Chapter 14

'Dear Aunt Hermione,

Hi, how are you? I'm fine, although we're all very worried about Gwynny's disappearance (of course). How is Uncle Ron? Danni says 'hi'.

The other day, I had a really odd vision, I think it was of the past, and I saw Mum having a fight with one of her best friends. Isn't that odd? And the other girl, Lisa, or something, asked what was wrong with her, saying she'd been acting oddly lately.

By the way, if I were to want to bring a girl to the future from the past, how would I do it?

Love, Kati'

'Dear Kati

Why would you want to do that?

Love, Aunt Hermione'

'Dear Aunt Hermione,

I think I may know how to bring Gwynny back.

Love, Kati'

'Dear Kati,

Who says she's in the past?

Love, Aunt Hermione'

'Can't you just trust me?'

'…'

'Fine, I saw her in a photo from when Mum was at school.'

'Ask Danniella, she'll help you.'

Kati read her aunt's note happily. She resolved to talk to Danni later that day, in Charms.

~*~

"Sancratum illuminarium." Gwynny recited, waving her wand in front of the small aquarium. It lit up immediately, and displayed the snake inside. That better, Emrys? She hissed. It had taken her a while to get the spell right, charms were her mother's forte, not hers. She was good at Potions and Transfiguration. Mind you, she didn't do too badly in Herbology either, and she found History of Magic quite interesting. She didn't mind Defence Against the Dark Arts, either. But Charms was frustrating. She loved them, but they were so hard for her to do. It really hurt, to watch her whole family perform a charm first time as easily as if it were the Wingardium Leviosa charm. She was the only one who had trouble, and so she was constantly practicing, to try and keep up.

Much, thank you, Maer. You have helped me oncse again.

It's no bother. So- Gwynny stopped talking, aware of Ron coming down the stairs. Harry smiled at her.

"Hi, Ginny." He said, "Talking to your 'friend' again?"

"Yes, I was." Gwynny said, casually pushing her books in front of the tank that held Emrys. "How's your homework going?"

"Not so good." Harry grimaced. "Do you know any way that I could die?"

"How about an ancient curse thrown by Vol-I mean You-Know-Who hits you, and causes you to lose your memory, then he befriends you, and makes Ron and Hermione watch while you become evil, and then they're forced to kill you to stop you from killing them." Gwynny grinned wickedly. Harry grimaced.

"That sounds awful." He said. Gwynny shrugged.

"Thanks. It was either that or have a friend yank out your spleen, drink your body fluids, then hang you from a tree, using your intestines as the rope."

"Ew." Hermione said.

"I know." She went back to writing in her diary.

"What you writing?" Ron teased, and he grabbed her notebook, and began to read, in a high, silly voice. "It was awful, diary. He put the Cruciatus curse on me. It hurt a lot, and we are talking a lot here. It felt like when you fall off your broom, but a thousand times worse. It felt like when I burnt my hand on the hotplate, but a million times worse. It felt like the time Kati slapped me, because I stole her watch, but a billion times worse. Then, it stopped. I just lay there. I dunno why it stopped. Malfoy seemed really surprised, and so did her father. He put it on me again, and I let the darkness overtake me. When I woke up, I was chained in the dungeon, and Emrys was back. He told me how to get out, and I found the password really amusing. Cassa de Cassa. That means house, the house in Spanish. I found it funny because Malfoy does not live in a house. She lives in a mansion, at least. But then I arrived here. Emrys is my constant companion. I don't know what I would do if I couldn't speak parseltongue." He looked up, and blinked. "What's this?" He yelled.

"My diary, you stupid arsehole." Gwynny hissed. She slapped him hard across the face, grabbed the book, and ran up the stairs.

~*~

Harry frowned.

"What was that all about?" He wondered, staring at Ron. Ron rubbed his cheek dramatically.

"I dunno, but she has a mean left hook." He complained.

"Oh stop it, both of you!" Hermione snapped. "I can't believe you, Ron, reading aloud from Ginny's diary that way!" Ron looked shamefaced. "If you ever do that again, Ronald Weasley, I will slap you!" With that, the very irate Hermione Granger stormed up the same stairs as Ginny had done.

