A/N Yes fellow frogmunchers ! after months of slacking off the much anticpated
new chapter of Ded is here , and boy is it well.. insane enjoy and remember
always to read and review.. TO THE EXTREME.
"My father?" Ethy asked, her voice barely above a whisper she stared at her two best friends with a mixture of bewilderment and anger.
"But...how could she have seen your father? No-one even knows who he is!"Ginger pointed out and Zev shrugged his shoulders.
"Heather sees a lot of things. Maybe she was tuning her crystal ball again..." He replied soothingly, taking a bite out of the apple his mother had brought up earlier when he asked for a snack.
"No, this was different. She was actually yelling. Heather never yells" Ethy pointed out and Zev was inclined to agree. It was then that Heather, still yelling about British red-heads, marched past Ethy's open door.
"Heather?" Ethy asked and Heather stopped mid-screech. Angelica used this opportunity and ran away.
"Yes?"Heather asked innocently, leaning against the door frame.
"I just heard what you ...well...screeched" Ethy said slowly and Heather's skin began to glow bright red.
"You did?"She asked meekly. Ethy nodded, her lips pursed together into a thin angry line.
"Well the thing is Ethy...it's kind of hard to explain" Heather began, wringing her hands together nervously.
"I only saw him briefly in a sort of dream, although it wasn't my dream.. It was your mothers" Heather trailed off.
"God that sounded lame"she added and Zev nodded, swallowing his apple.
"See, told you it was a perfectly reasonable explanation" he replied and Heather shot him a withering glance.
"The point is ... I didn't get to see much Ethy" Heather replied and she walked towards Ethy, quickly putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Well...What was he like?" Ethy asked and Heather shook her head as if clearing fog from her mind.
"Like a male version of Ethy Green"she laughed and ruffled the young girls silver hair.
"Meanwhile I see you haven't started on any of your homework yet and you're returning to school the day after tomorrow" Heather pointed out as Ethy groaned.
*****
Meanwhile Angelica, left to her own devices, was formulating a plan for revenge. How dare Heather yell at her like that! Yes, she had woken her up but still she hadn't meant to. Now pouting to herself like a spoilt, oversized child she stormed off to her room. After scurrying around for several minutes she retrieved a thick cardboard box and, smiling to herself, walked up the stairs, whistling as she worked. Her eyes fell on the third floor bathroom and she grinned wickedly.....This was going to be brilliant.
*****
Heather was mostly unaware of Angelica's evil and manipulative plan. After all, she was far to busy trying desperately to teach Ethy to transfigure a piece of wood into a piece of steel. However, it proved to be quite hopeless.
Mr Blau was continually asking her if she was allright, looking at her as if she was about to start astral-projecting on the spot again. The pupil and her charge had moved around seven times until Ethy quite bluntly said she was bored and asked if she could listen to some Muggle CD's in her bedroom. Heather reluctantly agreed.
Half mumbling to herself at around Eight o'clock at night Heather gathered up her bright green towels and stumbled off towards the bathroom. She usually had her showers late into the evening because it was the only time when there was no line, there was nothing more aggravating than pushing past several pyjama-clad people in order to get to the toothpaste.
Sighing to herself she bustled into the bathroom and, using her hip, slammed the door behind her. She then turned to the ornate bathtub and started swivelling the taps so a shower of thick bubbling soap bubbles began to fill the marble bath. Humming to herself with relief she lowered herself into the water and sank into it, absolutely relieved.
However, as soon as her muscles began to relax the water around her began to harden. She tried desperately to get out but her head was dragged back into the thick hardening goo. Her eyes fell to the rim of the bathtub and she saw one of the empty jam jars Angelica frequently used to store her experiments and she screamed her lungs out until they hammered against her chest.
*****
"Did you just here something?" Ethy yelled over the music coming from her CD player. Angelica, who was 'helping' Ethy with her potions assignment, quickly turned the volume on Ethy's CDplayer to full blast.
"Nope...not a thing"she replied, grinning.
*****
However, Heather's screams of anguish soon reached the ears of Mr Blau and Marina. They had been rather busy discussing matters of upmost importance in Mr Blau's bachelor pad.
The room in question was small, neat and tidy, with black walls and a white ceiling. There were several book shelves lining one wall covered with boring and dull books. However, if you happened to tweak the book on Elementary Astronomy backwards the whole set of shelves, using a clever Concealment Charm, would reveal a small room filled with gleaming sinister intruments used to fight the Dark Arts.
"Interesting Sneakoscope" Marina noted as she fiddled with one of the instruments she had picked up at random. It was rather interesting, in the shape of a thick silver ring with the actual talisman hidden inside the piece of jade.
"I bought it in a broomstick way station during a trip to Hong Kong. It glows yellow whenever something sinister presents itself" Mr Blau replied, firmly snatching the ring out of his younger sisters fingers.
"Hmm...you've been around a lot, havent you dear brother?"Marina stated coldly and Mr Blau looked slightly sheepish.
"Not lately, I've been here nearly fifteen years"he replied, a little whistfully and Marina raised an eyebrow.
"You sound almost sentimental"she snorted and he firmly folded his arms.
"Aurors can't afford to be sentimental, you should know that" he replied coldly and Marina replied scathingly.
"What about that fat lady with the reddy-brown hair, the psychic one. You were clutching onto her hand for dear life"Marina replied.
"Just because she dosn't look like an anorexic fourteen year old it dosn't mean she's fat...and it just so happens I was helping her with a psychic experiment" Mr Blau answered. Marina just grumpily shook her shoulders.
Her brothers room was starting to remind her of a certain moving picture she had seen in that Muggle flying machine...what was it called? James Pond or Blonde. Something like that. The place reeked of overstylized male sophistication, with an edge of high-tech magical gagetry. Marina's attention however was soon averted to the ceiling, when a large droplet of sticky bright pink goo dripped onto her forehead.
"Um....Brother?" Marina asked politely, because she wasn't sure what her brother called himself in English. In Asia his name was Wing but it could be entirely different in Australia.
