James decided at once to write Lily.
Lily,
Your mum's a witch, right? Ask her if she's ever heard of Romulus. He's got my sister! Her body, at least. Write soon!
James
~*~
But Lily had her own problems.
"Running off?! What were you bloody thinking?" Violet asked in an uproar. "You scared the living daylights out of your father and me!" Nicolas stood there sternly, glaring at her.
"Young lady," he began furiously, "what has happened to you? Ever since you got home from that-from that school-" Lily could have sworn she saw him shoot an evil look at Violet, "you've been nothing but trouble. You've even ignored your friend Lola!"
"Lola?" Lily questioned. Violet nodded.
"Petunia told you the day you arrived home." Lily remembered back…
"Oh, by the way," Petunia said, the sarcastic tone suddenly leaving her voice, "you little friend called. She wants you over."
She clasped a hand to her mouth. It was time to act.
"I'm sorry Mum, Dad," she apologized sincerely, "I've just been really sad since school ended, and I felt that going to James's house would help. I'm so sorry I've put you through all this." She hung her head. Violet looked sympathetic.
"It's all right, Lil. Summers are always hard. I remember them well." Lily kept her head down momentarily, so as to hide her mischievous grin. Then she attempted a weak smile to her mother.
"Can I go to Lola's? She must be dreadfully worried!" Lily said quickly. Violet eyed her strangely, and then nodded.
"Yes, it's always quite hard for those who have Muggle friends. Go and see her!" She sounded close to tears. Lily raced out the door and to Lola's. She hastily rang the doorbell, dancing on tiptoes in anticipation.
"LILY?!" Lola opened the door excitedly, and they hugged. "I was so worried when you didn't come over right away!" Lola said breathlessly.
"I'm so sorry! I was depressed over the school year ending!" Lily apologized truthfully. They went inside and into Lola's room.
"Oh, we haven't been in touch all year!" Lola said sadly.
"I know, I'm sorry, I just got caught up in the excitement of everything, new school, and all." Lola didn't reply.
"How, how is your school, anyway?" Lily breathed deeply, knowing that she still doubted everything about Hogwarts.
"It's great! You get to stay there during the holidays; you meet a ton of new friends, and get sorted into houses! Every night is like a feast, and then there's Quidditch!" Lola nodded, obviously not listening.
"Listen, Lola," Lily began, her anger rising as usual whenever she was around Lola, "I got your letter. And I know you read my paper." Lola looked into her eyes.
"Prove it," she growled.
"Why ever would you mention your old dog Spice in a letter, if you hadn't known?" Lily asked smoothly.
"We actually did get a new pet," Lola said spitefully. "Come here, Sugarplum!" she called. A small dog that greatly resembled a rat bounded into the room.
"Why, what do you know about Spice?" Lola asked, feigning curiosity.
"Oh, come off it Lola!" Lily shouted. "You read the bloody paper!"
"I did no such thing! I'm beginning to think you read mine!" Lola accused.
"I DID READ YOUR STUPID PAPER BECAUSE I KNEW YOU READ MINE!" Lily screamed. Lola faked a look of utter surprise.
"You broke the promise! We can't be friends anymore!"
"Your stupid paper said that the 'Friendship Promise' was a fake idea to find out a secret about me!" Lola's eyes watered.
"Why would I say such a thing?" she asked. "Where's the paper?"
"I, I ripped it up after I read it," Lily said regretfully. Lola had her back to her, so Lily couldn't see her triumphant grin.
"Oh, of course. So you can't prove that's even what I wrote!" Lola said, acting very hurt and sad.
"You know Lola, I reckon it's time our friendship ended anyway! I'm tired of you always betraying me and acting as though our friendship matters so much to you. Consider this goodbye," Lily said angrily. She left the room, and slammed the door behind her as she exited the house.
~*~
"Magnus, open up!" James pounded on his door. Magnus opened it slowly. His face was emotionless and tired. "How do we find Romulus?" Magnus laughed.
"No one knows. Don't you think someone would have stopped him if we knew how to?"
"But-but, Tempesta's to start school at Hogwarts next year. We can't possibly just let him have her for the rest of her life!" Magnus shook his head.
"Children younger than her have been taken. She was lucky she made it so far."
"But I've gone through an entire year at Hogwarts, and you're already entering your seventh year! How is that right? How is it fair?"
"It's not. It's Romulus's way," Magnus answered, before painfully closing his door again.
"Someone's got to stop him…" James muttered. He made his way downstairs.
"Mum, I need to talk to you. It's about Tempesta."
"Yes James, what is it?" He gulped, preparing himself to tell her.
"Well, Magnus and I went down to R.A.M.C.A. headquarters earlier today, you know, to check up on their progress…"
"Yes. What'd they say?"
"She's been taken by, by Romulus. They've got her soul." There was silence. Then Phyllinda gasped as she choked on tears.
"Romulus? Romulus got our Tempesta? How can this be so?" she asked herself, beginning to pace. "She was so young, her schooling hadn't even begun yet!" James was silent. He went back up to his room, lying down on his bed. It was then an owl flew in through the open window.
James, The letter he just received read,
I'll be there the 17th, early. See you then!
Sirius
James looked at his calendar. It was the seventeenth! No sooner had he thought this than the doorbell rang. James raced down the stairs, suddenly dreadfully regretting he had just told his mother about Tempesta. He ushered Sirius in excitedly, and up to his room.
"Whatever's wrong with your mum?" Sirius asked curiously.
"Ever heard of Romulus?" Sirius's hand flew to his mouth, and he nodded. "He's taken Temp. Her soul is down at R.A.M.C.A. headquarters." Sirius was silent.
"Well, we've got to get her, haven't we?" Sirius asked.
"You're not serious? But no one knows where to find him!" Sirius looked deep in thought.
"Who we really need is Remus. He's the one with the book smarts."
"Do you know where he lives?" James asked. Sirius nodded. James went and rummaged through his closet, pulling out two broomsticks.
"Wow," Sirius began, marveling at the brooms, "is that a Comet 260? And a Cleansweep 7?" James smiled.
"My brother has a Shooting Star." He handed Sirius the Cleansweep 7.
