Chapter 11
Harry had been having a very weird day. It started simple enough. He and the other fifth year Gryffindor boys had decide to all go down to Hogsmeade together. They did the usual; joke shop, Quidditch shop, candy store, then decided to check out the new music store. Harry had bough a flute like the one Hagrid had given him back in first year, the original had become victim to one of Dudley's temper tantrums. Just as they were getting ready to leave, the girls came in. Daisy had them all flabbergasted.
The five boys all had a number of questions running through their minds. Harry had an idea where to get some answers. That's why, after Daisy left followed by Hermione and Ginny, Harry had lead the boys to the Three Broomsticks to find Guy Blanc.
"Harry, I don't understand why you want to see Professor Blanc so badly?" Neville had said.
"It's simple Nev," Ron had answered for his searching friend. "Blanc's a gypsy too. He's got to know something about all this. Maybe he can tell us what's going on. We got the impression he knows Daisy from before, he knows her old crowd too. And she definitely had a history with those people."
"No kidding," Dean said as they all sat around a rather large table as it was vacated by another group of students.
"You know," Seamus started. "I've always kind of wondered about her. I think I've learned more then anyone should know."
"And we're just getting started," Harry said. "Guy!" he shouted across the room.
The young man look terrible. "Hey boys," he said. "Have you seen Daisy?"
"I'm not sure you want to see her, Guy." Harry said.
"That bad?" he asked sitting.
"Well let's see," Ron was saying. "She gave a rock concert, seemed happy to see guy named Luigi."
"Well that's good," Guy said.
But Seamus continued, "Then there was that Vince guy."
"Thought she'd kill him with a look." Dean contributed. "But that was before the really scary guy."
Guy winced. "She had a run in with Darien?"
"Oh it wasn't it a run," Harry said, "more like a train wreck."
"Sounds about right," Guy said leaning back. "She is going to kill me for not telling her they were all here."
"Why are they all here?" Neville asked. "Not offense, Professor, but I've never seen so many gypsies in one place."
Guy smile. "We're like roaches. We multiply. At least that's what I've been told. Seems true enough. It's really just Daisy, Luigi and me who live here. Everyone else was just visiting. They knew Daisy would be in town today. I didn't think Vince had the stones to come."
"Who is he?" Ron asked.
"Her ex-boyfriend."
"But he's so much older than her," Neville said.
"He's eighteen now," Guy said with a shrug as though he wasn't talking about his baby sister's love life. "Only three years older."
"Still," Ron said.
"But what about the other one, Darien?" Harry asked.
"Darien is my best friend. Has been for years. She's probably still angry about everything that happened before."
"Everything that happened?" Harry asked, hoping to finally here what happened.
Guy smiled, "You'll have to ask Daisy for details."
"In other words mind our own business," Dean said.
"Exactly." Guy laughed.
It looked as though Dean, Neville, and Seamus were going to drop the subject until Ron said, "Gees, you guys are bad at this."
They looked at the butterbeers sheepishly. Then Neville said, "So can you tell us about this Darien fellow?"
"That's the ticket, Nev," Ron said as Neville beamed and Harry laughed.
"Alright, what do you want to know?" Guy asked his students a smile spreading over his face.
"How'd he get that scar?" Dean asked.
"And what's up with his eye?" Seamus wanted to know.
Harry leaned over to Ron and said, "I rather like this. We don't have to work as hard a usual."
Neville had heard this and asked, "So, is this whet you guys do all the time."
"More or less." Ron said. "And Hermione spends a lot of time in the library, and Harry over hears things"
"Accidentally of course," said eves-dropper said.
"Of course."
Neville let out a short whistle before turning back to a now narrating Professor Blanc.
Neville, Harry and Ron missed the first bit of this speech, but Professor Guy Blanc launched into this story.
"The eye and the scar are souvenirs of the same battle. But I guess to understand you need to a little personal history.
"Darien doesn't have any family. Very unusual for a gypsy. And he is a gypsy. His family can be traced back as far as mine. His father was killed by Voldemort (shudders all around the table) and his mother, well let's just say she wasn't exactly motherly. So he was left to wander the streets of Haven at age seven.
