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The Unicorn and the Stag
Chapter Ten
Harry was striding to Professor Dumbledore's office under his Invisibility Cloak. He had learned to tell the headmaster whenever his scar hurt. It generally started twinging right before Voldemort showed up. But this wasn't a twinge. This was burning. It hadn't been this bad since Voldemort had touched him last year.
He reached the stone gargoyle, but found that someone was already there. He could feel them there, but he couldn't see them.
"Potter, Rosemary Lillian, Gold," the voice whispered.
To Harry's surprise, the gargoyle sprung aside. Harry heard a quiet whispering sound, and the gargoyle sprang shut. Rose had special clearance to see Professor Dumbledore? Harry tried doing the same thing.
"Potter, Harrison James, Gold," he tried. To his utter shock, the gargoyle leapt aside. Harry jumped in and ran up the staircase before it shut again. He could hear someone right in front of him. Probably Rose. Harry was careful to stay a little behind the spot he supposed she was on. Every few seconds, he heard a slapping sound. Suddenly, she stopped. The wooden door to the Professor's office was straight ahead. Harry heard a knock.
"Come in, Rose," Dumbledore said.
The door opened. As Rose pulled off her cloak and walked through, Harry followed. Dumbledore looked up.
"Harry, please remove your Invisibility Cloak. I do hate talking to people I cannot see."
Harry reluctantly pulled off his cloak. Rose stared.
"I thought Mum was the only one with a cloak."
"I thought Dad was."
"Rose, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"I had another dream, Professor. I was...uh...at my wedding."
"Rose, I know about your engagement to Bill Weasley. If Harry knows, I certainly do. Go on."
"Well, I was getting married to Bill. I remember that all of the other Golds were there. I was wearing Mum's gown and the jewelry she wore, and Bill was wearing Dad's suit. We were saying our vows, and suddenly there was a big flash of light."
"Voldemort came in," Harry said. "He put the Cruciatus curse on all of us new Golds. I kept hearing Rose screaming 'NO!' at him. I turned my head and saw him try to kill her."
"But Bill jumped in the way," Rose finished. "I saw him fall down in front of me, and then Voldemort turned his wand on me. There was a huge flash of light and I woke up." The last few words, "I woke up," Rose and Harry said in unison. They stared at each other.
*~*~*
Dumbledore was surprised. He had not expected them to advance their connection within only a few months of meeting. This could only mean that Rose was doing something she shouldn't.
He looked at her sternly. "Rose, are you training the Golds?"
She looked innocent. "No! Of course, I didn't, Professor! Why ever would I want to do that?"
"To rescue Virginia Weasly."
"Why would I do that? I barely know the girl."
"Miss Granger does. Ronald does. Your brother does."
"And?"
"Rosemary, dear, whenever you talk like that I know you are lying. Now what are you training the other Golds to do?"
She looked defeated. "The Rainbow Spell. Before you say anything, I warned them about the dangers, and the vote was unanimous. They want their friend back."
Dumbledore stared into her eyes. *Then you have all of the supplies?* he thought.
*We performed the Patromulti yesterday.*
Dumbledore was relieved. Rose was well trained for something like this, as long as she had the wand. The rings could be supplied.
"Well, I suppose it will be all right. Just Rose...please be careful. Remember the Pettigrew incident."
Rose winced and walked from the room. Harry followed, but not before pulling on his Invisibility Cloak.
*~*~*
Rose sighed. If she had another dream, she was enchanting herself. It was getting so bad she only got about four hours of sleep at night. But her Grandpa insisted she keep having them. He said "they will warn us about the horrors Lord Voldemort will unleash if he rises again." Well, he'd risen again, so couldn't she please have a normal sleep cycle?
Her scar started aching again. She whacked it hard. Now that was something she could enchant.
*So that was what I heard earlier.*
Rose whirled around with her palm outstretched. She felt it connect with and invisible arm with a loud smack.
*You little...I can take points off Gryffindor.*
*You didn't have to hit me.*
*It was the only way I could find where you were. So I could do this.*
She groped around where her hand had connected and pulled. Suddenly, she could see her brother, Invisibility Cloak in his hand.
"Hey, what'd you do that for?"
