DISCLAIMER: JKRowling owns Harry Potter and his friends and enemies, Hogwarts and environs. Angela, her wizarding world and places not familiar to you are mine. But as I always say, JKRowling inspired all of these.
Chapter 10: Back to Hogwarts
Harry paced to and from in his bedroom in the Mercado mansion. Ginny has been kidnapped again. For like the third time. But this time, he doesn't know who did it. Have Voldemort found another way to come back or do they have a new enemy?
Ron who was sitting worriedly on his bed got up. "Stop walking around, Harry. You're making me dizzy."
Harry stopped and slumped down a chair. He looked at the clock on the table. It's half past midnight. Then he stood up again and started walking again.
Ron grabbed his arm and pushed him, making him fall back to the chair. "Will you stop that! You're making me worry more!"
Harry put his head in his hands and run his fingers through his hair. Why can't they go to London now?
Angela then came bursting in the room. "I have news, you guys. I called the Ministry. We can go there tonight to Floo to London."
The two boys stood up and without a word, gathered up their things. In less than fifteen minutes, they were saying goodbye to the Mercado family and Drew.
"Why can't you just stay here, Angela?" Harry heard Drew talk to her.
Angela sighed. "I'll be back Drew. But while I'm gone, think about us. About our situation. If when I return and you can accept my world, then we are meant to be. But if you can't, I understand."
She gave Drew a peck on the cheek and gripped her broomstick tight. They were flying to the mountain where the Ministry is.
Patricia hugged Harry and Ron. The boys shook the hands of Mr. Mercado and the other kids. They clutched their broomsticks flew into the night.
Dumbledore was waiting for them in the Ministry in London. Harry and Ron quickly got off the crate when they got in.
"Professor, what happened to my sister?" Ron asked.
Dumbledore led them to his office and asked them all to calm down. Harry found that quite hard to do. This isn't the first time Ginny's been kidnapped. As they all sat around his office, he was so worried he almost knocked a chair off.
"Professor McGonagall owled me yesterday to inform me of such disturbing news." Dumbledore started. "Nobody knows who took her but a day before she was kidnapped, she and Mr. Creevey went for a walk at Hogsmeade and saw the Dark Mark there. The school was put in a very tight security but somehow, Ms. Weasley and Mr. Colin managed to take a walk near the lake yesterday."
Dumbledore sat down his chair. "What's curious is that Mr. Creevey was lying unconscious on the shore of the lake when Hagrid found him. Apparently, all they wanted was Ginny."
Before any of them was able to give their reactions, Hermione came, panting, in the room. "I flew here as soon as I got your letter, Professor. What happened to Ginny? Do Ron and Harry know?"
"Relax, Ms. Granger." And he pointed to the two sitting behind her.
Hermione quickly sat down beside Harry to listen more closely to Dumbledore. Harry looked at Ron to see how he reacted on Hermione's arrival. Ron's face was in a shade of acid green but he didn't speak at all. He just kept his eyes on Dumbledore.
Dumbledore dismissed the four of them only after a few minutes. Angela was consoling Hermione and both Harry and Ron was wearing hard faces.
"I think it's time for a reunion at Hogwarts." Harry said, looking out the huge windows of the Ministry.
"But Dumbledore told us not to…" Ron started to protest but got two angry stares from Harry and Hermione.
"Okay." Ron nodded.
"I know I don't know much about Hogwarts and all but I insist I should come, too." Angela piped in.
They all agreed to go to Hogwarts that very same night.
Mounted on broomsticks, the four started going north. Harry was in the lead, followed closely by Ron and the two girls. After an hour of flying, they went down a little lower just as they were flying over Hogsmeade. They noticed Percy's cottage still has lights on. Percy must be very worried too. They hovered a few minutes over Hogsmeade to look for signs, Dark Mark or otherwise. But they saw nothing.
When they saw the huge towers and turrets of Hogwarts, Angela couldn't help but gasp a "Wow" in amazement. They all headed towards Hagrid's hut.
They knocked and Hagrid opened the door almost instantly, with crossbow in hand.
"Oh, it's yeh." Hagrid was relieved. "So 'ere to get Ginny?"
"Yes." Harry answered, beating Ron. "What happened Hagrid?"
Hagrid got the four of them tea and started telling about when he saw Ginny walking about the grounds the day before she was abducted. And how he felt that Ginny was in the grounds again that afternoon. But all he saw was Colin unconscious on the shore. He took him to the hospital wing and that's when they put two and two together, and realized that Ginny has been snatched.
