned about," I replied.
Parvati was hugging her knees against her chest under a lemon tree in my garden. The temperature in my area could drop considerably at night.
"If Parvati still refused to leave after I'm gone, please let her in, but don't tell her I asked you to."
I was annoyed by my friend's reluctance to show his true feelings and yelled, "If you care about her that much, why did you ..."
"What can I do? No one takes his wife along when fighting dark wizards!" Dean snapped at me.
"It's not a rule, is it? Nothing's impossible!" I yelled even louder at him and then closed my eyes. A memory pierced my heart. It wasn't something I wanted to bring up from the bottom of my mind, but the situation was all too familiar. To help my friends, I suppressed the aching feeling and tried to use a calm tone to reason with Dean.
"I was like you. I thought my sweetheart would wait for me while I was working my way up to be the top informant, showing the others my ability and the importance of my existence. When I returned home, she had... married my friend."
**
A/N:
Questions for Your Thought:
- Who were the three Gryffindors who didn't attend Seamus' wedding?
- Why did Seamus act so strangely after his marriage?
- Who was Seamus' wife?
- Who were the stern-looking man and the hooded man?
- Whom did Ron's love marry? What had happened?
Ron is still the main character of this series. What the others have done or are doing have to do with him and his past. You will learn more about Ron and her in the next chapter. So, watch out for new uploads.
Thank you for reading Chapter 2. Please comment. I wish there would be at least another 5 reviews before Chapter 3 is up.
Copyright © Mabel 2001