Chapter 9: Bad News from Remus
"Fr—from…from Dumbledore?!" Melissa asked, astonished. Harry almost fearfully looked at her before nodding gravely.
"Yeah," he replied. "Here, listen.
'To: Mr. and Ms. Potter. I have received information regarding your small family. I would like you to come to my office at half past three today. Good day to you, Mr. Weasley, and Ms. Granger, whom I know will end up coming with you to see me. Sincerely, Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Witch—'
And his titles and everything else," Harry read aloud.
"What do you think he found out about—" Melissa started, grabbing the letter from her twin,"—'our small family'?" she finished, in confusion. "Do you think he's found more relatives? Well, other than the Dursleys and the McKinnons?"
"I don't know," Harry answered. "I don't think so, though. Dumbledore had once told me that he had looked and looked for living relatives, but had never found any."
The four sixth years walked silently to their seats in the Great Hall, contemplating the reasons why Dumbledore would want to see them. They decided to just wait until they went to see the Headmaster to figure that one out.
"We'll be free to go and visit Hagrid after lunch," Harry said, checking at his schedule. "We can stay until three, maybe, then come back and talk to Dumbledore."
"Sure!"
"Okay!"
"Why not?"
They quickly ate their cold ham, chicken, and turkey sandwiches. Afterward, they sped past Seamus, Neville, and Dean, who were just entering the Great Hall as the four Gryffindors were leaving. They ran out the front door and started slowing down as they reached Hagrid's homey hut.
"Hagrid! Hagrid, are you there?" Harry shouted, pounding on the door. Hagrid opened the door and showed them in.
"Hello, there, Harry, Ron, Hermione. Who's yer friend?" he greeted them.
"Hagrid, this is my sis-Ow!" He glared at Melissa, who had stepped on his foot. \/Nobody's supposed to know\/, she thought in a singsong voice. /\Well, then, why don't you tell that old bat up in the North Tower that?/\ Harry replied. \/Shut up\/, Melissa retorted. "This is our friend, Melissa. She just transferred here from Sullivan's, a wizarding school in Ireland." /\Better?/\ Harry asked tartly. \/Much\/, Melissa replied.
"Well, it's nice ter meet yeh, Melissa," Hagrid thundered jovially, engulfing her hand in his. "Now, would anyone like some treacle fudge?" Melissa glanced at her friends to see their reactions; they had warned Melissa about Hagrid's cooking.
"Don' worry. I bought it in Hogsmeade. I didn' make it," Hagrid reassured them, laughing at the anxious looks on Harry, Hermione, and Ron's faces. They relaxed and the four agreed to a piece of the fudge.
They sat and talked for awhile until Hagrid brought them outside to give them a peek at what they would be working on for a few lessons in their Care of Magical Creatures class.
"Don' tell any o' yer classmates what I'm plannin', though, a'right?" Hagrid made them promise before he led them outside.
"Hagrid, it's not...flobberworms again, is it?" Hermione asked hesitantly. Hagrid looked hurt. "Why'd yeh have ter go an' ruin my surprise?" Hagrid remarked. At the sight of their apprehensive faces, Hagrid burst out laughing.
"No, I'm just kidding," he replied, almost crying with mirth, he was laughing so hard. "No, they're out in the back o' me hut. Follow me."
They walked through Hagrid's back door and down a small hill to a closed paddock, where they had gone in their third year to learn about hippogriffs. Hagrid opened the door and ushered them in. They stared at the two dozen or so creatures that were walking and running around. For several moments, no one said anything. Hagrid just stood there beaming, Harry, Hermione, and Ron looked puzzled, and Melissa looked amazed. Finally, Melissa spoke up.
"Oh, Hagrid, where did you get them with their tails uncut?" she breathed, walking around the paddock.
"I got 'em from my connection in the Magical Menagerie," Hagrid explained, picking one up and scratching its ear.
"Will someone please tell us what they are?!" Ron exploded.
"Crups. Uncut, baby crups," Melissa told him. "My aunt Liz and uncle Geoff kept and bred them in Ireland. That's their line of work. They're breeders for different magical animals. I helped take care of them over the summer hols," Melissa added, picking two of them up and allowing them to lick her face joyously.