"Haven is a gypsy city. It is really called the Gypsies Haven, but we don't need to call it that. Only gypsies go there, only gypsies can get there. It's a bit of magic. And it is literally a haven for gypsies. It was founded for much the same reason as Hogwarts, to protect from bigot-minded muggles. Our little town grew to be a very impressive city. Now one lone kid on the street wouldn't be noticed. Hell, half the people there go to other cities as beggars and practice their trade in Haven.
"So this is how he grew up. Alone and unwanted until he was about twelve. Yes, I would have been nine so twelve is right. He found friends. My sister's friends. Not really the best bunch. Actually, no group of young gypsies is the best bunch. We tend to breed juvenal delinquents. Oh, we grow out of it, but still...
"Anyway, you guys know Daisy was nearly killed. There actually quite a lot of us young gypsy hooligans, but we also had our tighter groups. After the 'incident' our whole group never met again.
"Darien built himself a family. The only one he'd know for the past eight years. We were like brothers, even though he was two and half years older than me. He even dated my older sister, later, briefly. She's a bit older than him. And there was Tiger Bayne, hell of a drummer. And Serena and Rancima Dimarr, sisters, Rena is older than me, and Cima is younger. And then Luigi and Vincent Temoldi, Viktor Krum and then Daisy. Vince was the only one who really had friends outside our little circle. Vikt went with him a few times but he wasn't really a joiner.
"We were the closest in the lager group to Daze, and when she ended up in the hospital it was awful. We didn't know who was with her and she was in a coma for three months. Vikt went a little nuts and just played Quidditch. Ty decided to peruse his music, Luigi too. Vince went off to where Vince goes.
"Darien saw his family slipping away. I was going out of my head with guilt. I mean pour little Daisy. She was the youngest, my little sister! I should have been looking out of her. Paying closer attention. I finally couldn't stand it anymore. I went to the hospital over my last Christmas hols from school. She wasn't even able to get out of bed. I just couldn't face my family again.
"Darien knew what I was thinking. As so as I finished school he took me and Rena and Cima away. He said we needed to see the world, to grow up. I didn't care. I just couldn't go home. I couldn't be near Len. What if I did to him what I did to Daze?"
"So we left."
The group of boys was so engrossed in the tale that neither they nor their teacher noticed the people listening. At the next table, with their backs to the boys, sat the girls. It was the first time Daisy had actually sat and listened to the story from Guy's point of view. She didn't want to interrupt, and Hermione and Ginny didn't want to upset her further. So they sat and listened.
On the other side of the large table, hidden in shadow, was a cloaked figure, holding a camera and a quill. This person was taking notes on everything that was said, who was there, and what was happening.
Harry had seen the quill moving furiously, but didn't think it concerned them. Guy's story was interesting but who else would care about what a group of wild gypsy kids did over two years ago?
So without as much as a sideway glace at the extended audience the story continued.
"You just left?" Ron said incredulously.
"Yes," he said lowering his head. "You have to understand. It was my fault everything that happened to her. How could I face her? And my mother! They were all so heartbroken. My stepfather was...well, if he knew it was my fault Daisy had gotten into so much trouble, I would no longer have been breathing."
He tried to smile but the muscles didn't seem to be working. "I just didn't want to disappoint them any further. Darien, Cima, and Rena knew. They didn't judge me. They felt guiltily as well. Cima told me once she felt like she had failed Daisy. Cima wasn't even suppose to be in Haven that day, and she felt guilty. Have you ever seen a guilty gypsy? It's not very common. We aren't known to have very active consciences."
"Daisy said something about Darien, er, suggesting to you to bring her in the first place," Harry said.
"I don't really remember. He may have. Belle said something about bring her along too. But it was me who brought her. My responsibility. I only have one little sister. Why do you think I let her have such an attitude in class? She has every right to be angry with me, and she's got the third highest grade in the class."
"Who are the first two?" Dean asked.
"Hermione and Harry." he said.
Then Guy waved his hand in front of his face, like he was clearing away fog. "But we weren't suppose to be taking about me, eh? So Darien and his scar, the grand adventure!
"Two years ago I finished school and Cima had taken and past her N.E.W.Ts, gypsies don't always go to school, just take the qualifying tests. So we were all fully qualified witches and wizards off to see the world. I've seen a lot of the places we talk about in class and spent time with almost all of the groups of peoples. But we also ran across the some things that just can't be explained.