"But why is she with Colin?" Harry thought out loud.
"It's not an unusual sight, 'Arry." Hagrid shrugged. "I see Ginny and Colin around the grounds together quite often. As well as in Hogsmeade. If I hadn't known better, I'd say they got together."
Harry's forehead creased. Jealousy started pumping through his veins. But he tried to put such thought out of his head. What's important is how they could get Ginny back fast. He'll deal with Colin later.
The four said goodbye to Hagrid, who was finally introduced to Angela. They hurried up the castle and looked for Professor McGonagall.
Professor McGonagall met them in her office. She said Colin was in the hospital wing, but he didn't get to see who the kidnapper was, it came from behind and hexed him while he was facing the lake.
Ron asked if they could speak to Colin that moment. Though McGonagall gave them a disapproving look, she led them to the hospital wing to Colin.
"Colin, some people are here to see you." McGonagall left them with Colin to attend to some matters regarding the security of the other students.
"Harry, Ron, Hermione!" He almost smiled. "I'm so glad you're here. Ginny's been—"
"We know." Harry cut him short. "We're here to ask you what you know."
Colin nodded. "Earlier that day, Ginny asked me if she could meet me near the lake after class. Though I know we're not supposed to go about the ground after classes, it slipped out of my head, mainly because I was so eager to meet Ginny after school, to talk. Then I went there, half an hour earlier. Then I felt someone behind me, thinking it was Ginny, I didn't look up, I just greeted and the next thing I knew was flash of orange light. Then I woke up here." He bowed his head. "Found out that Ginny was gone."
"Who could have done it?" Hermione asked worriedly.
Ron kept his head in her hands. Angela looked at Harry helplessly.
"I stand by Dumbledore," Harry started. "It's Ginny they want. Or else they could have gotten Colin instead or the two of them for that matter. But who?"
Harry couldn't think of anyone foul but Voldemort. Though he wasn't so sure he could have found new followers after his greatest downfall last year. Or if he was powerful enough to rise again, if he still exists, that is.
Angela looked from Ron to Hermione to Harry. These happenings feel quite strange and familiar to her. Like it happened to her before. She closed her eyes and thought about it, trying to recall a certain event that changed her life forever.
"Angela, Angela, wake up!" She felt tugging in her nightgown. Myra was up and about that day. She was staying in a hotel in London, near the village Myra and her Mum is staying. "Wake up!"
"What?" She asked groggily, but still sat up on the bed. "It's early."
Myra almost jumped in her bed, holding a bit of parchment. "C'mon, Angela, wake up! I have something to tell you!"
"Okay, okay." She faced Myra. "What is it?"
"Remember Draco?" Myra asked.
"Draco…Draco…" Her mind is still asleep but she tried to find that word in her brain files. "Draco… Diagon Alley Draco Malfoy?"
Myra nodded eagerly. "He owled me!"
"Why?" She was still a bit slow at comprehending things.
"He asked me out for dinner!" Myra exclaimed, now jumping up and down Angela's bed.
"That Malfoy character asked you out?" She lifted her left eyebrow.
"Why? What's wrong with that?" Myra asked. "He's an incoming seventh year at Hogwarts. He's from one of the oldest and wealthiest wizarding families in Britain."
"I thought you wanted to be Muggle." Angela said.
"Well, if I was in SEA, I'd be a Muggle. But if I'm in London, I'd rather be a witch!" She exclaimed. "And besides, if Draco asked me out, he must like me, don't you think?"
Angela looked at her friend helplessly. The moment they met Draco Malfoy, she never liked him. Although she never said this on Myra's face because she started goggling about Draco since they went home from Diagon Alley the day they met him. She never thought of Draco wanting to go out with Myra.
"I don't know, Myra." She was careful not to hurt her feelings. "Maybe we shouldn't trust Draco that soon. He is after all, a Malfoy."
"So?"
"Don't you know, Myra? The Malfoys were Voldemort's death eaters. They engage in the Dark Arts." She tried to put some sense into Myra's tiny brain.
"We studied the Dark Arts too, didn't we?" Myra insisted.
"But we vowed never to use it to deliberately harm others." Angela said. "I don't know, Myra."
Myra sighed. "I already sent him an owl, saying I'll meet him at Diagon Alley tonight."
