Note: The reason for Snape's appearance is revealed in this chapter!
Betcha never guessed that he would have a sister who would be a *way*
better Divination teacher than that old bat Trelawney, didja? Also, the
reason that Snape wasn't disguised as a muggle is because of some of the
people who are regular customers in Ruby's bookstore; three guesses what
those people are. *winks* Also, five hundred points to the Hogwarts House
of your choice if you can guess what the in-joke is.
Chapter 3: Attack At The Bookstore
A short while later, Adrianne had chosen the books she wanted to get, and went over to the cash register to purchase them.
A young man who was in his mid-twenties sat behind the counter. He had short brown hair and wore glasses with black plastic frames, and was a bit overweight. He looked up when Adrianne walked up to the counter, and smiled at her.
"Hello, Adrianne," he said, his voice sounding pleasant. "Did you find the books that you wanted?'
Adrianne stared at him, completely dumbfounded. Her mouth hung open slightly. --How did he know my name?--
Before she could ask him that, however, he spoke again.
"I'm a telepath," he said. "But I actually prefer the term ESPer. I can read minds, and yours is a open book. Besides, Adam had told me that his niece and her friends had come to stay at Sanctuary, and since there's a strong resemblance between the two of you, I deduced that you were Adrianne, his niece. My name's Ruby." He held out his hand, and Adrianne shook it. "If you're interested, I have a couple of books on scrying. After all, aren't you going to be doing that in Divination this year?"
Adrianne's mouth fell open, and she stared at him, bug-eyed.
"Did you read my mind about Hogwarts?" she asked in a low voice, preparing to reach for her wand. It was one thing to let her uncle and his friends know; he was family and they were people he trusted with his life. But Ruby wasn't family, and he wasn't a member of Mutant X.
"Yes. But don't worry. Some of my regular customers are members of the wizarding community, so I keep stock of some of the books that they use." Adrianne let out a sigh of relief, and moved her hand away from her wand. Ruby continued. "And since I'm part of the Underground, I have to keep my mouth shut about things like that anyway." Ruby reached under the counter, and pulled a couple of books out. They had symbols on the covers that Adrianne had seen in "Unfogging The Future" by Cassandra Vablatsky. "Here you go."
Adrianne paid for her books, and turned to go find the others. As she walked past the doorway, she saw some people dressed like corporate clones walking towards the bookstore. She stared at them, and realized who they were. Without hesitation, Adrianne opened her mouth and began screaming.
"UNCLE ADAM!!!"
An instant later, the members of Mutant X and Adrianne's friends came running towards her.
"Addy, what's wrong?" asked Adam worriedly.
"The GSA's here!"
Adam looked out the door, and saw that there were several GS agents heading towards the bookstore. He turned around, and yanked a book off a bookshelf, revealing a red button. He hit it, but Adrianne couldn't see anything happening. But before she could say anything, Ruby came running towards them, followed by two people that she didn't know.
"Adam, what's going on?" Ruby asked, looking worried. "Are we in danger?"
"We've been found by the GSA," Adam replied grimly. "Ruby, I want you, Alison, and Vince to go out the back door; we'll hold off the GS agents. Take Adrianne---"
"I'm not going anywhere," Adrianne interrupted. "Neither are my friends." Harry Ron, Hermione, and the twins all nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, the door opened, and GS agents began swarming inside. One of the agents pulled out a gun and aimed it at them.
"Two words, Adam," she said smugly. "You're outnumbered."
"Adrianne, get behind me," Adam said grimly, preparing to fight to defend his niece, her friends, and the safehouse.
"No way, Uncle Adam," Adrianne replied, just as grimly. Without hesitation, she pulled out her wand and aimed it at the nearest agent. "Don't come any closer," she warned. The agent merely smirked at her, and pulled out a club. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Expelliarmus!"
The force of the Disarming Curse hit the agent and sent him flying backwards. He quickly got to his feet.
"Ready to give up?" asked Adrianne. The agent charged. "Guess not. Petrificus totalus!" The Full Body-Bind hit the agent head-on, and he immediately stiffened, falling forward. "Anyone else wanna take me on?" None of the agents made any effort to come near her. "That's what I thought." She turned around, and grinned at the others. "Piece of cake," she said, smirking. Suddenly, Adrianne yelped. She'd been grabbed from behind by another agent. "Leggo!"
"Inflamare!"yelled Hermione, and the agent holding Adrianne screamed as her arm burst into flames, letting go of her.
"Expecto patronus!" Harry yelled, pointing his wand at the GS agents. A silver stag erupted from the tip of his wand, and galloped towards the agents. They took one look at it, picked up the agent that Adrianne had placed the Full Body-Bind on, and then ran out the door.
Adrianne and the others started cheering, not noticing that Snape was standing nearby, watching them. He had an annoyed look on his face.
"Of all the things my sister had to predict, she *would* predict something like this," he muttered.
Snape turned around, and Disapperated out of the bookstore.
* * *
Mason Eckhart looked up as the door to his office opened. Leona Rowling walked inside, the door shutting behind her.
"Well?" Eckhart asked.
"We were unable to apprehend anyone at the safehouse," Agent Rowling replied. Eckhart looked disgusted.
"And why not?" he demanded. "Were Adam's people there?"
"Yes, sir. But they weren't the ones that we fought."
Eckhart lifted his head and stared at her. "They weren't?"
"No, sir."
"Then who was?"
"A group of teenagers with sticks."
Eckhart gave a derisive snort. "Don't be ridiculous. It isn't possible for mere children to fight off trained GS agents with nothing more than sticks."
"But they weren't ordinary children, sir. Look what they did to one of my men." She snapped her fingers, and two agents carried a third one into the room. He was completely immobile, except for his eyes, which were moving back and forth, filled with terror.
Eckhart stared down at him, and then looked back up at Agent Rowling. "The children did that?" he asked calmly. His second-in-command shook her head.