"Oh, they're adorable, Hagrid!" Hermione exclaimed. "Ohhhh, you are just the cutest thing in the world, aren't you?"
"Aw, look, Harry, they like you," Ron pointed out, laughing. Harry had sat down on the ground and now had five or six Crups crawling all over him and licking his face.
"Shut...up...Ron," Harry managed to choke out.
"Now, Harry, be nice," Hagrid admonished. "After all, Ron was on'y statin' the obvious," he added, chuckling.
"You guys, hey, uh, you guys, it's quarter after four," Hermione remarked, alarmed, after another half an hour or so, glancing at her watch.
"Oh, crap!" Melissa exclaimed, setting down the crups in her lap and getting up.
"Sorry, Hagrid, but we've got to go," Harry apologized, getting up with the rest. "We've got an appointment with Dumbledore at half past four...today!" Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Melissa sped out of the paddock, waving and calling goodbye to Hagrid
"We're-going-to-be-late!" Harry panted. "It takes nearly thirty minutes to get up to Dumbledore's office from Hagrid's."
"Excellent," Melissa managed to remark sarcastically.
"Shut up, Melissa," Harry shot back. The four Gryffindors nearly flew up the staircases to Dumbledore's guardian gargoyle.
"Oh, good, made it," Hermione remarked once they got there, breathing heavily.
"Barely," Ron added, leaning against the wall.
"Wait a minute. We don't know the password," Melissa said, finally catching her breath. Hermione, Melissa, and Ron turned and looked at Harry.
"Each time I've been here, it's been some sort of candy," Harry pondered. The four teens started saying various candies in hesitant voices.
"Um, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?"
"What about Drooble's Best Blowing Gum?"
"Licorice Wands? Maybe?"
"Acid Pops?"
"How about...ooh, lemon drops?" Everyone looked at Harry. "What? That was the password in our second year."
"Pepper Imps? Oh, come on! Just open up, you stupid thing! We have a meeting! Ouch!" Ron had gotten frustrated and kicked the stone gargoyle. He started hopping up and down on one foot, swearing like a sailor. "Oof!" Now he was sitting on the floor with Harry, Hermione, and Melissa laughing hysterically around him. They calmed down enough to continue questioning candies.
"Toothflossing Stringmints?"
"Jelly Slugs?"
"Uh, Ice Mice?" At Melissa's candy, the gargoyle sprang aside and the wall split in two.
"Nice guess," Ron told her appreciatively.
"Thank you," she replied. Without wasting another moment, they raced up the spiral stairs, getting even dizzier than they normally would have. They had barely knocked on the door when it swung open.
"Come in," Dumbledore invited, smiling.
"Professor, we're really, really, really sorry we're late," Hermione apologized, wringing her hands. Dumbledore held up his hand.
"I don't want to hear it," he said. He then turned and sat behind his desk. "I've heard that there was a little—er—incident in your Divination class?"
"Um, yeah," Melissa replied.
"She told the Gryffindors that you and Melissa are siblings?"
"Um, yeah," Harry mumbled. Dumbledore closed his eyes and sighed.
"All right," he said. "Well, I suppose it's all right if you tell people now. You may go."
"Um, yeah," Ron responded, astonished. The four Gryffindors walked, stunned, out of the headmaster's office into the hallway. They waited there for the better of ten minutes, rethinking what had just gone on in their meeting with Dumbledore.
"Whatever," Melissa said finally. They turned and walked to Gryffindor Tower.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
By the first week in October, Melissa, Hermione, Harry, and Ron settled into a comfortable schedule with their academics. They had explained to people that, yes, Harry and Melissa were twins; they had to keep it a secret for their safety. Everyone had accepted it, although it had shocked everyone, especially Malfoy, at first. Snape had become even more hateful to Harry now and equal to Melissa.
It was at breakfast one warm October morning when the subject of the Quidditch team was brought up.
