*Sorry this is a little late, I've been sick all weekend and I couldn't get
to the computer! Once again, thank you for your wonderful comments :o) I
look forward to reading them every time I log onto ff.net. I hope you enjoy
the next chapter *
"An Oujia board? What's an Oujia board?" Ron asked, now sitting up and looking at Harry as if he's gone mad.
"It's the muggle way of communicating with the dead," Harry said matter-of-factly, "We could communicate with Julianne's father and get the truth."
"Whoa, wait a second Harry. Why would we want to contact Julianne's father," Hermione asked. Harry began to tell the story of Voldemort killing Julianne and claiming her father became a death eater. "Harry you don't know what her father was like. He could've been a dangerous man. Bringing his spirit back can be, well, dangerous," Hermione said with a worried expression.
"I'll face the risk. No one deserves what she has to go through. Being up there alone, having resentment against her father," Harry protested, gesturing to the attic window.
"I'll help you Harry," Ginny spoke up, looking past Hermione. Harry smiled at the gesture.
"Thank you, Ginny. Now what about you two?" He asked looking at Ron and Hermione. Hermione sighed in response.
"Fine, you win but if we're doing this we're doing it my way," Hermione said, standing up and wiping off the grass. "Come on, we better get started. Who knows how long it might take," she said, and the four of them walked down the grassy hill, "I think I may have a book on this,"
"Hermione, of course you will. You have a book on everything," Ron added, Hermione glared at him but soon broke it off as they reached the door. Hermione ran up stairs to look for the book while Ron, Ginny, and Harry sat at the kitchen table. Meanwhile, Mrs. Weasly was running around the kitchen with her coat and shoes on.
"Mum, where are you going?" Ron asked, giving her a strange look.
"Your father has dinner reservations with the Minister of Magic. This may the night your father will finally move out of that rubbish Misuse of Muggle Artifacts and move into a respectful, well fitting job," Mrs. Weasly said, putting her hat on, "Alright dearies, Dinner is in the oven. You know what to do. Do behave. Love you all," Mrs. Weasly said and was out the door.
"Well, now we won't have to worry about the parental units sticking thier noses into our business," Ron smiled. Hermione rushed down stairs carrying a very large book. She slammed it on the table, causing everything around it to shake, and quickly opened it.
"I knew it. I knew it would be in here," she said under her breath as she flipped through the pages and suddenly stopped on one page, "Here it is,"
"What book is that?" Ginny asked, looking at the book wide-eyed.
"Simply Séances. I got it with the birthday money my gran sent me," she beamed, "We need to collect a few things before we start. Ron, does your mum have any candles? Preferably dark-colored?"
"I'm not sure I'll check," Ron said and headed off up the stairs towards his mothers room. Hermione turned to Ginny.
"Ginny, get some chalk. We will need some for protection, if anything should happen." Ginny nodded and ran up to her room.
"What about me?" Harry asked, sounding a little excited. Hermione sat down, and faced him.
"Harry, I'll need you to go up and talk with Julianne and ask questions about her father. Whats his name, what was his occupation, stuff like that," Harry nodded and ran up the attic. He felt his head swimming, he couldn't believe it. Him, Harry James Potter, was going through all this for a ghoul he barely knew. As he opened the attic door it felt as if he was going in slow motion. Taking slow, long strides across the dusty floor towards Julianne, who sat in her usual spot by the window.
"Harry?" she asked, her voice a soft whisper.
"Julianne, I need to ask you a few things about your father," Harry said, her eyes narrowed in at him.
"My father? W-why?" she asked, tears reaching her eyes. Seeing the hurt in her eyes, Harry turned his head away from her. Why did it hurt him so much to see her crying? Did he like her? No, no completely absurd. Harry what are you thinking? She's dead, you're alive. It could never happen. Harry explained the séance and asking her father what happened that night with Voldemort. After Harry was finished, he found Julianne looking in his eyes searching for something, Harry didn't know. After a minute of awkward silence, Julianne spoke.
"Oliver Flowers, he was the Minister of Magic when he was alive. He was a gentleman but with a craving for power. When he was Minister he gained as much power as possible, controlling Hogwart's teachers and surveying what they taught, checking in on the dementors frequently. He liked to control. Just before the accident, his yearning for power was growing. He would stay up late, seeing what he could do to give him that power. He seemed he would do anything for it," Julianne explain, pain twisted in her face again. She covered her face with her hands.
"A-and what about the night he died? Please Julianne, I just need to know this last question," Harry asked with concern written on his face. Julianne took a big breath and placed her hands on her knees. Tears smeared over her cheeks.
"He was in his office, just going through his files. I think for the prisoners in Azkaban. I'm not sure, it was so long ago. When Voldemort broke into our house said something to my father. I couldn't really hear well and then killed my father and mother, right in front of my eyes. He saw me and chased me up to the attic. I-I didn't know where else to go. I was going to jump out the window. I was about to jump until . until ." Julianne trailed off and broke down into sobs. Harry's heart broke even more.
