"He promised he wouldn't tell. He told me that if the other teachers
expect him to
keep their secrets why couldn't he keep mine. Hermione found out that I was
different then the others; I could read minds, super strength, and she could tell that
I could sense people from far away." Suzy explains quickly to Mrs. Weasely as
the other two girls pretend to be getting ready while they eavesdrop.
Molly, Mrs. Weasely turns to the girls, "You have three minutes."
Ginny finally stuffs the sock she had been holding for the last few minutes into
the bag and scurries to get her robes. Hermione grabs the books and stuffs them
into her book bag then she hoists the bag over her right shoulder and looks up at Mrs. Weasely.
"Ready."
Mrs. Weasely takes a deep breath then looks at Suzy, "You can come." Then she
turns and storms out of the room.
"You are really a vampire?" Ginny asks with fear and excitement in her voice.
"Are you going to suck my blood?"
Suzy gives her a dark look, "Not today." She turns around and packs all of her
stuff in a flash. "Let's go."
They all go down stairs and find Harry, Ron, Mr. And Mrs. Weasely, Fred, and
George waiting by the front door. The girls are carrying their bags with them.
The twins each have their own broomstick in hand so do Harry and Ron. Mr. And
Mrs. Weasely have one broomstick between them.
"Hermione, dear, I want you to share a broom with Ron. Ginny, you share with
Harry. He's much faster then we are."
"Excuse us! We have been on the Quidditch team almost as long as Harry. We
are very fast thank you," George protests.
"And very reckless!" Mr. Weasely adds with a hint of a smile. Then he turns to
Suzy (unaware of her "abilities") and says, "If you trust them enough you can ride
with Fred or George."
Ron sniggers. "I doubt she'll need a broom, dad."
Suzy laughs and says with a wide grin, "I have my own broom. Thank you, Mr.
Weasely for the offer though." She reaches into her bag and pulls out a Firebolt.
Ron, angry with her for showing off, replies with a cold tone, "You may have the
same broom as Harry but you can never ride like him!"
Hermione rolls her eyes in aggravation and mutters, "Boys" under her breath.
"I'd don't plan on riding like Harry. I plan on riding faster then Harry. But I'm
sure Mr. And Mrs. Weasely would not want a child to lead. She might not think a
child of my status is capable of protecting myself or others." Suzy voice comes
out cold and livid.
Mrs. Weasely's face turns a deep red and her lips turn into an angry glare. She
opens her mouth to say something but Suzy cuts her off:
"I don't see why you don't trust Dumbledore. He knows pretty much what
he's doing and who he's trusting. You are always so worried about others
yet you care nothing about those who seem dangerous. You barely trust
Professor Lupin and he's proven that he is very trustworthy!" Suzy's voice is
loud and full of rage. Before anyone can say a single word she turns and leaves
the Burrow.
Harry hears a whoosh outside and sees Suzy fly off on her broomstick. She
disappears out of sight extremely quickly. A loud sniffle from behind him causes
him to turn around. Mrs. Weasely is shedding tears and sobbing in front of them.
Her face is red and full of anger.
"H-h-h-h-h-how d-d-dare s-s-he!" Mrs. Weasely sobs as her husband helps her on
their broom.
"It's ok Dear. Calm down, she was just blowing off steam. She knows down
inside that you are just trying to protect your family." Mr. Weasely tells her
(though Harry can tell in his voice that he didn't believe a word he said). ** *** ***
Fred whispers something to George and George nods his head in agreement.
Ginny looks from her mom to her dad with an expressionless look. Ron mutters,
"Evil git," under his breath while Hermione just stands next to Harry. 'Suzy was
being a little hard on Mrs. Weasely,' Harry thinks to him self.
"Let's get going: we have a long journey to cover in a short amount of time." Mr.
Weasely says, trying to break the tension between them.
They reach the Number Twelve. Grimmauld Place, London two hours later. The
door appears out of nowhere and The Weaselys, Harry, and Hermione all enter
the dark, gloomy house and walk down the stairs. They are all half frozen from
the snow outside and chunks of ice clings to their hair. Harry hears a footstep
behind him on the stairs but sees nothing. The door closes as he feels through the
dark but he feels nothing but he air. He finally gives up when Hermione calls to
him from the hall way. "BLOOD-TRAITORS! MUDBLOODS, EVIL BRATS, FILTH." The voice of
Sirius Black's mother echoes through the open curtains near the suit of armor.
