Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Harry Potter characters, so on and so
forth, but I did make up a few and I do believe you get the picture. : )
***Author's Note*** Hmm, I'm not really getting any input as to whether or not this is a good story but since I'm having fun writing it I'm going to continue. So either my story is deathly boring, nobody feels like reading it, or a few people have read it and not commented - whatever the case is I don't have much input as to what I should change or improve. Oh well, I guess I'll stick to my style until I get some feedback. I hope you enjoy!!!
Chapter Eleven: Death and Discovery
"What do you think it means?" Ron asked after Oscie and Hermione had relayed their story to them.
"It seems like you felt what Voldemort was feeling," Harry commented.
"No, I don't think so. You feel the emotion but I didn't feel any emotions. I just felt pain and it was in my chest not my head. The two have to be related but I don't think they're the exact same thing," Oscie replied. The four looked perplexed and sat for a while in silent thought.
"Maybe it's because you're related to You-Know-Who," Ron surmised.
"That couldn't be it because she hasn't felt anything before this," Hermione stated.
"Let's call it a coincidence and go to bed. We might be able to think better in the morning," Oscie suggested.
Hermione and Oscie climbed the stairs to their room and got into bed. Lavender was already asleep and the bed where Sally had once been was still empty. Her mother wanted her tutored at home so the family could stay close to one another. Oscie tried to stay awake and think but she was exhausted from the day and the pain had drained most of her energy.
The room was dark and not much could be seen. There were whispers and soft, cruel laughter coming from around the room.
"Lumos," a voice commanded and a wand yielded a bright white light, illuminating the room. The figures of a woman and a man were sitting on the ground huddled next to each other with wide eyes. The man had dark black hair and the woman had long straight brown hair that was pulled tightly into a bun behind her head. Both man and woman were in their night clothes and stared up at the wizards surrounding them.
"You thought you could hide in here? You should have known better," a male voice sneered. His wand was pointed at the couple along with the three other wizards who were there.
"You.you.what are you doing here?" the woman on the ground stammered staring at one of the witches.
"Don't sound surprised," the witch replied with a demonic laugh. "I'm just here to fulfill my duty. I've been sent to kill you." The couple's eyes were glued on her and they seemed shocked by the horrible words spoken.
"Get out of here," the man on the ground commanded in a surprisingly strong voice for the state of shock he appeared to be in. Flagitious laughter met the noble words of the man. The man stood up as if summoning all the strength he had to try and defend himself.
"Now look, get out of my." he began but was cut off by one of the wizards.
"Crucio!" the wizard yelled and the man fell to the ground in agony. His body was convulsing and his eyes had rolled back into his head from the intense pain. The woman next to him screamed and tears began to stream from her eyes. Finally the wizard stopped and the man sat back up, shaking. The magical party laughed at the two people.
"Enough fun and games," the witch who had declared they would die said. "Now for business." She held her wand level with the two on the ground and cried, "Avada Kedavra!" A bright green light shot from the wand hitting the woman. She shrieked and slumped back against the wall, dead. The man was visibly shaken but didn't have much time to react as the same words were yelled from the same witch, "Avada Kedavra!" The man reacted the same way the woman had and fell next to her.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow, especially when it's your parents," the witch cackled. Her laugh was joined by the other wizards.
Oscie woke with a start. She was sweating and her hair was plastered to her face from her damp forehead. There was another sharp pain in her chest but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been earlier.
"Oscie! Are you okay?" the voice of Hermione questioned. Oscie realized she was in the Gryffindor room and noticed her bed hangings were on the floor, along with her. She looked up to see Lavender and Hermione standing over her, both looking frightened.
"It was just a bad dream," Oscie replied. Lavender sighed and her shoulders sank.
"Just dreaming about Malfoy?" she sneered and left the scene for her own bed. Oscie felt too worn out to reply and closed her eyes to catch her breath.
