Chapter Nine: Piper-
At a quarter to seven I'd just gotten out of lessons with Madam Morela twenty minutes before. As I headed out to the courtyard to work on some homework Harry and Ron fell in step with me and we walked together chatting amicably. Everyone else was off doing his or her own thing, whether it be working, causing trouble… or necking in a corner. I needed Adrian to copy his potions essay, but he had classes with Spike so I figured I'd copy Harry's. Ron's potions essays were never very reliable.
We might've gotten some work done if it hadn't been for Ron's arachnophobia. We'd have still been sitting in the courtyard now working on various projects. There was this long line of spiders moving across the bench he was sitting on. They looked like they were marching, and they were moving quickly away. This is all Ron's description though. I was sitting across from him with my headphones on and the volume turned up. It was only when Ron's yells broke through the rap that I looked up. I rolled my eyes when I saw him screaming because of the spiders; I happen to like them, but then that's just me.
"Don't worry Ron." Harry wiped the trail clear with his book. One accidentally landed on Ron's pant leg.
"Get it off!" He yelled, jumping up in a jerking motion.
The whole scene had me laughing for a few seconds, but then Ron fell into a clump of tall bushes and flowers that if parted led out of the courtyard. "Are you ok?" I asked sincerely. I knelt next to him alongside Harry. When Ron didn't answer Harry cautiously stuck his head into the bushes.
"Piper," Harry said awed. "You have to see this."
'I'm sticking my head into a bush.' I thought sarcastically to myself. I took off my headphones and drew my robes around me before poking my head through. Pine leaves from the bushes fell into my mouth. They were bitter tasting and I spit them out before looking were the boys were.
"Oh my God!" I whispered almost grinning. "Total slayage action."
"Is this a good thing?" Ron asked skeptically. "Um, those are vamps, bad vamps."
The 'show' we were watching was pretty cool from our perspective. Buffy, Angel, Xander, Adrian, and Spike were up against ten or twelve vampires, and it looked as if the number had been higher to begin with. I cased the area around them looking for reasons why they'd be fighting vamps other than the fact that it's Buffy's life work, but I couldn't find one. Harry, whose head was stuck farther out, gestured towards Hagrid's hut. When we looked over I saw dad in animagus form casing some one around the garden patch, but seconds later they touched something and disappeared.
"Portkey." Harry said, confirming my thoughts.
"Do you think we should, I dunno, do something. Help maybe?" Ron shifted uneasily in the dirt.
I shook my head. "None of us could do anything. I'm ok against fledglings, but vamps that've been around for a while… I'd get killed. And they look like they've had experience. Adrian's the better fighter between the two of us, I'm the better fencer, but that's the only real weapon I can use with out getting the wiggins."
"He's pretty good with that crossbow!" Harry laughed quietly.
"'Ey look, there's something around their necks." Ron pointed out.
"Who?"
Ron gestured again. "Adrian and Spike, look. Spike's is gold, Adrian's looks like…a time turner!"
"The sand is blue." I said, momentarily confused.
"How can you tell?"
"I've got better vision than you guys, anyway, yeah it's blue. Does that mean anything? And where the heck did he get it?"
Harry shrugged. "Hermione would know. They just dusted three more, that's good."
Dad barked loudly, signaling to the five fighters. They turned, still managing to hold off their attackers. Spike nodded after dad barked again and they took off. The vampires followed them in pursuit but Xander and Angel turned to deal with them. Spike, Buffy, and Adrian ran to where the man that dad had been chasing had disappeared.
"Bloody hell Adrian we don't have time for this. Stay here!" We heard Spike yell. My brother gave them a murderous glare and when the adults touched the portkey he reached out and tapped it as well.
"Can we help them now?" Harry asked, looking at Xander and Angel who were taking on eight vampires alone. "We have wands, remember?"
"Excellent point. I kinda forget that when I'm dealing with these Hellmouth-ish situations. Stunning spells?"
"On three," Ron said. "One, two… Stupefy!"
All but one of them fell. The two seconds he took to be confused were the last two seconds of his undead life. Xander pulled the trigger on the crossbow just as he was looking up. The three of us wriggled out from underneath the shrubbery in a comedic fashion that involved much dirt in our mouths and the banging of heads.
"Ron!" I said, grabbing my things from the other side. "You smashed my Jennifer Lopez CD you dope!"
"After what we just saw you're mad about that stupid metal disc?" Ron rolled his eyes.
"Don't start with me." I warned. "Oh hi Xander. Hi Angel. Are we off to wherever the rest of them just went?"
"Do you even know what's going on?" Xander asked, carefully reloading the crossbow.
"I'm suspecting that they have Oz and Remus." Some of the hyperness dropped from my voice as I realized the situation. I was confused though. After the Halloween dance when I'd been Dumbledore's office with Lucius Malfoy he'd said that it would take place on February 14th. This was the 13th. I'd planned to be completely on my guard tomorrow, not today.