"Just one of the children. I believe that we should try to capture her, sir."
"Why is that?"
"She called Adam 'Uncle'."
Eckhart looked surprised. "So Adam has a niece," he mused. He looked up at Agent Rowling again. "Take your best men and bring her to me."
* * *
Later that day, Adrianne was giving her friends a tour of the city. Ron and the twins were amazed by all the muggle things that people were using, and Harry and Hermione looked impressed by all the American sights.
"I can't believe how many fast food restaurants there are in America!" said Hermione in amazement.
"It's a good thing Dudley isn't here," Harry said, grinning. "The people in all the restaurants would have to run for cover."
"No kidding," Fred muttered.
"Beware!" screeched Adrianne. "It's 'Attack of the Humongous Prat'!" She, Harry, Ron, and the twins all howled with laughter, while Hermione tsked, fighting back a smile.
Suddenly, Adrianne saw someone step in front of them, and she stopped laughing. It was the GS agent from earlier.
"Going somewhere?" she asked mildly. Then, before they could react, she reached out and grabbed Adrianne, yanking the young witch towards her.
"Hey!" Adrianne yelled, struggling to get loose. "Lemme go, you sorry-ass loser excuse for a GS agent!"
"I don't think so," the agent replied, and pulled out what looked like a black leather glove. She touched it to Adrianne's back, and electricity came out, zapping her into unconsciousness. She collapsed, but the agent held on to her.
"Adrianne!" Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the twins all yelled at once. They pulled their wands out, but the agent pulled out a gun and aimed it at Adrianne's head.
"If you try to use those sticks of yours, I'll shoot her," she warned. They lowered their wands, and the agent dragged Adrianne over to a black van that was nearby, dumping her into the back seat. Then she got in and drove away.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the twins all looked at each other, and then took off running down the street towards the bookstore.
"Adam!" they yelled, running up the stairs. Adam came running out of the back room, followed by the other members of Mutant X, as well as Ruby, Vince, and Alison.
"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. "Where's Adrianne?"
"She's been kidnapped!" Ron blurted. "That---" He called the GS agent a name that made Hermione immediately say, looking shocked, "Ron!" "--- zapped Adrianne and dragged off, and said that if we used our wands to try and save her, she'd shoot her!"
As soon as he heard that, Adam's mouth tightened, and he immediately began thinking of several choice phrases, not daring to say them aloud for fear that he'd scar the teenagers in front of him for life. Emma winced, and looked over at him.
"Adam, if you're going to use language like that, just say it aloud; don't think it," she said, looking pained.
Adam winced slightly. "Sorry about that." He grabbed his jacket, and pulled it on. "I'll be back soon," he said through gritted teeth. He muttered something under his breath, and Hermione glanced over at him.
"What?" she asked, puzzled.
"I said that Eckhart's gonna get the ass-kicking of his life."
* * *
In the darkness, Adrianne could hear people moving around. --Where the hell am I?-- She inhaled through her nose, and caught a whiff of antiseptic. --Am I in a hospital?-- A moment later, Adrianne's unspoken question was answered, very painfully.
A slender hand connected with her cheek with a resounding CRACK. Adrianne yelped in pain, and her eyes flew open.
The agent from earlier stood over her, a smug look on her face. "Mr. Eckhart, she's awake," she said over her shoulder. A few seconds later, a white-haired man came into Adrianne's line of sight.
"Well done, Agent Rowling. It's nice to know that some of my people can get the job done." He looked down at Adrianne. "Welcome to Genomex, Ms.--- " He stopped, looking rather puzzled. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't know your name."
"It's Adrianne," she spat. "Adrianne Mandori. And no, Mandori isn't my uncle's last name. It's my mom's married name."
"It's a very unusual last name," said Mr. Eckhart. "And yet, it suits you. My name is Mason Eckhart." He smiled faintly as Adrianne's eyes widened in recognition. "I see you've heard of me."
"Yeah. You're the guy who keeps getting his ass kicked by my uncle."
Eckhart frowned, and Agent Rowling smacked her across the face again. "Show some respect!" she snapped, but Adrianne stuck her tongue out at her.
"Don't wanna, don't gotta!" Agent Rowling swung her hand at Adrianne again, but she saw it coming, and quickly acted.
Agent Rowling's howls of pain echoed through the halls.
"SHE BIT ME! THE LITTLE BITCH BIT ME!"
* * *
"What do you mean, we can't come with you?" demanded Harry. Behind him, Hermione and Ron were scowling, and the twins looked mutinous.
They were back at Sanctuary, and the members of Mutant X were getting ready to go rescue Adrianne from Genomex.
"I don't want you kids to get kidnapped as well," replied Adam. "Adrianne wouldn't want you to get kidnapped while trying to rescue her."
"But we can help!" protested Ron.
"None of you kids are going, and that's final." With that, Adam went upstairs.
Ron, looking furious, started to say something else, but Harry stopped him. "We'll sneak onto the Double Helix with my dad's old cloak," he muttered. Ron relaxed visibly, needing no explanation or translation. "Pass the word on to Hermione and the twins." Without another word, Harry took off running upstairs.
Ron nodded, and turned to the others.
A few moments later, Harry came back downstairs, a silvery cloak slung over his arm. He also held both his and Adrianne's Firebolts, and Fred and George's Cleansweep Sevens. He handed the Cleansweeps to their owners, and then everyone got underneath the Invisibility Cloak.
"Quick, follow me," Harry whispered, and they began moving towards the docking bay.
A few minutes later, they reached the Double Helix, and quickly went inside, all of them standing in a corner underneath the cloak.
"Ron, watch where you step," George whispered, wincing as his younger brother stepped on his foot.
"Sorry, George...blimey, it's dark in here..."
"Both of you be quiet!" whispered Harry. "We can't reveal that we're here while the Double Helix is still in the docking bay."
A moment later, they heard footsteps coming into the Double Helix, and everyone shut up.
