(Disclaimer: I own nothing.)
(Author's Note: Here's the next chapter! Please keep reviewing! I really only write this 'cause I love reading the reviews…and also 'cause I love to write! Ok, later babes and stay crunk with lotsa love from Sea Chelle!)
Chapter Twenty
They took seats before him. Serpise was still looking out his window wistfully. Sirius looked to Hallie who was looking at the silver haired man searchingly. "I've seen you before," she said quietly. It seemed as if the man hadn't heard her, but after a long moment, he turned to her with a small smile.
"Oh really? Where?" She was still looking at him with a pondering gaze. Neither broke their stares.
"I-I'm not sure…you just look so familiar. Why?" she questioned. A chuckle escaped his lips.
"Do you know my name?" he asked back, looking at them both. They shook their heads.
"My name is Salazar."
"Oh!" Hallie exclaimed.
"But you're dead!" proclaimed Sirius in disbelief. "You can't be Salazar Slytherin!"
"Ah, but I am. Unfortunately, I never perished. I've been imprisoned here for many years," he replied.
"So…well, why haven't you died?" asked Hallie. He looked back out the window.
"I've been cursed, I'm to be forever immortal. The only way I can be freed is when Rowena is freed. Then the founders will be reunited once again. That is why the Alloy Child is very important to me. I must find it," he told them both. "And, child, you have it," he said to Hallie. She looked back at him.
"But I don't, I don't have it. I've told you and Rogue many times but neither of you believe me!"
"It isn't that we don't believe you, it's just that we know you have it, even though you many not know this."
"Then where is it?"
"That's what we've been trying to ask you, but you don't know so I've summoned the Seer." Sirius looked at him.
"Seer? Who's that?"
"To both of you, he is known as James Potter."
Celeste ran out of her home in a rush. They were afraid of her, just because she's different now, they no longer wanted to have any relation to the poor girl. She cried inconsolably and ran down the street. Her breath made a cloud of fog in the frosty air as she made her way past the houses. In she ran to Lydia's home. She knocked. The swung open to reveal her friend's mother, Joanne. "Celeste? Dear, what's the matter?" asked the woman in concern. She ushered the girl into her home and hugged her tightly. "What has happened?"
"I – I'm a werewolf, Joanne, I'm a werewolf! And my parents abandoned me!" she wailed. Joanne nodded and hugged her again.
"Poor dear, you can stay with us. You'll be fine." Celeste looked at her in shock.
"You – you don't care? But – but I'm a monster!" she exclaimed. Joanne shook her head.
"You are not a monster, no matter what anyone tells you. You are a girl who just becomes something else on the night of the full moon. You're just a bit different from the rest is all, and that is nothing to be ashamed of. Now come," said the woman putting an arm around the girl's shoulder, "Let's get you changed from those robes and get a room set up for you. You're living with us now until school starts again."
Celeste looked up at Joanne. The older woman had just given her something to think about. All her life, she had always pictured werewolves as monsters, creatures of evil. But now…now that she was one of them…everything in her point of view changed.
What do I do? I don't know what to do…He sat on the steps of his home, crying for his loss. I can't believe this has happened…it couldn't have happened…it isn't fair!
Why him? Out of everyone in the world, he had to lose his parents. There were so few people that actually loved him, and they were two of them. But now, they were gone. He slowly stood and walked down the street in a sort of daze. What would become of him now?
"Remus!" yelled a voice from behind him. The boy slowly turned to see two girls his age running towards him.
"Hi, are you all right?" asked Lydia with concern etching every inch of her face. The other girl stood a bit behind.
"All right?" he repeated. It took a short while for him to decipher what she had said. At last he replied, "Oh, I-I," he stopped. He had almost said he was fine, but was he really? No, no he wasn't. Everything was in shambles and it seemed as if there was no way to fix everything. Tears started running down his cheeks again and she hugged him.
"It'll be all right, Remus. It will all turn out all right. Come on, you can stay with us." She motioned for the other girl to follow. She was looking as solemn as he was at that moment. When he looked at her, something familiar seemed to shoot inside him as if he knew her from somewhere else.
"Lydia, how did you know-" he started.
"Celeste and I saw you run out of your house. I saw the mark up there and…I – I assumed…" she trailed off and he nodded.
"Thanks."
