The Hogwarts Sisters Strike Back
Disclaimer: See "Stories of the Hogwarts Sisterhood"
To flamers: I don't take kindly to flames so get out of here, if you know what's good for you.
Note: This is a sequel to "Stories of the Hogwarts Sisterhood"; taken place several months later during Easter holidays, so read that first.
Dedicated to Freelancer, Sue, and all those who comfort me in the AD/MM group.
Rated PG-13 for Content
Chapter 9: What About 1953?
At dinnertime, as the Dumbledores, Mandy and Georgia sat down, Dilly and other house elves put their food on the table, which looked as good as the food at Hogwarts. But Athena was more concerned about the empty seat between Mandy and Georgia than the food itself.
"Mandy? Where's Poppy?" She asked.
"Probably in her room." Georgia said.
"Didn't you or Mandy see her for the whole day?" She asked again.
Mandy and Georgia looked at each other before they shook their heads. "No."
"No matter how upset she is, she still needs to eat." Minerva said quietly.
"I will get her," Mandy said, getting up from her seat. "And I need to apologize to her..."
"Apologize? What happened?" Dumbledore asked curiously.
"Albus, it's the W business." Minerva explained.
"Oh, that." Dumbledore said, his expression saddened.
"What?" Achilles asked.
"None of your business, Achilles." His mother said firmly. "This is a matter for the Hogwarts Sisters."
"Then why Dad know about it?" Her son asked again.
Minerva paused for a while and said: "Just eat your food."
"But I have to ask clearly, you know, an Auror always...." Achilles began.
"Achilles." Minerva growled. "I don't want to hear anything about the Aurors from now on."
"Ok, ok, I will drop the subject..." Achilles said, looked slightly shocked at his mother's behaviour.
"Uh oh." Athena thought and she quickly said: "Pass the salt, Achilles."
Her brother passed her the salt slowly, still staring at his mother as if he was in a trance.
"Minerva, Georgia, why don't you two start your dinner first?" Dumbledore suggested.
"Why don't you?" Georgia asked back, looking at the Headmaster's empty plate.
Minerva sighed. "Not until Poppy comes down. Achilles." She said sharply.
Achilles snapped out of his "trance" and asked: "What?"
"If Poppy comes down, I don't want you to say anything about the Aurors to her, not even the word itself, do you understand?" His mother commanded.
Achilles nodded slowly.
"Well, continue eating." Minerva said and Achilles returned to his meal.
Athena chewed her lettuce slowly, thinking the reason why Achilles left home probably started from here.
***
Mandy came up to Poppy's room at the second floor, stared at her door, took a deep breath and knocked softly.
No response.
Mandy pressed her ear to the door and listened carefully. All she heard was the school nurse's sobs. She bites her lip, feeling like kicking herself for making her friend so upset. She knocked again, louder this time.
"W-who is it?" Poppy asked weakly.
"It's me." Mandy said loudly but timidly.
She heard nothing for a while then a rustle of sheets as if Poppy had gotten out of bed. Sounds of footsteps came to the door and Poppy opened it. She looked terribly down and her face had wet stains on it.
"What?" She asked.
"It's dinnertime and we are wondering whether you could come down and eat with us." Mandy said.
"I'm not hungry." Poppy said quietly.
"Please, if you don't, all of us won't have the mood to eat." Mandy pleaded and paused for a while. "Well, maybe not the children, Minerva may forced them to, you know how she dotes Achilles and since Athena is her daughter from the future..."
"Even if I don't, you all have to eat. It's bad for your health if you skip dinner." Poppy interrupted with more energy.
"But we don't have the MOOD to. Come on, Empress, if you don't want us to risk our health, come down for dinner." Mandy said.
Poppy was silent for a while before she said: "All right."
Mandy smiled but her smile faded quickly. Then she hugs the Empress. "Poppy, I am really, really sorry for this afternoon. I am an idiot to say that."
"It's not your fault." Poppy said softly and hugs her back.
As she embraced her, the Countess noticed a big photo album on the bed. With her sharp eyes, she could see that the album was lay opened at the page where HIS photo was.
"You still have not forgotten him. Even though he has been gone for 30 years." She said finally.
