Chapter Eight
"I hope she shows up on time," Ron yawned, sitting at a table siping his butterbeer. All three of them were sitting in the Leaky Culdron, alone except for Tom. They had had to work very hard at convincing Ginny to go with the parents, but their efforts had paid off, and they were able to wait for Camerane without having to worry about Ron's little sister following at their heels.
The door opened and a tall woman with long dark brown hair walked in, wearing a rust colored cloak. A quiver was slung over her shoulder, but instead of arrows it held several rolls of parchments, which turned out to be several maps. Tom eyed her suspiciously, but she just waved back.
"What you don't remember me?" she asked him. "I used to come here and cause all sorts of trouble with a bunch of boys?"
Something seemed to dawn on Tom and he gave her a toothless grin. "You haven't come around since you left Hogwarts!"
"Been working with the psi-net," she explained. "Excellent job."
"Very good. Can I get you something, Miss Camerane?"
"No, I'm just here to visit some friends." She waved at Ron, harry, and Hermione, and Tom smiled. He sensed no trouble from this woman, and led her over to their table, then left. "So, are you three enjoying your stay here?" She glanced at them. "Not really, eh? Not with the explosions. Well, do you have that charm you were telling me about?"
Harry pulled it out. "Here, this is it."
"Okay," Camerane said, taking a deep breath and exhaling it. She did this a couple of times. "Who's touched this before you?"
"Just a librarian, and myself."
"Right." Now Camerane put all her concentration into the charm, turning it in her fingers again and again. "She was going to tell...tell about a bunch of men in robes." Harry nodded, they knew this already. She seemed to pick up on that and pulled out a map, unrolling it. Setting the charm on the paper, the moved it lightly, letting it act as the guide. It continued to circle a certain area on the map, and another peice of parchemnt was pulled out. A name was scribbled across the top reading Godric's Hollow.
"That's where-"
"Shh," Camerane hissed. The charm had no closed in on a wooded area, sticking to one spot, which Camerane circled. "That's where she is. She seems pretty adamaent about that wooded area. Poor thing. Do you know how that librarian got a hold of this?"
"No."
"It was given to her by Jessica's dad." Ron and Hermione looked at Camerane with pressing looks, but she said no more. "Here, keep this map so you can find her. My guess is, from the feelings that I get from this, is that she'll lead you to the exact spot. Good luck."
"Thanks," they all said appreciateively, rolling up the map. Just then a loud clap of thunder rumbled through the sky, a flash of lightning following shortly after.
"Looks like a storm is rolling in. You aren't going to stay, Miss Camerane?" Tom asked.
"Nah, I still have work," she said, pulling the hood of her cloak over her long brown hair. "Catch y'all later." As she left rain began to pour down in sheets, drenching everything instantly. It was lucky she had left just then because minutes later the Weasleys walked in carrying several packages.
"Okay everyone," said Mrs. Weasley breathlessly. "All of your school supplies are bought."
"You know, for a moment I thought I saw one of my friends from the psi-net," Mr. Weasley added, looking thoughtfull.
"Aren't all of them just a bunch of quacks, dad?" Ginny asked.
"Ginny!" Mr. Weasley scolded. "They've actually helped the ministry quite a few times. And don't ever call them quacks."
"Just not in front of Dad," Mrs. Ginny added in a whisper with a smile. Ginny giggled and ran off with her books, while Ron, Hermione, and Harry sorted out their things. Harry had tucked the map away in his robes. How would they get to Godric's Hollow? Hopefully Sirius would know away. After a quick dinner the three retreated to Ron and Harry's room, talking quietly, trying to plan a way to get to Godric's Hollow.
"We could always borrow my dad's car?" Ron suggested, but he and Harry knew that was out of the question, especially with the storm. They tossed a bunch of other ideas with that one, and nothing they thought of seemed to be workable. Suddenly there was a soft scratching noise at the door. Harry opened it to let in the big black dog...aka Sirius Black.
"Dumbledore said it was a good idea if I stayed with you kids for the next few days. He doesn't want anything happening to you. Of course that leaves Lupins and Snape to start off the next assignment." Lupin and Snape, Harry thought. What a dream team those two would make. "Did Camerane tell you anything useful?"
"Just that she in this section of woods near Godric's Hollow," Harry answered, showing him the circled area on the map.
Sirius looked at it grimmly, memories of the destroyed house flashing in his mind. But with a resolved voice he said, "Then that's where we have to go."