*Shh! If anyone finds us, I'll just tell them I was walking you back from detention with me.*
*Like they'll fall for that.*
*Daddy won't.*
*Please don't call him that.*
*Why? He practically is.*
*I'm just not used to hearing Grease-Head be called Daddy by any former Gryffindor. Let's talk about something more cheerful...your birthday. What do you want?*
*Sleep.*
*Seriously.*
*Candy, books, any magical gadgets you can find. I like everything.*
*You were raised by Muggles, weren't you.*
*No. I was raised by Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall. I'm famous within Hogwarts as being the only thing they've ever agreed on. I was just raised in an almost all-Muggle world.*
*Almost?*
*I only got to be a witch during the school year. I was a Muggle named Rebecca Laura Painter during the summer during my years in America.*
*Who did you live with when you weren't at Hogwarts?*
*I kind of went back and forth. I alternated between Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and Madame Pomfrey and Daddy. You don't mind if I call Sirius Daddy, do you?*
*No. Just call the rest of them aunt and uncle. It sounds too weird to say Daddy Snape.*
They laughed and almost immediately regretted it.
"Mr. Potter. Rose."
They had run right into Snape.
*Oh, damn,* Rose said quickly to Harry, who promptly snorted.
"I wonder what is so funny, Potter?"
"I.....um..."
Rose went the same shade as her hair, and not from embarrassment. She looked straight into his eyes. She knew how he could receive, but not send.
*Severus, leave him alone.*
He ignored her.
"Do you think that detention would help you explain, Potter?"
Rose was turning purple now.
*Severus Snape, if you do not leave my brother alone I will make your day a living hell! Get back to your office!*
He looked at her. "Rose, I have told you to watch your mouth many times before."
Harry looked at her, his eyes big. *Spill it, Rose. What'd you threaten to do to him?*
*This.*
Rose looked at the hem of Snape's robes and muttered, "Locomoter mortis!" A flame of blue fire spread along the hem of his robes. He didn't notice, and continued to threaten Harry with detention for laughing. The fire was slowly spreading.
"Perhaps, Potter, I could pump you full of Veritaserum to find out why you aren't in your room."
Rose covered her grin with her hand. "Uh, Severus."
He looked at her sharply. "Miss Potter, I told you to call me Professor."
"Sorry, Professor. I was just going to point out that you might need that Veritaserum for something else." She pointed to his robes. He yelped and stomped on his hem, trying to put it out.
*Harry, the best thing to know about your enemy is his greatest fear.*
They laughed.
*Rose, what's your greatest fear?*
*You wouldn't be able to use it against me.*
*Why? What is it? Water? Earthquakes? Dying?*
She thought long and hard. Should she tell him what her fear was? It was only fair. She took a deep breath.
*Harry, my greatest fear is losing someone close to me. I've already been through that three times. Almost five, with you jumping in Moldy Voldie's path and Sirius ending up in Azkaban. I value what I have left. All that's left is Uncle Severus, Uncle Sirius, Aunt Poppy, Aunt Minerva, and you. I haven't let anyone else get close to me since I lost you and Mum and Dad. I know I didn't truly lose you, but it was torture. It felt like I was there, every time you were there with Voldemort. It automatically strengthens our connection.*
*What is this 'connection,' anyways? I still don't really understand it.*
*That makes two of us. I know how to work it, but I don't know how it was created. But I do know that it has something to do with being the heir of a Hogwarts founder.*
*But...we're not...*
*You haven't looked at that family tree Miss Granger made you too closely, have you? The Potter family is a direct descendant from Godric Gryffindor. All of the Golds have been heirs. The Weasly family isn't directly related (thank goodness, if they were I couldn't marry Bill), but they are related to old Godric too. The Patil twins are heirs of Gryffindor on their dad's side, Ravenclaw on their mum's, and the Bernards are half Hufflepuff, half Gryffindor.*
*I noticed that there are a lot of families in the Gold system.*
*Yes. Families generally have more powerful magic than other people. Except your friend Hermione, she's different somehow. She's very powerful...but her family...it's all-Muggle...* Suddenly her eyes widened. *Harry, I've got to go to the library. She started walking in that direction at a brisk pace. *There's something I want to look up.*
*What?*
Rose whirled around suddenly. She looked very excited, with her hair falling out of its neat braid.