"What? are you going to tell me that Heather wears silly clothes? Or that I should get myself a nice Asian girlfriend?" Mr Blau snarled and Marina furiously shook her head.
"I don't know much about Muggle ceilings....But is it normal for them to be dripping with pink goo?" Marina enquired.
"No it's not you idiot" Mr Blau growled, rolling his eyes. However as his eyes drew up to the ceiling his mouth went wide with shock.
"Quick, get out of the way!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs, grabbing the book on Elementary Astronomy. The bookshelf dissapeared and he pushed Marina into the hidden alcove. He then followed her, pressing himself against a table covered with potion Dark Arts detectors.
"What did you do that for?" Marina cried furiously and Mr Blau put a finger to his lips. Their eyes both swivelled towards the now empty main loungeroom and then with an omnoius crash the ceiling completely caved in. The entire aparement was covered with sticky bright pink goo that splattered across the black walls and stained the ceiling. The goo continued to come in great waves and torrents until something crashed straight onto Mr Blau's hard wooden floor. It sounded as if a dozen china plates had begun to pour at once.
"I just got the floor buffed a week ago!" He snarled and he did not hear the feeble little groan coming from the centre of his room. Marina briskly marched out of the alcove as the pink goo continued to pour onto her.
"It looks like a pipes been broken"she said thoughtfully and Mr Blau experimently licked some of the goo off his hand.
"Except our water supply doesn't usually taste like bubblegum flavoured toothpaste" he replied, grimacing.
"Err...Wing?" Marina asked tentively and Mr Blau scowled.
"Don't call me that! I'm not a kid anymore" he growled, thinking of the name his younger sister had called him when she was no more than a toddler.
"Fine then BROTHER. There appears to be an uncouncious woman covered in the goo on your floor...and she's not wearing anything" Marina replied sarcastically and Mr Blau felt his eyes go wide with shock. For decencies sake, Heather seemed to be covered entirely in the pink goo, but Marina briskly removed her black leather jacket and put it on top of her. A single cut arched across Heather's forehead and she lay a little to still.
"She must have hit her head when she fell" Mr Blau commented, trying to shake certain images out of his mind.
"But why on Earth would she be bathing in toothpaste? Isn't it a sort of soap for teeth?" Marina asked. Mr Blau rolled his eyes.
"Sort of ....its a paste Muggles use to clean their teeth" Mr Blau replied, searching his pockets for his wand. He retrieved it and quickly pointed it at Heather's skull, performing a healing charm on the cut.
*****
Images danced behind Heather's closed eyelids. Cloaked figures, blood-red eyes that hissed....and the flash of cameras there was also.
"A concert?" Heather muttured to herself as she slowly awoke. The first thing she saw through bleary vision was a pair of rather hairy nostrils. Calmy, she continued to look up and quickly saw Mr Blau's almond-shape eyes.
"What are you doing in here?!" She yelled, startled.
"What am I doing here!? You're the one who crashed into my bedroom without a stitch of clothing on!"Mr Blau cried and Heather's eyes went wide with shock. She slowly looked down at herself and hugged the leather jacket to her torso.
"Angelica!" She hissed, her eyes narrowing into slits.
"That lousy little hyperactive excuse for a cousin nearly drowned me in a sea of sticky translucent goo!" Heather cried, spitting out a mouthful of toothpaste.
"She also ruined my apartment!" Mr Blau added in a voice of near hysteria. He marched through the raining goo towards the bedroom. Marina turned to Heather.
"I can apparate up to your bedroom and get you some clothing" she offered and Heather gave a small feeble groan of thanks. Marina disappeared and then returned a few seconds later, clutching a dressingown to her chest.
"When you said clothes, I thought you meant underwear and other things...."Heather retorted tiredly, wrapping the thick blue gown around her figure and buttoning it up. She tied it firmly around her waist, securing it in a thick knot.
"That stupid little bitch!" Mr Blau screamed, furious.
"That gunk got all over my new white silk bedspread, and I was having Sheila from marketing over on..." He began until he saw the expression on Heather's face.
"Sheila from marketing? That woman you dated for three months before she dumped you for a Flourish & Blotts salesperson?" She scowled. Ignoring her, Mr Blau grabbed her firmly by the wrist.
"Your cousin has gone to far this time" he scowled, dragging her out the doorway.
"Hey! let go of me! I havn't even gotten dressed yet!" Heather demanded, clutching onto her dressingown.
"Not until you make your cousin pay for a new silk bedspread" he shot back, dragging her into the hallway.
"Hey! you can't just leave me here in a room full of bubble-gum freshness!" Marina replied as Mr Blau firmly slammed the door in her face.
*****
"Angelica!!" Mr Blau roared as he slammed Ethy's door back in fury. Mr Blau was not one to usually yell- or even scream- but his nerves had reached breaking point. Heather tore her hand out of his and clutched her dresssing gown to her front, an aggrivated expression on her face. Angelica, however, continued to ignore him. She appeared to be prancing around in her silver space boots, singing along to a particularly obnoxious song. Ethy was lying on her bed, reading what appeared to be a potions textbook while chewing on a strand of her silvery-blonde hair.
"Toothpaste for gods sake!You ruined my apartment and nearly killed Heather!" Mr Blau cried. Angelica stopped giggling impishly and jumped towards Heather.
"Oh my gosh Heather, are you alright?" She squealed. Heather patted her hand reassuringly.
"I'm fine, Angelica. However my hair will probably never be the same again" Heather frowned, gesturingly to the sticky pink lump of curls on her head.
"Cleanious Reverso!" Ethy said subsidedly from her bed, pointing her wand at Heather's skull. The pink toothpaste instantly flew from Heather's hair in thick droplets and disappeared inside Ethy's wand.
"Nice to see you've been studying, Ethy" Heather smiled before turning back to Angelica.
"Have you two forgotten something? That brat wrecked my apartment! There's a broken bathtub smashed onto the floor and it's raining toothpaste...and we're not even outside the building!!" Mr Blau stated. Heather and Angelica just looked at eachother quizzicly. Heather raised an eyebrow to her.