"Julianne, you're being so brave. This will be over soon, don't worry. I promise, okay?" Harry said reassuringly. Julianne looked at him but didn't say a word, just nodded silently. Harry took his cue and left the attic without any word. He hoped he was doing the right thing, praying he could keep his promise
*Thanks for reading! Please leave a review :o) thanks! - Nicki*
"An Oujia board? What's an Oujia board?" Ron asked, now sitting up and looking at Harry as if he's gone mad.
"It's the muggle way of communicating with the dead," Harry said matter-of-factly, "We could communicate with Julianne's father and get the truth."
"Whoa, wait a second Harry. Why would we want to contact Julianne's father," Hermione asked. Harry began to tell the story of Voldemort killing Julianne and claiming her father became a death eater. "Harry you don't know what her father was like. He could've been a dangerous man. Bringing his spirit back can be, well, dangerous," Hermione said with a worried expression.
"I'll face the risk. No one deserves what she has to go through. Being up there alone, having resentment against her father," Harry protested, gesturing to the attic window.
"I'll help you Harry," Ginny spoke up, looking past Hermione. Harry smiled at the gesture.
"Thank you, Ginny. Now what about you two?" He asked looking at Ron and Hermione. Hermione sighed in response.
"Fine, you win but if we're doing this we're doing it my way," Hermione said, standing up and wiping off the grass. "Come on, we better get started. Who knows how long it might take," she said, and the four of them walked down the grassy hill, "I think I may have a book on this,"
"Hermione, of course you will. You have a book on everything," Ron added, Hermione glared at him but soon broke it off as they reached the door. Hermione ran up stairs to look for the book while Ron, Ginny, and Harry sat at the kitchen table. Meanwhile, Mrs. Weasly was running around the kitchen with her coat and shoes on.
"Mum, where are you going?" Ron asked, giving her a strange look.
"Your father has dinner reservations with the Minister of Magic. This may the night your father will finally move out of that rubbish Misuse of Muggle Artifacts and move into a respectful, well fitting job," Mrs. Weasly said, putting her hat on, "Alright dearies, Dinner is in the oven. You know what to do. Do behave. Love you all," Mrs. Weasly said and was out the door.
"Well, now we won't have to worry about the parental units sticking thier noses into our business," Ron smiled. Hermione rushed down stairs carrying a very large book. She slammed it on the table, causing everything around it to shake, and quickly opened it.
"I knew it. I knew it would be in here," she said under her breath as she flipped through the pages and suddenly stopped on one page, "Here it is,"
"What book is that?" Ginny asked, looking at the book wide-eyed.
"Simply Séances. I got it with the birthday money my gran sent me," she beamed, "We need to collect a few things before we start. Ron, does your mum have any candles? Preferably dark-colored?"
"I'm not sure I'll check," Ron said and headed off up the stairs towards his mothers room. Hermione turned to Ginny.
"Ginny, get some chalk. We will need some for protection, if anything should happen." Ginny nodded and ran up to her room.
"What about me?" Harry asked, sounding a little excited. Hermione sat down, and faced him.
"Harry, I'll need you to go up and talk with Julianne and ask questions about her father. Whats his name, what was his occupation, stuff like that," Harry nodded and ran up the attic. He felt his head swimming, he couldn't believe it. Him, Harry James Potter, was going through all this for a ghoul he barely knew. As he opened the attic door it felt as if he was going in slow motion. Taking slow, long strides across the dusty floor towards Julianne, who sat in her usual spot by the window.
"Harry?" she asked, her voice a soft whisper.
"Julianne, I need to ask you a few things about your father," Harry said, her eyes narrowed in at him.
"My father? W-why?" she asked, tears reaching her eyes. Seeing the hurt in her eyes, Harry turned his head away from her. Why did it hurt him so much to see her crying? Did he like her? No, no completely absurd. Harry what are you thinking? She's dead, you're alive. It could never happen. Harry explained the séance and asking her father what happened that night with Voldemort. After Harry was finished, he found Julianne looking in his eyes searching for something, Harry didn't know. After a minute of awkward silence, Julianne spoke.
"Oliver Flowers, he was the Minister of Magic when he was alive. He was a gentleman but with a craving for power. When he was Minister he gained as much power as possible, controlling Hogwart's teachers and surveying what they taught, checking in on the dementors frequently. He liked to control. Just before the accident, his yearning for power was growing. He would stay up late, seeing what he could do to give him that power. He seemed he would do anything for it," Julianne explain, pain twisted in her face again. She covered her face with her hands.
"A-and what about the night he died? Please Julianne, I just need to know this last question," Harry asked with concern written on his face. Julianne took a big breath and placed her hands on her knees. Tears smeared over her cheeks.
"He was in his office, just going through his files. I think for the prisoners in Azkaban. I'm not sure, it was so long ago. When Voldemort broke into our house said something to my father. I couldn't really hear well and then killed my father and mother, right in front of my eyes. He saw me and chased me up to the attic. I-I didn't know where else to go. I was going to jump out the window. I was about to jump until . until ." Julianne trailed off and broke down into sobs. Harry's heart broke even more.
"Julianne, you're being so brave. This will be over soon, don't worry. I promise, okay?" Harry said reassuringly. Julianne looked at him but didn't say a word, just nodded silently. Harry took his cue and left the attic without any word. He hoped he was doing the right thing, praying he could keep his promise
*Thanks for reading! Please leave a review :o) thanks! - Nicki*