A/N Quite a bit happens in this chapter.well you meet a new
character.anyway please R&R!!
Chapter thirteen ~ Grimmauld Place.
Christmas was approaching. Hagrid had brought in the tree to decorate the hall for the students who were staying. Snow had began to fall on the grounds, and there were constant snow ball fights between lessons. Most muggle borns were going home, but a lot of wizard families had opted for their children to stay at school, thinking they would be safer at Hogwarts.
Harry and Ron were getting ready to leave. "You're sure you're not coming Hermione, it's not too late to change your mind." Ron said.
"Stop hassling her Ron, it's clear she doesn't want to come." Harry protested. Hermione stood near by trying to fight the tears in her eyes, there was nothing she wanted more then to go and spend Christmas with Harry and Ron at 12 Grimmauld Street. But Harry was hardly talking to her, and she was too stubborn to say sorry, especially when she couldn't see what she had done wrong. Ron sighed. "Well, in that case, if Hermione ain't coming, then I'm not." He said.
"Ron?"
"Ron, you don't have to."
"This is so stupid, will you two just say you're bleeding sorry, so we can go?" He demanded. "'Cause I don't want to be with either of you 'til you make up." He said, banging his trunk shut and walking off.
"Ron's right, this is silly. We shouldn't be arguing like this. You remember what the sorting hat said? Together we stand tall, strong and ready to fight, alone we are weak, vulnerable, small, and in an even greater plight."
"How do you remember stuff like that?" Harry said, with a grin.
"I don't know what I have done Harry, but whatever it is, let's just forget it, eh?"
Harry nodded. "Besides, it wouldn't be Christmas without, Hermione." He walked away leaving her blushing.
They boarded the Hogwarts Express at Hogsmede station and hurried to find an empty compartment. Malfoy was sitting alone in a carriage. Hermione stopped when she saw him. the others carried on.
"Where are your cronies Malfoy, they staying behind?"
Malfoy turned to face her. "Just leave me alone, Mudblood." His eyes were slightly red.
"Have you been crying?"
Malfoy scowled. "I've got something in my eye, that's all."
Hermione shrugged and left him. she reached the carriage where Ron and Harry were waiting for her.
"Where have you been?"
"Nowhere." She didn't feel it was right to tell them about Draco, after all she didn't know for sure if he had been crying.
The train journey passed quickly as they were getting off Hermione looked for Draco but she couldn't see him in the crowds as they filtered out on to King's Cross Station. Tonks was standing waiting for them, her hair was brown had the appearance of not being brushed for several weeks. Her eyes were missing their usual spark and she had no welcoming smile for the trio. She was dressed in ordinary muggle clothes, but stood out from everyone else but her look of misery.
Hermione ran to her. "Tonks, what has happened?"
"It's not Moony, is it?" Harry demanded.
"Or mum?" Ron said.
Tonks shook her head. "We can't talk here, we'll talk when we reach number 12." She said, and led them out to a car in the car park.
"Can you drive?" Hermione asked, dubiously.
Tonks shook her head. "But I can put it on auto driver."
The group clambered into the car and Tonks pulled out her wand, she muttered a few words and the car sprang into action. she rested her hand on the wheels to make it appear as though she was driving. She was quite a good actress really and the ability to change her appearance at will would obviously be in her favour.
"Well, here we are." She said, when the car pulled into the drive way. The four got out and Remus appeared at the door to help with the trunks. He led them in to the dimly lit hall, and memories of his godfather came rushing back to Harry, and he felt as depressed as Tonks looked. They sneaked past the picture of Mrs Black and sat down in the kitchen.
"So, how's school been?"
"Before we go into all that, tell me what's been happening here. I mean, why is Tonks so upset? And did you catch the spy?" Harry demanded.
Tonks looked towards Remus and tears appeared in her eyes. "Oh Harry there was no spy, only a spy for us, she would never have served Him, never!" Tonks gasped.
Remus put his hand on her shoulder. "Maybe this isn't the best time."
"I have a right to know." Harry said. (a/n how many times has he said that!!??)
"We heard news that you-know-who had planted a spy in the order, so when we held our meeting, someone confessed that you-know-who has asked them to act as spy. Believe me when I say they were shocked to see Calico and Severus here." "Who was it?" Harry asked.
"None other then Narcissa Malfoy, herself. She was shocked when she heard of.of Sirius's death. She couldn't believe that her own sister could do something like that. So she joined the Order, to fight in secret against Him. He asked her to act as spy, but she promised to remain faithful to us, and I for believed her. Of course, it wasn't up to me."
"Who had the final decision?" Hermione asked.