"Alright, alright I'll go reverse the spell! Anything but the evil eye!" Angelica pouted and then deliberately stomped out of the room, dragging her feet behind her. She then slammed the door behind her and it shook on its hinges.
"Why the heck did you send her of all people to reverse that spell?" Mr Blau said exaspeatedly. Heather gave him a knowing smile.
"To get rid of her of course. Don't worry, she'll get distracted by Zev's little sisters discarded toy broomstick halfway there" Heather replied, just as she spoke they heard a cry of glee from down the hallway which sounded just like Angelica. Heather, sighing to herself, wandered towards Ethy's CD player, trying to figureout how to turn the volume down. It had been powered on a high charge energy spell which worked almost like electricity. The music- in question- consisted of a young woman moaning to herself about a green-eyed heroe. The lyrics consisted mainly of 'I love you, but it seems you don't love me' and equally obnoxious phrases.
"Ethy Green, we really need to introduce you to Hunters and Collectors" Heather muttured, turning the volume firmly down. As the music died away, one last word warbeled and hung in the air for a fraction of a second.
"Gryffindor" Heather's brow wrinkled with confusion and she reached for the CD's cover.
"Ethy? This singer, she's a muggle right?" Heather asked, Ethy put down her textbook.
"Yes, she's english and really famous. Her stagenames Virgo"she replied tiredly in the sort of patronising voice teenagers used when discussing music with adults.
"But she said Gryffindor..... I know she did" Heather said, giving Mr Blau a thoughtful glance. Mr Blau continued to openly glare at her until her words sunk in.
"Gryffindor? Are you sure?" He asked and Heather wrenched the CD cover open. She yanked out the albums booklet and turned to the lyrics.
"Lets see... No.... No... yes! here it is, Gryffindor" Heather whispered with triumph. Mr Blau grabbed the booklet out of her hands and read the words.
"Gryffindor" he muttured and it seemed that stars were dancing on his lips.
"I don't see what the big deal is? Isn't Gryffindor a baseball team?" Ethy asked and Heather shook her head furiously.
"Ethy, you really should pay more attention in History class, Gryffindor is the name of the famous Hogwarts house" Heather replied. A thoughtful expression crossed Ethy's face. She dashed towards the dressing table and wrenched open her mothers cheap wooden jewellery box.
"You mean like this?" She asked, holding something in her hand. Heather peered down at it curiously and she bit the edge of her lip.
"What is it?" She muttured and Mr Blau looked over her shoulder.
"It looks like some sort of Badge with a lion on it" he replied. Heather gently took it out of Ethy's hands.
"Except the lion has wings, and look what's written on the bottom. Head Girl, Gryffindor" Heather added, gently touching the smooth gold pin.
"Your mother must have been one of the Head Girls at Hogwarts" Heather cried and Ethy's brow wrinkled with confusion.
"Mum told me that the badge came from a baseball team she belonged to when she was younger" Ethy replied. Heather had darted towards the CD cover once again.
"There must be a connection...."Heather mumbled, scanning the lyrics.
"The song.. .It's called 'Ode to the Boy Who Lived" she whispered. Mr Blau rolled his eyes.
"Not this Harry Potter obsession again?" He asked. Heather drummed her fingernails against the CD case thoughtfully.
"Be quiet!" Heather ordered, holding a long deep purple painted fingernail against Mr Blau's lips. Mr Blau thought vaguelly about protesting but he was mometarily distracted by an intake of breath.
"I Knew it! This little popstar is definitely not what she seems" Heather cried with triumph, thrusting the lyrics booklet into Mr Blau's hands.
"Next year at Hogwarts you'll see I've transformed. I will hold my head up high, I'm a Gryffindor" Mr Blau whispered and then swore loudly.
"Mr Blau!" Heather cried with shock, glancing meaningfully at Ethy.
"I havn't got time for one of your lectures Heather!" Mr Blau managed to snarl, running out of the bedroom, still clutching onto the lyrics booklet.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Heather asked firmly but then, deciding it was best to leave him to his own devices, turned back to Ethy.
"Well....that was rather interesting" Ethy commented, turning off the CD player with a flick of her wand.
"Yes.... It was. Ethy, can you come up to my room in about an hour? I need your help with something" Heather replied thoughtfully, her fingers still tapping on the empty CD case.
*****
Dressed to kill in a plum lace shirt and a ruffled black skirt, Heather poked the fire logs absently, assured that with her keen fashion sense she was prepared for all matters concerning the occult. The table had been set with two chocolate milkshakes, a cup of coffee and a packet of pink marshmallows.
"Heather? Heather!!!!" Angelica screeched, poking her head in through the trap door in the attic.
"Did you set up the safety shield?" Heather asked impatiently and grinning devishly, Angelica nodded.
"Oh yes, and I ran into lots of white furry friends when I was done there!" Angelica replied, stroking a small delicate mouse which was squriming in her left hand.
"Oh yes, I feed them sometimes. Whatever you do, don't tell Anna Maria" Heather said, taking the mouse gently from Angelica's hands.
"Hey, give that mouse back! I was going to use it for something..." Angelica protested.
"You are not and I repeat NOT feeding Kendra to one of your cats Angelica!" Heather scolded.
"But it would save a fortune in cat food!....Wait a mintue, you actually name your mice?" Angelica asked raising an eyebrow. Heather placed Kendra on her floor and the small furry creature scattered away.
"No!....Well yes, actually" Heather admitted reluctantly, grabbing an iron poker where it had been lying on her bedspread
.
"Heather, you do realise it's forty five degrees outside?" Angelica pointed out.
"It's for the spell I'm about to do, you dolt! Now get out of there, Ethy's about to arrive" Heather snapped, briskly poking the smouldering logs.
"You're in such a cranky mood Heather, you're almost as bad as Mr Happy" Angelica pouted, pulling herself out of the trap door in a single swift movement.
"Mr Happy?" Heather enquired and her door opened slowly. Ethy peered in cautiously, as if her head was about to be bitten off.