Lupin hurried over to close the curtain and the large portrait falls silent. He
welcomes them into the kitchen. On the table is a few empty butterbeer bottles
and a plate with some left over food. Sitting in one of the chairs in Professor
Snape, his greasy hair slicked back and his robes wrinkled.
Mrs. Weasely looks at Lupin, "What's this huge emergency? Is somebody
injured or ki."
"No, Molly, nobody is killed." Lupin assures her as he pulls out a seat for her to
sit down. "We got word that somebody is trying to get a hold of Snape's niece.
They know her mind carries information that could help them."
"She's not with you." Snape growls from his chair. "Where is she?"
Hermione speaks up, "She got angry with us and fled." She says quickly as
though saying it fast enough will make it easier to hear that his niece is out in the
world alone.
Severus's next words come out cold and filled with extreme rage, "Why is my
niece out there alone?"
"It's my fault, Professor Snape." Mrs. Weasely answers weakly. "I didn't quiet
trust her when I found out her secret. She read my mind and."
Hermione cuts her off and says swiftly, "She was so sick and tired of the other
student's calling her a freak and it just built up."
Snape stands up hastily and heads for the door. Lupin blocks him from exiting
the house.
"Snape, you can't go out there alone. You would have no idea where to look and
Voldermort would know something is up if you suddenly turned up in USA."
He shoves Lupin to the floor. "I have to save her." He keeps walking when
suddenly the door opens and Dumbledore steps through.
"Severus, sit down!" His voice is firm and demanding. The door closes from
behind Albus.
Snape starts to argue but flames appear in Albus's blue eyes. Snape reluctantly
strides over to his seat and sits down. "Sir, I have to protect my niece. She is not
safe out there!"
Albus tells them calmly, "She has contacted me and permitted me to know she is
quiet safe. She."
"WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE SHE IS!" Snape shouts angrily.
Dumbledore smiles sadly, "She, fortunately, does not want to be found right
now."
"What do you mean fortunately?" Snape asks with resentment. "Is she at
Hogwarts?"
"No, I can honestly tell you she is not at school. Her temper seemed to be at
boiling point when she appeared in my office tonight. She asked for more of your
(he looks Snape in the eyes) potion and started fuming about how stupid she was.
(Snape's eyes flame over with fury). She shouted words I have not heard in many
years and commanded me not to tell where she was going. Then she apologized
for swearing and fled my castle." Albus explains as he sits down in the closest
chair.
"She did get 2 bottles of the potion, right?" Asks Snape.
Dumbledore nods. "I made sure." He looks at Molly then at the children.
"Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione it is time for bed. Lupin, make sure they can
find their ways to their bedrooms. Arthur, Molly, and Severus I would like to see
you in the meeting room. Lupin you may join us when you're done."
"Hey, what about us? What are we, chopped liver?" George asks with pure
resentment at being forgotten.
"Yeah." Fred adds, "We are in the Order too."
Albus merely smiles as he heads into the meeting room. Fred, George, Molly,
Arthur, and Severus follow him in. Lupin walks the students to their rooms and
locks their doors once they enter. Ron and Harry sit on their separate beds hardly
tired after their frozen journey.
"I wonder where she's at?" Ron says as he changes into his pajamas.
Harry sighs, "I think she's here. I heard a footstep behind me on the stairs but no
one was there. I started feeling around but nothing."
CRACK! Someone lands on Harry's bed. Harry and Ron both jump two feet in
the air. Hermione is sitting at the end of Harry's bed. Ron's jaw drops open.
"You didn't tell us you could Apperate! I thought it was illegal for wizards under
age." Ron says with awe.
She rolls her eyes, "Of course it is illegal. I've been practicing all summer. At
first I would do only a few feet then work for farther distances. I'm not about to
brag to the world that I can do it, now am I? Besides, I only use it for
emergencies. I got the idea from Sirius and his black dog transforming. What the
Ministry doesn't know won't hurt them. (Ron beams at her)." She walks over to
Harry's bag. She reaches in and pulls out his Invisibility Cloak. "I'm going to
unlock the door but I have to be on the outside to do it. Stand by the door with
this and be ready to go downstairs." CRACK!
Ron looks at Harry, "I think we've really been a bad influence on her." He grins
as they hear the lock click and the door swings open.
Harry wraps them in his dad's cloak and they walk quietly downstairs. "Make
sure Dumbledore doesn't see us, he can see through invisibility cloaks." Harry
whispers just outside the door to the meeting.
"It was weird, Albus. The child mentioned Lupin but how did she know he was a
teacher?" Mrs. Weasely's voice says through soft sobbing.