* * *
Emma stared out the window of the Double Helix, and fought back the urge to sigh. They were halfway to Genomex already, and she was beginning to worry about what Eckhart was doing to Adrianne. --He's probably torturing her right now, trying to get some information about Adam and Sanctuary.--
Suddenly, she heard people talking in the back of the Double Helix.
"Ouch!" came Ron Weasley's pained yelp. "George, you great prat, that was my foot!"
"Sorry, Ron," came George Weasley's voice. "Ow! Watch where you aim those elbows of yours, Fred!"
"Sorry, George."
By that time, Emma, Shalimar, Brennan, Jesse, and Adam were all staring at the back of the Double Helix...
...Where there was nothing but empty space.
Adam stood up, and walked to the back of the Double Helix, staring at the empty space intently.
"Shh!" came Harry Potter's voice. "The three of you be quiet!"
"D'you think that Adam sees us?" came Ron's voice again, this time sounding nervous.
"Of course not, you prat," replied Fred scornfully. "We're invisible."
Adam reached out carefully with one hand, and grabbed at the empty space. His hand came away with a strange-looking silvery material, revealing the startled faces of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the twins.
"Uh, hi, Adam," said Harry, looking slightly nervous. "We were just---"
"I thought I told you that you couldn't come with us," interrupted Adam, looking furious.
"We're stubborn," replied Fred in a matter-of-fact voice. "And we felt responsible for Adrianne's kidnapping."
"So the twins and I are going to go on ahead to get Adrianne out of Genomex," finished Harry, lifting his and Adrianne's broomsticks, along with the strange cloak.
Without another word, he and the twins went over to the entrance of the Double Helix, and carefully opened it. Harry looked over at the members of Mutant X, and grinned.
"See you at Genomex," he said, and jumped out into the open air, holding onto his broomstick. Fred and George immediately followed, and the three of them flew ahead of the Double Helix, swooping around each other.
Ron and Hermione immediately pulled the door shut and then went to sit down.
* * *
Adrianne screamed as Agent Rowling injected something into the back of her neck.
"What the hell was that?" she demanded, reaching up to see what was there. Beneath her fingers, she could feel a circular plastic whatever-the-hell.
"That was a subdermal governor," replied Agent Rowling nastily. "It'll prevent you from using your powers. That way, you won't be able to freeze anyone, or set anyone's arm on fire."
Adrianne scowled. She had her wand hidden up her sleeve in a special pocket, but if Agent Rowling was correct, she wouldn't be able to use it.
Not while she had the subdermal governor in her neck, anyway.
* * *
Harry and the twins flew a hundred feet above the ground, and they began to slow down. There was a stone building a bit of a distance in front of them.
"I wonder where Addy is?" Harry wondered aloud. He pulled out his wand, and whispered, "Point me in Adrianne's direction."
His wand spun around on the palm of his hand several times before finally coming to a stop. Harry looked to see where it was pointing.
It was pointing at the building.
"Fred, George!" Harry yelled. "Follow me!" He flew towards the building at breakneck speed, with the twins hot on his heels.
* * *
Adrianne lay on the floor, whimpering. Agent Rowling had just tried, for the past five minutes, to get the location of Sanctuary out of her. At first she'd tried to force herself into Adrianne's mind, but every time she'd tried that, the younger woman had automatically kicked her in the shins.
Then she'd tried to beat the information out of Adrianne, but that hadn't worked.
"Are you ready to give us the information?" Agent Rowling demanded, towering over her. Adrianne glanced up at her, and gave the GS agent an evil look.
"It's up your butt and around the corner," she snarled, and yelped as Agent Rowling's foot connected with her side.
"That's enough, Agent Rowling." Adrianne lifted her head and saw that Eckhart was standing a few feet away. "She obviously inherited Adam's stubbornness, and it won't do us any good if she's in a coma as a result of the way you're beating her." That last comment was obviously meant as a reprimand. Agent Rowling looked upset.
"But she's not giving us the information that we need, sir!"
"I can't tell you what I don't know," Adrianne replied, gasping for air after being kicked.
"Agent Rowling, I suggest you take Ms. Mandori back to her cell," Eckhart said. "And if she tries to escape..."
He looked straight at Adrianne so that she would get his point.
"...kill her."
Instead of looking terrified, Adrianne merely smirked at Eckhart. "Empty threat, jerk. Kill me, and you've got nothing to use against my uncle."
Eckhart scowled at her. Apparently she had inherited more than her uncle's stubbornness.
He looked over at Agent Rowling. "Take her away."
Agent Rowling yanked Adrianne to her feet, and dragged her out the door.
"Ow! You could be a little more gentle!" Adrianne yelled as she was dragged down the hallway.
* * *
Gary Jacobs sat behind his desk, playing Solitaire on his computer. He knew that if Mr. Eckhart found out, he'd be in a whole lot of trouble. -- But it's not like I have any other choice-- he thought to himself. --After all, this has to be one of the most boring jobs on the planet, bar none; absolutely the most boring.--
Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching, and he quickly clicked the Solitaire down on the computer. He stood up, expecting to see either Mr. Eckhart or Agent Rowling walking towards him for the hourly report. Instead, he didn't see anyone.
Confused, Gary looked up and down the hallway. But he still didn't see anyone.
"Is anyone there?" he called, slightly nervous. A moment later, a stick appeared in mid-air, aiming itself at Gary. He stared at it. "What the hell?"
"Stupefy!" came the voice of a teenage boy from...somewhere...behind the stick.
There was a burst of dazzling red light, and it hit Gary, sending him flying backwards. He hit the wall, and slid to the floor, unconscious.
A moment later, three teenage boys appeared out of nowhere, and a silvery cloak fell to the floor. Two of the boys looked exactly alike, with red hair and brown eyes, and the third boy was a few inches shorter, with messy black hair, green eyes, and glasses. They carefully hid four broomsticks behind the desk, where no one would be able to find them.