"Umm... Heather?" She asked and Heather dropped the iron poker with a firm clang and shooed her inside.
"I'd offer you a chair but Angelica broke the last one" she said and Ethy politley sat on the bed.
"Now, I need you both here...well.... I needed to keep Angelica out of Mr Blau's way and Ethy, you could be a big help in this. We are going to summon a Guardian Sprite!" Heather said triumphantly and Ethy gave her a dazed look.
"A what?" She asked and Heather tutted her tongue with annoyance.
"A Guardian Sprite, all witches have one, except they can only appear on this plane of existance through fire or water" Heather replied, throwing a handful of dried spark grass onto the smouldering logs.
"Oh cool.. Ummm...why are we doing that?" Ethy asked as the logs burst into flame.
"To ask it about Virginia Weasley's background history, of course!" Heather said with exasperation.
"Why don't we just go to her website, www.weasley.com?" Ethy asked tiredly and Heather shook her head.
"Do you honestly think she would broadcast on the internet that she's a witch?" Heather asked and after a moments thought Ethy nodded.
"Yes, techno Pagans are in you know...lots of girls claim to be witches" she replied and Heather just shook that comment off with a casual shrug.
"Those are just silly teens who wear black nailpolish. I'm talking about real witches....Ones that Muggles aren't supposed to know about" Heather said and Ethy's eyes went wide with recognition.
"Oh....well that makes sense" Ethy admitted and Heather turned back to the fire.
"Angelica, take your position and Ethy, grab the box of Cornflakes from the desk" Heather ordered.
****
"Oh grand faire from the light realm" Heather intoned with italics placing her cauldron on top of the fire. It had been filled with water to the very brim and also suspicously what looked like several dirty tea cups.
"Oh silver-haired creature of the other land. We call you with this.." "divine package of Cornflakes?" Ethy added, pouring the breakfast cereal into the water.
"We threaten you to live the higher dimention with this threatening and magical....umbrella" Angelica giggled.
"Umbrella!? I set aside a magical sword especially for this spell and you use an umbrella?" Heather asked, annoyed.
"I couldn't find the sword! This room is filled with junk!" Angelica shot back. Heather growled under her breath.
"You're always spoiling everything Angelica! You ruin everything!" Heather snapped.
"This coming from a person whose using Cornflakes!" Angelica snarled.
"Eerm guys... A head just popped out of the cauldren" Ethy replied, dropping the box of cornflakes.
"Evil! Burn it!" Angelica shrieked, hiding under the bed.
"Calm down, it's just Amarna!" Heather replied tensly, peering at the dislocated head bobbing up and down in the boiling water. The head was made entirely out of steam, but she could still make out her distinctive liquid-black eyes.
"Wildflower!This is rather unusal!" Amarna's voice sang , although it sounded like a boiling teapot.
"The Silver Kitten and the Walking Bloom! Quite a congregation" Amarna continued, her eyes falling on Ethy and Angelica, who was still under the bed.
"Is that some sort of evilish demon lingo?" Angelica accused her, barely visible under Heather's bedspread.
"Amarna is very cryptic, she has pet names for everyone" Heather explained and Angelica sighed with relief.
"Is it safe to...well... talk to her?" Ethy asked carefully and Heather nodded.
"She's your mothers Guardian Sprite. Right Armana, you know the rules. When you're in this demention you have to answer three questions" Heather said bluntly and Amarna nodded, a serene smile on her smokey features.
"And none of that cryptic nonsense either or I'll pour you straight into the fire!" Heather added and Amarna pouted slightly.
"Spoil all my amusements!" She whispered and Heather menacingly picked up the umbrella .
"Heather, I don't want to be rude or anything, but your acting a bit..." Ethy began quietly and Angelica finished it with a very loud
"EVIL" Heather glared at them both and shook her head.
"I am not......Oh God I am, aren't I?" She questioned, running a hand through her slightly damp auburn hair.
"I'm sorry girls, I've just been under a lot of pressure. What, with Hermione being in hospital, Harry Potter revealing himself and Mr Blau seeing me without a stitch of clothing on" Heather apologised.
"Mr Blau saw you without what!?" Angelica cried on the brink of hysteria.
"Hello, there's a disembodied head floating in the middle of this room!" Ethy cried and Heather swiftly went back into psyhic mode.
"Question number one, Amarna, give us a complete personal history of this singer!" She ordered, pulling the CD case out of her pocket. She swiftly tossed it into the bubbling cauldron.
"Hey! I havn't finished listenting to that! Do something, Ethy, she's ruining your CD!" Angelica shrieked and Ethy shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't like that singer anymore " Ethy replied casually and Angelica, unable to take it anymore, pulled the sheets over her head.
"The woman in question is barely more than a child, she hides her immaturity with raunchy sensational ballads when deep inside she is frightended and scared. She is a little girl hiding from the same bad man that struck her down as a child. That is why she does not sing to reality about what she really is.... For she knows that she was never destined to be a great witch" Amarna replied and Heather clicked her fingers thoughtfully as she began to pace across the room.
"I was right, she isn't a muggle and she's hiding from a bad man" Heather muttured to herself. She turned swiftly towards Amarna's smoky form.
"You don't mean....Well you know who don't you?" Heather asked and very slowly Amarna nodded.
"She is hiding from what the dark one was once before, and what he can no longer be" Amarna replied and Heather smirked.
"Right Amarna, now it's time for the fifty million dollar question. If you answer incorrectly you will not receive the cash prize nor the complementary board game... What was this singer's relationship with Harold James Potter, the Boy Who Lived?" Heather asked swiftly and Amarna gave her a quick wink.
"I was hoping you'd ask that. The little girl was his damsel in distress. He saved her life and there is no bond that brings a wizard closer to a witch. If anyone can find him, it is her" Amarna spoke musically and Heather whispered to herself.
"Her.... We have to get to her" Ethy glanced at the disembodied head curiously and then turned back to Heather.
"I have a suggestion, Heather, on how we can get to Virginia Weasley.... But it involes a little bit of dishonesty" Ethy whispered.
new chapter of Ded is here , and boy is it well.. insane enjoy and remember
always to read and review.. TO THE EXTREME.