Harry hears a chuckle then Albus says, "Probably the Daily Prophet. Most think
that a werewolf teaching students is very dangerous."
"But," Mrs. Weasely's voice protests, "How would she know I was thinking of
Lupin specifically?"
Snape cuts in, "The point is you knew that my niece could read minds. You're as
guilty as those students who make fun of her at school!"
"Snape, many witches and wizards think of vampires as an evil creature. We
need to realize that they are like us. If we are taught to be evil then we will turn
out that way." Dumbledore says in a calm but cautioned voice.
They hear a loud crash and an even louder scream. "MUNDUNGUS THIS IS
NOT A PLACE FOR YOUR STOLEN CLOAKS!" They could hear Mrs.
Weasely screaming her head off.
"That explains who was behind Harry on the stairs." Ron whispers. "He probably
didn't want my mum to know he was stashing those cloaks here."
"You can stay in here with Buckbeak. No, no, he won't bite just bow, keep eye
contact, and wait till he bows. There you go. Go on and pet him." They hear a
voice say very quietly from upstairs.
"Shall we check it out then?" Ron asks?
Hermione and Harry nod silently and they trudge up the stairs and all the way to
the open door. There stands Lupin talking to an empty room. 'Suzy's got to be in
there,' Harry thinks to himself.
Lupin turns around, closes the door behind him, and locks it with the same spell
he used on Harry's door. He walks right past them as they squeeze against the
wall. They creep up to the door silently and Hermione whispers, "Alohamora."
The lock clicks.
"Do you really think it wise to sneak into a room with an invisible, pissed off, vampire?" Ron
whispers when Hermione puts her hand on the door handle.
"She already knows we're here and that we are entering. If she didn't want us
here then she'd have told us to go away or hide so we can't find her when we
search the room." Hermione says in a matter-of-fact tone.
Hermione pushes the door open and they enter the room with caution.
"Close the door behind you," Snaps Suzy from the opposite corner of the room.
Hermione closes the door and locks it with the same spell Lupin had used seconds
before. "Can we talk?" She asks Suzy as she walks over to Buckbeak. Hermione
bows and keeps eye contact with the beautiful winged animal. Buckbeak bows
and Hermione walks up to him and pets him.
"Sure." Suzy steps into the candlelight.
Harry can see a thin line of blood on both corners of her mouth. His stomach
suddenly feels nauseous and his mouth goes dry. Ron steps closer to his side and
swallows hard. Suzy looks at him and frowns.
"If it's too much for you and Ron then by all means leave," her voice is hard and
cold. She no longer appears kind and understanding.
Ron stands up tall, "I'm staying and soooo is Harry!"
Her lips form a straight line instead of a frown. "I have one warning for you. If I
hear one insult, in or out of your mind, I will transfigure you into a spider."
Ron shudders but says nothing. Harry smiles slightly at the image of Ron
changing into a six-foot spider, like Aragog from the Forbidden forest.
Hermione giggles silently but recovers herself as she walks over to Suzy. "Why
aren't you letting your uncle know you're here? And how do you know Lupin?"
"My uncle is the first one they will go to find me. You know he is a Death Eater
and a spy for Voldermort. Plus I have to go far away and be back by the end of
Christmas break and he'll only try to stop me. Lupin has been a friend of my twin
sisters. He used to watch them when they were much younger. I sent him an owl
telling of my problems and I asked if he could help. He wanted to meet me to
check if it was really I and made me drink a Veritaserum. He questioned me and
made sure I was who I said I was." Suzy explains, her voice soft but firm.
"Why did he show you this place?" Harry asks with curiosity.
Suzy laughs. "He never showed me this place. In fact this is my first time ever
being here. My oldest brother left me his Invisibility Cloak. It was his favorite
possession." She stares at Harry for a second then shakes her head. "No, Harry
that was not me on the stairs. Albus Dumbledore told me to stay here before my
mission to my homeland. He also demanded that I be back by the end of
Christmas break."
"Why did you let Lupin give you the Veritaserum? What if it had been some
other potion? What if it was poison?" Ron's voice is full of, amazingly, concern.
Hermione smiles slightly but Ron never notices.
"I am a vampire with mind reading powers. There are risks even with my powers.
He might of put a spell on him to give him Lupin's mind. But I asked him a
question only Lupin would know." Suzy says with a slight grin.
Harry questions her, "What was that question?"
Suzy smiles with deep sorrow. "I asked him the nicknames of my twin sisters.
The names only he called them."