"Hey, Harry, mate, I just heard from Oliver: Quidditch trials this Saturday," Fred told him, sitting down across from Hermione and grabbing a roll. "That's also when you lot choose the captain. Well, usually you wouldn't at tryouts, but, as everyone but you and Ronniekins here has left…yeah. You get it."
"What positions are open on the team?" Melissa inquired curiously. Harry looked at her.
"Do you play?"
"Yeah. I was a Chaser for my house at Sullivan's," Melissa replied. Fred and George's eyes brightened.
"Really? That's one of the positions that's open," George told her. "You'll have to try out."
"Definitely," she agreed.
"We'll have both Potters on the team if you make it," Harry remarked enthusiastically.
"Awesome!" Fred and George exclaimed together. "If you make it, Melissa, Gryffindor's sure to win if you have the same Quidditch talent as Harry."
Melissa grinned.
"When are the tryouts again?" she asked.
"Saturday. One o'clock," George replied, starting to eat.
"You mean, tomorrow?" she repeated. George thought for a minute.
"Oh, yeah, you're right," George said.
"Short notice, huh?" Melissa scoffed.
"You bet, Potter," Fred replied, smirking.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next day, Melissa scanned the ceiling of the Great Hall in search of her owl, Lily. Instead, she found Hedwig swooping down to her with a letter clamped in her beak.
"Hi, Hedwig," Melissa cooed, stroking the snowy owl. "Do you want me to take that? Thanks." After taking Melissa's offering of bacon, Hedwig flew off.
"Who sent it, Mel?" Hermione asked.
"I dunno. Oh, Remus," Melissa replied, looking at the stamp. She slit the envelope open and started to read the letter. Her eyes widened. "Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh, Ron, Hermione!" She thrust the letter under their noses and they read it simultaneously.
"Where's Harry?" Melissa asked frantically. "I have to get this to him immediately."
She leapt up and ran out of the Great Hall, with Hermione and Ron racing after her, passing many bewildered students.
"Where the hell is he?" she panted after running around for ten minutes.
"I think he's down at the Quidditch pitch getting ready for tryouts," Ron told her.
"Why didn't you tell me that ten minutes ago?" Melissa exclaimed, a wild, manic glint in her green eyes.
"You were too busy running around," Ron replied defensively.
"Oh," Melissa responded. "Come on, we've got to get down to the pitch."
Fifteen minutes later, they were racing across the Quidditch pitch to Harry, Fred, and George.
"Harry!" Melissa screamed, waving the letter. "Harry, we've got real trouble here!" Harry whirled around with a puzzled look on his face.
"Mel?" Harry asked quizzically. "What are you doing here? Tryouts aren't until one."
"Forget the freaking tryouts!" Melissa yelled. "Read this letter." She threw it into his hands. He looked at her strangely before reading.
Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Melissa, VOLDEMORT'S GOING TO TRY AND GET INTO HOGWARTS ON THE 14th OCTOBER!!!!!!!! I heard it straight from one of Voldemort's followers. I've already warned Dumbledore. Get to Dumbledore. Wherever you are, GET TO DUMBLEDORE. He'll make sure the four of you are safe along with the rest of the students. Don't do anything stupid. Remus
"Holy—," Harry breathed. The Weasley twins, Ron, and Hermione were silent. "We've got to find Dumbledore."
"It looks like he's already found to you," Fred broke in, pointing. Everyone turned and looked. Dumbledore was motioning for them across the pitch.
"Students, get inside immediately!" he shouted. After they nodded mutely, he turned and walked quickly back to the castle. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Melissa, Fred, and George all looked at each other before leaving the pitch and starting to head across the lawn.
"Ow!" Both Harry's and Melissa's hand flew up to their foreheads; their scars were burning in fierce pain.
"Oh, no," Harry whispered, looking around. Suddenly, they heard a voice call out to their left.
"MELISSA!!!!!!" Melissa turned and saw her aunt Liz being held by a tall evil-looking man and her uncle Jeff being held in a viselike grip by a huge man.
"Voldemort," Harry hissed angrily in front of Melissa.
"Oh, my gosh," she whispered again, covering her mouth with her hand, the terror welling up inside her.