Angel nodded confirming it. "And your friend Candra."
"Whoa, I don't get it. Why would they have Remus and Oz in the first place?" Harry looked at the adults with worried eyes.
The sun had almost set, I noticed. There was just about a third left to go. Xander's eyes moved to watch the sinking sun as well before he answered. "Lucius Malfoy has this whole plan, he's going to convince the crowds in Diagon Alley to execute with the whole Mass Hysteria Mob psyche thing. There's some sort of scientific name for it, but that's not important. Oz, Remus, and probably Candra are about to be well done on the stake."
"Well done…" Ron thought about it for a second. "Oh that's gross! Only Muggles do that."
"With a hysteria spell you anyone to do anything in mob." Harry spoke knowledgeably. "We just did them in Charms remember?"
"Why did they take Candra? She's not a wolf. I've been with her on many a full moon." I protested.
"She was with Oz when they came for him." Angel said quickly. "Come on. We're wasting time."
*~*
It's amazing how quickly things can change. Five minutes ago Diagon Ally had been peaceful and quiet as people finished up their shopping or came in for dinner at a restaurant. They'd been carrying baskets over their arms and smiles on their faces while they shopped. It'd looked like the first scene of Beauty and the Beast except no one was singing that annoying 'Bonjour' song. We arrived in time to see said baskets being thrown down, forgotten onto the streets, and said smiles turning into frowns and glares.
People were surging from all over to move to the front of Gringots Bank. I was almost trampled when I attempted to push my way forward. Harry, Ron, and I managed to loose Xander and Angel within the first few seconds. Far ahead I saw Spike's bleached hair but my voice barely reached above the shouts of the mob, and we weren't moving anywhere fast.
Gringots finally came into view. The goblins looked pissed. They paced the steps yelling unrecognizable words attempting to push away the three stakes that had been placed in the piles of straw. Goblins are impervious to most control spells, that's one of the many reasons they make such reliable bankers. But even though the hysteria spell wasn't working on them they were completely outnumbered by the amount of people it was controlling. Two hooded men in black were on the steps next to the execution sites. They stood with wands ready and pointed at the straw.
I almost lost the boys but I grabbed the tail of Ron's robes and followed closely, as we approached the near front. Harry called out for Spike and Xander who we could now see clearly. Spike turned to look, but his attention was distracted along with everyone else's when Ian McNair and one of his Death Eater cohorts dragged two struggling teens to the piles of straw. Two other dark clad men bought out Remus, who was decidedly more passive in his bonds. All three were wrapped in silver chains, and Remus and Oz both looked like they were in terrible pain. The more Oz struggled the harder the chains tightened around him. Candra, usually one for a demure state in times of panic, looked terrified. She cried out several times as they began to tie her to a post.
"You can't do this!" Harry and Ron caught me as I stumbled backward in slight shock. I looked around for where my brother's voice had come from, but still the only Scoobies I could see were Spike and Xander. I looked for Angel and Buffy, the only other two adults on our side I'd seen come, but there were just too many brunets and blonds in the crowd.
From our right there was a sudden yell from the masses. I couldn't make it out but seconds later Adrian was being hoisted in the air and moved towards the steps and the waiting executioners like it was a mosh pit. "He's a supporter! Burn him!" They were yelling. I tried to run forward but Harry grabbed me, and held me there.
"Spike and Xander'll get him." He said soothingly.
I watched with one eye in terror as Adrian was moved closer to the steps, with the other I searched for Buffy and Angel. Now I'd lost track of Spike. Too much was going on, I decided. I swung my eyes back to Adrian. He was on his back, but rolled over to his stomach. There was a pop I almost didn't hear and Adrian disappeared. A small gray wolf jumped down through a hole in the hands and streaked off to the left. I soon lost sight of him.
Ron gasped. "Did he just…?"
"Yeah." I nodded, amazed. "Dad's gonna kill him."
"But they're going to kill them first! This isn't good!" Harry said, pointing and finally sounding panicky. They'd tied all three of them to the stakes. Ian McNair stepped forward with a look of grim determination on his face.
"These vile creatures behind me are supporters of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! He has sent out a message to all dark creatures asking them to come to his side and they joined him! Good people of Diagon Ally, with your permission we will do away with the last of the free werewolves in England." A roar of approval rang out through Diagon Ally. "Good, light the vermin so that they may die." Candra screamed as sparks shot out from all three wands and ignited the piles that they stood upon.
"We can't do anything!" Ron said softly. "W-We…"
"You can't, but we can."