"Here, let's get you to the common room for some air," Hermione said, helping Oscie to her feet while glaring at Lavender's back. They traveled out of room and down the flight of stairs until they had reached a couch and sat down on it. "Are you sure you're alright?"
Oscie was still breathing hard but managed to say, "The dream was about my family. Maggie killed my parents." Hermione hugged her friend sympathetically.
"Don't worry, Oscie. It was just a dream," she said reassuringly.
"I know, but it seemed so real!" Oscie replied. "I saw my own parents die and I was watching it as if from Maggie's eyes. But her voice...I'll never forget it." Oscie was sobbing since, even though the dream wasn't real, it had shaken her. "I swear I'll send an owl to them in the morning and tell them how much I really do love them despite everything."
"Oh, Oscie," Hermione said, hugging her friend closer. "It was a dream. Remember, just a dream."
Oscie felt her body being shaken and awoke with a start for the second time that night. She didn't recognize where she was and looked around frantically. Then realization dawned and she found she was on a couch in the Gryffindor common room where she had spent the night and Hermione was across from her on the other couch asleep.
"Oscie," the tense voice of Professor McGonagall said. Oscie sat up and noticed it had been the professor who had awoken her. "Come with me. Don't bother about getting into your robes." With a flick of her wand Oscie's night clothes changed into her school robes.
"Where are we going?" Oscie questioned as they left the common room and headed down a hall. It was only just past dawn and she knew she hadn't done anything to warrant getting in trouble.
"Just come quickly," McGonagall replied with the same tense voice. Oscie felt ill at ease and tried to keep her mind from trying to figure out what was wrong since she knew she'd find out soon enough. McGonagall led her to her office and swept Oscie inside. Lupin was standing in the middle of the room fidgeting with his hands.
"Uncle Remus?" she exclaimed in shock. He tried to smile but only the corners of his mouth curled upward slightly. "What's wrong?" His brow was furrowed and his eyes held the shadow of foreboding.
"Oscie, sit down," he said softly. Oscie stood her ground, stared at him, and then glanced at McGonagall, who looked agitated.
"What's wrong?" she repeated. Lupin sighed, came over to Oscie, and put his hands on her shoulders. His eyes were slightly red as if from a lack of sleep and around them were puffy.
"Oscie, last night there was an attack by Death Eaters," he began. Oscie's heart sank to the bottom of her stomach. "We learned of their attack too late and - your parents, well there was nothing we could do." She just stared for a moment without uttering a sound. "I'm here to go with you to the United States. They're going to be buried tomorrow."
Oscie began to cry but managed to stammer, "I had a dream last night - I saw Maggie do it - she used the Avada Kedavra - I saw them die." Lupin was hugging Oscie and she was unable to see the worried looks Lupin and McGonagall exchanged. Lupin comforted her until she had run out of tears to cry but her eyes were puffy and she was hiccupping.
"We've got to leave," Lupin stated softly. "We're going to use this fireplace to get to your old house and from there we'll work out everything."
The funeral was held in a cemetery in New York with many close friends of Mr. and Mrs. Whitmore. It was a rainy day and as the caskets were lowered into the ground rain poured down like Oscie's tears. She hadn't been very close with them and that's what haunted her the most since now she would never get the chance to.
Lupin and Oscie stood next to each other in black Muggle clothes without an umbrella getting drenched but neither seemed to notice. One had lost both parents and the other had lost a sister and a brother-in-law. They were the only ones there who knew the real cause of death since it had been told to the Muggles that the two adults had died in a car crash while in Japan.
A week after the funeral Oscie returned to school and to classes. The professors had allowed her to not have to make up any of the work from while she was gone to allow her to cope with the loss. Although Oscie wasn't back to her old self she was able to get through the days without crying or hating herself for not doing something to Maggie at the wedding. In her heart she knew there was nothing that she could have done but that didn't stop the anger she felt at herself from sometimes rising. Through the entire ordeal she had gotten closer to her uncle and he was now her fatherly figure that she would be living with. Hermione, Ron, and Harry had all kept their distance for a while and Oscie had appreciated it. Hearing about the death was one thing but seeing it was another. Draco had even been sympathetic even though Oscie knew his father had been there since she had heard his curt voice.