~*~

Kati sat down next Danni in Charms, and Danni looked at her questioningly. Usually Kati sat next to Marci, or Linda, her two best friends aside from Ron.

"I need to talk to you." Kati mumbled. She winced, as Danni sighed, and a hurt look came into her eyes. Danni wasn't well liked, she didn't have any real friends, she was too much of a know-it-all even for the Ravenclaws. And she was too outspoken. Ravenclaws were traditionally quiet and intelligent, Gryffindors were brave and loud, Slytherins were cold and sneaky, and Hufflepuffs were sweet and bubbly. It was simply the way of the school.

"Oh." Danni mumbled. "What about?"

"First, I want to know if you'd like to come to Hogsmeade with me this Saturday." She began, and grinned as she saw the hopeful light in Danni's eyes, "And second, I need your help with something." Danni sat up straight, and pulled out a fresh piece of parchment.

"What's the matter, what's happened?" She asked, reloading her quill. Kati told her all of what she'd seen, and Danni made strange notes, which only she understood. "Right." She nodded. "So Mum told you to find out what spells, amulets, talismans, potions etcetera will bring someone to the future, correct?" Kati nodded. "Are you sure that she's Gwynny, though? If not, something could happen."

"It's Gwynny, alright." Kati said firmly. Danni looked slightly sceptical.

"I want to see the photo." She said firmly. Kati took it out of her pocket, and smoothed the creases. She'd looked at it so many times that she knew every bit of her sister/mother's face. "Well…it does look like Gwynny." Danni said reluctantly, "But are you sure it's not Auntie Ginny?"

"Yes, look at the eyes. They're green, not brown. Just because it's Mum's body, doesn't mean it's not Gwynny's soul. And look," Kati pointed, just as the snake bobbed its head out. Gwynny laughed, and stroked its head. "Mum doesn't speak parseltongue. Gwynny does." Danni nodded.

"Ok, then. Just remember, though, if it turns out to be Auntie Ginny when she was younger, we may have a problem." She replied. "I'll meet you tonight, at Auntie Ginny's and Uncle Harry's suite. We'll need a note to go to the Restricted Section."

"We'd better talk to Uncle Moony." Kati said, "Mum and Dad will only get their hopes up."

"Can he keep it a secret?" Danni asked; she didn't really know him very well.

"Of course!" Kati was offended on her werewolf godfather's behalf. "He kept the secret about Grandfather, and Mr. Dog star being animagi, oh, and about Mum and Dad being animagi."

"What's Auntie Ginny?" Danni asked. Everyone knew that Harry Potter was a golden retriever.

"Mum's a doe. Her nickname's Bambi. Mum didn't know that Dad was an animagus, and he never knew that she was one, until they got married. Well, actually, Mum knew before that, but she never told Dad she was an animagus. I guess it slipped her mind." Kati said. Danni nodded.

"What are you going to do with the photo?"

"I'll put it back in the album tonight when I go to get Dad's help with my homework." Kati said.

"Funky." Danni replied approvingly. Kati giggled, and her mother looked at her sharply.

"Miss Potter, Miss Weasley, I take it I can carry on with the lesson now?" She asked sharply. Kati blushed, and nodded.

"Sorry, Professor." She mumbled. Her Mum nodded, and turned away.

"As I was saying, the Accio charm is used to get objects to come to you. For example, Accio, hair-tie." Kati's hair-tie flew out of her messy ponytail, and sent the whole dark mass tumbling down her back. Her mother waved the red scrunchie around vaguely. "This charm is sometimes hard to work, so remember to use a lot of force. Name the object you want, as well." With that, she banished Kati's hair-tie back to her and, with a further flick of her wand, tamed Kati's wild curls into a reasonably neat braid. "Get into pairs, and try to figure it out." Kati turned to Danni, and raised her eyebrows. Danni nodded, pleased. They walked over to a small corner, and Kati pointed her wand at Danni's signet ring.

"Accio, signet ring." She commanded loudly. The signet ring looked like it was coming, and then it settled back on Danni's finger.