*Harry, I think Hermione might be our cousin.*
The Unicorn and the Stag
Chapter Ten
Harry was striding to Professor Dumbledore's office under his Invisibility Cloak. He had learned to tell the headmaster whenever his scar hurt. It generally started twinging right before Voldemort showed up. But this wasn't a twinge. This was burning. It hadn't been this bad since Voldemort had touched him last year.
He reached the stone gargoyle, but found that someone was already there. He could feel them there, but he couldn't see them.
"Potter, Rosemary Lillian, Gold," the voice whispered.
To Harry's surprise, the gargoyle sprung aside. Harry heard a quiet whispering sound, and the gargoyle sprang shut. Rose had special clearance to see Professor Dumbledore? Harry tried doing the same thing.
"Potter, Harrison James, Gold," he tried. To his utter shock, the gargoyle leapt aside. Harry jumped in and ran up the staircase before it shut again. He could hear someone right in front of him. Probably Rose. Harry was careful to stay a little behind the spot he supposed she was on. Every few seconds, he heard a slapping sound. Suddenly, she stopped. The wooden door to the Professor's office was straight ahead. Harry heard a knock.
"Come in, Rose," Dumbledore said.
The door opened. As Rose pulled off her cloak and walked through, Harry followed. Dumbledore looked up.
"Harry, please remove your Invisibility Cloak. I do hate talking to people I cannot see."
Harry reluctantly pulled off his cloak. Rose stared.
"I thought Mum was the only one with a cloak."
"I thought Dad was."
"Rose, what did you want to talk to me about?"
"I had another dream, Professor. I was...uh...at my wedding."
"Rose, I know about your engagement to Bill Weasley. If Harry knows, I certainly do. Go on."
"Well, I was getting married to Bill. I remember that all of the other Golds were there. I was wearing Mum's gown and the jewelry she wore, and Bill was wearing Dad's suit. We were saying our vows, and suddenly there was a big flash of light."
"Voldemort came in," Harry said. "He put the Cruciatus curse on all of us new Golds. I kept hearing Rose screaming 'NO!' at him. I turned my head and saw him try to kill her."
"But Bill jumped in the way," Rose finished. "I saw him fall down in front of me, and then Voldemort turned his wand on me. There was a huge flash of light and I woke up." The last few words, "I woke up," Rose and Harry said in unison. They stared at each other.
*~*~*
Dumbledore was surprised. He had not expected them to advance their connection within only a few months of meeting. This could only mean that Rose was doing something she shouldn't.
He looked at her sternly. "Rose, are you training the Golds?"
She looked innocent. "No! Of course, I didn't, Professor! Why ever would I want to do that?"
"To rescue Virginia Weasly."
"Why would I do that? I barely know the girl."
"Miss Granger does. Ronald does. Your brother does."
"And?"
"Rosemary, dear, whenever you talk like that I know you are lying. Now what are you training the other Golds to do?"
She looked defeated. "The Rainbow Spell. Before you say anything, I warned them about the dangers, and the vote was unanimous. They want their friend back."
Dumbledore stared into her eyes. *Then you have all of the supplies?* he thought.
*We performed the Patromulti yesterday.*
Dumbledore was relieved. Rose was well trained for something like this, as long as she had the wand. The rings could be supplied.
"Well, I suppose it will be all right. Just Rose...please be careful. Remember the Pettigrew incident."
Rose winced and walked from the room. Harry followed, but not before pulling on his Invisibility Cloak.
*~*~*
Rose sighed. If she had another dream, she was enchanting herself. It was getting so bad she only got about four hours of sleep at night. But her Grandpa insisted she keep having them. He said "they will warn us about the horrors Lord Voldemort will unleash if he rises again." Well, he'd risen again, so couldn't she please have a normal sleep cycle?
Her scar started aching again. She whacked it hard. Now that was something she could enchant.
*So that was what I heard earlier.*
Rose whirled around with her palm outstretched. She felt it connect with and invisible arm with a loud smack.
*You little...I can take points off Gryffindor.*
*You didn't have to hit me.*
*It was the only way I could find where you were. So I could do this.*
She groped around where her hand had connected and pulled. Suddenly, she could see her brother, Invisibility Cloak in his hand.
"Hey, what'd you do that for?"