"Oh no…" Angela groaned. "Why?" She demanded but when Myra didn't answer. She said, "Okay, I'll go with you. At least one of us will have sense later."
She and Myra met at the Leaky Cauldron later that day. They decided to meet earlier so that Angela could go around Diagon one last time before heading home. The semester was about to start in four days.
"We'll meat him at Florean's in ten minutes. Will you please finish your shopping now, Angela?" Myra said anxiously. Angela sensed nervousness in her voice.
"You know what, Myra?" She said as she brought the book she was holding to the counter at Flourish and Blotts to pay for it. "If you're not so sure you want to meet Draco, then maybe we should just turn and go home."
"No." Myra said quickly. "I gave him my word."
Angela shrugged and paid for the book. They walked out of the bookstore and headed for Florean's.
They sat down on the little tables just outside. After a few minutes of talking about their old school and classmates, Draco came.
"Hey, ladies." He said smoothly and sat down between the two of them.
"Hi, Draco." Myra greeted, her eyes turning misty.
Angela gave a small smile and muttered a simple hello.
They ordered their dinner of burger and fries. Angela ate her dinner silently, only joining in the conversation when Draco and Myra ask her about something. She can't help but look at the Slytherin logo on Draco's cloak. Somehow that snake gave her shivers.
Before they know it, they have finished their sundaes and are standing up to leave.
"Angela, I was wondering if I could have Myra alone for the rest of the night." He said as they walked along Diagon Alley.
Myra looked at her excitedly, winking.
She gave the two of them suspicious looks and hesitantly gave in, "O-okay."
Draco smiled at her, a smile she knew she shouldn't trust. Myra just mouthed a "thank you" at her and he two walked away.
There she was, left in the middle of Diagon Alley, not knowing where to go. Then she felt something flutter in her stomach. She closed her eyes. Then something flashed in her mind. She saw Myra, tied around a tombstone, with black figures around her, coming closer to her and then the image was gone.
She ran worriedly towards the Leaky Cauldron. She just had a premonition.
She hurried to her hotel, got her broomstick and recklessly flew out of the hotel, not minding if the Muggles could see her below. She knew Myra's in trouble with Draco. And she doesn't have any idea where to find them.
Then she saw it from across a meadow. A cottage, it's chimneys giving off green smoke. She flew over it. Unfortunately, she saw a graveyard beside the cottage.
She landed on the porch and threw the door open. Draco wasn't there but another wizard, older than him, and Myra lay before the fire, unconscious.
"What have you done to her?" A rage came into her.
"You are you?" The wizard demanded.
She didn't tell the wizard who she was, she just rushed to her side, seeing that she was still alive, she got up and faced the wizard.
"Where's Draco?" She demanded.
"He's not here anymore."
She felt Myra stir beside her. And Myra got up and looked for Draco.
The wizard walked crookedly towards them. "You, meddlesome little girl! You shouldn't have come here. All I needed was a virgin. Than I may rise again, much more powerful than before."
She held Myra's hand. It was trembling.
The wizard grabbed her away from Myra but then she gave a red glow and he threw her away.
"I cannot use you!" He shouted. "You're not what I need. You must die!"
"No!" Myra shouted.
But the wizard pointed his wand at her. "Avada…"
Myra ran towards her and flung herself before her just as the wizard shouted, "Kedavra!"
A flash of green light and Myra lay limp on her arms.
The wizard was overcome with anger. Angela looked at him, clutched Myra's lifeless body and the two of them Disapparated.
Angela walked over to Harry. "Do you guys have bad blood between Draco Malfoy?"
Ron, Hermione and Colin looked at her in alarm.
"Well yes, since our first year here in Hogwarts, we've been sort of archenemies." Hermione answered.
"Why do I have a feeling Draco has Ginny?" She stood up and paced around the room. "Colin, do you have anything of Ginny's there?"
Colin nodded and pulled a pink kerchief from his bedside table. "She gave me that some time ago."
Angela took the kerchief and closed her eyes. She opened her eyes right away. "Ginny's not far from here. But she's in danger!"
"Where is she?" Harry asked worriedly.
"I don't know. But not far." Angela said, still clutching the kerchief. "A cottage… A tree…"
"Whomping Willow!" Harry exclaimed.
The four got up and stormed out of the hospital wing.
"Hey, wait for me!" Colin tried to get up.
"Stay here, Colin!" Harry shouted.