"Brilliant, Kati!" Danni exclaimed. Kati giggled.

"Your turn, then I'll try again." She said, smiling.

"Right. Accio, diary." She smirked, and caught the diary as it zipped out from Kati's bag. It had been Aunt Hermione's idea to get both of the Potter girls diaries.

"Bitch." Kati teased. "Accio, diary." It returned to her grasp.

"You know it. Accio, butterfly-clip." She pointed her wand at Kati's mother, and the brilliant red curls fell from the knot at the base of her neck, as the silver clip headed straight for Danni's hand. Kati's own shot out, and caught it before it got there. She smirked at Danni, who scowled good-naturedly. "Stupid Seeker." She said.

"You're just mad 'coz we flattened you in the last game against Ravenclaw." Kati teased.

"Hey, if my Seeker had caught the snitch, you wouldn't have!" Danni protested.

"Danni, Jason couldn't catch a beach ball, and you know it."

"True. But we were tied with you for points!"

"Also true. Fantastic Keeper work there."

"Thank you." Danni replied. Kati picked up her wand, and casually banished the clip back. "Wow, you're really good at that charm."

"I know."

"And modest, too." They both giggled. Kati's mum waved her wand,

"Silencio!" She yelled. The whole class fell silent. "Thank you. Finite Incantatum. That is enough for today. For homework I want a 10 foot essay on how the Accio charm came into existence, and how it has helped us." Kati groaned; she had so much homework it wasn't funny. Danni leaned over,

"Don't worry," She whispered, "I'll help you." Kati smiled at her.

"Thanks." She whispered back.

~*~

Gwynny was watching the rain patter against the window in the Gryffindor Tower. She sniffled, and a tear slid down her cheek, and plopped onto Emrys' head.

Hey! Emrys hissed indignantly.

Sorry. Gwynny replied.

What'sss the matter?

I miss my Mum. She bowed her head, and began to cry in earnest.

"Ginny?" Gwynny ignored the voice, and kept sobbing. The full impact of all that had happened to her had finally hit her, and as far as she was concerned, she deserved some hysteria. "Ginny, are you ok?"

No, I'm not ok! She yelled, not realising that she was still speaking in parseltongue, I'm lonely, sad, scared, and I want my mother!

"Why don't you write to her, then?" Harry asked.

I can't! With that, Gwynny got up, and, dashing the tears from her eyes, she ran out.

~*~

Kati flipped through yet another book, and yelped in delight. She'd found what she was looking for!

"Danni! Danni, come over here!" She hissed. Danni came over.

"What is it?" She asked.

"Look," Kati pointed to the passage, and Danni read it over quickly.

"Perfect." She whispered. "I have most of the ingredients in my trunk!"

"And I can say this spell, easy peasy." Kati added.

"All we need is permission from Dumbledore." Danni said,

"Definitely," Kati agreed, "This is serious magic."

***

Kati and Danni knocked on Dumbledore's office door.

"Come in." Came the professor's recognisable voice from within. Kati and Danni entered. "Ahh, Katharine, Danniella, what can I do for you?" He asked.

"Uh, we think we've found a way to get Gwynny back." Danni said. Kati nodded, and placed the book on the table. Dumbledore read the page carefully, and then looked at the two girls.

"Yes, I can see what you mean." He said.

"We can do it, then?" Danni queried.

"Are you sure?" Dumbledore asked, looking at Kati and Danni sternly. "If you're wrong, we could bring the wrong girl to the future." Kati nodded firmly.

"I'm sure." She said. Danni nodded as well.

"I'm sure, too." She echoed.

~Preview of Chapter 15~

Gwynny gulped, and clutched her stomach again.

"What's the matter?" Hermione asked, looking at her in concern.

"N-nothing, I'm fine." Gwynny said, the last word coming out as a hiss of pain, as the sharp ache lanced across her abdomen again.

"Are you really sure?"

"Yes." Gwynny nodded firmly, and fainted.

Uh…what are you thinking? *Creeps away, trying to be quiet, but trips over a soft drink can. Promptly gives up all attempts of subtlety, and bolts*