Chapter two: Ebony
Several long moments passed. No one said a word. Ron, Lupin, and Moody were now looking hurriedly back and forth between Harry and the Woman in the snow, as if waiting for some sort of explanation.
Harry knew that the reason they were bewildered was not the mere fact that she knew his name. Most witches and wizards had heard Harry's name or seen photographs of him in the prophet and in several books. It was the way she said it that made every one so astonished. She spoke as if she had not only heard of him, but also actually knew him.
"Well", said Lupin finally. "If she knows about Harry, then it's safe to assume that she's not a muggle."
The woman turned her gaze to Lupin. It was clear that she had no idea what he was talking about. "What is your name?" Moody growled, as gently as he could, however she still looked slightly startled.
"I-I don't remember."
The woman said in barely more than a whisper.
"Memory modification do you think?" Harry heard Lupin ask aside to Moody
"I would say it seems so, but can't be sure just yet." Moody replied. Lupin turned back to face the woman.
" We'd better get you inside. Can you walk?" Lupin asked
"I'm not sure" she replied. She spoke a bit louder this time.
"Better not risk it then" Moody said.
"Remus, you can carry her inside."
Lupin obeyed and scooped the woman up fairly easily. Her eyes still held a bewildered gaze and Harry could now see that she was shivering violently. As they followed Moody and Lupin into the house, Ron pulled Harry aside and asked,
"Harry, do you know her?"
"No." Harry answered "At least I don't think so."
"Well, she seemed to know you didn't she?"
"I guess," Harry said still in a slight shock.
They entered the front door to find a fairly large crowd awaiting them. Not only was nearly the entire order gathered near Mrs. Black's portrait, (which Sirius had since managed to subdue), but Harry's other best friend Hermione, and Ron's youngest Sister Ginny were also starring down at them bewildered from the bars of the stair railing. Harry barely had time to wonder weather Ron's twin brother's Fred and Gorge were a wake, when there were two loud "Cracks" and Fred and George appeared in the hall way. "What've we missed?" asked Fred with the air of some one who had simply dosed off and missed an important piece of information that they were meant to hear. "Nothing that concerns you." Replied Mrs. Weasly sharply. "Now go back to sleep, all of you." She added suddenly spying Hermione and Ginny. The two girls reluctantly headed back to their room. But Fred and George did not move from their stance."
"Oh, we see how it is." Said George sarcastically
"Now that Ron's a prefect, he gets to sit in on all the important stuff while the illigitement son's are sent to their room." Fred said.
Ron's ears went slightly pink as he looked down at the floor.
"They're not even of age!" Gorge added angrily, gesturing toward Harry and Ron.
"Let them stay Molly. Besides there is safety in numbers." Said Moody throwing as suspicious glance in the direction of the woman.
Mrs. Weasly pursed her lips, but said nothing as the entire assembly moved it's way into the living room.
"And, who is she?" Tonks inquired. There was a slightly bitter tone to her voice that Harry was willing to bet would not have been there if the girl had been carried in anyone else's arms.
"We don't know yet." Lupin answered.
He proceded to explain what had happened outside as he laid the girl down on a slightly moth eaten couch.
"Lucky you mate!" George said to Harry once Lupin had finished
"Yeah," Fred continued
"wish a strange girl would turn up at the burrow who knew my name.Only joking mum!"
He added hastily to his mother who had shot him a very stern glance. The woman was now starring around the room, obviously aware that they were talking about her, but for some reason she seemed unable, or unwilling to respond.
"Oh poor, dear. She's positively soaked!" said Mrs. Weasly.
As she said this, she removed the girls wet cloak and replaced it with her own shawl. The girl nodded to her in a sort of silent thank you. Mrs. Weasly gave her a smile.
"Some tea should warm you up." And with that she headed back into the kitchen.
"Now that she's here, what do you propose we do?" Lupin asked, to the general crowd who were standing in the living room.
"Well, obviously she can't stay here." Said Tonks. "There's no room for one thing. And we don't know anything about her. She could be anyone really."
" Where else could she possibly go?" Kinglsley asked.
"If we take her to St. Mungo's they'll start asking questions about where she comes from, what her history is. I don't think they'll buy the story that we just found someone on the street. Besides I'm beginning to run out of good cover stories to tell the ministry."