Hermione stares at the wall thinking for a minute. Nobody says anything but
Suzy watches her as though her eyes are connected to Hermione's every thought.
The room is silent except the constant click of Buckbeak's hoofs on the cold, hard
floor. Hermione finally looks at Suzy.
Her lips part and the words come out full of determination but they send a chill up
Harry's and Ron's spine. "I want to go with you on your journey."
Ron opens his mouth wide in surprise and confusion. "YOU CAN'T GO TO
THIS USA! IT'S DANGEROUS AND YOU COULD BE KILLED." Ron shouts
angrily at her.
"I won't allow her to go there by herself! Harry you understand, don't you?"
Hermione looks at Harry with desperation and hope. "If it was your family's
revenge wouldn't you go?"
Without hesitation he declares, "I'm going too."
"Then I'm going." Ron says with enthusiasm and he steps closer to Suzy and
Hermione.
Tears fall from Suzy's cheeks but she doesn't try to stop them. "This is going to
be pointless but you guys can't go. How could Ron and Harry get there without
having the whole Advanced Guard tagging along? Let alone could any of you get
permission."
Harry goes over and sits down on an icy, tough chair in the middle of the room
and takes out his ?Marauder? Map. "This is partly how we can get out of here."
"I'm not following Harry. What is the school map got to do with this place?" Ron
asks.
Hermione's face brightens. "I could find out how this map was made and make
one of this house with all the people who enter on it."
Suzy shakes her head: the tears have stopped. "I can't sneak you out,
Dumbledore would be furious."
"Not if I had given you my permission." Albus enters through the open doorway
and closes the door behind him. "The four of you don't have to sneak out. In
fact, I expect you to stay here."
Harry opens his mouth and starts to protest, "But sir."
"Don't argue you with me Harry. I do indeed want you to go but I also want you
to stay so Mrs. Weasely and the rest of us don't worry." Albus says; his face
serious but his tone happy. "I also want you to be very careful on your trip and
make sure you're back by the first class on the first day back from Christmas
break."
"But, sir, I don't understand. How." Harry states.
Hermione cuts him off as she rolls her eyes. "Do use your common sense. Don't
you remember our third year?"
"Oh." He finally comprehends what Albus is suggesting.
"Of course," Albus goes on, "You can change your mind but you must choose
now." He looks at Harry, then Ron, and Hermione last. "But I doubt any of you
will do that. I still have a Time Turner and I will allow you to use it twenty
minutes before your first class in my office. Until then plan for anything you
might need: spells, food, water, clothes, and the Veritaserum Potion. You will
need it on the one you trust the most." His face and tone of voice is stern and
serious. Snape paces back and forth in his classroom the last night before class starts up
again. Suzy enters the cold dungeon silently and walks up behind him. He never
even sees her coming and is even more unprepared for what happens next. She
waves the wand and tapes him on the back. Before he can turn around she
whispers a few words and he stops moving completely.
She now takes in a strange male-like voice. "You will not remember this in
the morning and you will do everything I say. I need a very specific
potion. You can and will make it for me. I must have the Veritaserum
before the night is through. You shall not question me why nor shall
you tell anyone what you're making for me."
Snape's eyes are pointed toward the ceiling but he can still see her. He nods
slowly and goes to work. He mixes ingredients and boils green and orange
liquids. He mixes them together. Suzy sits in one of the Slytherin's usual seat
and watches him while he works. She takes a sip of her butterbeer from the Three
Broomsticks. An hour and forty-five minutes pass by before he's finished. He
puts it into a silver vase and hands it to her.
"Now, go to bed and forget everything that happened since the moment
I walked in here."
Snape nods and exits his dungeon and strides off to bed. Suzy looks down at her
hands. 'Shoot, it's wearing off,' she thinks to herself as she runs towards the
Slytherin Common room. Suzy bumps into Ron and freezes.
"What are you doing here?" She snaps angrily at him.
"Nothing. Just heading back to the room. What have you got in that vase?" Ron
asks curiously, indicating the clear serum in her hand not holding the Butterbeer
bottle.. She speaks quickly, trying to get back to the room. "It's just a potion. I have to
get back to the room. I'll see you in the morning." She whispers something
under her breath but he doesn't here.
He looks at her eyes. "Why are your eyes blue?"
"I tired a new spell to see if I could change them to a different color."
Ron shrugs, "Ok."
Suzy hurries towards her common room. She speaks the password and enters.
She bumps into Crabbe and stumbles backward. Crabbe looks down and smiles.