The headmaster looked out his window at Fawkes who was flying back to him. The gracious bird flew through the window and onto its perch on his desk. "Why, hello, Fawkes, have you found them so soon?" he asked civilly. The beautiful creature seemed to bow. It soared to where he stood and laid its head upon his shoulder where a tear escaped its eyes.
The castle looked haunting and terrible. Its sharp towers seemed to reach the stars that were just starting to appear in the darkening sky. In one of the towers, a man sat looking out the window, but not really seeing anything at all. His hair was short and silvery blonde while his eyes were a startling and unusual green. He looked nothing like his brother Godric of whom Fawkes once belonged. It was only their eyes with which you could distinguish their relation.
And then he turned to look at the others in the room with him. He smiled and said something to one of them, but Fawkes had not been able to see whom it was he was speaking to.
"They are there then, aren't they, Fawkes?" asked Professor Dumbledore. The bird did a wonderful bow before returning to its perch once more. "And James has gone to search for his friends with Lily at his side, just as I thought he would. 'Right turns to wrong, wrong turns to right, come hence it forth, henceforth the fight. Just like in the prophecies." He sighed and looked out the window. They were soon going to reach the valley. The valley – yes, the wrong, the ruins, the wasteland. But then, then they would climb back up the mountain and all would then turn right. It was all coming to the end of Fate's story; soon…soon it would either be the end, or the future.
"Soon, they will come soon. You will be freed and the deceptive one will be found out and all will turn right. But first, right will turn to wrong, and then wrong will turn to right," said the heavenly voice.
"When? I have waited for many years…it seems as if it has been an eternity. I wish to know how my friends are. Ric…Serpise…how are they?" asked Rowe.
"Soon, so soon, dear child, soon all will unfold."
Rowe sighed in defeat. "I just hope it comes sooner than you make soon sound."
The voice laughed. "Yes, indeed it will. The story is reaching its end. But you see, even I can't write the tale without the characters. It is they that will create the ending."
The tale? The book? Yes, Fate had told her all about that, but the ending…the ending has seemed to take forever to reach. But Fate told her that it would come soon, soon said she. Hopefully. James, I am counting on you, please, please succeed. You think you are going after your friends in a rescue mission, but how wrong you are. The girl with you and yourself are flying straight into an adventure that you never have imagined.
Rowe turned the pages and saw a picture of Lily and James flying towards the castle with the night sky sparkling as the stars smiled down. "You're going straight to him," she whispered. She was about to turn to the end so she would be able to find out how it all ends, but the book vanished.
"I'm sorry, dear Rowena, but my story hasn't ended yet, they have not reached it."
The young woman looked around at the emptiness. "But why? If I'm to be stuck here forever, do I not get the right to read the tale of the adventure about to take place?" she asked with pleading in her sorrowful voice.
The angelic voice said, "No, I am afraid not. The story is still in the making." The book reappeared close by but Rowe decided that if she could not read it yet, she would pretend it wasn't there. The voice chuckled. "Sour grapes, child, sour grapes."
"So true." She paused and put her head in her arms. "Please, children, set me free," she whispered in desperation. "Set me free."
James slowed the broom and looked around suddenly. "Lily, did you hear that?" She looked at him quizzically.
"Hear what?" she asked back. He shook his head.
Set me free…came the voice again. It seemed to come with the sweeping winds.
James shut his eyes and then opened them quickly. I'm just hearing things, that's all, just hearing things.
A voice in his mind laughed. I thought by now you'd realize that you never 'just hear things,' or 'imagine you saw something'. You are the Seer, you never see illusions or hear them. They are real.
In his mind, he sighed and said, I suppose deep down I know that, but perhaps I wish not believe it. Fate laughed. Such a peculiar being, this boy was. So different from all other mortals. She knew he would make the story interesting, and she couldn't wait until the ending came.
Perhaps, was her reply. And then she was gone. He felt the emptiness and knew she had left.
Maybe, just maybe I can help things move faster…thought Fate with a smirk. She twirled once letting her dress of water splash and shimmer under the moonlight and her hair of the stars glisten brilliantly.
Lily touched James' shoulder from beside her on his own broom. "How-" she had begun to ask, but he just looked at her and shook his head in question.
"I have no idea," he replied. Fate laughed. Mortals were so comical.
Dear Rowena, do not worry. I am as excited as you are in the matters of the story's ending and I am currently helping things move faster, said Fate.
Rowe put a hand to her mouth. But is that wise? Couldn't things change if you mess with the events? There was a silence.