"Hello, there, Harry, Melissa," Voldemort greeted. "Ready to die? Or will your relatives sacrifice themselves for you as well as your parents?"
"Don't you dare talk about our parents!" Harry shouted bravely. "They'd still be here today if it weren't for you."
"Yes, I do pride myself on that one little killing," Voldemort smirked, blowing an imaginary speck of dust off his wand.
"You murderer," Hermione breathed. Voldemort gave a high evil laugh.
"Now, are you ready to give up?"
"Say no, Melissa!" Jeff yelled. "Say no!"
"Wha—what about you?" Melissa asked, her voice trembling, tears shining in her eyes.
"Just remember we'll stay with you no matter where you go," Liz shouted. "You can do it, Melissa, Harry, just say no."
"Well?" Voldemort asked again. "Are you ready to die?"
"No," Harry replied confidently. Melissa couldn't speak; she simply shook her head no.
"Very well, then," Voldemort said, a tiny smile on his face. "Avada Kedavra!" he roared, pointing his wand at Liz and Jeff. They gave a high- pitched, pain-filled scream as the neon-green light engulfed them.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Melissa shrieked, running towards them.
"Melissa!" Harry yelled, grabbing her around the middle and falling with her to the ground. Melissa pushed Harry away and started running the distance to Voldemort. Chuckling slightly, eyebrow raised, the Dark Lord raised his wand and pointed it at Melissa.
"Melissa, no!" Harry shouted again. Voldemort muttered a spell under his breath and shot Snitch-fast shimmering green lights at Melissa. She was hit by them and thrown twenty feet into the air to land, rolling, near Harry, unconscious. Voldemort and his accomplice, grinning evilly, jumped onto waiting brooms and flew off into the morning sky. Melissa gained semi- consciousness as Harry hovered worriedly over her pale face.
"Wha—Where—?" Realizing where she was and what she had just witnessed, Melissa starting sobbing hysterically and launched herself into Harry's arms. Harry had silent tears slipping down his face as he embraced his only relative that could stand him.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked Melissa shakily as Ron, Fred, George, and Hermione crept up to the bodies. Melissa nodded.
"Um, Melissa? And Harry, too," Fred asked hesitantly. He glanced at Hermione, Ron, and George for encouragement; it seemed they had temporarily been stricken mute. Hermione was facing the rest with Ron's arms wrapped around her. "We are really, really, really sorry, but your aunt and uncle are...dead."
At this, Hermione turned and buried her tear-streaked face in Ron's chest. Melissa's dry, racking sobs penetrated their very souls and soon, they were all crying quietly. Suddenly, a bright red beam of light struck Melissa, knocking her unconscious again, and shoved Harry so he rolled fifteen feet away from his sister. A yellow light connected to a thin line shooting into the clouds shone around Melissa. Everyone else heard a malicious laugh from high in the sky. When they looked up, they saw a solitary Voldemort.
"I'd like you to get her to wake up now!" he shouted, laughing, before flying around and off. Harry furiously started sending up curses and hexes in Voldemort's direction. Fred, George, and Ron began to help him less than ten seconds later. While the four Gryffindor boys were doing this, Melissa lay unconscious on the ground and Hermione crouched next to the Irish redhead; after a moment, Hermione signaled George to run up to the castle to find a teacher or Dumbledore. A few moments later, Dumbledore, Shelbie, Oliver, McGonagall, Snape, and Angelina came running down behind them.
"Mr. Potter?" he said. "Please, take your sister and follow me. The rest of you, also," he added. Shelbie helped Harry pick up Melissa. Harry quickly gave Melissa a soft brotherly kiss, his unnoticed tear slipping onto Melissa's cold cheek.
Silently and mournfully, they trudged back up to the castle in huddled groups, McGonagall and Snape staying behind to tend to the bodies.
A/N: Not all of the chapters will be as dark and tragic as the end of this one. Lyl, evry1!!!!!!!!!! Special thanks to my readers and reviewers!!!!!!!!! Luv ya!!!!!!