Harry led the way to the Whomping Willow. Hermione got a branch from a tree and prodded the knot that would freeze the Willow. Harry got in first, followed by Ron and the girls.
They ran towards the tunnel that led to the Shrieking Shack. Hearing voices from the top floor, they quietly sneaked in.
They saw Ginny tied up in a chair with a filthy wizard before her, his back to them. But there was no Draco Malfoy in sight.
"Harry Potter." The wizard said without even looking at them. "I knew you'd come and save you girlfriend."
"Voldemort." He said in recognition. "Let her go."
The wizard turned around and looked at them one by one. But when his gaze fell on Angela, he gave her a crooked smile. "Oh, it's you again."
Angela gave him a dark stare. "You murdered my best friend."
"It should have been you." He said darkly.
Angela didn't say a word.
Voldemort looked over at Hermione. "Oh, another one." Before the four could see what's happening, Hermione was being pulled by some sort of magnetic field and was forced to sit down beside Ginny. Ropes started to wrap around her. "Now I have two of you."
Ron's face turned to a violent shade of red. He tried to run over to Hermione and his sister but Voldemort pointed his wand at him and he was thrown backwards.
Angela ran to him and helped him up as he was cowering in pain.
Harry grabbed his wand and pointed it to Voldemort. Ron who was up in his feet pointed his wand at him, too. And for the first time they saw Angela's wand. A long white wand that if Harry weren't busy staring at Voldemort, would swear he saw a golden handle.
But from the door came several hooded figures, Voldemort's Death-Eaters. They surrounded the three.
"Do you have any spell?" Ron asked as he nervously looked at the Death Eaters around him.
Harry didn't say a thing but Ron can sense nervousness in him. But Angela stayed calm. She pointed her wand on the ceiling and a blue orb engulfed them.
"This will resist any spell they throw at us but for a very short time only." She explained. "Ron, you better go and free Ginny and Hermione. Harry and I will hold this filthy creatures for you."
Ron ran to the two girls and freed them. Harry and Angela kept their wands pointed around them. Harry felt the shield flicker but Angela kept her position. They glanced at Ron who was now freeing Hermione with the help of Ginny.
Angela ran towards Ron and helped them since Hermione's ropes were tighter. Harry felt his shield flicker again. Angela looked at him in worry.
Then Harry's shield was completely gone Voldemort pointed his wand at him and shouted "At last Harry Potter! Avada…"
Angela stood up. "No!!!" She pointed her wand and gave her shield to Harry.
"Kedavra!" But the green light from Voldemort's wand backfired at him.
Hermione and Ginny were free now. The five hurdled together. Angela held Ron's hands and put the three between them. "On my count of three, Ron, Disparate!"
"One…" Voldemort's mist started to rise from the floor.
"Two…" his Death Eaters started swarming towards them.
"Three!" And they Disapparated.
They found themselves outside Shrieking Shack since they cannot Apparate in Hogwarts grounds. They started running towards the castle, leaving Voldemort and the Death Eaters behind.
Colin was in the entrance hall when they barged in. McGonagall was there, too, with Dumbledore and Hagrid. Just as they came in, Sirius Black appeared from a corridor.
"Ginny!" Colin screamed.
Ginny's hands let go of Harry's and ran towards Colin's outstretched arms.
Harry looked at them with a scowl. Hermione and Ron as unconsciously holding hands. They looked at each other. Hermione's tears started flowing down.
"I'm sorry Hermione." Ron finally apologized and embraced her.
Angela put her hand over Harry's shoulder.
"Thank you." He said.
"I lost a friend to Voldemort once, Harry. I won't let him do that again." She smiled. "Even if it meant sacrificing myself." They hugged.
Colin noticed the earrings on Ginny's ears. "Ginny…"
Ginny nodded. "That's what I wanted to tell you."
Ron and Hermione looked over at Ginny and Colin and quickly glanced at Harry. Harry's eyes widened and stormed out of the room, heading for the tower. Ron was starting to go after him when he came back.
"Can I go to your hut, Hagrid? I forgot I don't live here anymore." Harry went out of the castle without waiting for Hagrid's answer. Angela, Ron and Hermione followed. Leaving the faculty, Colin and Ginny gaping.
*** That's the tenth chapter. More chapters to come. But I may not be able to post it till January. I'm off for my Christmas Vacation from the University (at last). Please R/R! Thanks! ***