Oh yes, I suppose…
Then you must stop interfering at once! Exclaimed the young woman. There was an angel-like sigh.
All right, but I listen only because I have grown fond of you, said Fate.
Thank you.
They walked down the halls. "Can we leave now, Sirius? I feel as though something is about to happen…and I don't like it," whispered Hallie. He took her hand in his. It seemed small in his.
"Yeah, let's go to the tower. We can think of how to escape there where Slytherin can't find us," he said in the same quiet tone. They ran up the East Wing spiral staircase and into the misty tower. Sirius looked out the tower. "Now how do we get out of here?" he asked himself. Hallie looked around and then out the window. For a while they stood there, thinking to themselves of fleeing. Sirius suddenly jumped up and pointed out of the tower. "It's someone on a broom!" Hallie, who was thinking of something that had suddenly dawned on her, didn't look up for she was concentrating to hard. "We're in the tower! Help us!" Sirius yelled.
"James! Did you hear that? Someone yelled from up there!" Lily exclaimed in excitement. The boy did a double take.
"Where?" he wondered looking around.
"In the tower! We're in the tower! Help!" bellowed Sirius at the top of his lungs. "Help!" James' eyes widened.
"It's Sirius!" He raced his broom to where the other boy's voice was coming from and there was Sirius waving at them.
"You found us!" he proclaimed happily. He backed away from the window and moved Hallie so that James and Lily could fly through. Sirius and James embraced without embarrassment for they were as close as brothers were. Lily took a seat in front of Hallie who was staring off into space, still with a pondering look upon her face. She waited for a short while as the two boys spoke.
Hallie pushed the thought away and was about to start thinking of an escape plan again when she caught sight of a tuft of red-hair beside her. She blinked and then shut her eyes tightly. "Sirius, I think I'm going crazy, I'm starting to see Lilies," she said. The boys turned to look at her and burst out laughing. Hallie opened her eyes to glare at Sirius but saw two boys and her eyes widened. Her gaze then went to Lily in front of her. "I did see Lilies!" she yelled in happiness. "I mean, I did see a Lily!" The girls laughed and hugged each other.
"Long time no see, where have you been keeping yourself?" asked the redhead. Hallie pulled away with a tearful smile.
"Oh…the usual. Strange castles…a tower…with dead men…" Lily laughed.
"Let's get out of here," she said. They stood and looked to the guys. James was holding his broom. Hallie glared at him.
"Why did you bring that?" she asked in a deathly calm voice. The boy grinned apologetically.
"It was the only way, sorry." Lily tossed hers to Sirius who caught it was a wicked smile.
"Hop on, Hal, it's time to ride," he said. James punched his shoulder.
"You be good," he said with a stern brotherly tone. The other boy held the aching spot.
"Ok, ow…don't punch so hard!" He paused. "Did you say, 'be good?' Don't you know who you're talking to?" he asked gesturing to himself. James and Lily laughed.
James said, "Oh yeah, well…try to be good."
"You can leave me here," said Hallie suddenly. "I am not riding a broom, especially with Sirius Black." The boy sighed.
"We have to get out of here, who knows what Slytherin is going to do to us if we stay," he said softly. She put her hands on her hips.
"Who said we? I said I'm staying, I never said anyone else had to," she said with a glare at him. James and Lily watched with small smiles upon their faces.
"You didn't leave me," he told her. "So I'm not leaving you. Now get on the broom or we can both stay here." She looked out the window with a frown.
"Do you promise not to do those loopy things and the little dives?" she muttered. He grinned but quickly wiped it off his face when he saw James' and Lily's looks.
"Yes, ma'am," he said with a salute. With a deep breath, she mounted the broom behind him and hugged his waist tightly.
"You go first, Sirius, I want to watch you," said James trying to smother his laughter. Lily held his sides and leaned her head on his back. "Go to sleep, Lil, it's been a long night," he said to her. She nodded and closed her eyes. He looked at her with a smile before looking at Sirius expectantly.
"All right," said the boy.
"What I don't get," Hallie said, "is why I have to share with him. Why don't one of you?" she questioned looking at the other two. Sirius then took off. "Go slow, Sirius."
He zoomed into the night air. "What's the magic word?"
"PLEASE!" she screamed.
(Author's Note: Thank you to Psycheme, jenn_airone (hehe, again), and Anne Marie. Thank you sooo much for those reviews! I loved reading them and so here's the next chapter!)