"My father?" Ethy asked, her voice barely above a whisper she stared at her two best friends with a mixture of bewilderment and anger.
"But...how could she have seen your father? No-one even knows who he is!"Ginger pointed out and Zev shrugged his shoulders.
"Heather sees a lot of things. Maybe she was tuning her crystal ball again..." He replied soothingly, taking a bite out of the apple his mother had brought up earlier when he asked for a snack.
"No, this was different. She was actually yelling. Heather never yells" Ethy pointed out and Zev was inclined to agree. It was then that Heather, still yelling about British red-heads, marched past Ethy's open door.
"Heather?" Ethy asked and Heather stopped mid-screech. Angelica used this opportunity and ran away.
"Yes?"Heather asked innocently, leaning against the door frame.
"I just heard what you ...well...screeched" Ethy said slowly and Heather's skin began to glow bright red.
"You did?"She asked meekly. Ethy nodded, her lips pursed together into a thin angry line.
"Well the thing is Ethy...it's kind of hard to explain" Heather began, wringing her hands together nervously.
"I only saw him briefly in a sort of dream, although it wasn't my dream.. It was your mothers" Heather trailed off.
"God that sounded lame"she added and Zev nodded, swallowing his apple.
"See, told you it was a perfectly reasonable explanation" he replied and Heather shot him a withering glance.
"The point is ... I didn't get to see much Ethy" Heather replied and she walked towards Ethy, quickly putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Well...What was he like?" Ethy asked and Heather shook her head as if clearing fog from her mind.
"Like a male version of Ethy Green"she laughed and ruffled the young girls silver hair.
"Meanwhile I see you haven't started on any of your homework yet and you're returning to school the day after tomorrow" Heather pointed out as Ethy groaned.
*****
Meanwhile Angelica, left to her own devices, was formulating a plan for revenge. How dare Heather yell at her like that! Yes, she had woken her up but still she hadn't meant to. Now pouting to herself like a spoilt, oversized child she stormed off to her room. After scurrying around for several minutes she retrieved a thick cardboard box and, smiling to herself, walked up the stairs, whistling as she worked. Her eyes fell on the third floor bathroom and she grinned wickedly.....This was going to be brilliant.
*****
Heather was mostly unaware of Angelica's evil and manipulative plan. After all, she was far to busy trying desperately to teach Ethy to transfigure a piece of wood into a piece of steel. However, it proved to be quite hopeless.
Mr Blau was continually asking her if she was allright, looking at her as if she was about to start astral-projecting on the spot again. The pupil and her charge had moved around seven times until Ethy quite bluntly said she was bored and asked if she could listen to some Muggle CD's in her bedroom. Heather reluctantly agreed.
Half mumbling to herself at around Eight o'clock at night Heather gathered up her bright green towels and stumbled off towards the bathroom. She usually had her showers late into the evening because it was the only time when there was no line, there was nothing more aggravating than pushing past several pyjama-clad people in order to get to the toothpaste.
Sighing to herself she bustled into the bathroom and, using her hip, slammed the door behind her. She then turned to the ornate bathtub and started swivelling the taps so a shower of thick bubbling soap bubbles began to fill the marble bath. Humming to herself with relief she lowered herself into the water and sank into it, absolutely relieved.
However, as soon as her muscles began to relax the water around her began to harden. She tried desperately to get out but her head was dragged back into the thick hardening goo. Her eyes fell to the rim of the bathtub and she saw one of the empty jam jars Angelica frequently used to store her experiments and she screamed her lungs out until they hammered against her chest.
*****
"Did you just here something?" Ethy yelled over the music coming from her CD player. Angelica, who was 'helping' Ethy with her potions assignment, quickly turned the volume on Ethy's CDplayer to full blast.
"Nope...not a thing"she replied, grinning.
*****
However, Heather's screams of anguish soon reached the ears of Mr Blau and Marina. They had been rather busy discussing matters of upmost importance in Mr Blau's bachelor pad.
The room in question was small, neat and tidy, with black walls and a white ceiling. There were several book shelves lining one wall covered with boring and dull books. However, if you happened to tweak the book on Elementary Astronomy backwards the whole set of shelves, using a clever Concealment Charm, would reveal a small room filled with gleaming sinister intruments used to fight the Dark Arts.
"Interesting Sneakoscope" Marina noted as she fiddled with one of the instruments she had picked up at random. It was rather interesting, in the shape of a thick silver ring with the actual talisman hidden inside the piece of jade.
"I bought it in a broomstick way station during a trip to Hong Kong. It glows yellow whenever something sinister presents itself" Mr Blau replied, firmly snatching the ring out of his younger sisters fingers.
"Hmm...you've been around a lot, havent you dear brother?"Marina stated coldly and Mr Blau looked slightly sheepish.
"Not lately, I've been here nearly fifteen years"he replied, a little whistfully and Marina raised an eyebrow.
"You sound almost sentimental"she snorted and he firmly folded his arms.
"Aurors can't afford to be sentimental, you should know that" he replied coldly and Marina replied scathingly.
"What about that fat lady with the reddy-brown hair, the psychic one. You were clutching onto her hand for dear life"Marina replied.
"Just because she dosn't look like an anorexic fourteen year old it dosn't mean she's fat...and it just so happens I was helping her with a psychic experiment" Mr Blau answered. Marina just grumpily shook her shoulders.
Her brothers room was starting to remind her of a certain moving picture she had seen in that Muggle flying machine...what was it called? James Pond or Blonde. Something like that. The place reeked of overstylized male sophistication, with an edge of high-tech magical gagetry. Marina's attention however was soon averted to the ceiling, when a large droplet of sticky bright pink goo dripped onto her forehead.
"Um....Brother?" Marina asked politely, because she wasn't sure what her brother called himself in English. In Asia his name was Wing but it could be entirely different in Australia.
"What? are you going to tell me that Heather wears silly clothes? Or that I should get myself a nice Asian girlfriend?" Mr Blau snarled and Marina furiously shook her head.