Oscie walked down the stairs of Hogwarts out to the grounds for some fresh air. She did this often and turned into her wolf form to have time to think alone since it was a month since her parents' death and to the world she was her old self while inside she was still in pain. The quiet grounds were dark and she went to a spot behind a tree where nobody could see and transformed. She had thought she heard footsteps behind her earlier but once again no one had been there and she proceeded as usual.
Oscie stepped from behind the tree and began her aimless walk around the grounds that were in shadow to keep from being seen. She hadn't gone far when she heard a twig snap behind her and she turned around to find nothing there. The large wolf sat down and waited for a while to make sure the coast was clear but to her horror it wasn't. Suddenly in a flash an invisibility cloak was thrown to the side and Draco Malfoy stood staring at Oscie with a smirk across his face.
"Hello - Oscie," he drawled. She growled at him but his smirk only got larger. "I saw the whole thing. You don't think I'm going to snitch on you, do you?" Oscie realized that if he was he would no matter if she stayed in wolf form or not so she transformed back. "Ah, that's the Oscie I know."
"I guess I'm just full of illegal tricks; potions and being an animagus and all," she stated trying to stay calm although her mind was racing.
"You know I could turn you in," he stated.
"Yes, you could," Oscie replied. "But that would go against your Slytherin roots. I thought Slytherins were sly and sneaky. I must say this is the epitome of sneaky."
"You're right. I had no intention of turning you in since that would be being loyal to the Ministry of Magic and Dumbledore," he replied with a malicious glint in his eye. "All I want to know is how you did it."
"In my third year at Salem Academy I brewed a potion and then tried it out," Oscie replied nonchalantly. He nodded. "Where'd you get that cloak?" she indicated the one that was lying on the ground near his feet.
"You don't think an old rich wizard family would go for centuries without one, do you?" he questioned rhetorically as he picked it back up and held it over his arm.
"I suppose not," she replied. "So where should we go? I normally come out here to clear my mind but it appears that's not going to happen today."
"Want to just walk for a little bit? We have about thirty minutes until we have to be in our rooms," he suggested. Oscie consented so they continued her aimless walk around the grounds but this time with both in human form.
"Were you behind me in the hallway about a month ago?" Oscie questioned as the memory struck her. "I heard footsteps behind me but nobody was there."
"Maybe," he smiled with his crooked grin. "I'm not sure but I have been trying to figure out where you disappear to when you go outside."
"You definitely figured it out," she said with a slight sigh.
The two walked into the castle and before Draco left to go to the dungeon he looked around cautiously to make sure nobody was around and stated, "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about the animagus thing." Oscie smiled and then turned the corner to head up the stairs and almost bumped into Walt.
"D-did you hear that?" Oscie questioned without even saying hello. Her secret was no longer very secret but she didn't want everyone knowing.
"Er.no, I didn't," he said but was obviously flustered and lying. Oscie threw her head back and closed her eyes. "Look, I'm not looking to find out bad things about people. I know I'm Head Boy and all but I'm not going to intentionally hurt someone."
"Even if it's illegal?" Oscie questioned on the brink of yelling from all the tension. She now had Draco who could tell on her at any point and the Head Boy of Hogwarts knowing her secret.
"It's brilliant magic and very hard to do," he said awkwardly while staring at her black eyes. She was only angry at herself for letting someone else know her secret and she thought that this was something similar to how Tonya ended up with a split wand.
"Look, if you're going to tell then do it. I'd rather get it over with than sit about the castle wondering when it'll be done," Oscie muttered glumly and walked past him. She began the long trek up the flights of stairs.
"Oscie!" Walt called and caught up to her. "I'm not going to say anything." He walked past her this time and left before she could reply.
"Thanks," she whispered, staring at the spot where he was last seen before turning a corner.