"Let's go find Remus."
~*~
Lily was still fuming as she went home. She got through the door, stormed upstairs, and found a letter on her bed. "James?" she asked out loud, picking up the letter. She read it and went to her mum.
"Mum? I've a question for you."
"Okay Lily. Shoot!"
"Have you ever heard of Romulus?" Violet dropped her teacup, making it shatter instantly.
"Why?" she asked tersely.
"He's got James's little sister!"
"No, you're not serious?" she asked with alarm. Lily nodded. Violet began to explain.
"She's worse than dead…she's a mindless, good for nothing drone for that awful wizard. She was so young…but age doesn't matter to that rat. All he cares about is getting more power, more people…more souls. Their age matters not, nor does their appearance, race, gender, or even bloodline.
"Whether or not they're even a Muggle. Oh, he's got plenty of those, yes. They can't be saved because their families don't know how. They go on those silly milk cartons as 'Missing'…their souls are never recovered because Muggles can't see them. It's so terrible…"
"How many people has he got?"
"Thousands. He's sure to make it millions, in due time. He just keeps gaining followers to do his dirty work, to capture those innocent people."
"How do they do it?" Violet swallowed hard.
"Well, first they capture the person. Then they persist to cast a spell on them, first to remove their soul. They usually take the person to a secluded area, so the soul cannot be recovered. Then they cast another spell of hypnotism, so that the person will follow their every command. Did someone recover his sister's soul?" she asked with concern.
"I believe so. He said they've got her body, but didn't elaborate."
"Tell him his family has our deepest regrets," Violet said quietly.
"Isn't there anything they can do?" Lily asked with fear. Violet shook her head.
"No one knows how to find Romulus, and no body has ever been recovered and had its soul restored to it. Not to date." It seemed hopeless. Lily hurried upstairs to write down everything her mother had just said, hoping it was of some help.
~*~
James followed Sirius's broom silently, wondering what information Remus would have for them after all. They landed in his yard, and James looked over his house. It was pretty big, and was right next to a forest. Out back, James spotted a shed with a lock on the door. It wasn't locked at the time. He said nothing of this as they went to knock on the door.
"James! Sirius!" Remus greeted with excitement. "Nice to see you!" He gestured for them to enter.
"How have you been Remus?" Sirius asked, leaning the Cleansweep 7 against a nearby wall. James placed the Comet 260 next to it.
"Busy. Sorry I didn't write back to you both, I was planning to this afternoon. But it's not really necessary now, is it? Is there a specific reason you've come?"
"Yes, actually. We were wondering if you've ever read anything about Romulus," James said. Remus scratched his chin.
"I believe I've read his name somewhere. It's in one of my books; shall we go have a look?" They nodded and followed him to his room. It was rather plain and small. By his bed was a pile of books. He handed James and Sirius a few and they began thumbing through them.
"Why do you want to know about this Romulus anyway, James?" Remus asked.
"He's got my little sister."
"What?!" Remus sounded alarmed. "James, do you know what he does?"
"Yeah. They've got her soul down at R.A.M.C.A. headquarters. We just need to find out where to get her body back. And we've got to act fast; she has to start at Hogwarts this year." Sirius and Remus exchanged doubtful looks.
"James, you do know that no one has ever recovered a body from Romulus?" Sirius asked.
"Then we'll be the first. Come on, there's got to be some clue as to how to find him, keep looking!" James said hopefully, turning back to the book he currently had open.
~*~
Lily had written back quickly, wondering how James would take the news. Then she remembered that she had definitely read something before about Romulus, perhaps in a school book? She considered looking, decided that she honestly didn't have anything better to do, and pulled out her school bag to begin.
~*~
"Found something!" Sirius said triumphantly after a half hour of looking. "Look here-
Romulus is a powerful Dark Wizard whose motive is unknown to this day. He uses dark magic to extract the soul of any human and make them work for him. No one knows of his whereabouts or what he does with the soul-less bodies, but Ministry of Magic members are constantly searching."
There was a silence that followed this.
"Well, it obvious what we've got to do then, isn't it?" James asked. "We've got to go to the Ministry." They all exchanged looks. Sirius shrugged, and said, "All right. Let's go!"
Remus was hesitant. "I-I can't. Not tonight, anyway."
"Wh-" James was about to ask, before he noticed the weather conditions outside were noticeably cloudy. "Oh, right. Well, we'll tell you everything. Thanks for all the help Remus," James said as he and Sirius headed for the door.
"Yeah, Remus. We'll come by again sometime soon," Sirius said.
"Bye guys!" Remus said, watching them fly off again.
"D'you reckon that shed's there for, you know…?" Sirius asked.
"Yeah, that's what I thought when I first saw it," James agreed. "So how are we going to get to the Ministry?"
"I know a way; we should go tonight and get all the information we can. Tomorrow we can go see Remus again." James nodded agreement and again began following Sirius's broom through the growing darkness.
~*~
After a few hours, Lily came across the same paragraph Sirius had found earlier. She quickly copied it down and sent it to James's house, hoping it would help. Until he replied, she had nothing to do. Now that Lola and she weren't even friends anymore and all, what was she to do all summer? And there was no way her parents would let her go to James's house again; not since that was the place she had run away to.
She sighed. It was going to be a very long rest of the summer.
~*~
They approached a building James had never seen before. Sirius seemed to know it, however, and landed next to it, leaving his broom in a nearby basket that looked as though it was intended for that very purpose. James followed suit and walked beside Sirius as they entered.
"What is this, the main building?" he asked.
"Oh, no, that's way out somewhere. This is the information center," Sirius explained. They entered the building, which appeared to James like a huge, overstocked library. There was a wisely old man behind a counter in front of them.
"Hello boys. You're out late," he greeted with a feeble smile.
"Yes, we were wondering if you can help us," Sirius said.
"Certainly. What information are you looking for?"
"Anything on the Dark Wizard Romulus." The man looked taken aback, as though he had been expecting some sort of question about pretend magic wands or practical joke spells.