"One of those things was a shape-shifter. Not like a veela or a werewolf, that goes between set shapes, but a thing that could be anything. We all fought it. The four of us, together, could take on anything. Or so we thought. I had this sword. Quite impressive really, and very old. In the hilt was a phoenix tail feather, so the blade acted like a wand. I was actually in the lead of the battle for a while, mostly because of the sword, I think. Then, Cima was hit, and she went down. I was distracted. It was long enough for the thing to put me down and out too.
"So keep in mind, at this point, I'm barely conscience. I remember Darien shouting and Rena coming over to us. Serena Dimarr knows more medi spells then anyone. She was taking care of us, and was kept out of the fight, leaving Darien to face it alone. I used to think the man had a death wish. Now I know he doesn't. I've never seen someone fight so hard to live.
"I know about sword fighting, and Darien was good, but the shifter wasn't fighting with a foreign object. It was fighting with it's own body. It turned into a liquid thing. Darien ran it through with the sword, but being that it was now liquid it did no damage. Until Darien cast a spell. A thunder spell, the lightening blew the creature apart. It also blew apart the sword.
"A piece of the shattered blade slashed his face. And a piece of the shifter hit his face. Between the magical blade, and the shifter, his eye was affected. It can see the true forms of any shape shifter, or even the invisible. But the creature still lives in him. He must fight the evil every day." ***********************
Daisy was quick in Gladrags. She found and amazing dress robe and cloak that went with it. It was actually the first thing she picked up. It even had a sizing charm so she could adjust it to fit her. Ginny only needed to buy a new cloak. She actually found one quickly in the clearance rack. Hermione also bough new dress robes, though she wasn't sure why.
So the girls quickly bought their things and went to the Three Broomsticks. They spotted the boys and Professor Blanc at a table and headed over. But as soon as they got near, Daisy stopped them and pulled them to the next table.
They listened to the story almost from the beginning. Daisy pulled her hood close to her face when she tried to sneak a glance at the other table. Finally, Guy came to the end of his story and Daisy couldn't keep quite any longer.
She stood and turned and said, "He's always the hero, isn't he?"
Guy looked up at her. He was totally lost for words. Then she hugged him.
"And it wasn't your fault! I never blamed you for that. I was angry because you left. I wanted my big brother. Allen has tried but there is a difference between a little brother and an older brother. I just missed you."
"You wouldn't rather have your real brother?" he asked.
"What do you mean 'real brother'? You're really are my brother, just like Belle is really mysister. Len and I have never distinguished between full and half siblings. Have you two?"
"Well, no I haven't." he said. "I can't speak for Belle, though."
Daisy looked at her brother and said, "I don't pretend to know what's going on in her head, but I know I've always needed both of you. You are my older brother, and I love you." And she hugged him again.
While this was a rather touching scene, it did make the Gryffindor boys a bit uncomfortable.
"Er, Nev, Seamus, want to help me get some more drinks and maybe some lunch?" Dean said.
Anxious for the excuse to leave both boys agreed.
They girls had now joined the table. Daisy was sitting next to Guy and Ginny and Ron were talking in hushed voices at their end of the table.
"Kinda makes you feel left out doesn't it?" Harry leaned over and remarked to Hermione.
"Well, you're like a brother to me Harry, so no, not really," she said with a smile. Then looking back at them again she said quietly, "Alright, maybe a little. I mean look them! I've never really wanted a sibling but sometimes I just wonder..."
"What you're missing?" Harry asked.
Hermione was actually thinking that maybe she wouldn't feel so lonely but she just said, "Yeah."
Meanwhile, Ron was lecturing Ginny. "Now, Gin, if he tries anything, you know you can come to me or Fred, or George."
"Ron, I can take care of myself and he's not going to try anything, because I'm sure you or Fred or George have already gotten to him! You know that's the way Allen went when you started dating his sister."
"Yeah, but you heard Daisy. It's different between younger and older siblings."
"Actually I meant you were acting like an eleven year old."
And at yet another part of the table (big table isn't it?)...
"I'm still sorry I dragged you into it." Guy said.
"Don't be. You didn't drag me, and you weren't the only one to ask me along." Daisy answered.