"I can't and I don't want to. And I'm not upset anymore." Poppy said and tried to smile when she released her.
Mandy didn't look convinced.
"Really! Come on, let's go down for dinner." Poppy said and walked down the stairs, wiping her face as she went.
"You are lying." Mandy thought. "You just don't want us to cry over you like what we did 30 years ago."
***
"Poppy! Are you all right?" Minerva asked anxiously when Poppy came down to the dinning room.
"I'm all right." Poppy said and sat down. "Hmm, the food looks good." She said as she surveyed the food.
When Mandy sat down, she mouthed to Minerva: "I don't believe her."
Minerva just nodded back slightly in response.
***
After dinner, Poppy stood up immediately and said that she wanted to go back to her room to "read up on medical potions". When she left, Mandy said to Georgia flatly: "Medical potions, yeah right, I don't believe her a bit."
"All right, what are we going to do tonight?" Dumbledore asked, trying to lift everyone's spirits.
"Play Bridge." The three Hogwarts Sisters said.
"That's the only thing that doesn't remind us of HIM." Minerva said. "He had no interest in bridge."
"I want to play the piano." Achilles said as he stood up.
Athena followed suit when Minerva said: "Not tonight, Achilles."
"Why?" Her son asked.
"It's not suitable."
"Why?"
"Children shouldn't ask so many questions." Minerva snapped.
Achilles's mouth dropped open for a while before he closed it. "Fine." He managed to snap, and he got Athena's hand. "Come on, Sis, let's leave these adults alone." He said, stressing on the word "adults" and practically dragged Athena's out of the dinning room.
***
"Children shouldn't ask so many questions." Achilles said when he and Athena arrived to their bedroom, making his voice slightly higher to imitate his mother.
Athena didn't find that amusing.
"I am not a kid; I can even do spells and apparation outside Hogwarts now." He said in his normal voice and flopped down on his bed. "Hm, I wonder who this guy is. Georgia said that he was "lost" 30 years ago..Hey, sis, are you around at that time?"
"No, I had gone back to my time in 1950." Athena said as she lay down on her bed.
"Oh. By the way, what were Mom and Dad like in 1950? In fact, tell me about everything in 1950." Achilles said in interest.
"Didn't Mom and Dad tell you anything about their past?" Athena asked in shock.
"Mom never tells. And Dad won't tell unless you ask." Achilles said.
"Well, there's plenty," Athena said, beginning to sit up. "Mom hated Dad and Dad always teased her about anything. They never got along. So when I gone back to 1950 and told Mom that I am her and Dad's daughter, she doesn't believe me and said that she and Dad are as compatible as a Jarvey and a Gnome."
"But she managed to accept it and she took me for lessons. And guess what during the Care For Magical Creatures lesson? We were feeding Dugbogs when Malfoy sneaked from behind took away Jonathan Wood's earmuffs..."
***
Athena told her time travel story to Achilles until and her brother asked her about the people in 1950.
"Let's see... Mandy smoked...." Athena started.
"What?" Achilles asked and paused for a while. "Well, that's not very surprising. I always thought that she would."
"Jonathan Wood is an expert in Divination.."
"Is he a Seer?"
"Don't think so." Athena said, thinking about how Mandy and Jonathan broke up. If Jonathan was a Seer, he should have known that his parents would lock him up to prevent him from seeing Mandy.
"William Potter and Don Weasley were pals, they often ganged up together to play tricks on teachers...."
"Wait a minute, what do you mean by "were" ?" Her brother interrupted.
"William Potter died before 1986." Athena said quietly.
"Oh. For how long before 1986?"
Athena shrugged. "I don't know."
She continued her story until 11am and after that they washed up and went to bed.
When Achilles was asleep, Athena did a quick calculation. 30 years ago meant that the Hogwarts Sisters were only 20 years olds at that time.
During that time, Minerva was already married to Dumbledore for a year.
Mandy and Jonathan Wood was still a couple at that time.
Nothing happened to William Potter, Don Weasley, Robert Lupin, Joe Black and Nicholas Longbottom at that time (at least Athena thought so).
Athena knew that whatever happened to Aidoneus Malfoy or Sam Snape would never affect Poppy.
So what happened during that year?