"Young man, this facility holds only information pertaining to or connected with the Ministry of Magic. I'm sure there's no record of any Dark Magic in here!" he said indignantly. Sirius looked like he doubted this greatly.
"Sir, please, we need any information you possibly have-" Sirius said desperately.
"I'm sorry. You two should go home and get to bed!"
"Sir," James spoke up seriously, "whoever he is, he's got my sister. She-she's about to start school this year, and I'd like to know as much as possible about Romulus." The man looked sympathetic. Then he sighed and disappeared into the back. James and Sirius wondered whether he was coming back. After a few long minutes, he came back. He had a heavy book in his hand.
"This is all we've got on Romulus. I hope it helps," he said, handing James the book.
"Thank you," James muttered as they turned to go. They went back outside and a problem arose-where to put the book while they flew.
"I've got it," James offered. "I'm pretty good on a broom." Sirius readily agreed, not wanting to fly with the heavy volume himself.
When they arrived back at James's, his mother scolded him for being out so late without telling her, said a polite hello to Sirius, and sent them up to bed. James got out a flashlight so they could look at the book with the lights off, making her think that they were actually sleeping.
"Man, this guy is a nutter!" Sirius said, pointing at a certain paragraph. "Look at what it says here-
Ministry members have reason to believe that he uses these bodies to construct highly complicated spell-binding torture machines, later to be tested on the subjects who helped build it.
Do you think that's what he really does, James?" James didn't answer, for fear had overcome him. He pointed wordlessly to another paragraph. Sirius read this one aloud too.
"He specializes in memory-wiping and torture methods. No bodies have ever been recovered once taken by him. He was first, and last, seen somewhere in downtown London, buying an ordinary ice cream cone, and to capture 5 Muggles while there. His hideout is hypothesized to be somewhere in downtown London, though no Ministry members have found any trace of it. What's so bad about that?" James persisted to point, signifying he hadn't read far enough.
"The only other clue that leads us to his whereabouts was the Muggle woman's body found near the ice cream shop. Her soul had been recovered, and she was found lying in a puddle of blood. Is it believed that when Romulus realized her soul was safe, he killed her body so she could not be saved." Sirius was silent, not daring to look at James.
"I-I'm sure Tempesta's fine!" he said completely unconvincingly. He stared painfully back at the book, wondering if his words were true. James hadn't said a word yet.
"She's as good as dead, isn't she?" he asked blankly.
"I don't know, James."
"Is there even a point to hoping she's not?"
"Of course there is! There's got to be a way!" James looked suddenly into his eyes, in a horribly piercing way.
"We're two eleven year olds. I'll be twelve soon, but it makes no difference. How are we to rescue my little sister when no one has done it before?" Sirius was lost for words. "Exactly," James said, turning off the flashlight and lying down.
"Listen, James, I'm sorry. We've got to try though!" Sirius said. James didn't answer. Sirius decided it best to just let him be the remainder of the night. He half wished they hadn't got the book.
Then he spotted Lily's letters on James's desk. He was about to say something, but then thought that they might be about Romulus, and James shouldn't read them quite yet. He decided to do so himself, once he was sure James had fallen asleep.
He read them quickly, and was very glad he hadn't said anything to James. He hoped that James would be all right; as he seriously doubted they would ever see Tempesta again. But, they had to try.
~*~
The next morning, James slept very late, and Sirius didn't dare wake him. He involved himself in the book they had received about Dark Magic, discovering more and more about Romulus.
Finally, when James did wake up, Sirius said, "We should go and see Remus. He'll be feeling better this morning." James agreed, they dressed, grabbed their broomsticks, and went downstairs for a quick breakfast.
"Mum, we're going over to Remus's after breakfast," James informed her as they ate.
"All right. When will you be back?" she asked.
"Dunno. Late, probably."
"Well, do be careful."
~*~
"Sirius, James! I hadn't expected you this early," Remus said, opening his door later that morning.
"Yes, do you have a broomstick?" James asked hurriedly.
"Well, I have got a Cleansweep 6. Will that do?"
"It's not bad. Hurry, we've got to get out of here soon. We'll explain everything on the way."
~*~
Soon the three were flying side by side headed for downtown London. "Do you really think we'll find anything, James? I mean the chances are slim to nil!" Remus said sensibly.
"We've got to try. Plus, I brought my cloak," James said, smiling and holding up the Invisibility Cloak. Sirius and Remus exchanged worried glances, but said nothing.
"So James, have you talked to Madam Rose about joining the team next year?" Remus asked.
"No, but she's talked to me about it." He changed his tone of voice to a high-pitched one, imitating Madam Rose, "'You'll make a brilliant Seeker James! Honestly, you should go out for the team! We could use someone like you!'" Remus and Sirius laughed.
"Well, she's right you know. You should at least try out. Heaven knows we need a better team than last year; the matches weren't even worth watching!" Sirius raved.
"Look there," Remus said, pointing downward. "That place is awfully deserted. It's in downtown too; we passed the sign ages ago. Should we check it out?" James, willing to try anything, agreed and they all landed.
"Uh, James? What are we to do with our brooms? They certainly won't fit under the cloak," Sirius pointed out. James looked around, hoping for an idea, when a large pile of dirt caught his eye.
"There!" he said, pointing to it. Remus looked disdainfully at it.
"But, my parents just bought me this broom. It's practically fresh out of its box, I can't just shove it-oh, all right," he said, seeing James's angry glare. They all went over and buried the brooms in the dirt pile, and they set off.
It looked like a desert; it was bleary and seemed to stretch forever. The ground was dry and cracked, and the air was arid and hard to breathe in. There was no need for the cloak for quite a long time, as there was no sign of life of any sort nearby. They kept looking over their shoulders; they all felt as though someone was watching or following them. Finally they came to a-
"A toll booth?" Remus questioned, looking ahead of them. "Well, who in their right mind's going to pay to get through here?"
"Us," Sirius said gloomily, turning out his empty pockets. "I haven't got any money, what're we going to do?"
"Uh, guys," James said, holding up his cloak. "We haven't got to pay." So they decided to follow an old witch, who also happened to be walking in this deserted area. She paid and began to slowly walk through, making it quite easy for the three of them to slip through behind her, even with the cloak.