"Fr—from…from Dumbledore?!" Melissa asked, astonished. Harry almost fearfully looked at her before nodding gravely.
"Yeah," he replied. "Here, listen.
'To: Mr. and Ms. Potter. I have received information regarding your small family. I would like you to come to my office at half past three today. Good day to you, Mr. Weasley, and Ms. Granger, whom I know will end up coming with you to see me. Sincerely, Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School for Witch—'
And his titles and everything else," Harry read aloud.
"What do you think he found out about—" Melissa started, grabbing the letter from her twin,"—'our small family'?" she finished, in confusion. "Do you think he's found more relatives? Well, other than the Dursleys and the McKinnons?"
"I don't know," Harry answered. "I don't think so, though. Dumbledore had once told me that he had looked and looked for living relatives, but had never found any."
The four sixth years walked silently to their seats in the Great Hall, contemplating the reasons why Dumbledore would want to see them. They decided to just wait until they went to see the Headmaster to figure that one out.
"We'll be free to go and visit Hagrid after lunch," Harry said, checking at his schedule. "We can stay until three, maybe, then come back and talk to Dumbledore."
"Sure!"
"Okay!"
"Why not?"
They quickly ate their cold ham, chicken, and turkey sandwiches. Afterward, they sped past Seamus, Neville, and Dean, who were just entering the Great Hall as the four Gryffindors were leaving. They ran out the front door and started slowing down as they reached Hagrid's homey hut.
"Hagrid! Hagrid, are you there?" Harry shouted, pounding on the door. Hagrid opened the door and showed them in.
"Hello, there, Harry, Ron, Hermione. Who's yer friend?" he greeted them.
"Hagrid, this is my sis-Ow!" He glared at Melissa, who had stepped on his foot. \/Nobody's supposed to know\/, she thought in a singsong voice. /\Well, then, why don't you tell that old bat up in the North Tower that?/\ Harry replied. \/Shut up\/, Melissa retorted. "This is our friend, Melissa. She just transferred here from Sullivan's, a wizarding school in Ireland." /\Better?/\ Harry asked tartly. \/Much\/, Melissa replied.
"Well, it's nice ter meet yeh, Melissa," Hagrid thundered jovially, engulfing her hand in his. "Now, would anyone like some treacle fudge?" Melissa glanced at her friends to see their reactions; they had warned Melissa about Hagrid's cooking.
"Don' worry. I bought it in Hogsmeade. I didn' make it," Hagrid reassured them, laughing at the anxious looks on Harry, Hermione, and Ron's faces. They relaxed and the four agreed to a piece of the fudge.
They sat and talked for awhile until Hagrid brought them outside to give them a peek at what they would be working on for a few lessons in their Care of Magical Creatures class.
"Don' tell any o' yer classmates what I'm plannin', though, a'right?" Hagrid made them promise before he led them outside.
"Hagrid, it's not...flobberworms again, is it?" Hermione asked hesitantly. Hagrid looked hurt. "Why'd yeh have ter go an' ruin my surprise?" Hagrid remarked. At the sight of their apprehensive faces, Hagrid burst out laughing.
"No, I'm just kidding," he replied, almost crying with mirth, he was laughing so hard. "No, they're out in the back o' me hut. Follow me."
They walked through Hagrid's back door and down a small hill to a closed paddock, where they had gone in their third year to learn about hippogriffs. Hagrid opened the door and ushered them in. They stared at the two dozen or so creatures that were walking and running around. For several moments, no one said anything. Hagrid just stood there beaming, Harry, Hermione, and Ron looked puzzled, and Melissa looked amazed. Finally, Melissa spoke up.
"Oh, Hagrid, where did you get them with their tails uncut?" she breathed, walking around the paddock.
"I got 'em from my connection in the Magical Menagerie," Hagrid explained, picking one up and scratching its ear.
"Will someone please tell us what they are?!" Ron exploded.
"Crups. Uncut, baby crups," Melissa told him. "My aunt Liz and uncle Geoff kept and bred them in Ireland. That's their line of work. They're breeders for different magical animals. I helped take care of them over the summer hols," Melissa added, picking two of them up and allowing them to lick her face joyously.