"Yes but if we let her stay she'll be able to hear everything the order's been up to." Said Tonks defensively.
"How do we know she's not a spy? We don't even know her name!"
"Ebony." Said a clear low voice that made most everyone jump.
The woman on the couch had spoken for the first time since she'd been pulled out of the snow. All eyes turned suddenly to her as the argument stopped.
"What did you say?" Asked Sirius, as he moved hesitantly closer to the couch.
"I-I think I remember some one calling me Ebony."
"Do you remember who?" asked Kinglsley. She didn't respond.
"Was it a friend or parent?" Ebony shook her head "Maybe a boyfriend, husband?"
Sirius continued. Ebony replied verbaly this time.
"No it was no one like that." She suddenly put her hand on her head as if she was thinking very hard.
" It was someone I hardly knew I think..."
Harry gave a little cough before he got up the courage to ask what he had been wondering since she had said his name.
"How do you know-", but Mrs. Weasly cut him off.
" I think that's all we'll need to know for tonight." She said handing Ebony the mug in her hands. Ebony took it gratefully.
"She'll stay the night." Mrs. Weasly said definitely.
"We'll talk more about it in the morning." Every one silently agreed as Mrs. Weasly began to shuffle Ron and Harry off to bed.
"That's it ?" Fred and Geroge protested together.
"Yes, that's it. Now go back up to bed you two."
But Harry was not tired. Ebony's sudden appearance had given him even more to think about. How had she known his name? And, what's more why had Mrs. Weasly stopped him from asking? Ron passed him on the stairs. Harry had stopped on the fith step, lost in thought.
"Coming Harry?" Ron yawned looking down at him.
"In a minute." Harry answered
"Well, 'night"Ron said as he trudged back up stairs.
Harry heard the door open and close several more times as order members began to leave. Soon, as he heard Mrs.Weasly bid Sirius good night, it appeared that nearly every one had left the living room. Harry reluctantly trudged up the stairs to bed. As he opened the door and jumped onto his bed he had one good thought. If Ebony did end up staying at Grimmuald Place, at least Sirius wouldn't be completely alone.
Several long moments passed. No one said a word. Ron, Lupin, and Moody were now looking hurriedly back and forth between Harry and the Woman in the snow, as if waiting for some sort of explanation.
Harry knew that the reason they were bewildered was not the mere fact that she knew his name. Most witches and wizards had heard Harry's name or seen photographs of him in the prophet and in several books. It was the way she said it that made every one so astonished. She spoke as if she had not only heard of him, but also actually knew him.
"Well", said Lupin finally. "If she knows about Harry, then it's safe to assume that she's not a muggle."
The woman turned her gaze to Lupin. It was clear that she had no idea what he was talking about. "What is your name?" Moody growled, as gently as he could, however she still looked slightly startled.
"I-I don't remember."
The woman said in barely more than a whisper.
"Memory modification do you think?" Harry heard Lupin ask aside to Moody
"I would say it seems so, but can't be sure just yet." Moody replied. Lupin turned back to face the woman.
" We'd better get you inside. Can you walk?" Lupin asked
"I'm not sure" she replied. She spoke a bit louder this time.
"Better not risk it then" Moody said.
"Remus, you can carry her inside."
Lupin obeyed and scooped the woman up fairly easily. Her eyes still held a bewildered gaze and Harry could now see that she was shivering violently. As they followed Moody and Lupin into the house, Ron pulled Harry aside and asked,
"Harry, do you know her?"
"No." Harry answered "At least I don't think so."
"Well, she seemed to know you didn't she?"
"I guess," Harry said still in a slight shock.
They entered the front door to find a fairly large crowd awaiting them. Not only was nearly the entire order gathered near Mrs. Black's portrait, (which Sirius had since managed to subdue), but Harry's other best friend Hermione, and Ron's youngest Sister Ginny were also starring down at them bewildered from the bars of the stair railing. Harry barely had time to wonder weather Ron's twin brother's Fred and Gorge were a wake, when there were two loud "Cracks" and Fred and George appeared in the hall way. "What've we missed?" asked Fred with the air of some one who had simply dosed off and missed an important piece of information that they were meant to hear. "Nothing that concerns you." Replied Mrs. Weasly sharply. "Now go back to sleep, all of you." She added suddenly spying Hermione and Ginny. The two girls reluctantly headed back to their room. But Fred and George did not move from their stance."