As soon as they were done, the boy with black hair grabbed the silvery cloak, and the three of them disappeared into thin air.
* * *
Adrianne heard footsteps coming down the hallway, and she quickly got up. Maybe she would be able to trick one of the agents into letting her go! But when she looked out the window of her cell, no one was there.
"Ouch!" she heard Fred Weasley grumble in the empty space. "That was my foot, George!"
"Sorry, Fred," George Weasley whispered back.
"Both of you be quiet!" Adrianne heard Harry Potter whisper sternly. "If someone hears us, we're completely buggered!"
Adrianne grinned. Harry and the twins had come to rescue her! They were probably wearing Harry's Invisibility Cloak, which explained why she could hear them but couldn't see them.
"Guys!" she hissed loudly. "Over here!"
An instant later, Harry and the twins appeared, seemingly out of thin air, and ran over to the cell door.
"All right there, Addy?" asked Harry worriedly.
"I've been better. Now get me out of here!"
Harry pulled out his wand, and pointed it at the electronic lock on the cell door. "Alohomora!" The lock beeped, and the door slid open. Adrianne ran out of the cell, and flung her arms around the three of them.
"Thank you so much for getting me out of there!" she said excitedly. "Let's get out of here!"
"I don't think so," came Eckhart's voice from behind them. Harry, Adrianne, and the twins spun around.
"So you must be Eckhart," said Harry coldly. "Why'd you kidnap Adrianne?"
"To get revenge against Adam," Eckhart replied simply. "Now, step aside."
Instead of complying, Harry and the twins pulled out their wands and aimed them at Eckhart. He stepped backwards, looking alarmed. Harry stepped forward.
"We're getting Adrianne out of here," he said grimly. "Don't try to stop us."
"Hey, Harry, would you mind sending a few sparks from your wand into the subdermal governor in the back of my neck?" Adrianne asked. She scratched the back of her neck. "It itches."
Harry walked over to Adrianne, and pointed his wand at the back of her neck. "Elektrica!" A small bolt of electricity shot out of the tip of his wand into the subdermal governor, and Adrianne let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks, Harry," she said gratefully. "We can go now."
Harry and the twins, still aiming their wands at Eckhart, followed Adrianne down the hallway.
"This way, Addy," said Harry. "We've got our broomsticks, and we brought yours as well."
Adrianne grinned. "Wicked."
* * *
As the Double Helix streaked towards Genomex, Ron felt that he was going to die of anxiety. Glancing over at Hermione, he saw that she had a worried look on her face. Ron finally stood up, and began pacing back and forth.
Hermione watched him pace for a few minutes, and then sighed. "Ron, please sit down. You're making me dizzy." Ron didn't stop, and Hermione sighed again. "Ron, stop pacing before I Stun you."
There was just the faintest hint of a warning in her voice. Ron stopped pacing and sat down next to Hermione, letting out a huge sigh.
"Sorry, Hermione," he apologized. "I'm just worried about Addy. I hope that she's okay."
"And you think I don't?" Hermione exploded, glaring at Ron. "I'm just as worried about Addy as you are, Ron!"
"I didn't say you weren't!" snapped Ron, glaring back at Hermione. "I was just making a comment!"
By that time, they were both standing, glaring at each other.
Nearby, Shalimar, Emma, Brennan, and Jesse were watching the two of them.
"If looks could kill, they'd have incinerated each other by now," muttered Brennan.
"They're both worried about Adrianne," Emma whispered. "Maybe they'll stop fighting if the Double Helix goes faster."
"Unfortunately, the Double Helix can't go much faster," replied Jesse in a low voice.
Emma sighed, and looked back over at Ron and Hermione. To her relief, they'd stopped fighting, and were building a house out of cards.
"I didn't think witches and wizards played ordinary games," Emma told the others. (Famous last words, Em.)
KA-BOOM!
Emma spun around, and saw that the house of cards had exploded. But Ron and Hermione didn't look upset or frightened by the explosion. Instead, they were both laughing.
Adam ran out of the cockpit, a worried look on his face. "Who used the Explosive Spell?"
Hermione stopped laughing, and looked slightly embarrassed. Shalimar, Emma, Jesse, and Brennan all stared at her.
"Nobody used the Explosive Spell," Hermione said finally. "Ron and I were playing Exploding Snap, that's all."
"Exploding Snap?" Adam and the other member of Mutant X asked at the same time.
"It's a card game in the wizarding world." Hermione picked up one of the cards on the pile that had exploded, and brushed it off. The card was unharmed.
"The cards don't get damaged by the explosion," added Ron.
Adam sighed, and went back into the cockpit.
Emma shook her head slightly. Suddenly, she gasped as she received an empathic vision from Adrianne, and everything went black.
* * *
Adrianne, Harry, and the twins ran down the hallway, panting.
"Which way do we go now?" asked Harry.
"I've never been here before!" replied Adrianne crossly. "How the hell should I know?"
"I was just asking!" Harry said defensively. "Anyway, we need to get our broomsticks before someone finds them. We hid them nearby."
"Well, then, we'd better Summon them, hadn't we?" Adrianne pulled her wand out of her sleeve. "Accio Firebolt!" A moment later, her broomstick came zooming towards her, and she grabbed it, putting her wand back in her sleeve. Harry and the twins quickly followed suit.
As soon as they had their broomsticks, Adrianne and the others took off running down the hallway again. But before they could get very far, Agent Rowling appeared in front of them.
"Going somewhere?" she asked in a voice as sweet as poison.
"Uh, yeah," replied Adrianne. "We were just leaving."
With that, she started to reach for her wand, ready to Stun the agent. But before she could, Adrianne felt a mental "fist" slam into her mind, and she collapsed, clutching her head.
"Addy!" she dimly heard Harry and the twins shout, but before she could respond, she blacked out.
to be continued...