"Oh, they're adorable, Hagrid!" Hermione exclaimed. "Ohhhh, you are just the cutest thing in the world, aren't you?"
"Aw, look, Harry, they like you," Ron pointed out, laughing. Harry had sat down on the ground and now had five or six Crups crawling all over him and licking his face.
"Shut...up...Ron," Harry managed to choke out.
"Now, Harry, be nice," Hagrid admonished. "After all, Ron was on'y statin' the obvious," he added, chuckling.
"You guys, hey, uh, you guys, it's quarter after four," Hermione remarked, alarmed, after another half an hour or so, glancing at her watch.
"Oh, crap!" Melissa exclaimed, setting down the crups in her lap and getting up.
"Sorry, Hagrid, but we've got to go," Harry apologized, getting up with the rest. "We've got an appointment with Dumbledore at half past four...today!" Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Melissa sped out of the paddock, waving and calling goodbye to Hagrid
"We're-going-to-be-late!" Harry panted. "It takes nearly thirty minutes to get up to Dumbledore's office from Hagrid's."
"Excellent," Melissa managed to remark sarcastically.
"Shut up, Melissa," Harry shot back. The four Gryffindors nearly flew up the staircases to Dumbledore's guardian gargoyle.
"Oh, good, made it," Hermione remarked once they got there, breathing heavily.
"Barely," Ron added, leaning against the wall.
"Wait a minute. We don't know the password," Melissa said, finally catching her breath. Hermione, Melissa, and Ron turned and looked at Harry.
"Each time I've been here, it's been some sort of candy," Harry pondered. The four teens started saying various candies in hesitant voices.
"Um, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?"
"What about Drooble's Best Blowing Gum?"
"Licorice Wands? Maybe?"
"Acid Pops?"
"How about...ooh, lemon drops?" Everyone looked at Harry. "What? That was the password in our second year."
"Pepper Imps? Oh, come on! Just open up, you stupid thing! We have a meeting! Ouch!" Ron had gotten frustrated and kicked the stone gargoyle. He started hopping up and down on one foot, swearing like a sailor. "Oof!" Now he was sitting on the floor with Harry, Hermione, and Melissa laughing hysterically around him. They calmed down enough to continue questioning candies.
"Toothflossing Stringmints?"
"Jelly Slugs?"
"Uh, Ice Mice?" At Melissa's candy, the gargoyle sprang aside and the wall split in two.
"Nice guess," Ron told her appreciatively.
"Thank you," she replied. Without wasting another moment, they raced up the spiral stairs, getting even dizzier than they normally would have. They had barely knocked on the door when it swung open.
"Come in," Dumbledore invited, smiling.
"Professor, we're really, really, really sorry we're late," Hermione apologized, wringing her hands. Dumbledore held up his hand.
"I don't want to hear it," he said. He then turned and sat behind his desk. "I've heard that there was a little—er—incident in your Divination class?"
"Um, yeah," Melissa replied.
"She told the Gryffindors that you and Melissa are siblings?"
"Um, yeah," Harry mumbled. Dumbledore closed his eyes and sighed.
"All right," he said. "Well, I suppose it's all right if you tell people now. You may go."
"Um, yeah," Ron responded, astonished. The four Gryffindors walked, stunned, out of the headmaster's office into the hallway. They waited there for the better of ten minutes, rethinking what had just gone on in their meeting with Dumbledore.
"Whatever," Melissa said finally. They turned and walked to Gryffindor Tower.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
By the first week in October, Melissa, Hermione, Harry, and Ron settled into a comfortable schedule with their academics. They had explained to people that, yes, Harry and Melissa were twins; they had to keep it a secret for their safety. Everyone had accepted it, although it had shocked everyone, especially Malfoy, at first. Snape had become even more hateful to Harry now and equal to Melissa.
It was at breakfast one warm October morning when the subject of the Quidditch team was brought up.