Harry and Ron parted as Willow, Madam Morela, and Cordelia pushed through the crowds. Cordelia brought up the rear dragging behind her Peter Pettigrew on a leash. Willow looked positively pissed as she looked up where our friends were close to becoming a meal for Hannibal Lector.
"Dumbledore's working on this damned spell." Morela said also looking to the Gringots Stairs. "As soon as we show Pettigrew to the public, that should fully break it. If you distract the subject with something more exciting the spell leaves. Pettigrew should be exciting enough."
"Draco and Sirius are around here somewhere, Hermione too. They wouldn't stay away." Cordelia yanked the chain. "Let's go Rat-Face!"
As the three women made their way through the mob I finally saw Buffy. She, with Spike, Xander, and Angel were running up the stairs to the fires. Buffy snapped the first two wands pointed at her and ran to Candra and Oz. Spike fought as Xander and Angel worked on knocking Remus' stake out of the flames.
"Piper!"
"Adrian!" I yelled as he ran over. "What-"
I couldn't finish. I couldn't talk or make any noise. Someone screamed like she was being killed, but she wasn't. More screams of frightened people joined in as their hands rose, pointing, to the stairs. Adrian twisted his head around quickly, trying to see what had happened. Slowly his eyes widened and he ran his fingers over his neck.
"Damn, damn, damn…" He murmured crazily. I looked at his neck. The Time-Turner was missing, and I assumed that that didn't bode well for what was about to happen. On the stairs a thin coat of blue sand had landed on the marble ground. Next to it was a swirling portal that blurred, as you looked closer to the middle. It spun around quickly, and I doubt anyone could see inside.
I tried to speak but then something worse than random portals popping up happened. As Cordelia stopped to stare at the portal Pettigrew saw his chance and made a run for it. Being that we were all mesmerized by the portal it took at least five seconds for us to notice that Pettigrew was running. Running towards the portal. It was when he jumped through that we reacted.
I ran with Harry, Ron, and Adrian not thinking of what could happen. I just wanted the rat back. The mob stood stock still watching us run. It seemed the spell was wearing off. If this wasn't a distraction, I don't know what was. Spike, Buffy, Angel, and Xander were closer and jumped into the portal without thought. When it didn't zap them or shoot them back out I ran faster.
The last things I saw were Harry, Ron, and Adrian behind me, Madam Morela bending over my friends checking their burn wounds, and three figures behind the boys. I saw the blue murky mists of the portal and then my world went black.
*~*
"She's moving. I think she might be waking."
"Bring some candles and water please Beth."
There was something else said, but I didn't know what it was. My head was killing me and the lack of light in the room was pleasant when I slowly blinked my eyes open. There was so much gook around the sides it was like it had spent days building up. Days? I opened my eyes completely and let out a small groan.
"How do you feel?" Asked what seemed to be a disembodied voice. I blinked a few times trying to make my eyes focus. A woman in her forties stood at the side of the bed I was in. Next to her was a younger man, maybe in his early twenties. The woman wore a dress that I had to look twice at. It was something I'd expect to see in the 19th century or…I looked around the room. There were no electric lights, no outlets, and no radio or television. There were candles, beautiful looking mahogany furniture, and a hoop with unfinished embroidery still sitting in it. A fire burned in the fireplace, which wasn't unusual, but instead of cooking or using it for flooing, they were warming bricks for foot warmers in beds.
When I looked up at the man I gulped and struggled not to say anything. He wore glasses now, and his hair was brown, but there was no mistaking those cheeks. I clutched the thick blanket the lay over me.
"William, she seems to be startled by you. Why don't you see to our other charge." Said the woman.
"Yes mother."
I was now sufficiently convinced that I was not in Kansas anymore.
To Be Continued in Twins of Peace Book Three: Time Hopping
(A/n- Done! ::sighs::. Please R/R, I didn't think I'd finish tonight but I did. Thank God, I'm sooooooooo tired! Ok, there will be a sequel as you can probably tell. So questions to be answered…Why's Piper there, where's everyone else, where's Pettigrew, what're the poor people left back at home going to do, will the ministry be fixed, will Sirius be freed now that they've all seen Pettigrew, what does the time turner have to do with all of this, what does Freya's strand have to do with all of this, what does Adhara have to do with all of this, will the author of this story ever get a life? These questions and more answered in Twins of Peace Book Three: Time Hopping. Lessee, as you all know with my previously wrong ETA's, I'm really bad at predicting when I'll have chapters out. So to be safe I'm going to say that Book Three will be out by ::thinks- hmm, today's the 7th, maybe:: the 18th. That's when it will defiantly be out by. Sorry I'm taking so long but I need to catch up on some sleep and work on my other Buffy fanfic. But I really do like writing this, I'll especially like this next part 'cause I'm gonna get to write about the future and the past. Wheee! Ok, I'm…goin'…to…sle-…zzzzzzzzzzz.
-MJ