* * *
A/N: Good grief, this is my longest chapter yet for this story! Please R&R, but no flames. Anyone who flames me will get pelted with dungbombs, and then they'll get their sorry arses kicked from here to the Bog of Eternal Stench.
Chapter 3: Attack At The Bookstore
A short while later, Adrianne had chosen the books she wanted to get, and went over to the cash register to purchase them.
A young man who was in his mid-twenties sat behind the counter. He had short brown hair and wore glasses with black plastic frames, and was a bit overweight. He looked up when Adrianne walked up to the counter, and smiled at her.
"Hello, Adrianne," he said, his voice sounding pleasant. "Did you find the books that you wanted?'
Adrianne stared at him, completely dumbfounded. Her mouth hung open slightly. --How did he know my name?--
Before she could ask him that, however, he spoke again.
"I'm a telepath," he said. "But I actually prefer the term ESPer. I can read minds, and yours is a open book. Besides, Adam had told me that his niece and her friends had come to stay at Sanctuary, and since there's a strong resemblance between the two of you, I deduced that you were Adrianne, his niece. My name's Ruby." He held out his hand, and Adrianne shook it. "If you're interested, I have a couple of books on scrying. After all, aren't you going to be doing that in Divination this year?"
Adrianne's mouth fell open, and she stared at him, bug-eyed.
"Did you read my mind about Hogwarts?" she asked in a low voice, preparing to reach for her wand. It was one thing to let her uncle and his friends know; he was family and they were people he trusted with his life. But Ruby wasn't family, and he wasn't a member of Mutant X.
"Yes. But don't worry. Some of my regular customers are members of the wizarding community, so I keep stock of some of the books that they use." Adrianne let out a sigh of relief, and moved her hand away from her wand. Ruby continued. "And since I'm part of the Underground, I have to keep my mouth shut about things like that anyway." Ruby reached under the counter, and pulled a couple of books out. They had symbols on the covers that Adrianne had seen in "Unfogging The Future" by Cassandra Vablatsky. "Here you go."
Adrianne paid for her books, and turned to go find the others. As she walked past the doorway, she saw some people dressed like corporate clones walking towards the bookstore. She stared at them, and realized who they were. Without hesitation, Adrianne opened her mouth and began screaming.
"UNCLE ADAM!!!"
An instant later, the members of Mutant X and Adrianne's friends came running towards her.
"Addy, what's wrong?" asked Adam worriedly.
"The GSA's here!"
Adam looked out the door, and saw that there were several GS agents heading towards the bookstore. He turned around, and yanked a book off a bookshelf, revealing a red button. He hit it, but Adrianne couldn't see anything happening. But before she could say anything, Ruby came running towards them, followed by two people that she didn't know.
"Adam, what's going on?" Ruby asked, looking worried. "Are we in danger?"
"We've been found by the GSA," Adam replied grimly. "Ruby, I want you, Alison, and Vince to go out the back door; we'll hold off the GS agents. Take Adrianne---"
"I'm not going anywhere," Adrianne interrupted. "Neither are my friends." Harry Ron, Hermione, and the twins all nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, the door opened, and GS agents began swarming inside. One of the agents pulled out a gun and aimed it at them.
"Two words, Adam," she said smugly. "You're outnumbered."
"Adrianne, get behind me," Adam said grimly, preparing to fight to defend his niece, her friends, and the safehouse.
"No way, Uncle Adam," Adrianne replied, just as grimly. Without hesitation, she pulled out her wand and aimed it at the nearest agent. "Don't come any closer," she warned. The agent merely smirked at her, and pulled out a club. "Don't say I didn't warn you. Expelliarmus!"
The force of the Disarming Curse hit the agent and sent him flying backwards. He quickly got to his feet.
"Ready to give up?" asked Adrianne. The agent charged. "Guess not. Petrificus totalus!" The Full Body-Bind hit the agent head-on, and he immediately stiffened, falling forward. "Anyone else wanna take me on?" None of the agents made any effort to come near her. "That's what I thought." She turned around, and grinned at the others. "Piece of cake," she said, smirking. Suddenly, Adrianne yelped. She'd been grabbed from behind by another agent. "Leggo!"
"Inflamare!"yelled Hermione, and the agent holding Adrianne screamed as her arm burst into flames, letting go of her.
"Expecto patronus!" Harry yelled, pointing his wand at the GS agents. A silver stag erupted from the tip of his wand, and galloped towards the agents. They took one look at it, picked up the agent that Adrianne had placed the Full Body-Bind on, and then ran out the door.
Adrianne and the others started cheering, not noticing that Snape was standing nearby, watching them. He had an annoyed look on his face.
"Of all the things my sister had to predict, she *would* predict something like this," he muttered.
Snape turned around, and Disapperated out of the bookstore.
* * *
Mason Eckhart looked up as the door to his office opened. Leona Rowling walked inside, the door shutting behind her.
"Well?" Eckhart asked.
"We were unable to apprehend anyone at the safehouse," Agent Rowling replied. Eckhart looked disgusted.
"And why not?" he demanded. "Were Adam's people there?"
"Yes, sir. But they weren't the ones that we fought."
Eckhart lifted his head and stared at her. "They weren't?"
"No, sir."
"Then who was?"
"A group of teenagers with sticks."
Eckhart gave a derisive snort. "Don't be ridiculous. It isn't possible for mere children to fight off trained GS agents with nothing more than sticks."
"But they weren't ordinary children, sir. Look what they did to one of my men." She snapped her fingers, and two agents carried a third one into the room. He was completely immobile, except for his eyes, which were moving back and forth, filled with terror.
Eckhart stared down at him, and then looked back up at Agent Rowling. "The children did that?" he asked calmly. His second-in-command shook her head.
"Just one of the children. I believe that we should try to capture her, sir."
"Why is that?"
"She called Adam 'Uncle'."
Eckhart looked surprised. "So Adam has a niece," he mused. He looked up at Agent Rowling again. "Take your best men and bring her to me."