"Hey, Harry, mate, I just heard from Oliver: Quidditch trials this Saturday," Fred told him, sitting down across from Hermione and grabbing a roll. "That's also when you lot choose the captain. Well, usually you wouldn't at tryouts, but, as everyone but you and Ronniekins here has left…yeah. You get it."
"What positions are open on the team?" Melissa inquired curiously. Harry looked at her.
"Do you play?"
"Yeah. I was a Chaser for my house at Sullivan's," Melissa replied. Fred and George's eyes brightened.
"Really? That's one of the positions that's open," George told her. "You'll have to try out."
"Definitely," she agreed.
"We'll have both Potters on the team if you make it," Harry remarked enthusiastically.
"Awesome!" Fred and George exclaimed together. "If you make it, Melissa, Gryffindor's sure to win if you have the same Quidditch talent as Harry."
Melissa grinned.
"When are the tryouts again?" she asked.
"Saturday. One o'clock," George replied, starting to eat.
"You mean, tomorrow?" she repeated. George thought for a minute.
"Oh, yeah, you're right," George said.
"Short notice, huh?" Melissa scoffed.
"You bet, Potter," Fred replied, smirking.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The next day, Melissa scanned the ceiling of the Great Hall in search of her owl, Lily. Instead, she found Hedwig swooping down to her with a letter clamped in her beak.
"Hi, Hedwig," Melissa cooed, stroking the snowy owl. "Do you want me to take that? Thanks." After taking Melissa's offering of bacon, Hedwig flew off.
"Who sent it, Mel?" Hermione asked.
"I dunno. Oh, Remus," Melissa replied, looking at the stamp. She slit the envelope open and started to read the letter. Her eyes widened. "Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh, Ron, Hermione!" She thrust the letter under their noses and they read it simultaneously.
"Where's Harry?" Melissa asked frantically. "I have to get this to him immediately."
She leapt up and ran out of the Great Hall, with Hermione and Ron racing after her, passing many bewildered students.
"Where the hell is he?" she panted after running around for ten minutes.
"I think he's down at the Quidditch pitch getting ready for tryouts," Ron told her.
"Why didn't you tell me that ten minutes ago?" Melissa exclaimed, a wild, manic glint in her green eyes.
"You were too busy running around," Ron replied defensively.
"Oh," Melissa responded. "Come on, we've got to get down to the pitch."
Fifteen minutes later, they were racing across the Quidditch pitch to Harry, Fred, and George.
"Harry!" Melissa screamed, waving the letter. "Harry, we've got real trouble here!" Harry whirled around with a puzzled look on his face.
"Mel?" Harry asked quizzically. "What are you doing here? Tryouts aren't until one."
"Forget the freaking tryouts!" Melissa yelled. "Read this letter." She threw it into his hands. He looked at her strangely before reading.
Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Melissa, VOLDEMORT'S GOING TO TRY AND GET INTO HOGWARTS ON THE 14th OCTOBER!!!!!!!! I heard it straight from one of Voldemort's followers. I've already warned Dumbledore. Get to Dumbledore. Wherever you are, GET TO DUMBLEDORE. He'll make sure the four of you are safe along with the rest of the students. Don't do anything stupid. Remus
"Holy—," Harry breathed. The Weasley twins, Ron, and Hermione were silent. "We've got to find Dumbledore."
"It looks like he's already found to you," Fred broke in, pointing. Everyone turned and looked. Dumbledore was motioning for them across the pitch.
"Students, get inside immediately!" he shouted. After they nodded mutely, he turned and walked quickly back to the castle. Harry, Hermione, Ron, Melissa, Fred, and George all looked at each other before leaving the pitch and starting to head across the lawn.
"Ow!" Both Harry's and Melissa's hand flew up to their foreheads; their scars were burning in fierce pain.
"Oh, no," Harry whispered, looking around. Suddenly, they heard a voice call out to their left.
"MELISSA!!!!!!" Melissa turned and saw her aunt Liz being held by a tall evil-looking man and her uncle Jeff being held in a viselike grip by a huge man.
"Voldemort," Harry hissed angrily in front of Melissa.
"Oh, my gosh," she whispered again, covering her mouth with her hand, the terror welling up inside her.