Once they were a good distance from the toll booth, Sirius said, "That seemed all too easy." James and Remus agreed, and they continued nervously on. Suddenly, James heard something rustle nearby.
"What was that?" he asked, jerking his head around and stopping.
"What's what, James?" Sirius asked, looking behind him, too.
"I heard something."
"You can't have, look around, there's nowhere anyone could even hide if they were trying to follow us," Remus said realistically.
"But what if they've got a cloak, like I have?" There was a brief silence.
"James, you're just feeling edgy, I'm sure it was nothing," Sirius said, turning back to keep going. James hesitantly followed, looking over his shoulder frequently.
After an hour of walking and not getting anywhere, the three were starting to get tired and thirsty. "We should've just kept flying," Sirius said sadly.
"Yes, well, we wouldn't've got past the toll booth," Remus said.
"I'm going to pass out," James complained.
"I've got it!" Remus said happily, pulling out his wand. "Aqueous!" Three glasses of water sprang from out of nowhere in front of him. They each eagerly grabbed one and drained it in one drink.
"Thank, Remus!" Sirius thanked.
"Yeah, where'd you learn that spell?" James asked.
"Simple Spells for Practical Uses by Ninum Thumpfurn," Remus said with a grin.
"Are we allowed to do magic when we're not at school?" James asked.
"As of now we are. In Hogwarts, A History, it says that they monitor how students use their magical powers, and if any problems arise, they'll stop us from using them."
"You read a lot, don't you Remus?" Sirius asked with a slight grin. Remus didn't reply, but shouted at something up ahead.
"What is it, Remus?" James asked worriedly.
"I saw something move!" he said with fear, reaching out his arms as though to touch it.
"What? Oh don't be ridiculous," Sirius insisted, though James had gone pale.
"It must be the same thing I heard earlier!" he said, reaching around himself as well.
"Now really, you're both being completely paranoid! There is nothing, okay? We're all just jumpy right now," Sirius said stubbornly. He starting walking again, and Remus and James slowly followed.
After another hour, Remus conjured up some more water, and they continued walking in silence. Then Sirius stopped dead.
"Sirius, what're you doing? Come on," Remus said irritably.
"Something just touched me," Sirius said apprehensively.
"It was probably just a drop of water," Remus said. But James had had enough; that was the last straw.
"Okay guys, we've gone far enough! There is something around here that we can't see that is following us, and we can't spend another moment being tormented by it! We're either going to find out what it is, or go back!"
"I've just had another idea, though I'm not sure how well it will work," Remus said, scratching his chin thoughtfully. Sirius hadn't said anything, but was still looking around as though expecting something to pop out and get him.
"I've been reading up on Summoning Charms; we're not supposed to learn them until around third or fourth year, but we can try. Concentrate really hard on what you want-that'll be our brooms-and maybe they'll come." He told them the incantation, and they all turned determinedly towards the direction from hence they came.
It failed miserably. Sirius messed up the words, James was thinking too hard about the words, and Remus had dropped his wand.
"I've got another idea," he said quickly. "We'll all concentrate on one broom at a time. First, the Comet 260." They all thought very hard about James's wonderful broom, and after about five long, resolute minutes, it flew to them. All three collapsed onto the ground, holding their heads.
"That was a lot of work," James said, sitting up.
"We've still got two more brooms," Sirius said wearily. After some water, they all stood to concentrate on the Cleansweep 7. It took about the same amount of time to come flying as the Comet 260 did.
After another bout of collapsing and more water, they all stood for the final broom, the Cleansweep 6. This one took considerably less time, about three minutes, before coming into view. They all happily mounted their respective brooms and took off, glad to be off their feet for a while. It was then it happened.
James loved the sensation of flying freely through the air, the wind whipping through his hair. That was, until, he felt cold hands around his neck, pulling him off his broom.
Remus and Sirius stopped instantly, Sirius thought fast and jumped to grab the fast flying Comet 260, bringing it to the ground. Whatever had James was still invisible, so James looked more than odd trying to escape its clutches as he coughed and choked.
Sirius took the Cleansweep 7 and began swinging wildly at whatever had James, which seemed to work for a while, because it let James go momentarily, in which Remus grabbed his shoulders and hurled him away from the area. The thing grabbed the broom, and luckily Sirius jerked it away before it could break it.
They heard it lunge for James again, but Remus was too quick for it. He took his own broom and hit it while it ran for James head-on, causing it to stop abruptly and fall to the ground. They heard its ragged breathing and knew it had been knocked out.
They wasted no time in convincing James to get back on his broom and fleeing from the scene; praying the monster wasn't very fast. After about ten minutes in the air, Remus spoke.
"Are you all right James?"
"I guess. What was that thing, d'you reckon?"
"I think I know, but I can only pray it wasn't…" Sirius said, looking away.
"Well, out with it Sirius!" Remus insisted.
"That could've been, well it could've been anything but, I think it was Romulus or one of his followers!" James coughed in surprise, Remus had gone white.
"What makes you think that?" Remus asked.
"Well, when James was sleeping this morning, I was reading more from that book we got. It said that to capture his victims, he has to knock them out first. It then listed ways he might knock them out." He began counting off on his fingers, "Hitting with a club, punching, cursing, choking…"
"Yes, but that still doesn't prove-"
"And it's usually in a secluded area, you know, where he does it. And if there's more than one person, he usually gets them all, so no one can save the souls. He usually goes for younger ones, the younger the better, because they can't fight. And if he's invisible, it would explain why he's only been seen once!"
"Oh my goodness!" Remus said. James looked angry.
"I should have let him take me! I could've found Temp!"
"James, don't be ridiculous! He would have taken your soul and we would've lost you too!" Sirius said.
"You're right…but you two could've followed my body, and saved Temp at least."
"James, be sensible. Listen, if Romulus is out here, we've got to be close. I'm sure if we just keep going, we're bound to find something," Remus said hopefully. They continued in silence, each hoping as much as the next to find something.
Out of nowhere, James slammed into something. He fell off his broom at once, landing hard on the ground. Sirius and Remus immediately braked, landing next to him. Sirius reached out a hand, feeling a hard building near them.