* * *
Later that day, Adrianne was giving her friends a tour of the city. Ron and the twins were amazed by all the muggle things that people were using, and Harry and Hermione looked impressed by all the American sights.
"I can't believe how many fast food restaurants there are in America!" said Hermione in amazement.
"It's a good thing Dudley isn't here," Harry said, grinning. "The people in all the restaurants would have to run for cover."
"No kidding," Fred muttered.
"Beware!" screeched Adrianne. "It's 'Attack of the Humongous Prat'!" She, Harry, Ron, and the twins all howled with laughter, while Hermione tsked, fighting back a smile.
Suddenly, Adrianne saw someone step in front of them, and she stopped laughing. It was the GS agent from earlier.
"Going somewhere?" she asked mildly. Then, before they could react, she reached out and grabbed Adrianne, yanking the young witch towards her.
"Hey!" Adrianne yelled, struggling to get loose. "Lemme go, you sorry-ass loser excuse for a GS agent!"
"I don't think so," the agent replied, and pulled out what looked like a black leather glove. She touched it to Adrianne's back, and electricity came out, zapping her into unconsciousness. She collapsed, but the agent held on to her.
"Adrianne!" Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the twins all yelled at once. They pulled their wands out, but the agent pulled out a gun and aimed it at Adrianne's head.
"If you try to use those sticks of yours, I'll shoot her," she warned. They lowered their wands, and the agent dragged Adrianne over to a black van that was nearby, dumping her into the back seat. Then she got in and drove away.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the twins all looked at each other, and then took off running down the street towards the bookstore.
"Adam!" they yelled, running up the stairs. Adam came running out of the back room, followed by the other members of Mutant X, as well as Ruby, Vince, and Alison.
"What's wrong?" he asked worriedly. "Where's Adrianne?"
"She's been kidnapped!" Ron blurted. "That---" He called the GS agent a name that made Hermione immediately say, looking shocked, "Ron!" "--- zapped Adrianne and dragged off, and said that if we used our wands to try and save her, she'd shoot her!"
As soon as he heard that, Adam's mouth tightened, and he immediately began thinking of several choice phrases, not daring to say them aloud for fear that he'd scar the teenagers in front of him for life. Emma winced, and looked over at him.
"Adam, if you're going to use language like that, just say it aloud; don't think it," she said, looking pained.
Adam winced slightly. "Sorry about that." He grabbed his jacket, and pulled it on. "I'll be back soon," he said through gritted teeth. He muttered something under his breath, and Hermione glanced over at him.
"What?" she asked, puzzled.
"I said that Eckhart's gonna get the ass-kicking of his life."
* * *
In the darkness, Adrianne could hear people moving around. --Where the hell am I?-- She inhaled through her nose, and caught a whiff of antiseptic. --Am I in a hospital?-- A moment later, Adrianne's unspoken question was answered, very painfully.
A slender hand connected with her cheek with a resounding CRACK. Adrianne yelped in pain, and her eyes flew open.
The agent from earlier stood over her, a smug look on her face. "Mr. Eckhart, she's awake," she said over her shoulder. A few seconds later, a white-haired man came into Adrianne's line of sight.
"Well done, Agent Rowling. It's nice to know that some of my people can get the job done." He looked down at Adrianne. "Welcome to Genomex, Ms.--- " He stopped, looking rather puzzled. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I don't know your name."
"It's Adrianne," she spat. "Adrianne Mandori. And no, Mandori isn't my uncle's last name. It's my mom's married name."
"It's a very unusual last name," said Mr. Eckhart. "And yet, it suits you. My name is Mason Eckhart." He smiled faintly as Adrianne's eyes widened in recognition. "I see you've heard of me."
"Yeah. You're the guy who keeps getting his ass kicked by my uncle."
Eckhart frowned, and Agent Rowling smacked her across the face again. "Show some respect!" she snapped, but Adrianne stuck her tongue out at her.
"Don't wanna, don't gotta!" Agent Rowling swung her hand at Adrianne again, but she saw it coming, and quickly acted.
Agent Rowling's howls of pain echoed through the halls.
"SHE BIT ME! THE LITTLE BITCH BIT ME!"
* * *
"What do you mean, we can't come with you?" demanded Harry. Behind him, Hermione and Ron were scowling, and the twins looked mutinous.
They were back at Sanctuary, and the members of Mutant X were getting ready to go rescue Adrianne from Genomex.
"I don't want you kids to get kidnapped as well," replied Adam. "Adrianne wouldn't want you to get kidnapped while trying to rescue her."
"But we can help!" protested Ron.
"None of you kids are going, and that's final." With that, Adam went upstairs.
Ron, looking furious, started to say something else, but Harry stopped him. "We'll sneak onto the Double Helix with my dad's old cloak," he muttered. Ron relaxed visibly, needing no explanation or translation. "Pass the word on to Hermione and the twins." Without another word, Harry took off running upstairs.
Ron nodded, and turned to the others.
A few moments later, Harry came back downstairs, a silvery cloak slung over his arm. He also held both his and Adrianne's Firebolts, and Fred and George's Cleansweep Sevens. He handed the Cleansweeps to their owners, and then everyone got underneath the Invisibility Cloak.
"Quick, follow me," Harry whispered, and they began moving towards the docking bay.
A few minutes later, they reached the Double Helix, and quickly went inside, all of them standing in a corner underneath the cloak.
"Ron, watch where you step," George whispered, wincing as his younger brother stepped on his foot.
"Sorry, George...blimey, it's dark in here..."
"Both of you be quiet!" whispered Harry. "We can't reveal that we're here while the Double Helix is still in the docking bay."
A moment later, they heard footsteps coming into the Double Helix, and everyone shut up.
* * *
Emma stared out the window of the Double Helix, and fought back the urge to sigh. They were halfway to Genomex already, and she was beginning to worry about what Eckhart was doing to Adrianne. --He's probably torturing her right now, trying to get some information about Adam and Sanctuary.--
Suddenly, she heard people talking in the back of the Double Helix.