"Hello, there, Harry, Melissa," Voldemort greeted. "Ready to die? Or will your relatives sacrifice themselves for you as well as your parents?"
"Don't you dare talk about our parents!" Harry shouted bravely. "They'd still be here today if it weren't for you."
"Yes, I do pride myself on that one little killing," Voldemort smirked, blowing an imaginary speck of dust off his wand.
"You murderer," Hermione breathed. Voldemort gave a high evil laugh.
"Now, are you ready to give up?"
"Say no, Melissa!" Jeff yelled. "Say no!"
"Wha—what about you?" Melissa asked, her voice trembling, tears shining in her eyes.
"Just remember we'll stay with you no matter where you go," Liz shouted. "You can do it, Melissa, Harry, just say no."
"Well?" Voldemort asked again. "Are you ready to die?"
"No," Harry replied confidently. Melissa couldn't speak; she simply shook her head no.
"Very well, then," Voldemort said, a tiny smile on his face. "Avada Kedavra!" he roared, pointing his wand at Liz and Jeff. They gave a high- pitched, pain-filled scream as the neon-green light engulfed them.
"NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Melissa shrieked, running towards them.
"Melissa!" Harry yelled, grabbing her around the middle and falling with her to the ground. Melissa pushed Harry away and started running the distance to Voldemort. Chuckling slightly, eyebrow raised, the Dark Lord raised his wand and pointed it at Melissa.
"Melissa, no!" Harry shouted again. Voldemort muttered a spell under his breath and shot Snitch-fast shimmering green lights at Melissa. She was hit by them and thrown twenty feet into the air to land, rolling, near Harry, unconscious. Voldemort and his accomplice, grinning evilly, jumped onto waiting brooms and flew off into the morning sky. Melissa gained semi- consciousness as Harry hovered worriedly over her pale face.
"Wha—Where—?" Realizing where she was and what she had just witnessed, Melissa starting sobbing hysterically and launched herself into Harry's arms. Harry had silent tears slipping down his face as he embraced his only relative that could stand him.
"Are you okay?" Harry asked Melissa shakily as Ron, Fred, George, and Hermione crept up to the bodies. Melissa nodded.
"Um, Melissa? And Harry, too," Fred asked hesitantly. He glanced at Hermione, Ron, and George for encouragement; it seemed they had temporarily been stricken mute. Hermione was facing the rest with Ron's arms wrapped around her. "We are really, really, really sorry, but your aunt and uncle are...dead."
At this, Hermione turned and buried her tear-streaked face in Ron's chest. Melissa's dry, racking sobs penetrated their very souls and soon, they were all crying quietly. Suddenly, a bright red beam of light struck Melissa, knocking her unconscious again, and shoved Harry so he rolled fifteen feet away from his sister. A yellow light connected to a thin line shooting into the clouds shone around Melissa. Everyone else heard a malicious laugh from high in the sky. When they looked up, they saw a solitary Voldemort.
"I'd like you to get her to wake up now!" he shouted, laughing, before flying around and off. Harry furiously started sending up curses and hexes in Voldemort's direction. Fred, George, and Ron began to help him less than ten seconds later. While the four Gryffindor boys were doing this, Melissa lay unconscious on the ground and Hermione crouched next to the Irish redhead; after a moment, Hermione signaled George to run up to the castle to find a teacher or Dumbledore. A few moments later, Dumbledore, Shelbie, Oliver, McGonagall, Snape, and Angelina came running down behind them.
"Mr. Potter?" he said. "Please, take your sister and follow me. The rest of you, also," he added. Shelbie helped Harry pick up Melissa. Harry quickly gave Melissa a soft brotherly kiss, his unnoticed tear slipping onto Melissa's cold cheek.
Silently and mournfully, they trudged back up to the castle in huddled groups, McGonagall and Snape staying behind to tend to the bodies.
A/N: Not all of the chapters will be as dark and tragic as the end of this one. Lyl, evry1!!!!!!!!!! Special thanks to my readers and reviewers!!!!!!!!! Luv ya!!!!!!