*Shh! If anyone finds us, I'll just tell them I was walking you back from detention with me.*
*Like they'll fall for that.*
*Daddy won't.*
*Please don't call him that.*
*Why? He practically is.*
*I'm just not used to hearing Grease-Head be called Daddy by any former Gryffindor. Let's talk about something more cheerful...your birthday. What do you want?*
*Sleep.*
*Seriously.*
*Candy, books, any magical gadgets you can find. I like everything.*
*You were raised by Muggles, weren't you.*
*No. I was raised by Professor Snape and Professor McGonagall. I'm famous within Hogwarts as being the only thing they've ever agreed on. I was just raised in an almost all-Muggle world.*
*Almost?*
*I only got to be a witch during the school year. I was a Muggle named Rebecca Laura Painter during the summer during my years in America.*
*Who did you live with when you weren't at Hogwarts?*
*I kind of went back and forth. I alternated between Professor McGonagall, Professor Snape, and Madame Pomfrey and Daddy. You don't mind if I call Sirius Daddy, do you?*
*No. Just call the rest of them aunt and uncle. It sounds too weird to say Daddy Snape.*
They laughed and almost immediately regretted it.
"Mr. Potter. Rose."
They had run right into Snape.
*Oh, damn,* Rose said quickly to Harry, who promptly snorted.
"I wonder what is so funny, Potter?"
"I.....um..."
Rose went the same shade as her hair, and not from embarrassment. She looked straight into his eyes. She knew how he could receive, but not send.
*Severus, leave him alone.*
He ignored her.
"Do you think that detention would help you explain, Potter?"
Rose was turning purple now.
*Severus Snape, if you do not leave my brother alone I will make your day a living hell! Get back to your office!*
He looked at her. "Rose, I have told you to watch your mouth many times before."
Harry looked at her, his eyes big. *Spill it, Rose. What'd you threaten to do to him?*
*This.*
Rose looked at the hem of Snape's robes and muttered, "Locomoter mortis!" A flame of blue fire spread along the hem of his robes. He didn't notice, and continued to threaten Harry with detention for laughing. The fire was slowly spreading.
"Perhaps, Potter, I could pump you full of Veritaserum to find out why you aren't in your room."
Rose covered her grin with her hand. "Uh, Severus."
He looked at her sharply. "Miss Potter, I told you to call me Professor."
"Sorry, Professor. I was just going to point out that you might need that Veritaserum for something else." She pointed to his robes. He yelped and stomped on his hem, trying to put it out.
*Harry, the best thing to know about your enemy is his greatest fear.*
They laughed.
*Rose, what's your greatest fear?*
*You wouldn't be able to use it against me.*
*Why? What is it? Water? Earthquakes? Dying?*
She thought long and hard. Should she tell him what her fear was? It was only fair. She took a deep breath.
*Harry, my greatest fear is losing someone close to me. I've already been through that three times. Almost five, with you jumping in Moldy Voldie's path and Sirius ending up in Azkaban. I value what I have left. All that's left is Uncle Severus, Uncle Sirius, Aunt Poppy, Aunt Minerva, and you. I haven't let anyone else get close to me since I lost you and Mum and Dad. I know I didn't truly lose you, but it was torture. It felt like I was there, every time you were there with Voldemort. It automatically strengthens our connection.*
*What is this 'connection,' anyways? I still don't really understand it.*
*That makes two of us. I know how to work it, but I don't know how it was created. But I do know that it has something to do with being the heir of a Hogwarts founder.*
*But...we're not...*
*You haven't looked at that family tree Miss Granger made you too closely, have you? The Potter family is a direct descendant from Godric Gryffindor. All of the Golds have been heirs. The Weasly family isn't directly related (thank goodness, if they were I couldn't marry Bill), but they are related to old Godric too. The Patil twins are heirs of Gryffindor on their dad's side, Ravenclaw on their mum's, and the Bernards are half Hufflepuff, half Gryffindor.*
*I noticed that there are a lot of families in the Gold system.*
*Yes. Families generally have more powerful magic than other people. Except your friend Hermione, she's different somehow. She's very powerful...but her family...it's all-Muggle...* Suddenly her eyes widened. *Harry, I've got to go to the library. She started walking in that direction at a brisk pace. *There's something I want to look up.*
*What?*
Rose whirled around suddenly. She looked very excited, with her hair falling out of its neat braid.
*Harry, I think Hermione might be our cousin.*