She had absolutely no idea.
Disclaimer: See "Stories of the Hogwarts Sisterhood"
To flamers: I don't take kindly to flames so get out of here, if you know what's good for you.
Note: This is a sequel to "Stories of the Hogwarts Sisterhood"; taken place several months later during Easter holidays, so read that first.
Dedicated to Freelancer, Sue, and all those who comfort me in the AD/MM group.
Rated PG-13 for Content
Chapter 9: What About 1953?
At dinnertime, as the Dumbledores, Mandy and Georgia sat down, Dilly and other house elves put their food on the table, which looked as good as the food at Hogwarts. But Athena was more concerned about the empty seat between Mandy and Georgia than the food itself.
"Mandy? Where's Poppy?" She asked.
"Probably in her room." Georgia said.
"Didn't you or Mandy see her for the whole day?" She asked again.
Mandy and Georgia looked at each other before they shook their heads. "No."
"No matter how upset she is, she still needs to eat." Minerva said quietly.
"I will get her," Mandy said, getting up from her seat. "And I need to apologize to her..."
"Apologize? What happened?" Dumbledore asked curiously.
"Albus, it's the W business." Minerva explained.
"Oh, that." Dumbledore said, his expression saddened.
"What?" Achilles asked.
"None of your business, Achilles." His mother said firmly. "This is a matter for the Hogwarts Sisters."
"Then why Dad know about it?" Her son asked again.
Minerva paused for a while and said: "Just eat your food."
"But I have to ask clearly, you know, an Auror always...." Achilles began.
"Achilles." Minerva growled. "I don't want to hear anything about the Aurors from now on."
"Ok, ok, I will drop the subject..." Achilles said, looked slightly shocked at his mother's behaviour.
"Uh oh." Athena thought and she quickly said: "Pass the salt, Achilles."
Her brother passed her the salt slowly, still staring at his mother as if he was in a trance.
"Minerva, Georgia, why don't you two start your dinner first?" Dumbledore suggested.
"Why don't you?" Georgia asked back, looking at the Headmaster's empty plate.
Minerva sighed. "Not until Poppy comes down. Achilles." She said sharply.
Achilles snapped out of his "trance" and asked: "What?"
"If Poppy comes down, I don't want you to say anything about the Aurors to her, not even the word itself, do you understand?" His mother commanded.
Achilles nodded slowly.
"Well, continue eating." Minerva said and Achilles returned to his meal.
Athena chewed her lettuce slowly, thinking the reason why Achilles left home probably started from here.
***
Mandy came up to Poppy's room at the second floor, stared at her door, took a deep breath and knocked softly.
No response.
Mandy pressed her ear to the door and listened carefully. All she heard was the school nurse's sobs. She bites her lip, feeling like kicking herself for making her friend so upset. She knocked again, louder this time.
"W-who is it?" Poppy asked weakly.
"It's me." Mandy said loudly but timidly.
She heard nothing for a while then a rustle of sheets as if Poppy had gotten out of bed. Sounds of footsteps came to the door and Poppy opened it. She looked terribly down and her face had wet stains on it.
"What?" She asked.
"It's dinnertime and we are wondering whether you could come down and eat with us." Mandy said.
"I'm not hungry." Poppy said quietly.
"Please, if you don't, all of us won't have the mood to eat." Mandy pleaded and paused for a while. "Well, maybe not the children, Minerva may forced them to, you know how she dotes Achilles and since Athena is her daughter from the future..."
"Even if I don't, you all have to eat. It's bad for your health if you skip dinner." Poppy interrupted with more energy.
"But we don't have the MOOD to. Come on, Empress, if you don't want us to risk our health, come down for dinner." Mandy said.
Poppy was silent for a while before she said: "All right."
Mandy smiled but her smile faded quickly. Then she hugs the Empress. "Poppy, I am really, really sorry for this afternoon. I am an idiot to say that."
"It's not your fault." Poppy said softly and hugs her back.
As she embraced her, the Countess noticed a big photo album on the bed. With her sharp eyes, she could see that the album was lay opened at the page where HIS photo was.
"You still have not forgotten him. Even though he has been gone for 30 years." She said finally.
