Chapter Nine - Thorns and 713
"Why were we sent on this mission?" the man complained as he and his woman friend walked through thorn bushes. He cursed as a prickle cut his leg and the warm red liquid began to flow down his sore limb.
"Shawn, I don't want to hear it. The point is not that we were sent on an annoying and less important mission, but the fact that we get to go find Frank and Genevieve and we get the honors to take care of them."
He shook his head. "I was looking forward to working with Nott on that file. It's much more important than the Longbottoms. This mission is an insult to our capabilities and power, Maddie!" Shawn heaved a sigh and licked away the sweat that had been falling down his cheek. "I hate the woods," he added in an undertone.
Maddie giggled. "Well, I think it will be rather exciting seeing Frank well after fourteen years. Oh, just imagine the look on his face when he sees us! I wonder if it will be fear or anger..."
Shawn grabbed Maddie's hand and stared down at her. "What if he attacks and we're not prepared? What if he's so angry, he kills us?"
"Shawn! I'm surprised. Neither Frank nor Genevieve has used a wand in fourteen years, and they probably don't even have them anymore. For all we know, the insanity cleared their mind of all spells. You think too pessimistically, Shawny-boy. You need to relax and have a bit of confidence!"
"Maddie," he started, but couldn't go on any further. He just took her hand and kissed it sweetly. "What could I do without you?"
She smirked. "You'd probably be dead right now, Shawny-boy. And if I stand in this mud any longer, I'll be dead. Just remember: you are far from inferior to Longbottom. You are much more capable of defeating him than he is you."
^*^*^
"Hagrid...thank you for coming on such short notice."
The ghost of Rubeus Hagrid slid smoothly towards Dumbledore. He smiled. "Jus' heard 'bout P'ofesso' Lupin an' Black. Shame, sir."
Dumbledore sighed. "You'll help me, won't you Hagrid? Help me get them released?"
"Well of course! Ya know dat I'd do anythin' for yer, and those two!"
"Thank you, Hagrid," Albus replied with pure admiration. "Thank you so much." He handed Hagrid a piece of paper. "You may recognize the vault number."
"Seven hundred and thirteen...I certainly do."
Albus nodded. "Just get what's in it. And Hagrid, this is just as important as the Philosopher's Stone."
Hagrid smiled from being given the important mission. "Sir, I'm honored. You can count on me!"
And he left.
^*^*^
Harry had been complimented at least forty-two times on his excellent idea given to Dumbledore concerning Hogsmeade. After Dumbledore had decided to allow the trip and proudly announced that it was Harry and Ron's idea, Harry and Ron were quite popular among the entire school, so much that even some Slytherins congratulated and thanked them. But now they were completely forgotten now that they were actually in town, and neither of them particularly minded. They were too busy raiding Zonko's, Honeydukes, and just hanging outside the Shrieking Shack with Hermione, Dean, Ginny, and some others who found haunted houses to be exceedingly interesting.
Their first stop had been into the Three Broomsticks to get some butterbeer. It was mid-October, but still chilly enough for a demand of warm drinks. The five of them (Harry, Ron, Dean, Hermione, Ginny) sat and chatted happily about how school was, the Quidditch teams, anything but the murder and Lupin. The more the five of them talked, the closer they became, and by the end of the day, Harry could say without a doubt that he knew as much about Dean to consider him a best friend-almost as good as Ron or Hermione.
"Where's Dragon?" asked Ron after a rousing conversation about the Swedish Quidditch team. "I haven't seen him anywhere. Did he even come?"
"I assume you're referring to Draco Malfoy?" Dean asked. When Ron nodded, Dean said, "Ah. He was off with that Ruby girl. They were on the other side of the bar. Would you like me to go get them?"
Harry raised an eyebrow. "With Ruby?"
Dean nodded. "Yes, I believe so. Seemed to be in deep conversation, too. She seemed pretty distraught, actually. Maybe I shouldn't go over and get them..."
Ginny shuddered. "I don't like that girl! She kept asking me all these questions about you, Harry. I didn't answer any of them. I told her to bug off and leave me, and you, alone." She blushed and whispered, "Then she called me a Bugger!"
Dean snorted and Hermione blushed also, while Harry and Ron laughed. Ginny scowled. "It's not funny, it's rude. She's mean! And there's something funny about her. Harry, I'd stay away from her. From the way she was talking...well, I think...I think..."
Harry and the rest of the table noticed the uncomfortable tension in Ginny's voice, and he pressed, "What is it, Ginny?"
"I think she wants to kill you, Harry, and I think she killed Dean!"
^*^*^
"Dat's right! Vault seven hundred and thirteen!"
The goblin shook his head. "There's nothing there!" his squeaky voice exclaimed.
"Show me," Hagrid demanded.
The goblin growled. "There's no point..."
"SHOW ME!"
The goblin sighed and took Hagrid on the journey through the tunnels until they reached the vault. It was opened, and found empty.
"Who emptied this vault?" Hagrid asked, furious.
The goblin shrugged. "All's I know, is it was emptied. Now, you can take it up with the persons at the back desk, or-" but he never got to finish because Hagrid had disappeared, infuriated, on his way to report to Dumbledore.
Someone had stolen it.