"Did you get it, Draco?"
keep their secrets why couldn't he keep mine. Hermione found out that I was
different then the others; I could read minds, super strength, and she could tell that
I could sense people from far away." Suzy explains quickly to Mrs. Weasely as
the other two girls pretend to be getting ready while they eavesdrop.
Molly, Mrs. Weasely turns to the girls, "You have three minutes."
Ginny finally stuffs the sock she had been holding for the last few minutes into
the bag and scurries to get her robes. Hermione grabs the books and stuffs them
into her book bag then she hoists the bag over her right shoulder and looks up at Mrs. Weasely.
"Ready."
Mrs. Weasely takes a deep breath then looks at Suzy, "You can come." Then she
turns and storms out of the room.
"You are really a vampire?" Ginny asks with fear and excitement in her voice.
"Are you going to suck my blood?"
Suzy gives her a dark look, "Not today." She turns around and packs all of her
stuff in a flash. "Let's go."
They all go down stairs and find Harry, Ron, Mr. And Mrs. Weasely, Fred, and
George waiting by the front door. The girls are carrying their bags with them.
The twins each have their own broomstick in hand so do Harry and Ron. Mr. And
Mrs. Weasely have one broomstick between them.
"Hermione, dear, I want you to share a broom with Ron. Ginny, you share with
Harry. He's much faster then we are."
"Excuse us! We have been on the Quidditch team almost as long as Harry. We
are very fast thank you," George protests.
"And very reckless!" Mr. Weasely adds with a hint of a smile. Then he turns to
Suzy (unaware of her "abilities") and says, "If you trust them enough you can ride
with Fred or George."
Ron sniggers. "I doubt she'll need a broom, dad."
Suzy laughs and says with a wide grin, "I have my own broom. Thank you, Mr.
Weasely for the offer though." She reaches into her bag and pulls out a Firebolt.
Ron, angry with her for showing off, replies with a cold tone, "You may have the
same broom as Harry but you can never ride like him!"
Hermione rolls her eyes in aggravation and mutters, "Boys" under her breath.
"I'd don't plan on riding like Harry. I plan on riding faster then Harry. But I'm
sure Mr. And Mrs. Weasely would not want a child to lead. She might not think a
child of my status is capable of protecting myself or others." Suzy voice comes
out cold and livid.
Mrs. Weasely's face turns a deep red and her lips turn into an angry glare. She
opens her mouth to say something but Suzy cuts her off:
"I don't see why you don't trust Dumbledore. He knows pretty much what
he's doing and who he's trusting. You are always so worried about others
yet you care nothing about those who seem dangerous. You barely trust
Professor Lupin and he's proven that he is very trustworthy!" Suzy's voice is
loud and full of rage. Before anyone can say a single word she turns and leaves
the Burrow.
Harry hears a whoosh outside and sees Suzy fly off on her broomstick. She
disappears out of sight extremely quickly. A loud sniffle from behind him causes
him to turn around. Mrs. Weasely is shedding tears and sobbing in front of them.
Her face is red and full of anger.
"H-h-h-h-h-how d-d-dare s-s-he!" Mrs. Weasely sobs as her husband helps her on
their broom.
"It's ok Dear. Calm down, she was just blowing off steam. She knows down
inside that you are just trying to protect your family." Mr. Weasely tells her
(though Harry can tell in his voice that he didn't believe a word he said). ** *** ***
Fred whispers something to George and George nods his head in agreement.
Ginny looks from her mom to her dad with an expressionless look. Ron mutters,
"Evil git," under his breath while Hermione just stands next to Harry. 'Suzy was
being a little hard on Mrs. Weasely,' Harry thinks to him self.
"Let's get going: we have a long journey to cover in a short amount of time." Mr.
Weasely says, trying to break the tension between them.
They reach the Number Twelve. Grimmauld Place, London two hours later. The
door appears out of nowhere and The Weaselys, Harry, and Hermione all enter
the dark, gloomy house and walk down the stairs. They are all half frozen from
the snow outside and chunks of ice clings to their hair. Harry hears a footstep
behind him on the stairs but sees nothing. The door closes as he feels through the
dark but he feels nothing but he air. He finally gives up when Hermione calls to
him from the hall way. "BLOOD-TRAITORS! MUDBLOODS, EVIL BRATS, FILTH." The voice of
Sirius Black's mother echoes through the open curtains near the suit of armor.
Lupin hurried over to close the curtain and the large portrait falls silent. He
welcomes them into the kitchen. On the table is a few empty butterbeer bottles
and a plate with some left over food. Sitting in one of the chairs in Professor
Snape, his greasy hair slicked back and his robes wrinkled.