***Author's Note*** Hmm, I'm not really getting any input as to whether or not this is a good story but since I'm having fun writing it I'm going to continue. So either my story is deathly boring, nobody feels like reading it, or a few people have read it and not commented - whatever the case is I don't have much input as to what I should change or improve. Oh well, I guess I'll stick to my style until I get some feedback. I hope you enjoy!!!
Chapter Eleven: Death and Discovery
"What do you think it means?" Ron asked after Oscie and Hermione had relayed their story to them.
"It seems like you felt what Voldemort was feeling," Harry commented.
"No, I don't think so. You feel the emotion but I didn't feel any emotions. I just felt pain and it was in my chest not my head. The two have to be related but I don't think they're the exact same thing," Oscie replied. The four looked perplexed and sat for a while in silent thought.
"Maybe it's because you're related to You-Know-Who," Ron surmised.
"That couldn't be it because she hasn't felt anything before this," Hermione stated.
"Let's call it a coincidence and go to bed. We might be able to think better in the morning," Oscie suggested.
Hermione and Oscie climbed the stairs to their room and got into bed. Lavender was already asleep and the bed where Sally had once been was still empty. Her mother wanted her tutored at home so the family could stay close to one another. Oscie tried to stay awake and think but she was exhausted from the day and the pain had drained most of her energy.
The room was dark and not much could be seen. There were whispers and soft, cruel laughter coming from around the room.
"Lumos," a voice commanded and a wand yielded a bright white light, illuminating the room. The figures of a woman and a man were sitting on the ground huddled next to each other with wide eyes. The man had dark black hair and the woman had long straight brown hair that was pulled tightly into a bun behind her head. Both man and woman were in their night clothes and stared up at the wizards surrounding them.
"You thought you could hide in here? You should have known better," a male voice sneered. His wand was pointed at the couple along with the three other wizards who were there.
"You.you.what are you doing here?" the woman on the ground stammered staring at one of the witches.
"Don't sound surprised," the witch replied with a demonic laugh. "I'm just here to fulfill my duty. I've been sent to kill you." The couple's eyes were glued on her and they seemed shocked by the horrible words spoken.
"Get out of here," the man on the ground commanded in a surprisingly strong voice for the state of shock he appeared to be in. Flagitious laughter met the noble words of the man. The man stood up as if summoning all the strength he had to try and defend himself.
"Now look, get out of my." he began but was cut off by one of the wizards.
"Crucio!" the wizard yelled and the man fell to the ground in agony. His body was convulsing and his eyes had rolled back into his head from the intense pain. The woman next to him screamed and tears began to stream from her eyes. Finally the wizard stopped and the man sat back up, shaking. The magical party laughed at the two people.
"Enough fun and games," the witch who had declared they would die said. "Now for business." She held her wand level with the two on the ground and cried, "Avada Kedavra!" A bright green light shot from the wand hitting the woman. She shrieked and slumped back against the wall, dead. The man was visibly shaken but didn't have much time to react as the same words were yelled from the same witch, "Avada Kedavra!" The man reacted the same way the woman had and fell next to her.
"Parting is such sweet sorrow, especially when it's your parents," the witch cackled. Her laugh was joined by the other wizards.
Oscie woke with a start. She was sweating and her hair was plastered to her face from her damp forehead. There was another sharp pain in her chest but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been earlier.
"Oscie! Are you okay?" the voice of Hermione questioned. Oscie realized she was in the Gryffindor room and noticed her bed hangings were on the floor, along with her. She looked up to see Lavender and Hermione standing over her, both looking frightened.
"It was just a bad dream," Oscie replied. Lavender sighed and her shoulders sank.
"Just dreaming about Malfoy?" she sneered and left the scene for her own bed. Oscie felt too worn out to reply and closed her eyes to catch her breath.
"Here, let's get you to the common room for some air," Hermione said, helping Oscie to her feet while glaring at Lavender's back. They traveled out of room and down the flight of stairs until they had reached a couch and sat down on it. "Are you sure you're alright?"