"Ouch!" came Ron Weasley's pained yelp. "George, you great prat, that was my foot!"
"Sorry, Ron," came George Weasley's voice. "Ow! Watch where you aim those elbows of yours, Fred!"
"Sorry, George."
By that time, Emma, Shalimar, Brennan, Jesse, and Adam were all staring at the back of the Double Helix...
...Where there was nothing but empty space.
Adam stood up, and walked to the back of the Double Helix, staring at the empty space intently.
"Shh!" came Harry Potter's voice. "The three of you be quiet!"
"D'you think that Adam sees us?" came Ron's voice again, this time sounding nervous.
"Of course not, you prat," replied Fred scornfully. "We're invisible."
Adam reached out carefully with one hand, and grabbed at the empty space. His hand came away with a strange-looking silvery material, revealing the startled faces of Harry, Ron, Hermione, and the twins.
"Uh, hi, Adam," said Harry, looking slightly nervous. "We were just---"
"I thought I told you that you couldn't come with us," interrupted Adam, looking furious.
"We're stubborn," replied Fred in a matter-of-fact voice. "And we felt responsible for Adrianne's kidnapping."
"So the twins and I are going to go on ahead to get Adrianne out of Genomex," finished Harry, lifting his and Adrianne's broomsticks, along with the strange cloak.
Without another word, he and the twins went over to the entrance of the Double Helix, and carefully opened it. Harry looked over at the members of Mutant X, and grinned.
"See you at Genomex," he said, and jumped out into the open air, holding onto his broomstick. Fred and George immediately followed, and the three of them flew ahead of the Double Helix, swooping around each other.
Ron and Hermione immediately pulled the door shut and then went to sit down.
* * *
Adrianne screamed as Agent Rowling injected something into the back of her neck.
"What the hell was that?" she demanded, reaching up to see what was there. Beneath her fingers, she could feel a circular plastic whatever-the-hell.
"That was a subdermal governor," replied Agent Rowling nastily. "It'll prevent you from using your powers. That way, you won't be able to freeze anyone, or set anyone's arm on fire."
Adrianne scowled. She had her wand hidden up her sleeve in a special pocket, but if Agent Rowling was correct, she wouldn't be able to use it.
Not while she had the subdermal governor in her neck, anyway.
* * *
Harry and the twins flew a hundred feet above the ground, and they began to slow down. There was a stone building a bit of a distance in front of them.
"I wonder where Addy is?" Harry wondered aloud. He pulled out his wand, and whispered, "Point me in Adrianne's direction."
His wand spun around on the palm of his hand several times before finally coming to a stop. Harry looked to see where it was pointing.
It was pointing at the building.
"Fred, George!" Harry yelled. "Follow me!" He flew towards the building at breakneck speed, with the twins hot on his heels.
* * *
Adrianne lay on the floor, whimpering. Agent Rowling had just tried, for the past five minutes, to get the location of Sanctuary out of her. At first she'd tried to force herself into Adrianne's mind, but every time she'd tried that, the younger woman had automatically kicked her in the shins.
Then she'd tried to beat the information out of Adrianne, but that hadn't worked.
"Are you ready to give us the information?" Agent Rowling demanded, towering over her. Adrianne glanced up at her, and gave the GS agent an evil look.
"It's up your butt and around the corner," she snarled, and yelped as Agent Rowling's foot connected with her side.
"That's enough, Agent Rowling." Adrianne lifted her head and saw that Eckhart was standing a few feet away. "She obviously inherited Adam's stubbornness, and it won't do us any good if she's in a coma as a result of the way you're beating her." That last comment was obviously meant as a reprimand. Agent Rowling looked upset.
"But she's not giving us the information that we need, sir!"
"I can't tell you what I don't know," Adrianne replied, gasping for air after being kicked.
"Agent Rowling, I suggest you take Ms. Mandori back to her cell," Eckhart said. "And if she tries to escape..."
He looked straight at Adrianne so that she would get his point.
"...kill her."
Instead of looking terrified, Adrianne merely smirked at Eckhart. "Empty threat, jerk. Kill me, and you've got nothing to use against my uncle."
Eckhart scowled at her. Apparently she had inherited more than her uncle's stubbornness.
He looked over at Agent Rowling. "Take her away."
Agent Rowling yanked Adrianne to her feet, and dragged her out the door.
"Ow! You could be a little more gentle!" Adrianne yelled as she was dragged down the hallway.
* * *
Gary Jacobs sat behind his desk, playing Solitaire on his computer. He knew that if Mr. Eckhart found out, he'd be in a whole lot of trouble. -- But it's not like I have any other choice-- he thought to himself. --After all, this has to be one of the most boring jobs on the planet, bar none; absolutely the most boring.--
Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching, and he quickly clicked the Solitaire down on the computer. He stood up, expecting to see either Mr. Eckhart or Agent Rowling walking towards him for the hourly report. Instead, he didn't see anyone.
Confused, Gary looked up and down the hallway. But he still didn't see anyone.
"Is anyone there?" he called, slightly nervous. A moment later, a stick appeared in mid-air, aiming itself at Gary. He stared at it. "What the hell?"
"Stupefy!" came the voice of a teenage boy from...somewhere...behind the stick.
There was a burst of dazzling red light, and it hit Gary, sending him flying backwards. He hit the wall, and slid to the floor, unconscious.
A moment later, three teenage boys appeared out of nowhere, and a silvery cloak fell to the floor. Two of the boys looked exactly alike, with red hair and brown eyes, and the third boy was a few inches shorter, with messy black hair, green eyes, and glasses. They carefully hid four broomsticks behind the desk, where no one would be able to find them.
As soon as they were done, the boy with black hair grabbed the silvery cloak, and the three of them disappeared into thin air.