"But I should have been..."
"If you say responsible for me I'll scream. There is no way you could have controlled me. A lot of stuff happened that you probably still don't know about. In fact only Vikt knows most of it, and only Vince knows everything."
"What exactly do you mean 'everything'?"
Daisy just smiled sadly and took a sip of her drink.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shoes.
Black paten leather shoes gliding along next two pink sandals.
'How can she walk in those?' Daisy thought. The pink sandals had three inch spike heels. 'I'd fall and brake my neck!'
She began to look up. Pink silk dress robes next to green. They were a handsome couple. He was tall with black hair and eyes to match his robes. She was only just shorter than him in her heels. Her hair was dark and curly.
I know her! I know them!
Then the couple spoke. "I can't believe she said yes," the woman said.
"Of course she said yes. She loves him madly, what else would she say?"
"Oh I don't, maybe the same thing she told him the first three time he proposed. 'I love you madly but I want to wait to marry.' Honestly Harry, just because we worked so well doesn't mean everyone can marry at nineteen."
Harry? Nineteen?
"We were eighteen, and you only just."
"Well were twenty now, and so are they. But I'm worried about her. Hermione isn't the sort to rush into things. I still don't see why they had to get married."
"You've met Molly Weasley right? She'd have kittens if they didn't get married. Hermione's parents weren't thrilled either."
'What happened? Why would Hermione rush into marriage? And is it with Ron?'
"Anyway," Harry was saying. "At least now Heather will have someone else to play with."
"She already has DJ, and Evie."
"Yes well, some one who isn't her brother, or a Malfoy."
"Oh Harry stop! You like Draco. And what would you do if he suddenly wasn't there to bicker with?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shoes again.
This time just the pink sandals. But they were in someone's hands.
"I can't run with the damn things on. Where is Heather? The other children?"
"They're all safe," Answered an unfamiliar voice. "Only a few injuries, Mz. Potter. But there's been a casualty."
"Who?"
"Draco Malfoy."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She could still hear verse from the service: 'Be ambitious for the higher gifts. And I am going to show you a way that is better than any of them.
If I have all the eloquence of men or of angles, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing.
If I have the gift of prophecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything and if I have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am nothing at all.
If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever.
Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never rude or selfish; it does not take offense, and is not resentful.
Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.
Love does not come to an end.'
Well, that might be a bit hard to convince the widow of now, she thought as two clunks marked the fall of two pink sandals to the floor.
Some wedding celebration!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Daisy was looking at a group of teenagers. People she knew. She was there. She was twelve, but she was there. She was watching herself, and Guy laughing. They were a little ways apart from everyone else. He was so much taller than his little sister.
Then Vince came over. He pulled the younger Daisy away by the wrist, and she went without looking back at her brother.
Rancima came over to Guy then. "She'll be alright. She's a smart kid. We all love her." Cima said as she put her arm around Guy.
"Yes, but she's not your sister." Guy said. The Daisy watching saw the hunted look in her brother's eyes. How had she missed before? "I just have a really bad feeling about..." Suddenly his eyes went very wide. "How much V-clear did she just take?!"
Cima shrugged. "Belle is over there. Belle is her sister. She'll take care of her."
"Zuts! C'est impossible. She can't take that much! Vince shouldn't have given her that much. Putain de merde!"
"Guy relax. She's cool."
"Yeah, fine." But he still watched his little sister closely.
*
It took Daisy nearly an hour to stop her visions. She had a lot more control and could tell that her training was paying off. But she wasn't quite in control. She had so many questions. She needed answers.
In flash she was off. She had her cloak rapped around her shoulders as she reached the porthole. It swung open on its own before she got a chance to open it.
It was Dean, Seamus, Neville, Ron, Heroine, and Ginny.
"Heading out again?" Ron asked.
"I need to think. I'm just going for a walk, you know try and clear my head."
"Want some company?" Ginny asked.
"No, I'd rather be on my own. But, um, where's Harry? You didn't leave him alone down there?"
"No," Seamus said. "No offense, but your crowd was a bit odd."
Daisy smiled. "We're gypsies, Seamus. We're very odd."
"Harry's on the Quidditch pitch. Said he wanted to practice some new moves." Neville supplied helpfully.