Mrs. Weasely looks at Lupin, "What's this huge emergency? Is somebody
injured or ki."
"No, Molly, nobody is killed." Lupin assures her as he pulls out a seat for her to
sit down. "We got word that somebody is trying to get a hold of Snape's niece.
They know her mind carries information that could help them."
"She's not with you." Snape growls from his chair. "Where is she?"
Hermione speaks up, "She got angry with us and fled." She says quickly as
though saying it fast enough will make it easier to hear that his niece is out in the
world alone.
Severus's next words come out cold and filled with extreme rage, "Why is my
niece out there alone?"
"It's my fault, Professor Snape." Mrs. Weasely answers weakly. "I didn't quiet
trust her when I found out her secret. She read my mind and."
Hermione cuts her off and says swiftly, "She was so sick and tired of the other
student's calling her a freak and it just built up."
Snape stands up hastily and heads for the door. Lupin blocks him from exiting
the house.
"Snape, you can't go out there alone. You would have no idea where to look and
Voldermort would know something is up if you suddenly turned up in USA."
He shoves Lupin to the floor. "I have to save her." He keeps walking when
suddenly the door opens and Dumbledore steps through.
"Severus, sit down!" His voice is firm and demanding. The door closes from
behind Albus.
Snape starts to argue but flames appear in Albus's blue eyes. Snape reluctantly
strides over to his seat and sits down. "Sir, I have to protect my niece. She is not
safe out there!"
Albus tells them calmly, "She has contacted me and permitted me to know she is
quiet safe. She."
"WE NEED TO KNOW WHERE SHE IS!" Snape shouts angrily.
Dumbledore smiles sadly, "She, fortunately, does not want to be found right
now."
"What do you mean fortunately?" Snape asks with resentment. "Is she at
Hogwarts?"
"No, I can honestly tell you she is not at school. Her temper seemed to be at
boiling point when she appeared in my office tonight. She asked for more of your
(he looks Snape in the eyes) potion and started fuming about how stupid she was.
(Snape's eyes flame over with fury). She shouted words I have not heard in many
years and commanded me not to tell where she was going. Then she apologized
for swearing and fled my castle." Albus explains as he sits down in the closest
chair.
"She did get 2 bottles of the potion, right?" Asks Snape.
Dumbledore nods. "I made sure." He looks at Molly then at the children.
"Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Hermione it is time for bed. Lupin, make sure they can
find their ways to their bedrooms. Arthur, Molly, and Severus I would like to see
you in the meeting room. Lupin you may join us when you're done."
"Hey, what about us? What are we, chopped liver?" George asks with pure
resentment at being forgotten.
"Yeah." Fred adds, "We are in the Order too."
Albus merely smiles as he heads into the meeting room. Fred, George, Molly,
Arthur, and Severus follow him in. Lupin walks the students to their rooms and
locks their doors once they enter. Ron and Harry sit on their separate beds hardly
tired after their frozen journey.
"I wonder where she's at?" Ron says as he changes into his pajamas.
Harry sighs, "I think she's here. I heard a footstep behind me on the stairs but no
one was there. I started feeling around but nothing."
CRACK! Someone lands on Harry's bed. Harry and Ron both jump two feet in
the air. Hermione is sitting at the end of Harry's bed. Ron's jaw drops open.
"You didn't tell us you could Apperate! I thought it was illegal for wizards under
age." Ron says with awe.
She rolls her eyes, "Of course it is illegal. I've been practicing all summer. At
first I would do only a few feet then work for farther distances. I'm not about to
brag to the world that I can do it, now am I? Besides, I only use it for
emergencies. I got the idea from Sirius and his black dog transforming. What the
Ministry doesn't know won't hurt them. (Ron beams at her)." She walks over to
Harry's bag. She reaches in and pulls out his Invisibility Cloak. "I'm going to
unlock the door but I have to be on the outside to do it. Stand by the door with
this and be ready to go downstairs." CRACK!
Ron looks at Harry, "I think we've really been a bad influence on her." He grins
as they hear the lock click and the door swings open.
Harry wraps them in his dad's cloak and they walk quietly downstairs. "Make
sure Dumbledore doesn't see us, he can see through invisibility cloaks." Harry
whispers just outside the door to the meeting.
"It was weird, Albus. The child mentioned Lupin but how did she know he was a
teacher?" Mrs. Weasely's voice says through soft sobbing.