* * *
Adrianne heard footsteps coming down the hallway, and she quickly got up. Maybe she would be able to trick one of the agents into letting her go! But when she looked out the window of her cell, no one was there.
"Ouch!" she heard Fred Weasley grumble in the empty space. "That was my foot, George!"
"Sorry, Fred," George Weasley whispered back.
"Both of you be quiet!" Adrianne heard Harry Potter whisper sternly. "If someone hears us, we're completely buggered!"
Adrianne grinned. Harry and the twins had come to rescue her! They were probably wearing Harry's Invisibility Cloak, which explained why she could hear them but couldn't see them.
"Guys!" she hissed loudly. "Over here!"
An instant later, Harry and the twins appeared, seemingly out of thin air, and ran over to the cell door.
"All right there, Addy?" asked Harry worriedly.
"I've been better. Now get me out of here!"
Harry pulled out his wand, and pointed it at the electronic lock on the cell door. "Alohomora!" The lock beeped, and the door slid open. Adrianne ran out of the cell, and flung her arms around the three of them.
"Thank you so much for getting me out of there!" she said excitedly. "Let's get out of here!"
"I don't think so," came Eckhart's voice from behind them. Harry, Adrianne, and the twins spun around.
"So you must be Eckhart," said Harry coldly. "Why'd you kidnap Adrianne?"
"To get revenge against Adam," Eckhart replied simply. "Now, step aside."
Instead of complying, Harry and the twins pulled out their wands and aimed them at Eckhart. He stepped backwards, looking alarmed. Harry stepped forward.
"We're getting Adrianne out of here," he said grimly. "Don't try to stop us."
"Hey, Harry, would you mind sending a few sparks from your wand into the subdermal governor in the back of my neck?" Adrianne asked. She scratched the back of her neck. "It itches."
Harry walked over to Adrianne, and pointed his wand at the back of her neck. "Elektrica!" A small bolt of electricity shot out of the tip of his wand into the subdermal governor, and Adrianne let out a sigh of relief.
"Thanks, Harry," she said gratefully. "We can go now."
Harry and the twins, still aiming their wands at Eckhart, followed Adrianne down the hallway.
"This way, Addy," said Harry. "We've got our broomsticks, and we brought yours as well."
Adrianne grinned. "Wicked."
* * *
As the Double Helix streaked towards Genomex, Ron felt that he was going to die of anxiety. Glancing over at Hermione, he saw that she had a worried look on her face. Ron finally stood up, and began pacing back and forth.
Hermione watched him pace for a few minutes, and then sighed. "Ron, please sit down. You're making me dizzy." Ron didn't stop, and Hermione sighed again. "Ron, stop pacing before I Stun you."
There was just the faintest hint of a warning in her voice. Ron stopped pacing and sat down next to Hermione, letting out a huge sigh.
"Sorry, Hermione," he apologized. "I'm just worried about Addy. I hope that she's okay."
"And you think I don't?" Hermione exploded, glaring at Ron. "I'm just as worried about Addy as you are, Ron!"
"I didn't say you weren't!" snapped Ron, glaring back at Hermione. "I was just making a comment!"
By that time, they were both standing, glaring at each other.
Nearby, Shalimar, Emma, Brennan, and Jesse were watching the two of them.
"If looks could kill, they'd have incinerated each other by now," muttered Brennan.
"They're both worried about Adrianne," Emma whispered. "Maybe they'll stop fighting if the Double Helix goes faster."
"Unfortunately, the Double Helix can't go much faster," replied Jesse in a low voice.
Emma sighed, and looked back over at Ron and Hermione. To her relief, they'd stopped fighting, and were building a house out of cards.
"I didn't think witches and wizards played ordinary games," Emma told the others. (Famous last words, Em.)
KA-BOOM!
Emma spun around, and saw that the house of cards had exploded. But Ron and Hermione didn't look upset or frightened by the explosion. Instead, they were both laughing.
Adam ran out of the cockpit, a worried look on his face. "Who used the Explosive Spell?"
Hermione stopped laughing, and looked slightly embarrassed. Shalimar, Emma, Jesse, and Brennan all stared at her.
"Nobody used the Explosive Spell," Hermione said finally. "Ron and I were playing Exploding Snap, that's all."
"Exploding Snap?" Adam and the other member of Mutant X asked at the same time.
"It's a card game in the wizarding world." Hermione picked up one of the cards on the pile that had exploded, and brushed it off. The card was unharmed.
"The cards don't get damaged by the explosion," added Ron.
Adam sighed, and went back into the cockpit.
Emma shook her head slightly. Suddenly, she gasped as she received an empathic vision from Adrianne, and everything went black.
* * *
Adrianne, Harry, and the twins ran down the hallway, panting.
"Which way do we go now?" asked Harry.
"I've never been here before!" replied Adrianne crossly. "How the hell should I know?"
"I was just asking!" Harry said defensively. "Anyway, we need to get our broomsticks before someone finds them. We hid them nearby."
"Well, then, we'd better Summon them, hadn't we?" Adrianne pulled her wand out of her sleeve. "Accio Firebolt!" A moment later, her broomstick came zooming towards her, and she grabbed it, putting her wand back in her sleeve. Harry and the twins quickly followed suit.
As soon as they had their broomsticks, Adrianne and the others took off running down the hallway again. But before they could get very far, Agent Rowling appeared in front of them.
"Going somewhere?" she asked in a voice as sweet as poison.
"Uh, yeah," replied Adrianne. "We were just leaving."
With that, she started to reach for her wand, ready to Stun the agent. But before she could, Adrianne felt a mental "fist" slam into her mind, and she collapsed, clutching her head.
"Addy!" she dimly heard Harry and the twins shout, but before she could respond, she blacked out.
to be continued...
* * *
A/N: Good grief, this is my longest chapter yet for this story! Please R&R, but no flames. Anyone who flames me will get pelted with dungbombs, and then they'll get their sorry arses kicked from here to the Bog of Eternal Stench.