Oscie was still breathing hard but managed to say, "The dream was about my family. Maggie killed my parents." Hermione hugged her friend sympathetically.
"Don't worry, Oscie. It was just a dream," she said reassuringly.
"I know, but it seemed so real!" Oscie replied. "I saw my own parents die and I was watching it as if from Maggie's eyes. But her voice...I'll never forget it." Oscie was sobbing since, even though the dream wasn't real, it had shaken her. "I swear I'll send an owl to them in the morning and tell them how much I really do love them despite everything."
"Oh, Oscie," Hermione said, hugging her friend closer. "It was a dream. Remember, just a dream."
Oscie felt her body being shaken and awoke with a start for the second time that night. She didn't recognize where she was and looked around frantically. Then realization dawned and she found she was on a couch in the Gryffindor common room where she had spent the night and Hermione was across from her on the other couch asleep.
"Oscie," the tense voice of Professor McGonagall said. Oscie sat up and noticed it had been the professor who had awoken her. "Come with me. Don't bother about getting into your robes." With a flick of her wand Oscie's night clothes changed into her school robes.
"Where are we going?" Oscie questioned as they left the common room and headed down a hall. It was only just past dawn and she knew she hadn't done anything to warrant getting in trouble.
"Just come quickly," McGonagall replied with the same tense voice. Oscie felt ill at ease and tried to keep her mind from trying to figure out what was wrong since she knew she'd find out soon enough. McGonagall led her to her office and swept Oscie inside. Lupin was standing in the middle of the room fidgeting with his hands.
"Uncle Remus?" she exclaimed in shock. He tried to smile but only the corners of his mouth curled upward slightly. "What's wrong?" His brow was furrowed and his eyes held the shadow of foreboding.
"Oscie, sit down," he said softly. Oscie stood her ground, stared at him, and then glanced at McGonagall, who looked agitated.
"What's wrong?" she repeated. Lupin sighed, came over to Oscie, and put his hands on her shoulders. His eyes were slightly red as if from a lack of sleep and around them were puffy.
"Oscie, last night there was an attack by Death Eaters," he began. Oscie's heart sank to the bottom of her stomach. "We learned of their attack too late and - your parents, well there was nothing we could do." She just stared for a moment without uttering a sound. "I'm here to go with you to the United States. They're going to be buried tomorrow."
Oscie began to cry but managed to stammer, "I had a dream last night - I saw Maggie do it - she used the Avada Kedavra - I saw them die." Lupin was hugging Oscie and she was unable to see the worried looks Lupin and McGonagall exchanged. Lupin comforted her until she had run out of tears to cry but her eyes were puffy and she was hiccupping.
"We've got to leave," Lupin stated softly. "We're going to use this fireplace to get to your old house and from there we'll work out everything."
The funeral was held in a cemetery in New York with many close friends of Mr. and Mrs. Whitmore. It was a rainy day and as the caskets were lowered into the ground rain poured down like Oscie's tears. She hadn't been very close with them and that's what haunted her the most since now she would never get the chance to.
Lupin and Oscie stood next to each other in black Muggle clothes without an umbrella getting drenched but neither seemed to notice. One had lost both parents and the other had lost a sister and a brother-in-law. They were the only ones there who knew the real cause of death since it had been told to the Muggles that the two adults had died in a car crash while in Japan.
A week after the funeral Oscie returned to school and to classes. The professors had allowed her to not have to make up any of the work from while she was gone to allow her to cope with the loss. Although Oscie wasn't back to her old self she was able to get through the days without crying or hating herself for not doing something to Maggie at the wedding. In her heart she knew there was nothing that she could have done but that didn't stop the anger she felt at herself from sometimes rising. Through the entire ordeal she had gotten closer to her uncle and he was now her fatherly figure that she would be living with. Hermione, Ron, and Harry had all kept their distance for a while and Oscie had appreciated it. Hearing about the death was one thing but seeing it was another. Draco had even been sympathetic even though Oscie knew his father had been there since she had heard his curt voice.