Harry hears a chuckle then Albus says, "Probably the Daily Prophet. Most think
that a werewolf teaching students is very dangerous."
"But," Mrs. Weasely's voice protests, "How would she know I was thinking of
Lupin specifically?"
Snape cuts in, "The point is you knew that my niece could read minds. You're as
guilty as those students who make fun of her at school!"
"Snape, many witches and wizards think of vampires as an evil creature. We
need to realize that they are like us. If we are taught to be evil then we will turn
out that way." Dumbledore says in a calm but cautioned voice.
They hear a loud crash and an even louder scream. "MUNDUNGUS THIS IS
NOT A PLACE FOR YOUR STOLEN CLOAKS!" They could hear Mrs.
Weasely screaming her head off.
"That explains who was behind Harry on the stairs." Ron whispers. "He probably
didn't want my mum to know he was stashing those cloaks here."
"You can stay in here with Buckbeak. No, no, he won't bite just bow, keep eye
contact, and wait till he bows. There you go. Go on and pet him." They hear a
voice say very quietly from upstairs.
"Shall we check it out then?" Ron asks?
Hermione and Harry nod silently and they trudge up the stairs and all the way to
the open door. There stands Lupin talking to an empty room. 'Suzy's got to be in
there,' Harry thinks to himself.
Lupin turns around, closes the door behind him, and locks it with the same spell
he used on Harry's door. He walks right past them as they squeeze against the
wall. They creep up to the door silently and Hermione whispers, "Alohamora."
The lock clicks.
"Do you really think it wise to sneak into a room with an invisible, pissed off, vampire?" Ron
whispers when Hermione puts her hand on the door handle.
"She already knows we're here and that we are entering. If she didn't want us
here then she'd have told us to go away or hide so we can't find her when we
search the room." Hermione says in a matter-of-fact tone.
Hermione pushes the door open and they enter the room with caution.
"Close the door behind you," Snaps Suzy from the opposite corner of the room.
Hermione closes the door and locks it with the same spell Lupin had used seconds
before. "Can we talk?" She asks Suzy as she walks over to Buckbeak. Hermione
bows and keeps eye contact with the beautiful winged animal. Buckbeak bows
and Hermione walks up to him and pets him.
"Sure." Suzy steps into the candlelight.
Harry can see a thin line of blood on both corners of her mouth. His stomach
suddenly feels nauseous and his mouth goes dry. Ron steps closer to his side and
swallows hard. Suzy looks at him and frowns.
"If it's too much for you and Ron then by all means leave," her voice is hard and
cold. She no longer appears kind and understanding.
Ron stands up tall, "I'm staying and soooo is Harry!"
Her lips form a straight line instead of a frown. "I have one warning for you. If I
hear one insult, in or out of your mind, I will transfigure you into a spider."
Ron shudders but says nothing. Harry smiles slightly at the image of Ron
changing into a six-foot spider, like Aragog from the Forbidden forest.
Hermione giggles silently but recovers herself as she walks over to Suzy. "Why
aren't you letting your uncle know you're here? And how do you know Lupin?"
"My uncle is the first one they will go to find me. You know he is a Death Eater
and a spy for Voldermort. Plus I have to go far away and be back by the end of
Christmas break and he'll only try to stop me. Lupin has been a friend of my twin
sisters. He used to watch them when they were much younger. I sent him an owl
telling of my problems and I asked if he could help. He wanted to meet me to
check if it was really I and made me drink a Veritaserum. He questioned me and
made sure I was who I said I was." Suzy explains, her voice soft but firm.
"Why did he show you this place?" Harry asks with curiosity.
Suzy laughs. "He never showed me this place. In fact this is my first time ever
being here. My oldest brother left me his Invisibility Cloak. It was his favorite
possession." She stares at Harry for a second then shakes her head. "No, Harry
that was not me on the stairs. Albus Dumbledore told me to stay here before my
mission to my homeland. He also demanded that I be back by the end of
Christmas break."
"Why did you let Lupin give you the Veritaserum? What if it had been some
other potion? What if it was poison?" Ron's voice is full of, amazingly, concern.
Hermione smiles slightly but Ron never notices.
"I am a vampire with mind reading powers. There are risks even with my powers.
He might of put a spell on him to give him Lupin's mind. But I asked him a
question only Lupin would know." Suzy says with a slight grin.
Harry questions her, "What was that question?"
Suzy smiles with deep sorrow. "I asked him the nicknames of my twin sisters.
The names only he called them."