"Oh, we see how it is." Said George sarcastically
"Now that Ron's a prefect, he gets to sit in on all the important stuff while the illigitement son's are sent to their room." Fred said.
Ron's ears went slightly pink as he looked down at the floor.
"They're not even of age!" Gorge added angrily, gesturing toward Harry and Ron.
"Let them stay Molly. Besides there is safety in numbers." Said Moody throwing as suspicious glance in the direction of the woman.
Mrs. Weasly pursed her lips, but said nothing as the entire assembly moved it's way into the living room.
"And, who is she?" Tonks inquired. There was a slightly bitter tone to her voice that Harry was willing to bet would not have been there if the girl had been carried in anyone else's arms.
"We don't know yet." Lupin answered.
He proceded to explain what had happened outside as he laid the girl down on a slightly moth eaten couch.
"Lucky you mate!" George said to Harry once Lupin had finished
"Yeah," Fred continued
"wish a strange girl would turn up at the burrow who knew my name.Only joking mum!"
He added hastily to his mother who had shot him a very stern glance. The woman was now starring around the room, obviously aware that they were talking about her, but for some reason she seemed unable, or unwilling to respond.
"Oh poor, dear. She's positively soaked!" said Mrs. Weasly.
As she said this, she removed the girls wet cloak and replaced it with her own shawl. The girl nodded to her in a sort of silent thank you. Mrs. Weasly gave her a smile.
"Some tea should warm you up." And with that she headed back into the kitchen.
"Now that she's here, what do you propose we do?" Lupin asked, to the general crowd who were standing in the living room.
"Well, obviously she can't stay here." Said Tonks. "There's no room for one thing. And we don't know anything about her. She could be anyone really."
" Where else could she possibly go?" Kinglsley asked.
"If we take her to St. Mungo's they'll start asking questions about where she comes from, what her history is. I don't think they'll buy the story that we just found someone on the street. Besides I'm beginning to run out of good cover stories to tell the ministry."
"Yes but if we let her stay she'll be able to hear everything the order's been up to." Said Tonks defensively.
"How do we know she's not a spy? We don't even know her name!"
"Ebony." Said a clear low voice that made most everyone jump.
The woman on the couch had spoken for the first time since she'd been pulled out of the snow. All eyes turned suddenly to her as the argument stopped.
"What did you say?" Asked Sirius, as he moved hesitantly closer to the couch.
"I-I think I remember some one calling me Ebony."
"Do you remember who?" asked Kinglsley. She didn't respond.
"Was it a friend or parent?" Ebony shook her head "Maybe a boyfriend, husband?"
Sirius continued. Ebony replied verbaly this time.
"No it was no one like that." She suddenly put her hand on her head as if she was thinking very hard.
" It was someone I hardly knew I think..."
Harry gave a little cough before he got up the courage to ask what he had been wondering since she had said his name.
"How do you know-", but Mrs. Weasly cut him off.
" I think that's all we'll need to know for tonight." She said handing Ebony the mug in her hands. Ebony took it gratefully.
"She'll stay the night." Mrs. Weasly said definitely.
"We'll talk more about it in the morning." Every one silently agreed as Mrs. Weasly began to shuffle Ron and Harry off to bed.
"That's it ?" Fred and Geroge protested together.
"Yes, that's it. Now go back up to bed you two."
But Harry was not tired. Ebony's sudden appearance had given him even more to think about. How had she known his name? And, what's more why had Mrs. Weasly stopped him from asking? Ron passed him on the stairs. Harry had stopped on the fith step, lost in thought.
"Coming Harry?" Ron yawned looking down at him.
"In a minute." Harry answered
"Well, 'night"Ron said as he trudged back up stairs.
Harry heard the door open and close several more times as order members began to leave. Soon, as he heard Mrs.Weasly bid Sirius good night, it appeared that nearly every one had left the living room. Harry reluctantly trudged up the stairs to bed. As he opened the door and jumped onto his bed he had one good thought. If Ebony did end up staying at Grimmuald Place, at least Sirius wouldn't be completely alone.