"I don't know much about Muggle ceilings....But is it normal for them to be dripping with pink goo?" Marina enquired.
"No it's not you idiot" Mr Blau growled, rolling his eyes. However as his eyes drew up to the ceiling his mouth went wide with shock.
"Quick, get out of the way!" He bellowed at the top of his lungs, grabbing the book on Elementary Astronomy. The bookshelf dissapeared and he pushed Marina into the hidden alcove. He then followed her, pressing himself against a table covered with potion Dark Arts detectors.
"What did you do that for?" Marina cried furiously and Mr Blau put a finger to his lips. Their eyes both swivelled towards the now empty main loungeroom and then with an omnoius crash the ceiling completely caved in. The entire aparement was covered with sticky bright pink goo that splattered across the black walls and stained the ceiling. The goo continued to come in great waves and torrents until something crashed straight onto Mr Blau's hard wooden floor. It sounded as if a dozen china plates had begun to pour at once.
"I just got the floor buffed a week ago!" He snarled and he did not hear the feeble little groan coming from the centre of his room. Marina briskly marched out of the alcove as the pink goo continued to pour onto her.
"It looks like a pipes been broken"she said thoughtfully and Mr Blau experimently licked some of the goo off his hand.
"Except our water supply doesn't usually taste like bubblegum flavoured toothpaste" he replied, grimacing.
"Err...Wing?" Marina asked tentively and Mr Blau scowled.
"Don't call me that! I'm not a kid anymore" he growled, thinking of the name his younger sister had called him when she was no more than a toddler.
"Fine then BROTHER. There appears to be an uncouncious woman covered in the goo on your floor...and she's not wearing anything" Marina replied sarcastically and Mr Blau felt his eyes go wide with shock. For decencies sake, Heather seemed to be covered entirely in the pink goo, but Marina briskly removed her black leather jacket and put it on top of her. A single cut arched across Heather's forehead and she lay a little to still.
"She must have hit her head when she fell" Mr Blau commented, trying to shake certain images out of his mind.
"But why on Earth would she be bathing in toothpaste? Isn't it a sort of soap for teeth?" Marina asked. Mr Blau rolled his eyes.
"Sort of ....its a paste Muggles use to clean their teeth" Mr Blau replied, searching his pockets for his wand. He retrieved it and quickly pointed it at Heather's skull, performing a healing charm on the cut.
*****
Images danced behind Heather's closed eyelids. Cloaked figures, blood-red eyes that hissed....and the flash of cameras there was also.
"A concert?" Heather muttured to herself as she slowly awoke. The first thing she saw through bleary vision was a pair of rather hairy nostrils. Calmy, she continued to look up and quickly saw Mr Blau's almond-shape eyes.
"What are you doing in here?!" She yelled, startled.
"What am I doing here!? You're the one who crashed into my bedroom without a stitch of clothing on!"Mr Blau cried and Heather's eyes went wide with shock. She slowly looked down at herself and hugged the leather jacket to her torso.
"Angelica!" She hissed, her eyes narrowing into slits.
"That lousy little hyperactive excuse for a cousin nearly drowned me in a sea of sticky translucent goo!" Heather cried, spitting out a mouthful of toothpaste.
"She also ruined my apartment!" Mr Blau added in a voice of near hysteria. He marched through the raining goo towards the bedroom. Marina turned to Heather.
"I can apparate up to your bedroom and get you some clothing" she offered and Heather gave a small feeble groan of thanks. Marina disappeared and then returned a few seconds later, clutching a dressingown to her chest.
"When you said clothes, I thought you meant underwear and other things...."Heather retorted tiredly, wrapping the thick blue gown around her figure and buttoning it up. She tied it firmly around her waist, securing it in a thick knot.
"That stupid little bitch!" Mr Blau screamed, furious.
"That gunk got all over my new white silk bedspread, and I was having Sheila from marketing over on..." He began until he saw the expression on Heather's face.
"Sheila from marketing? That woman you dated for three months before she dumped you for a Flourish & Blotts salesperson?" She scowled. Ignoring her, Mr Blau grabbed her firmly by the wrist.
"Your cousin has gone to far this time" he scowled, dragging her out the doorway.
"Hey! let go of me! I havn't even gotten dressed yet!" Heather demanded, clutching onto her dressingown.
"Not until you make your cousin pay for a new silk bedspread" he shot back, dragging her into the hallway.
"Hey! you can't just leave me here in a room full of bubble-gum freshness!" Marina replied as Mr Blau firmly slammed the door in her face.
*****
"Angelica!!" Mr Blau roared as he slammed Ethy's door back in fury. Mr Blau was not one to usually yell- or even scream- but his nerves had reached breaking point. Heather tore her hand out of his and clutched her dresssing gown to her front, an aggrivated expression on her face. Angelica, however, continued to ignore him. She appeared to be prancing around in her silver space boots, singing along to a particularly obnoxious song. Ethy was lying on her bed, reading what appeared to be a potions textbook while chewing on a strand of her silvery-blonde hair.
"Toothpaste for gods sake!You ruined my apartment and nearly killed Heather!" Mr Blau cried. Angelica stopped giggling impishly and jumped towards Heather.
"Oh my gosh Heather, are you alright?" She squealed. Heather patted her hand reassuringly.
"I'm fine, Angelica. However my hair will probably never be the same again" Heather frowned, gesturingly to the sticky pink lump of curls on her head.
"Cleanious Reverso!" Ethy said subsidedly from her bed, pointing her wand at Heather's skull. The pink toothpaste instantly flew from Heather's hair in thick droplets and disappeared inside Ethy's wand.
"Nice to see you've been studying, Ethy" Heather smiled before turning back to Angelica.
"Have you two forgotten something? That brat wrecked my apartment! There's a broken bathtub smashed onto the floor and it's raining toothpaste...and we're not even outside the building!!" Mr Blau stated. Heather and Angelica just looked at eachother quizzicly. Heather raised an eyebrow to her.