"I hope she shows up on time," Ron yawned, sitting at a table siping his butterbeer. All three of them were sitting in the Leaky Culdron, alone except for Tom. They had had to work very hard at convincing Ginny to go with the parents, but their efforts had paid off, and they were able to wait for Camerane without having to worry about Ron's little sister following at their heels.
The door opened and a tall woman with long dark brown hair walked in, wearing a rust colored cloak. A quiver was slung over her shoulder, but instead of arrows it held several rolls of parchments, which turned out to be several maps. Tom eyed her suspiciously, but she just waved back.
"What you don't remember me?" she asked him. "I used to come here and cause all sorts of trouble with a bunch of boys?"
Something seemed to dawn on Tom and he gave her a toothless grin. "You haven't come around since you left Hogwarts!"
"Been working with the psi-net," she explained. "Excellent job."
"Very good. Can I get you something, Miss Camerane?"
"No, I'm just here to visit some friends." She waved at Ron, harry, and Hermione, and Tom smiled. He sensed no trouble from this woman, and led her over to their table, then left. "So, are you three enjoying your stay here?" She glanced at them. "Not really, eh? Not with the explosions. Well, do you have that charm you were telling me about?"
Harry pulled it out. "Here, this is it."
"Okay," Camerane said, taking a deep breath and exhaling it. She did this a couple of times. "Who's touched this before you?"
"Just a librarian, and myself."
"Right." Now Camerane put all her concentration into the charm, turning it in her fingers again and again. "She was going to tell...tell about a bunch of men in robes." Harry nodded, they knew this already. She seemed to pick up on that and pulled out a map, unrolling it. Setting the charm on the paper, the moved it lightly, letting it act as the guide. It continued to circle a certain area on the map, and another peice of parchemnt was pulled out. A name was scribbled across the top reading Godric's Hollow.
"That's where-"
"Shh," Camerane hissed. The charm had no closed in on a wooded area, sticking to one spot, which Camerane circled. "That's where she is. She seems pretty adamaent about that wooded area. Poor thing. Do you know how that librarian got a hold of this?"
"No."
"It was given to her by Jessica's dad." Ron and Hermione looked at Camerane with pressing looks, but she said no more. "Here, keep this map so you can find her. My guess is, from the feelings that I get from this, is that she'll lead you to the exact spot. Good luck."
"Thanks," they all said appreciateively, rolling up the map. Just then a loud clap of thunder rumbled through the sky, a flash of lightning following shortly after.
"Looks like a storm is rolling in. You aren't going to stay, Miss Camerane?" Tom asked.
"Nah, I still have work," she said, pulling the hood of her cloak over her long brown hair. "Catch y'all later." As she left rain began to pour down in sheets, drenching everything instantly. It was lucky she had left just then because minutes later the Weasleys walked in carrying several packages.
"Okay everyone," said Mrs. Weasley breathlessly. "All of your school supplies are bought."
"You know, for a moment I thought I saw one of my friends from the psi-net," Mr. Weasley added, looking thoughtfull.
"Aren't all of them just a bunch of quacks, dad?" Ginny asked.
"Ginny!" Mr. Weasley scolded. "They've actually helped the ministry quite a few times. And don't ever call them quacks."
"Just not in front of Dad," Mrs. Ginny added in a whisper with a smile. Ginny giggled and ran off with her books, while Ron, Hermione, and Harry sorted out their things. Harry had tucked the map away in his robes. How would they get to Godric's Hollow? Hopefully Sirius would know away. After a quick dinner the three retreated to Ron and Harry's room, talking quietly, trying to plan a way to get to Godric's Hollow.
"We could always borrow my dad's car?" Ron suggested, but he and Harry knew that was out of the question, especially with the storm. They tossed a bunch of other ideas with that one, and nothing they thought of seemed to be workable. Suddenly there was a soft scratching noise at the door. Harry opened it to let in the big black dog...aka Sirius Black.
"Dumbledore said it was a good idea if I stayed with you kids for the next few days. He doesn't want anything happening to you. Of course that leaves Lupins and Snape to start off the next assignment." Lupin and Snape, Harry thought. What a dream team those two would make. "Did Camerane tell you anything useful?"
"Just that she in this section of woods near Godric's Hollow," Harry answered, showing him the circled area on the map.
Sirius looked at it grimmly, memories of the destroyed house flashing in his mind. But with a resolved voice he said, "Then that's where we have to go."