"Oh, my…" he muttered, pushing against it. "Guys, I think we've found Romulus's headquarters…" James climbed up off the ground and felt around too.
"A huge, invisible building. It's ingenious!" he exclaimed.
"The Ministry is way off," Remus added, "if they're looking around an ice cream shop."
"Well, let's find a way in!" James said, rubbing his head.
"James, I don't know, you're bleeding!" Remus said concernedly.
"I'm fine," James said impatiently, feeling around the wall in attempt to find a door. Finally he felt a doorknob, and turned it with one last, indomitable look at Sirius and Remus.
They entered into a huge metal room, with a ceiling that look at least a hundred feet high. Two soulless bodies came striding toward them, and walked right past them and out the door. "Obviously out for more people," Remus muttered. He had gone utterly insipid, and Sirius had as well. James's heart rate had increased a million beats, or so it felt.
They made their way over to a door on the left, when James got his wits back. "The cloak!" he mumbled to them, pulling it out. "We can't be seen!"
"James, you realize, that the reason no one knows about this place, is no one has probably ever lived to get out!" Remus said quietly, guaranteeing the cloak covered him completely. James said nothing, but they pressed onward.
They traveled through room after room, each made of metal like the first, their breathing ragged, desperate not to be heard. None of them wanted to think what could've happened when they first arrived, when those people had passed them without any trouble.
They reached a room with about twenty people in it, working on a device of some sort. They didn't dare to wonder what it did, but each scanned the area, looking for Tempesta. They weren't quite sure what they would do when they did find her, but their hopes were high.
"Oh my lord!" Sirius gasped suddenly. "That's my Uncle Albert!" He didn't bother to point, as the other two couldn't see him anyway. "My parents said he died when I was four. I guess they never found his soul, and couldn't bear to tell me the truth." He hung his head.
"She's not in here," James whispered, steering them away. "Let's go." They continued their search until they came to a truly horrible room. It smelled putrid and awful. It was a smell none of them had ever inhaled before.
"Oh, god, what died?" Sirius asked upon entering.
"All of them," Remus said, covering his nose with his shirt. There was a pile of dead, soulless bodies lying there, rotting. James refused to leave for several minutes, until he was sure Tempesta wasn't among them.
"Who knows how many more rooms there are like that one?" Sirius questioned once they had left.
"Hopefully not many," Remus said.
After another hour of wandering, they entered another room where people were working on a machine. These were all children, causing a ray of hope to erupt within James.
They all simultaneously saw her. She was carrying a large box over to kids who looked around the age of five. James had to stop himself from crying out her name. "Oh no!" Sirius said suddenly.
"I just remembered something else I read!"
"What is it?" James asked exasperatedly.
"The time flow within this building is expected to be a lot slower than outside! An hour in here equals an entire day! Maybe longer!"
"How long have we been in here?" James asked.
"About four hours, I reckon," Remus answered, consulting his watch.
"My mum will kill me!" James said sadly.
"Not if we bring back Tempesta!" Remus pointed out.
"If we're going to do something, now is definitely the time to act," Sirius pressed. James tried to think very quickly.
"I've got it," he said, seeing a pile of boxes a few feet from where they stood. "You two will hide behind those boxes while I keep the cloak on and go grab Temp."
"But what if she fights you?" Sirius asked.
"There's a simple spell for that," Remus said quickly. "Just say Weakius, and she'll pass out. I know it sounds dangerous-" he said, consulting James's worried look, "but she'll be just fine afterward."
"Weakius, weakius," James muttered, preparing himself. "Okay, let's go over there, and you two crouch down behind those boxes." They went and hid, and James covered himself with the cloak. All of their hearts were going a million miles a minute as James prepared himself. It was very gut-wrenching, not being able to see him and wondering whether or not he could even do it.
"Weakius, weakius," James kept telling himself as he made his way towards her. He began weaving his way in and out of the children, holding his breath and silently praying. Finally he was standing near enough to grab her.
"Weakius!" he said in a normal voice level. Tempesta immediately collapsed, he hurried to scoop her into his arms, and turned to run. But there was a wall of children blocking his path. Not sure what to do, he covered himself and Temp in the cloak, and tried to plough through them. They were indestructible.
Suddenly Remus and Sirius appeared behind the children, wands outstretched and faces white. "Petrificus Totalus!" they cried together. The full body bind curse. Four children fell, giving James enough room to run through.
Quickly enough, Remus and Sirius got under the cloak, and they began running through the rooms, trying to find their way out.
It seemed an alarm system had gone off, as they continued to run through room after room, hoping against hope they'd make it out. People were coming at them from all sides, their feet were showing under the cloak, still they ran onward. Remus was tripped by someone and faltered, but they persisted without much trouble. It seemed the number of people in each room was consistently growing as they were being alerted to the circumstances.
Sirius spotted his uncle and almost stopped. They heard him call, "Sirius, it's me! Don't you remember?" Sirius's eyes watered, but he pushed forward, willing his feet to go. There was nothing they could do for him now.
They ran for what must have been an hour, each sweating, James getting weary from Tempesta's weight in his arms, until they found the room they had entered so long ago. Sirius turned the knob, the door pushed open, they rushed out to their brooms, James whipping off the cloak and shoving it back in his pocket. They clambered onto their brooms, James desperately pulling Tempesta into a sitting position in front of him and holding her up by the waist, kicking off hard from the ground.
The others were way ahead of him; they all soared up very high and headed quickly back the way they came, none of them daring to speak a word. They all flew as fast as their brooms would go, too scared to look behind or below them, just keeping their eyes ahead of them. Then another dreadful thought struck James. The thing that had tried to get him before. Was it still there, waiting for them to return?
He didn't voice this fear, however, as they flew wordlessly on.
They flew for a half hour straight before anything was said. "It would seem we've done it," Remus said weakly.
"Don't speak so soon, Remus, you never know what terrible thing might befall us now," Sirius warned.
"Temp's getting to be a bother," James complained, but he was grinning. "It's quite hard to fly with a little sister on your broom." Remus and Sirius laughed; it certainly did feel good to laugh and be happy after all that.