"Alright, alright I'll go reverse the spell! Anything but the evil eye!" Angelica pouted and then deliberately stomped out of the room, dragging her feet behind her. She then slammed the door behind her and it shook on its hinges.
"Why the heck did you send her of all people to reverse that spell?" Mr Blau said exaspeatedly. Heather gave him a knowing smile.
"To get rid of her of course. Don't worry, she'll get distracted by Zev's little sisters discarded toy broomstick halfway there" Heather replied, just as she spoke they heard a cry of glee from down the hallway which sounded just like Angelica. Heather, sighing to herself, wandered towards Ethy's CD player, trying to figureout how to turn the volume down. It had been powered on a high charge energy spell which worked almost like electricity. The music- in question- consisted of a young woman moaning to herself about a green-eyed heroe. The lyrics consisted mainly of 'I love you, but it seems you don't love me' and equally obnoxious phrases.
"Ethy Green, we really need to introduce you to Hunters and Collectors" Heather muttured, turning the volume firmly down. As the music died away, one last word warbeled and hung in the air for a fraction of a second.
"Gryffindor" Heather's brow wrinkled with confusion and she reached for the CD's cover.
"Ethy? This singer, she's a muggle right?" Heather asked, Ethy put down her textbook.
"Yes, she's english and really famous. Her stagenames Virgo"she replied tiredly in the sort of patronising voice teenagers used when discussing music with adults.
"But she said Gryffindor..... I know she did" Heather said, giving Mr Blau a thoughtful glance. Mr Blau continued to openly glare at her until her words sunk in.
"Gryffindor? Are you sure?" He asked and Heather wrenched the CD cover open. She yanked out the albums booklet and turned to the lyrics.
"Lets see... No.... No... yes! here it is, Gryffindor" Heather whispered with triumph. Mr Blau grabbed the booklet out of her hands and read the words.
"Gryffindor" he muttured and it seemed that stars were dancing on his lips.
"I don't see what the big deal is? Isn't Gryffindor a baseball team?" Ethy asked and Heather shook her head furiously.
"Ethy, you really should pay more attention in History class, Gryffindor is the name of the famous Hogwarts house" Heather replied. A thoughtful expression crossed Ethy's face. She dashed towards the dressing table and wrenched open her mothers cheap wooden jewellery box.
"You mean like this?" She asked, holding something in her hand. Heather peered down at it curiously and she bit the edge of her lip.
"What is it?" She muttured and Mr Blau looked over her shoulder.
"It looks like some sort of Badge with a lion on it" he replied. Heather gently took it out of Ethy's hands.
"Except the lion has wings, and look what's written on the bottom. Head Girl, Gryffindor" Heather added, gently touching the smooth gold pin.
"Your mother must have been one of the Head Girls at Hogwarts" Heather cried and Ethy's brow wrinkled with confusion.
"Mum told me that the badge came from a baseball team she belonged to when she was younger" Ethy replied. Heather had darted towards the CD cover once again.
"There must be a connection...."Heather mumbled, scanning the lyrics.
"The song.. .It's called 'Ode to the Boy Who Lived" she whispered. Mr Blau rolled his eyes.
"Not this Harry Potter obsession again?" He asked. Heather drummed her fingernails against the CD case thoughtfully.
"Be quiet!" Heather ordered, holding a long deep purple painted fingernail against Mr Blau's lips. Mr Blau thought vaguelly about protesting but he was mometarily distracted by an intake of breath.
"I Knew it! This little popstar is definitely not what she seems" Heather cried with triumph, thrusting the lyrics booklet into Mr Blau's hands.
"Next year at Hogwarts you'll see I've transformed. I will hold my head up high, I'm a Gryffindor" Mr Blau whispered and then swore loudly.
"Mr Blau!" Heather cried with shock, glancing meaningfully at Ethy.
"I havn't got time for one of your lectures Heather!" Mr Blau managed to snarl, running out of the bedroom, still clutching onto the lyrics booklet.
"Hey! Where do you think you're going?" Heather asked firmly but then, deciding it was best to leave him to his own devices, turned back to Ethy.
"Well....that was rather interesting" Ethy commented, turning off the CD player with a flick of her wand.
"Yes.... It was. Ethy, can you come up to my room in about an hour? I need your help with something" Heather replied thoughtfully, her fingers still tapping on the empty CD case.
*****
Dressed to kill in a plum lace shirt and a ruffled black skirt, Heather poked the fire logs absently, assured that with her keen fashion sense she was prepared for all matters concerning the occult. The table had been set with two chocolate milkshakes, a cup of coffee and a packet of pink marshmallows.
"Heather? Heather!!!!" Angelica screeched, poking her head in through the trap door in the attic.
"Did you set up the safety shield?" Heather asked impatiently and grinning devishly, Angelica nodded.
"Oh yes, and I ran into lots of white furry friends when I was done there!" Angelica replied, stroking a small delicate mouse which was squriming in her left hand.
"Oh yes, I feed them sometimes. Whatever you do, don't tell Anna Maria" Heather said, taking the mouse gently from Angelica's hands.
"Hey, give that mouse back! I was going to use it for something..." Angelica protested.
"You are not and I repeat NOT feeding Kendra to one of your cats Angelica!" Heather scolded.
"But it would save a fortune in cat food!....Wait a mintue, you actually name your mice?" Angelica asked raising an eyebrow. Heather placed Kendra on her floor and the small furry creature scattered away.
"No!....Well yes, actually" Heather admitted reluctantly, grabbing an iron poker where it had been lying on her bedspread
.
"Heather, you do realise it's forty five degrees outside?" Angelica pointed out.
"It's for the spell I'm about to do, you dolt! Now get out of there, Ethy's about to arrive" Heather snapped, briskly poking the smouldering logs.
"You're in such a cranky mood Heather, you're almost as bad as Mr Happy" Angelica pouted, pulling herself out of the trap door in a single swift movement.
"Mr Happy?" Heather enquired and her door opened slowly. Ethy peered in cautiously, as if her head was about to be bitten off.