Someone had stolen the genie.
"Why were we sent on this mission?" the man complained as he and his woman friend walked through thorn bushes. He cursed as a prickle cut his leg and the warm red liquid began to flow down his sore limb.
"Shawn, I don't want to hear it. The point is not that we were sent on an annoying and less important mission, but the fact that we get to go find Frank and Genevieve and we get the honors to take care of them."
He shook his head. "I was looking forward to working with Nott on that file. It's much more important than the Longbottoms. This mission is an insult to our capabilities and power, Maddie!" Shawn heaved a sigh and licked away the sweat that had been falling down his cheek. "I hate the woods," he added in an undertone.
Maddie giggled. "Well, I think it will be rather exciting seeing Frank well after fourteen years. Oh, just imagine the look on his face when he sees us! I wonder if it will be fear or anger..."
Shawn grabbed Maddie's hand and stared down at her. "What if he attacks and we're not prepared? What if he's so angry, he kills us?"
"Shawn! I'm surprised. Neither Frank nor Genevieve has used a wand in fourteen years, and they probably don't even have them anymore. For all we know, the insanity cleared their mind of all spells. You think too pessimistically, Shawny-boy. You need to relax and have a bit of confidence!"
"Maddie," he started, but couldn't go on any further. He just took her hand and kissed it sweetly. "What could I do without you?"
She smirked. "You'd probably be dead right now, Shawny-boy. And if I stand in this mud any longer, I'll be dead. Just remember: you are far from inferior to Longbottom. You are much more capable of defeating him than he is you."
^*^*^
"Hagrid...thank you for coming on such short notice."
The ghost of Rubeus Hagrid slid smoothly towards Dumbledore. He smiled. "Jus' heard 'bout P'ofesso' Lupin an' Black. Shame, sir."
Dumbledore sighed. "You'll help me, won't you Hagrid? Help me get them released?"
"Well of course! Ya know dat I'd do anythin' for yer, and those two!"
"Thank you, Hagrid," Albus replied with pure admiration. "Thank you so much." He handed Hagrid a piece of paper. "You may recognize the vault number."
"Seven hundred and thirteen...I certainly do."
Albus nodded. "Just get what's in it. And Hagrid, this is just as important as the Philosopher's Stone."
Hagrid smiled from being given the important mission. "Sir, I'm honored. You can count on me!"
And he left.
^*^*^
Harry had been complimented at least forty-two times on his excellent idea given to Dumbledore concerning Hogsmeade. After Dumbledore had decided to allow the trip and proudly announced that it was Harry and Ron's idea, Harry and Ron were quite popular among the entire school, so much that even some Slytherins congratulated and thanked them. But now they were completely forgotten now that they were actually in town, and neither of them particularly minded. They were too busy raiding Zonko's, Honeydukes, and just hanging outside the Shrieking Shack with Hermione, Dean, Ginny, and some others who found haunted houses to be exceedingly interesting.
Their first stop had been into the Three Broomsticks to get some butterbeer. It was mid-October, but still chilly enough for a demand of warm drinks. The five of them (Harry, Ron, Dean, Hermione, Ginny) sat and chatted happily about how school was, the Quidditch teams, anything but the murder and Lupin. The more the five of them talked, the closer they became, and by the end of the day, Harry could say without a doubt that he knew as much about Dean to consider him a best friend-almost as good as Ron or Hermione.
"Where's Dragon?" asked Ron after a rousing conversation about the Swedish Quidditch team. "I haven't seen him anywhere. Did he even come?"
"I assume you're referring to Draco Malfoy?" Dean asked. When Ron nodded, Dean said, "Ah. He was off with that Ruby girl. They were on the other side of the bar. Would you like me to go get them?"
Harry raised an eyebrow. "With Ruby?"
Dean nodded. "Yes, I believe so. Seemed to be in deep conversation, too. She seemed pretty distraught, actually. Maybe I shouldn't go over and get them..."
Ginny shuddered. "I don't like that girl! She kept asking me all these questions about you, Harry. I didn't answer any of them. I told her to bug off and leave me, and you, alone." She blushed and whispered, "Then she called me a Bugger!"
Dean snorted and Hermione blushed also, while Harry and Ron laughed. Ginny scowled. "It's not funny, it's rude. She's mean! And there's something funny about her. Harry, I'd stay away from her. From the way she was talking...well, I think...I think..."
Harry and the rest of the table noticed the uncomfortable tension in Ginny's voice, and he pressed, "What is it, Ginny?"
"I think she wants to kill you, Harry, and I think she killed Dean!"
^*^*^
"Dat's right! Vault seven hundred and thirteen!"
The goblin shook his head. "There's nothing there!" his squeaky voice exclaimed.
"Show me," Hagrid demanded.
The goblin growled. "There's no point..."
"SHOW ME!"
The goblin sighed and took Hagrid on the journey through the tunnels until they reached the vault. It was opened, and found empty.
"Who emptied this vault?" Hagrid asked, furious.
The goblin shrugged. "All's I know, is it was emptied. Now, you can take it up with the persons at the back desk, or-" but he never got to finish because Hagrid had disappeared, infuriated, on his way to report to Dumbledore.
Someone had stolen it.
Someone had stolen the genie.