"I can't and I don't want to. And I'm not upset anymore." Poppy said and tried to smile when she released her.
Mandy didn't look convinced.
"Really! Come on, let's go down for dinner." Poppy said and walked down the stairs, wiping her face as she went.
"You are lying." Mandy thought. "You just don't want us to cry over you like what we did 30 years ago."
***
"Poppy! Are you all right?" Minerva asked anxiously when Poppy came down to the dinning room.
"I'm all right." Poppy said and sat down. "Hmm, the food looks good." She said as she surveyed the food.
When Mandy sat down, she mouthed to Minerva: "I don't believe her."
Minerva just nodded back slightly in response.
***
After dinner, Poppy stood up immediately and said that she wanted to go back to her room to "read up on medical potions". When she left, Mandy said to Georgia flatly: "Medical potions, yeah right, I don't believe her a bit."
"All right, what are we going to do tonight?" Dumbledore asked, trying to lift everyone's spirits.
"Play Bridge." The three Hogwarts Sisters said.
"That's the only thing that doesn't remind us of HIM." Minerva said. "He had no interest in bridge."
"I want to play the piano." Achilles said as he stood up.
Athena followed suit when Minerva said: "Not tonight, Achilles."
"Why?" Her son asked.
"It's not suitable."
"Why?"
"Children shouldn't ask so many questions." Minerva snapped.
Achilles's mouth dropped open for a while before he closed it. "Fine." He managed to snap, and he got Athena's hand. "Come on, Sis, let's leave these adults alone." He said, stressing on the word "adults" and practically dragged Athena's out of the dinning room.
***
"Children shouldn't ask so many questions." Achilles said when he and Athena arrived to their bedroom, making his voice slightly higher to imitate his mother.
Athena didn't find that amusing.
"I am not a kid; I can even do spells and apparation outside Hogwarts now." He said in his normal voice and flopped down on his bed. "Hm, I wonder who this guy is. Georgia said that he was "lost" 30 years ago..Hey, sis, are you around at that time?"
"No, I had gone back to my time in 1950." Athena said as she lay down on her bed.
"Oh. By the way, what were Mom and Dad like in 1950? In fact, tell me about everything in 1950." Achilles said in interest.
"Didn't Mom and Dad tell you anything about their past?" Athena asked in shock.
"Mom never tells. And Dad won't tell unless you ask." Achilles said.
"Well, there's plenty," Athena said, beginning to sit up. "Mom hated Dad and Dad always teased her about anything. They never got along. So when I gone back to 1950 and told Mom that I am her and Dad's daughter, she doesn't believe me and said that she and Dad are as compatible as a Jarvey and a Gnome."
"But she managed to accept it and she took me for lessons. And guess what during the Care For Magical Creatures lesson? We were feeding Dugbogs when Malfoy sneaked from behind took away Jonathan Wood's earmuffs..."
***
Athena told her time travel story to Achilles until and her brother asked her about the people in 1950.
"Let's see... Mandy smoked...." Athena started.
"What?" Achilles asked and paused for a while. "Well, that's not very surprising. I always thought that she would."
"Jonathan Wood is an expert in Divination.."
"Is he a Seer?"
"Don't think so." Athena said, thinking about how Mandy and Jonathan broke up. If Jonathan was a Seer, he should have known that his parents would lock him up to prevent him from seeing Mandy.
"William Potter and Don Weasley were pals, they often ganged up together to play tricks on teachers...."
"Wait a minute, what do you mean by "were" ?" Her brother interrupted.
"William Potter died before 1986." Athena said quietly.
"Oh. For how long before 1986?"
Athena shrugged. "I don't know."
She continued her story until 11am and after that they washed up and went to bed.
When Achilles was asleep, Athena did a quick calculation. 30 years ago meant that the Hogwarts Sisters were only 20 years olds at that time.
During that time, Minerva was already married to Dumbledore for a year.
Mandy and Jonathan Wood was still a couple at that time.
Nothing happened to William Potter, Don Weasley, Robert Lupin, Joe Black and Nicholas Longbottom at that time (at least Athena thought so).
Athena knew that whatever happened to Aidoneus Malfoy or Sam Snape would never affect Poppy.
So what happened during that year?
She had absolutely no idea.