"Umm... Heather?" She asked and Heather dropped the iron poker with a firm clang and shooed her inside.
"I'd offer you a chair but Angelica broke the last one" she said and Ethy politley sat on the bed.
"Now, I need you both here...well.... I needed to keep Angelica out of Mr Blau's way and Ethy, you could be a big help in this. We are going to summon a Guardian Sprite!" Heather said triumphantly and Ethy gave her a dazed look.
"A what?" She asked and Heather tutted her tongue with annoyance.
"A Guardian Sprite, all witches have one, except they can only appear on this plane of existance through fire or water" Heather replied, throwing a handful of dried spark grass onto the smouldering logs.
"Oh cool.. Ummm...why are we doing that?" Ethy asked as the logs burst into flame.
"To ask it about Virginia Weasley's background history, of course!" Heather said with exasperation.
"Why don't we just go to her website, www.weasley.com?" Ethy asked tiredly and Heather shook her head.
"Do you honestly think she would broadcast on the internet that she's a witch?" Heather asked and after a moments thought Ethy nodded.
"Yes, techno Pagans are in you know...lots of girls claim to be witches" she replied and Heather just shook that comment off with a casual shrug.
"Those are just silly teens who wear black nailpolish. I'm talking about real witches....Ones that Muggles aren't supposed to know about" Heather said and Ethy's eyes went wide with recognition.
"Oh....well that makes sense" Ethy admitted and Heather turned back to the fire.
"Angelica, take your position and Ethy, grab the box of Cornflakes from the desk" Heather ordered.
****
"Oh grand faire from the light realm" Heather intoned with italics placing her cauldron on top of the fire. It had been filled with water to the very brim and also suspicously what looked like several dirty tea cups.
"Oh silver-haired creature of the other land. We call you with this.." "divine package of Cornflakes?" Ethy added, pouring the breakfast cereal into the water.
"We threaten you to live the higher dimention with this threatening and magical....umbrella" Angelica giggled.
"Umbrella!? I set aside a magical sword especially for this spell and you use an umbrella?" Heather asked, annoyed.
"I couldn't find the sword! This room is filled with junk!" Angelica shot back. Heather growled under her breath.
"You're always spoiling everything Angelica! You ruin everything!" Heather snapped.
"This coming from a person whose using Cornflakes!" Angelica snarled.
"Eerm guys... A head just popped out of the cauldren" Ethy replied, dropping the box of cornflakes.
"Evil! Burn it!" Angelica shrieked, hiding under the bed.
"Calm down, it's just Amarna!" Heather replied tensly, peering at the dislocated head bobbing up and down in the boiling water. The head was made entirely out of steam, but she could still make out her distinctive liquid-black eyes.
"Wildflower!This is rather unusal!" Amarna's voice sang , although it sounded like a boiling teapot.
"The Silver Kitten and the Walking Bloom! Quite a congregation" Amarna continued, her eyes falling on Ethy and Angelica, who was still under the bed.
"Is that some sort of evilish demon lingo?" Angelica accused her, barely visible under Heather's bedspread.
"Amarna is very cryptic, she has pet names for everyone" Heather explained and Angelica sighed with relief.
"Is it safe to...well... talk to her?" Ethy asked carefully and Heather nodded.
"She's your mothers Guardian Sprite. Right Armana, you know the rules. When you're in this demention you have to answer three questions" Heather said bluntly and Amarna nodded, a serene smile on her smokey features.
"And none of that cryptic nonsense either or I'll pour you straight into the fire!" Heather added and Amarna pouted slightly.
"Spoil all my amusements!" She whispered and Heather menacingly picked up the umbrella .
"Heather, I don't want to be rude or anything, but your acting a bit..." Ethy began quietly and Angelica finished it with a very loud
"EVIL" Heather glared at them both and shook her head.
"I am not......Oh God I am, aren't I?" She questioned, running a hand through her slightly damp auburn hair.
"I'm sorry girls, I've just been under a lot of pressure. What, with Hermione being in hospital, Harry Potter revealing himself and Mr Blau seeing me without a stitch of clothing on" Heather apologised.
"Mr Blau saw you without what!?" Angelica cried on the brink of hysteria.
"Hello, there's a disembodied head floating in the middle of this room!" Ethy cried and Heather swiftly went back into psyhic mode.
"Question number one, Amarna, give us a complete personal history of this singer!" She ordered, pulling the CD case out of her pocket. She swiftly tossed it into the bubbling cauldron.
"Hey! I havn't finished listenting to that! Do something, Ethy, she's ruining your CD!" Angelica shrieked and Ethy shrugged her shoulders.
"I don't like that singer anymore " Ethy replied casually and Angelica, unable to take it anymore, pulled the sheets over her head.
"The woman in question is barely more than a child, she hides her immaturity with raunchy sensational ballads when deep inside she is frightended and scared. She is a little girl hiding from the same bad man that struck her down as a child. That is why she does not sing to reality about what she really is.... For she knows that she was never destined to be a great witch" Amarna replied and Heather clicked her fingers thoughtfully as she began to pace across the room.
"I was right, she isn't a muggle and she's hiding from a bad man" Heather muttured to herself. She turned swiftly towards Amarna's smoky form.
"You don't mean....Well you know who don't you?" Heather asked and very slowly Amarna nodded.
"She is hiding from what the dark one was once before, and what he can no longer be" Amarna replied and Heather smirked.
"Right Amarna, now it's time for the fifty million dollar question. If you answer incorrectly you will not receive the cash prize nor the complementary board game... What was this singer's relationship with Harold James Potter, the Boy Who Lived?" Heather asked swiftly and Amarna gave her a quick wink.
"I was hoping you'd ask that. The little girl was his damsel in distress. He saved her life and there is no bond that brings a wizard closer to a witch. If anyone can find him, it is her" Amarna spoke musically and Heather whispered to herself.
"Her.... We have to get to her" Ethy glanced at the disembodied head curiously and then turned back to Heather.
"I have a suggestion, Heather, on how we can get to Virginia Weasley.... But it involes a little bit of dishonesty" Ethy whispered.