"I can't believe we escaped! All those people were closing in…" Remus said, shuddering.
"I can't believe about my Uncle Albert," Sirius said quietly. "My parents were heartbroken when he died, and then, there he is! All of a sudden, out of nowhere!" Sirius shook his head. "It's very strange."
"We would've saved him if we could," James said honestly.
"Yeah, you know it! And we're not even sure if his soul has been recovered," Remus said logically.
"Thanks guys. I know you're right."
"Hey, you know what?" Remus said out of the blue.
"What?" James asked.
"When we tell the Ministry about this, they'll positively have a field day!"
"If they believe us," Sirius said doubtfully.
"We've got Temp here as proof," James said. It was then that James's fear became a reality.
"SHE BELONGS TO US NOW!" a hoarse, deep, menacing voice shouted through the air. James felt something tug the end of his broom, he instinctively flew further up; Sirius and Remus follow without hesitation.
"Weakius!" Remus shouted, carefully watching the tail of James's broom to direct his spell. It must have hit, because James's broom became level again, and there was a loud clunk as the thing hit the ground.
"Keep flying!" James commanded, trying to get Tempesta fully on his broom again. They did so, flying below James incase Tempesta fell off.
"That was scary!" Remus exclaimed after things had calmed down and they were all flying level again.
"Why does it keep coming after me?" James asked, frowning.
"Well, this time you had Tempesta. But last time…" Sirius trailed off. There was silence for a while.
"So how long do you think it's been since last we were home?" James asked.
"Almost a week. My mum will be the one to kill me; Tempesta's not my little sister!" Remus said. They laughed.
"If you want, we can come back and explain the entire situation to her. After, that is, we go to R.A.M.C.A. and restore my sister and explain everything to my mum," James offered.
"I've got to write home; I told Mum I wouldn't stay more than a week!" Sirius said.
"Lily's going to be furious with me for not returning her letters," James said. "But I'll have to write her a book to explain what went on this week."
"Do you all realize that we're now a week closer to returning to school?" Sirius asked.
"Wow, you're right! Tempesta hasn't got much time to prepare herself!" James said, glancing down at the limp body he was holding.
"Don't hold me to this, but I don't think she cares right now," Remus jested. They all laughed.
"Look, there's the toll booth!" Sirius cried.
"Oh no, we still haven't got any money!" Remus said sadly.
"Why do you two always forget about my cloak?" James asked, a smirk on his face. They all flew quite closely together, and had to slow down a lot, to be under it all at once.
They slowly flew over the booth, trying their best not to make a sound as they did so. Soon after, they took the cloak off again, and it was free flying until they reached home.
They all flew to James's first, and were delighted to find Lily and her mother already there. James stopped them from entering, and ducked below an open window to listen.
"He hasn't been home for almost a week; it's been six days!" Phyllinda cried, choking back tears.
"Have you written to Sirius's mother yet?"
"Not yet, I'm going to wait for her to write. I figure ignorance certainly is bliss."
"So you haven't even heard from him?" Lily asked worriedly.
"I don't even know where he was going! Oh, this is dreadful; school starts in only a week!"
'A week?' James mouthed to the others disbelievingly.
"Well, I'll be back tomorrow with Lily; hopefully something will have changed," Violet said, and James heard the scooting of chairs.
They rushed to the door and burst in.
"JAMES!" Phyllinda shouted, rushing to him. She caught sight of Tempesta, and fainted.
"James!" Lily said excitedly. "You-you've got her?"
"Is that your sister? You rescued her from the clutches of Romulus?!" Violet asked in an impressed voice. James nodded plainly, and asked, "Where's Magnus?"
"Right here," Magnus answered, smiling at James.
"You've done it. No one thought it was possible, and yet, here you are…"
"We need you to come with us to R.A.M.C.A. headquarters to get her soul back," James explained.
"Can we go by my house first? My parents will be worried something awful," Remus said quickly.
"I suppose so. Magnus, get your Shooting Star, and let's go."
~*~
They arrived at Remus's house, where James and Sirius had to go in and explain everything as quickly as possible. Finally he was allowed to leave with them for R.A.M.C.A.
~*~
They arrived at the center and were recognized at once. The woman behind the desk rushed for the manager, and he strode out, looking very morose. James and Magnus walked in front; Remus and Sirius walked behind, holding Tempesta, keeping her from view.
"I'm sure you remember us," Magnus said shortly.
"Of course. Are you here to see her soul?" Magnus grinned.
"You could say that."
He led them through the same series of passages and into the same cold, dark room. "Are you sure?" he asked, his finger on a button in the wall.
"Oh, we're sure." He pressed the button and one wall moved aside, revealing a glass case filled with water-and a soul. It looked just like Tempesta, only it was colorless and limp. It looked much like a ghost. It was a transparent blue color, and floated in the water lifelessly. Its eyes were closed. The manager was silent for a moment.
"Shall I leave you all alone?" he asked.
"No, that isn't necessary; we were wondering if you knew how to get the soul back in the body when the body is recovered," Magnus said, as though this were some sort of business deal.
"Well, it has never happened before, but the body must come in direct contact with the soul."
"Can you get the soul out of there?" Magnus pressed.
"Yes, but only for about ten minutes before it disappears."
"That will be plenty of time. Please do so." The manager hit another button, draining the water. Sirius and Remus were trying desperately not to snicker at the manager's obvious dismay.
The manager then went through a passage (after hitting yet another button), climbed a ladder, and gingerly took the soul in his arms. He carried it out to them.
"Yes, now," Magnus said, moving aside, "if you could just put that back in her, we'll be going." Sirius and Remus had set her down on the cold floor. The manager was stunned, and for a second too long. Tempesta's eyes shot open suddenly, and she sat up.
"Where am I?" she asked viciously.
"Oh no!" Remus said, quickly pulling out his wand. She attacked him, biting into his arm. "Ouch!" he cried. Sirius acted quickly.
"Weakius!" Tempesta fell to the ground again. Remus tried to use his shirt to slow the blood flow from his arm.