Tonks wiped her eyes. "It was Calico and Snape, they were running the biggest risk, I mean if Naricssa had snitched on them.but Calico believed her and so she stayed."
"And she broke her promise." Harry guessed.
Hermione shook her head. "No I don't think she did. What happened?"
"Well, she brought us some very useful information, that's how I found out about the New Powers granted to Malfoy, she told us exactly what he was planning next, so we could always stay two steps ahead." Moony told them.
"Not that it helped her." Tonks said, bitterly.
"But of course it was only a matter of time until Malfoy found out" Moony continued.
"I bet he didn't like that!" Ron said. "So is she staying here then?"
"Are you mad?" A voice said, from the doorway. "Narcissa is dead, do you really think Malfoy would leave her alive?"
The group spun round to where a forty year old woman was standing by the door. She stepped into eerie dim lit kitchen and stared at Harry. She had dark brown, almost black, wavy hair, and her eyes were a similar colour.
"That explains why Malfoy was so upset." Hermione said to her herself. No one heard as they were all too busy watching the new arrival.
"Rayola, weren't you supposed to stay out of sight?" Tonks asked, with a sigh.
"Oh was I?" I can't remember."
Harry was unable to take his eyes away from hers. There was something in them, something familiar. And when he heard her name it all clicked into place. Why the look in her eyes was familiar, he had seen it in Sirius's; it was the haunted look of Azkaban.
Tonks got up. "Come on, I'll take you back upstairs."
"Where am I?" She demanded.
"Rayola, calm down, your brother will be here soon."
"I don't have a brother." She said, staring around the kitchen, wildly almost frantic.
"I'll tell him you said that, I think he'll be very offended." Tonks said, as she led the woman from the kitchen.
"Who's she?" Ron asked, after they had left.
Moony stood up. "Rayola Snape, Snape's older sister. She went to Azkaban for murder, it sent her mad." He said, walking over to the window.
"But everyone in Azkaban died?" Hermione said.
Moony shook his head. "Narcissa was there to warn us before hand. We were too late to save the aurors and prisoners but Snape and Calico between them managed to smuggle Rayola out and bring her here. They were going to take her to Hogwarts at first. But then they discovered her mental problems, I mean can you imagine Rayola in Hogwarts, she would have wondered off, got herself lost.no she had to come here. It's going to be quite a house-full for Christmas."
Chapter thirteen ~ Grimmauld Place.
Christmas was approaching. Hagrid had brought in the tree to decorate the hall for the students who were staying. Snow had began to fall on the grounds, and there were constant snow ball fights between lessons. Most muggle borns were going home, but a lot of wizard families had opted for their children to stay at school, thinking they would be safer at Hogwarts.
Harry and Ron were getting ready to leave. "You're sure you're not coming Hermione, it's not too late to change your mind." Ron said.
"Stop hassling her Ron, it's clear she doesn't want to come." Harry protested. Hermione stood near by trying to fight the tears in her eyes, there was nothing she wanted more then to go and spend Christmas with Harry and Ron at 12 Grimmauld Street. But Harry was hardly talking to her, and she was too stubborn to say sorry, especially when she couldn't see what she had done wrong. Ron sighed. "Well, in that case, if Hermione ain't coming, then I'm not." He said.
"Ron?"
"Ron, you don't have to."
"This is so stupid, will you two just say you're bleeding sorry, so we can go?" He demanded. "'Cause I don't want to be with either of you 'til you make up." He said, banging his trunk shut and walking off.
"Ron's right, this is silly. We shouldn't be arguing like this. You remember what the sorting hat said? Together we stand tall, strong and ready to fight, alone we are weak, vulnerable, small, and in an even greater plight."
"How do you remember stuff like that?" Harry said, with a grin.
"I don't know what I have done Harry, but whatever it is, let's just forget it, eh?"
Harry nodded. "Besides, it wouldn't be Christmas without, Hermione." He walked away leaving her blushing.
They boarded the Hogwarts Express at Hogsmede station and hurried to find an empty compartment. Malfoy was sitting alone in a carriage. Hermione stopped when she saw him. the others carried on.
"Where are your cronies Malfoy, they staying behind?"
Malfoy turned to face her. "Just leave me alone, Mudblood." His eyes were slightly red.
"Have you been crying?"
Malfoy scowled. "I've got something in my eye, that's all."
Hermione shrugged and left him. she reached the carriage where Ron and Harry were waiting for her.
"Where have you been?"
"Nowhere." She didn't feel it was right to tell them about Draco, after all she didn't know for sure if he had been crying.