Oscie walked down the stairs of Hogwarts out to the grounds for some fresh air. She did this often and turned into her wolf form to have time to think alone since it was a month since her parents' death and to the world she was her old self while inside she was still in pain. The quiet grounds were dark and she went to a spot behind a tree where nobody could see and transformed. She had thought she heard footsteps behind her earlier but once again no one had been there and she proceeded as usual.
Oscie stepped from behind the tree and began her aimless walk around the grounds that were in shadow to keep from being seen. She hadn't gone far when she heard a twig snap behind her and she turned around to find nothing there. The large wolf sat down and waited for a while to make sure the coast was clear but to her horror it wasn't. Suddenly in a flash an invisibility cloak was thrown to the side and Draco Malfoy stood staring at Oscie with a smirk across his face.
"Hello - Oscie," he drawled. She growled at him but his smirk only got larger. "I saw the whole thing. You don't think I'm going to snitch on you, do you?" Oscie realized that if he was he would no matter if she stayed in wolf form or not so she transformed back. "Ah, that's the Oscie I know."
"I guess I'm just full of illegal tricks; potions and being an animagus and all," she stated trying to stay calm although her mind was racing.
"You know I could turn you in," he stated.
"Yes, you could," Oscie replied. "But that would go against your Slytherin roots. I thought Slytherins were sly and sneaky. I must say this is the epitome of sneaky."
"You're right. I had no intention of turning you in since that would be being loyal to the Ministry of Magic and Dumbledore," he replied with a malicious glint in his eye. "All I want to know is how you did it."
"In my third year at Salem Academy I brewed a potion and then tried it out," Oscie replied nonchalantly. He nodded. "Where'd you get that cloak?" she indicated the one that was lying on the ground near his feet.
"You don't think an old rich wizard family would go for centuries without one, do you?" he questioned rhetorically as he picked it back up and held it over his arm.
"I suppose not," she replied. "So where should we go? I normally come out here to clear my mind but it appears that's not going to happen today."
"Want to just walk for a little bit? We have about thirty minutes until we have to be in our rooms," he suggested. Oscie consented so they continued her aimless walk around the grounds but this time with both in human form.
"Were you behind me in the hallway about a month ago?" Oscie questioned as the memory struck her. "I heard footsteps behind me but nobody was there."
"Maybe," he smiled with his crooked grin. "I'm not sure but I have been trying to figure out where you disappear to when you go outside."
"You definitely figured it out," she said with a slight sigh.
The two walked into the castle and before Draco left to go to the dungeon he looked around cautiously to make sure nobody was around and stated, "Don't worry. I won't tell anyone about the animagus thing." Oscie smiled and then turned the corner to head up the stairs and almost bumped into Walt.
"D-did you hear that?" Oscie questioned without even saying hello. Her secret was no longer very secret but she didn't want everyone knowing.
"Er.no, I didn't," he said but was obviously flustered and lying. Oscie threw her head back and closed her eyes. "Look, I'm not looking to find out bad things about people. I know I'm Head Boy and all but I'm not going to intentionally hurt someone."
"Even if it's illegal?" Oscie questioned on the brink of yelling from all the tension. She now had Draco who could tell on her at any point and the Head Boy of Hogwarts knowing her secret.
"It's brilliant magic and very hard to do," he said awkwardly while staring at her black eyes. She was only angry at herself for letting someone else know her secret and she thought that this was something similar to how Tonya ended up with a split wand.
"Look, if you're going to tell then do it. I'd rather get it over with than sit about the castle wondering when it'll be done," Oscie muttered glumly and walked past him. She began the long trek up the flights of stairs.
"Oscie!" Walt called and caught up to her. "I'm not going to say anything." He walked past her this time and left before she could reply.
"Thanks," she whispered, staring at the spot where he was last seen before turning a corner.