"Geez, let's just get this over with!" he insisted. The manager walked over and gently laid the soul on the body, bringing more color to Tempesta's face. Her eyes fluttered open gently; not like they had moments ago. She looked around, confusion clear on her face.
"James!" she cried, standing and running to him. He hugged her close, intense joy flooding him.
"Temp, it's so good to see you again!" The others stood there, the manager utterly amazed and speechless, Magnus full of joy, Sirius and Remus incredibly happy for James and his family.
~*~
When they arrived back at James's house, Lily, Violet and Phyllinda had all sat down for tea.
"Lily," James began quickly, "would you like to stay this last week?" Lily looked hopefully at her mum, and James did the same to his.
"All right," they said in unison.
"So, Temp," Magnus said, "do you remember anything of what happened before we rescued you?" She looked solemn.
"Yes. It was right after I'd left-" A new worry arose in James at that very moment. What good would it be if she just now told them he was the reason she'd left at all? He was about to steer her out of the room at once, when he silenced himself and stood awkwardly listening.
"I was walking to Nina's house. Well, as most of you know, I've a horrible sense of direction, and was soon lost beyond manage. I found myself in completely unfamiliar territory, all alone, and it was getting dark.
"It was then, when I was beginning to truly worry, when it happened. Something, I'm still not sure what, came up behind me and knocked me to the ground. I scrambled up, looking around to see what it was. I couldn't see anything. Then it hit me in the stomach, knocking me down again. It was invisible!" James prodded Sirius on his arm and raised his eyebrows, which in response he gave an exasperated nod.
"I sat up on the ground and felt it fasten its hands around my neck. I tried to fight it off, but I felt it choking me; and everything went black. The last thing I remember feeling was a sharp, blinding pain retching my whole body. I know now that the pain was my soul being removed. Then it was like simple sleeping, and I didn't wake up until-"
"One and a half months later," Magnus interjected.
"I feel as though I've slept the summer away!" she said glumly.
"Not to worry, Temp! It's not as though you've missed much!" James reassured.
"Plus, we're going to Diagon Alley in a few days; you'll be able to get your school things!" Magnus said encouragingly. Tempesta's sadness ebbed away as they offered their comforting words.
"My, my! Has James arrived home yet?" Phyllinda asked, referring to their father.
"He's got much to report to the Ministry, Mum, and he's had to round up people from R.A.M.C.A. as well; he shouldn't be home for a while!" Magnus said. At that very moment James Apparated into the house.
"Then again, I could be wrong," Magnus said timidly.
"I need Tempesta," James said shortly, motioning for her to come. "They say there's a spell they can perform to prove this isn't all some hoax." He paused, and considered James, Sirius, and Remus. "You three come too, as you were the ones who saved her."
"James! You don't Apparate with the children! Go by Floo Powder!" Phyllinda ordered.
"But, but Philly-" James pleaded.
"Powder or nothing!" Phyllinda said firmly.
"Oh, all right. Come on you lot." Soon they were on their way to the Ministry.
~*~
"This is my daughter, Tempesta. Dear, will you please tell the Minister of Magic exactly what happened to you?" James said kindly. So Tempesta went through the entire retelling of her horrific tale. She seemed to enjoy telling it, actually.
"This'll make her right popular next year at Hogwarts," Sirius muttered. Remus and James nodded profusely. Once Tempesta was done with her story, James motioned to the boys.
"These three were the ones who rescued her and discovered Romulus's hideout," he said proudly. Cornelius Fudge looked skeptical.
"Well, Mr. Potter, they're only eleven or twelve, how could they possibly have-"
"Listen to their account and look at the evidence, sir. You decide, not I." So they told the whole story yet again, careful to include the part of the invisible monster that Tempesta had mentioned in her own story.
"Well, all the information fits. Where did you say you boys were?" he asked.
"Downtown London, quite a ways, about an hour and a half, er, north!" Remus answered knowledgably.
"All right, thank you. We'll get right on this, and if it all checks out with the rest of the Ministry, I reckon you boys'll get an Order of Merlin!" They all grinned at each other, hardly believing it. As they left, they spoke excitedly of this.
"An Order of Merlin at age eleven! That's got to be a record!" Sirius exclaimed.
"I never even dreamed of such an honor!" James said wistfully.
"And at our age!" Remus chimed in.
~*~
That night Sirius decided to go home and explain everything to his parents; Remus too, had to leave for home. They all decided that they could really use some sleep after the entire ordeal; technically, they hadn't slept in days.
After a long goodnight to Tempesta, James joined Lily back in his own room, where she was sleepily lying down already.
"You know James, I wish you would've at least answered my letters before you went," she said with a yawn.
"How many times do I have to tell you Lily, I had no idea that time flowed faster in there, Sirius told us much too late!"
"Would it have stopped you?"
"No, but I would have thought to reply to your letter if I even had the faintest idea we would stumble-or rather, run headlong into-Romulus's secret hideout!"
"I know James I know, I'm just giving you a hard time," Lily said with a smile.
~*~
The next day they decided to go to Diagon Alley. "I need a lot of stuff," Tempesta said incredulously.
"We've got to go to Gringotts first; I haven't got any money on me," Lily said.
"Well, we've all got to go anyway, so that'll work," James said. Magnus was hurrying down the stairs preparing to accompany them.
"Be sure to help Tempesta with her things!" Phyllinda called as they left.
"Of course, Mum!" Magnus called back, giving a slight wave.
~*~
Tempesta marveled at positively everything there was to marvel at. Her wand was by far her favorite thing to buy; she got a nine inch, holly one with a unicorn hair inside. Mr. Ollivander called it quite, "Springy. Good for charm work."
She wanted a broomstick, but James quickly pointed out that she couldn't have one, being a first-year, and she was very disappointed. They enjoyed telling her about Quidditch and the Sorting Ceremony. She listened to every word with interest, looking more and more forward to going to school.
The bookshop was another of her favorite stores. "I think we've got another Ravenclaw on our hands," James whispered to Lily.
"Well, she's quite brave, could belong in Gryffindor," Lily said. "She did, after all, wander out by herself for a trifle."