The train journey passed quickly as they were getting off Hermione looked for Draco but she couldn't see him in the crowds as they filtered out on to King's Cross Station. Tonks was standing waiting for them, her hair was brown had the appearance of not being brushed for several weeks. Her eyes were missing their usual spark and she had no welcoming smile for the trio. She was dressed in ordinary muggle clothes, but stood out from everyone else but her look of misery.
Hermione ran to her. "Tonks, what has happened?"
"It's not Moony, is it?" Harry demanded.
"Or mum?" Ron said.
Tonks shook her head. "We can't talk here, we'll talk when we reach number 12." She said, and led them out to a car in the car park.
"Can you drive?" Hermione asked, dubiously.
Tonks shook her head. "But I can put it on auto driver."
The group clambered into the car and Tonks pulled out her wand, she muttered a few words and the car sprang into action. she rested her hand on the wheels to make it appear as though she was driving. She was quite a good actress really and the ability to change her appearance at will would obviously be in her favour.
"Well, here we are." She said, when the car pulled into the drive way. The four got out and Remus appeared at the door to help with the trunks. He led them in to the dimly lit hall, and memories of his godfather came rushing back to Harry, and he felt as depressed as Tonks looked. They sneaked past the picture of Mrs Black and sat down in the kitchen.
"So, how's school been?"
"Before we go into all that, tell me what's been happening here. I mean, why is Tonks so upset? And did you catch the spy?" Harry demanded.
Tonks looked towards Remus and tears appeared in her eyes. "Oh Harry there was no spy, only a spy for us, she would never have served Him, never!" Tonks gasped.
Remus put his hand on her shoulder. "Maybe this isn't the best time."
"I have a right to know." Harry said. (a/n how many times has he said that!!??)
"We heard news that you-know-who had planted a spy in the order, so when we held our meeting, someone confessed that you-know-who has asked them to act as spy. Believe me when I say they were shocked to see Calico and Severus here." "Who was it?" Harry asked.
"None other then Narcissa Malfoy, herself. She was shocked when she heard of.of Sirius's death. She couldn't believe that her own sister could do something like that. So she joined the Order, to fight in secret against Him. He asked her to act as spy, but she promised to remain faithful to us, and I for believed her. Of course, it wasn't up to me."
"Who had the final decision?" Hermione asked.
Tonks wiped her eyes. "It was Calico and Snape, they were running the biggest risk, I mean if Naricssa had snitched on them.but Calico believed her and so she stayed."
"And she broke her promise." Harry guessed.
Hermione shook her head. "No I don't think she did. What happened?"
"Well, she brought us some very useful information, that's how I found out about the New Powers granted to Malfoy, she told us exactly what he was planning next, so we could always stay two steps ahead." Moony told them.
"Not that it helped her." Tonks said, bitterly.
"But of course it was only a matter of time until Malfoy found out" Moony continued.
"I bet he didn't like that!" Ron said. "So is she staying here then?"
"Are you mad?" A voice said, from the doorway. "Narcissa is dead, do you really think Malfoy would leave her alive?"
The group spun round to where a forty year old woman was standing by the door. She stepped into eerie dim lit kitchen and stared at Harry. She had dark brown, almost black, wavy hair, and her eyes were a similar colour.
"That explains why Malfoy was so upset." Hermione said to her herself. No one heard as they were all too busy watching the new arrival.
"Rayola, weren't you supposed to stay out of sight?" Tonks asked, with a sigh.
"Oh was I?" I can't remember."
Harry was unable to take his eyes away from hers. There was something in them, something familiar. And when he heard her name it all clicked into place. Why the look in her eyes was familiar, he had seen it in Sirius's; it was the haunted look of Azkaban.
Tonks got up. "Come on, I'll take you back upstairs."
"Where am I?" She demanded.
"Rayola, calm down, your brother will be here soon."
"I don't have a brother." She said, staring around the kitchen, wildly almost frantic.
"I'll tell him you said that, I think he'll be very offended." Tonks said, as she led the woman from the kitchen.
"Who's she?" Ron asked, after they had left.
Moony stood up. "Rayola Snape, Snape's older sister. She went to Azkaban for murder, it sent her mad." He said, walking over to the window.
"But everyone in Azkaban died?" Hermione said.
Moony shook his head. "Narcissa was there to warn us before hand. We were too late to save the aurors and prisoners but Snape and Calico between them managed to smuggle Rayola out and bring her here. They were going to take her to Hogwarts at first. But then they discovered her mental problems, I mean can you imagine Rayola in Hogwarts, she would have wondered off, got herself lost.no she had to come here. It's going to be quite a house-full for Christmas."