Hermione stares at the wall thinking for a minute. Nobody says anything but
Suzy watches her as though her eyes are connected to Hermione's every thought.
The room is silent except the constant click of Buckbeak's hoofs on the cold, hard
floor. Hermione finally looks at Suzy.
Her lips part and the words come out full of determination but they send a chill up
Harry's and Ron's spine. "I want to go with you on your journey."
Ron opens his mouth wide in surprise and confusion. "YOU CAN'T GO TO
THIS USA! IT'S DANGEROUS AND YOU COULD BE KILLED." Ron shouts
angrily at her.
"I won't allow her to go there by herself! Harry you understand, don't you?"
Hermione looks at Harry with desperation and hope. "If it was your family's
revenge wouldn't you go?"
Without hesitation he declares, "I'm going too."
"Then I'm going." Ron says with enthusiasm and he steps closer to Suzy and
Hermione.
Tears fall from Suzy's cheeks but she doesn't try to stop them. "This is going to
be pointless but you guys can't go. How could Ron and Harry get there without
having the whole Advanced Guard tagging along? Let alone could any of you get
permission."
Harry goes over and sits down on an icy, tough chair in the middle of the room
and takes out his ?Marauder? Map. "This is partly how we can get out of here."
"I'm not following Harry. What is the school map got to do with this place?" Ron
asks.
Hermione's face brightens. "I could find out how this map was made and make
one of this house with all the people who enter on it."
Suzy shakes her head: the tears have stopped. "I can't sneak you out,
Dumbledore would be furious."
"Not if I had given you my permission." Albus enters through the open doorway
and closes the door behind him. "The four of you don't have to sneak out. In
fact, I expect you to stay here."
Harry opens his mouth and starts to protest, "But sir."
"Don't argue you with me Harry. I do indeed want you to go but I also want you
to stay so Mrs. Weasely and the rest of us don't worry." Albus says; his face
serious but his tone happy. "I also want you to be very careful on your trip and
make sure you're back by the first class on the first day back from Christmas
break."
"But, sir, I don't understand. How." Harry states.
Hermione cuts him off as she rolls her eyes. "Do use your common sense. Don't
you remember our third year?"
"Oh." He finally comprehends what Albus is suggesting.
"Of course," Albus goes on, "You can change your mind but you must choose
now." He looks at Harry, then Ron, and Hermione last. "But I doubt any of you
will do that. I still have a Time Turner and I will allow you to use it twenty
minutes before your first class in my office. Until then plan for anything you
might need: spells, food, water, clothes, and the Veritaserum Potion. You will
need it on the one you trust the most." His face and tone of voice is stern and
serious. Snape paces back and forth in his classroom the last night before class starts up
again. Suzy enters the cold dungeon silently and walks up behind him. He never
even sees her coming and is even more unprepared for what happens next. She
waves the wand and tapes him on the back. Before he can turn around she
whispers a few words and he stops moving completely.
She now takes in a strange male-like voice. "You will not remember this in
the morning and you will do everything I say. I need a very specific
potion. You can and will make it for me. I must have the Veritaserum
before the night is through. You shall not question me why nor shall
you tell anyone what you're making for me."
Snape's eyes are pointed toward the ceiling but he can still see her. He nods
slowly and goes to work. He mixes ingredients and boils green and orange
liquids. He mixes them together. Suzy sits in one of the Slytherin's usual seat
and watches him while he works. She takes a sip of her butterbeer from the Three
Broomsticks. An hour and forty-five minutes pass by before he's finished. He
puts it into a silver vase and hands it to her.
"Now, go to bed and forget everything that happened since the moment
I walked in here."
Snape nods and exits his dungeon and strides off to bed. Suzy looks down at her
hands. 'Shoot, it's wearing off,' she thinks to herself as she runs towards the
Slytherin Common room. Suzy bumps into Ron and freezes.
"What are you doing here?" She snaps angrily at him.
"Nothing. Just heading back to the room. What have you got in that vase?" Ron
asks curiously, indicating the clear serum in her hand not holding the Butterbeer
bottle.. She speaks quickly, trying to get back to the room. "It's just a potion. I have to
get back to the room. I'll see you in the morning." She whispers something
under her breath but he doesn't here.
He looks at her eyes. "Why are your eyes blue?"
"I tired a new spell to see if I could change them to a different color."
Ron shrugs, "Ok."
Suzy hurries towards her common room. She speaks the password and enters.
She bumps into Crabbe and stumbles backward. Crabbe looks down and smiles.
"Did you get it, Draco?"