So while James and Lily tried to figure out the mystery of where Lily belonged, Magnus enjoyed telling her all of the books he'd read and which she should try out when she was older. When finally everyone had their school things all sorted out, Magnus decided it was getting late and they should go.
"Wait! Magnus, I wanted to stop by Quality Quidditch Supplies," James said quickly.
"Why? You've got a broom."
"I've heard they've come out with a new model, and I want to check it out."
"All right then."
So they walked over to the Quality Quidditch Supplies shop, where a gaggle of people were gathered outside. Once the crowd dispersed, though, James got a good look at what they had been eyeing.
It was a new broom, and magnificent too. He looked at the label. Blue Moon 480. "It's wondrous!" he exclaimed, examining it.
"I don't think you should get it, it'll be very expensive," Lily said warningly. "Read below-
The Blue Moon 480 is a very reliable broom, sold only in this very shop. Its braking and quick turning abilities are unequaled by any other line (yes that includes the Comet and Cleansweep brands, thank you very much). Only 300 available. Price on request."
"I've got to buy it," James said distantly.
"James, you can't!"
"Lily, I'll be playing Quidditch this year! This broom will last me the rest of my years at Hogwarts…"
"Mum's going to kill you," Magnus said simply, but he too looked hopeful that James might buy it.
"I'm going to at least ask for the price!" he said indignantly, walking through the doors. They all followed.
"Hello," he said brightly to the man behind the desk, "how many of the Blue Moon 480's have you got left?"
"About 280. They're not selling very well. I reckon people are afraid to ask about the price. And for a person so young as you, I could-" he leaned in closer, winking, "lower the price a touch."
"How much?" James pressed.
"For you…" he scratched his chin, considering James, "twenty galleons." James could hardly believe it. He hastily pulled the money out of his bag and handed it to the man. Magnus looked suspicious.
"How much is the retail?" he asked.
"Thirty," the man answered without faltering. Magnus looked convinced, and soon James was carrying a broom-shaped package with him on their way home.
~*~
"What on earth is that?" Phyllinda questioned as James and the others entered home.
"My new broom. Only twenty galleons," James answered confidently.
"James, I forgot to ask, can I have your Cleansweep 7?" Magnus asked timidly.
"Sure, Magnus!"
"What brand is it?" Lily stepped forward, reading a brochure that had come with the broom.
"You have been introduced to an all-new brand, the Moon brand. Out brooms far outreach the goals of both the Comet and Cleansweep brands, making us stand out. Future models include the Green Moon 490, Red Moon 500, and Crescent Moon."
"Well, sounds like an interesting buy. We'll see how it works out for you, James. It's your own money!" Phyllinda said.
~*~
Soon enough, the day before school was upon them. They packed their bags eagerly, Lily had to go home, but James promised to meet her at King's Cross, and spirits were high.
Perhaps Tempesta's were the highest of all. She was looking so forward to the school year it was unbearable. James then realized he hadn't heard a word from Peter all summer. He wondered if it was intentional, but pushed the thought from his mind.
Magnus couldn't even hide his feelings of excitement as they prepared to go to bed that night.
"This year will be phenomenal, I can feel it!" he said enthusiastically to James.
"What house do you think Temp'll be in?" James asked suddenly.
"Oh, I don't know, I reckon Gryffindor. Perhaps Ravenclaw though; she did seem to be keen on those books I showed her." He paused. "May the best house get her!" They laughed and departed to their rooms for the night.
James couldn't sleep through half the night. His anticipation for the next morning was much too high. Finally he fell asleep around perhaps 2, but awoke again at 6 and couldn't sleep any more.
He assured that he had everything packed, and went downstairs for a bite to eat to find Tempesta already there.
"Couldn't sleep either?" she shook her head.
"I'm far too excited!" He smiled and ate a bit of her waffle.
~*~
They departed for King's Cross around 9, James, Magnus and Tempesta all positively bouncing in their seats.
"Temp, are you prepared to go find some first-years?" James asked gingerly.
"Oh yes, Nina's going too!" she said happily. James was glad he wouldn't have to sit with her; he expected the compartment would be full enough if they planned to fit James, Sirius, Remus, Peter, Lily, Hestia, Jenny, and Crystal in it.
They arrived, and James crossed the barrier with Temp at his side. She was very nervous, so they had to run. He quickly found Lily and the others and they grabbed an empty compartment.
"See you at the ceremony, Temp!" he called as they clambered into a compartment. She waved and rushed off to find Nina.
"Peter! Where've you been all summer?" Sirius asked jokingly as Peter climbed in.
"Vacationing. We went to Romania," he said feebly. "Didn't have the time to write at all. Sorry!" Sirius, Remus, and James all exchanged amused looks.
"No need to be," Remus said with a grin.
"So, do tell us about Romania," James prompted as the conductors began shutting doors. James waved quickly to his mum and turned back to Peter, who had begun a detailed explanation of his time in Romania. There were a lot of dragons in his story.
Then James, Sirius and Remus involved the entire compartment in their thrilling tale of saving Tempesta. Even Lily listened intently, though she had heard it before.
The witch with the sweet tray came in about an hour into the ride, and Sirius bought everyone a Cauldron Cake. Soon they were approaching Hogwarts, without a worry in any of their minds.
Well, a worry did soon arrive; into their compartment.
"Potter. Pettigrew. Black. Lupin," Snape said smoothly, entering quite uninvited.
"Snape," they all said coldly together.
"Pleasure seeing you've all returned safely," he said in an icy voice.
"Sorry, can't say the same for you," Sirius said just as icily. They all sniggered.
"Watch yourself Black. I've got plans for all of you; just you wait. I've got very powerful friends this year, oh yes. You'll all see…" With that, he left.
"He doesn't scare me," Sirius said confidently.
They quickly pushed Snape from their minds and played a game of Exploding Snap until the castle came into view.
They all changed into their robes and prepared to go, pits rising in their stomachs as they did so.
"Well, here we go," Lily said, "another year at Hogwarts."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Second year coming soon! I'll get working on it, but I can't promise it too soon; I had an entire boring weekend to work on this chapter. Please r/r!!