Daisy took his hand and squeezed it briefly. "Thanks. Bye all."
"Good-bye" they called after her. ******
At the same time Daisy was making a mental note to avoid the Quidditch pitch, Harry was picking up his Firebolt from the broom shed. He had shrunk everything he bought the morning with a hand 'reducto' spell Hermione had shown him, so he was still carrying around a pocket full of candy, and even a few butterbeers.
As he kicked of the ground, he was grateful that he wouldn't have to go into the castle any time soon. Harry wanted to do some thinking. Daisy talked to him. Maybe it was because they had both suffered so much. Maybe it just because he was around when she felt like talking, or because he overheard things that she didn't want him to think he understood, so she would tell a bit more to make him realize he had only scratched the surface.
He did a great loop-to-loop, and continued to fly higher. He had come out here to stop thinking. He never had to try so hard to leave the rest of the world behind on his broom.
He was quite high now. He could see almost the whole grounds. He could see all the way to Hagrid's house and beyond. He could even make out a purple cloaked figure, far away from the pitch, heading towards the forest. The purple cloak was so dark it was almost black. It looked just like Daisy's cloak. In fact, it was Daisy's cloak.
Going of into the forest on her own? What was she playing at? She could be killed.
Without a second thought, Harry rushed towards the purple figure as she disappeared into the forest.
*********************************
Harry had been having a very weird day. It started simple enough. He and the other fifth year Gryffindor boys had decide to all go down to Hogsmeade together. They did the usual; joke shop, Quidditch shop, candy store, then decided to check out the new music store. Harry had bough a flute like the one Hagrid had given him back in first year, the original had become victim to one of Dudley's temper tantrums. Just as they were getting ready to leave, the girls came in. Daisy had them all flabbergasted.
The five boys all had a number of questions running through their minds. Harry had an idea where to get some answers. That's why, after Daisy left followed by Hermione and Ginny, Harry had lead the boys to the Three Broomsticks to find Guy Blanc.
"Harry, I don't understand why you want to see Professor Blanc so badly?" Neville had said.
"It's simple Nev," Ron had answered for his searching friend. "Blanc's a gypsy too. He's got to know something about all this. Maybe he can tell us what's going on. We got the impression he knows Daisy from before, he knows her old crowd too. And she definitely had a history with those people."
"No kidding," Dean said as they all sat around a rather large table as it was vacated by another group of students.
"You know," Seamus started. "I've always kind of wondered about her. I think I've learned more then anyone should know."
"And we're just getting started," Harry said. "Guy!" he shouted across the room.
The young man look terrible. "Hey boys," he said. "Have you seen Daisy?"
"I'm not sure you want to see her, Guy." Harry said.
"That bad?" he asked sitting.
"Well let's see," Ron was saying. "She gave a rock concert, seemed happy to see guy named Luigi."
"Well that's good," Guy said.
But Seamus continued, "Then there was that Vince guy."
"Thought she'd kill him with a look." Dean contributed. "But that was before the really scary guy."
Guy winced. "She had a run in with Darien?"
"Oh it wasn't it a run," Harry said, "more like a train wreck."
"Sounds about right," Guy said leaning back. "She is going to kill me for not telling her they were all here."
"Why are they all here?" Neville asked. "Not offense, Professor, but I've never seen so many gypsies in one place."
Guy smile. "We're like roaches. We multiply. At least that's what I've been told. Seems true enough. It's really just Daisy, Luigi and me who live here. Everyone else was just visiting. They knew Daisy would be in town today. I didn't think Vince had the stones to come."
"Who is he?" Ron asked.
"Her ex-boyfriend."
"But he's so much older than her," Neville said.
"He's eighteen now," Guy said with a shrug as though he wasn't talking about his baby sister's love life. "Only three years older."
"Still," Ron said.
"But what about the other one, Darien?" Harry asked.
"Darien is my best friend. Has been for years. She's probably still angry about everything that happened before."
"Everything that happened?" Harry asked, hoping to finally here what happened.
Guy smiled, "You'll have to ask Daisy for details."
"In other words mind our own business," Dean said.
"Exactly." Guy laughed.
It looked as though Dean, Neville, and Seamus were going to drop the subject until Ron said, "Gees, you guys are bad at this."
They looked at the butterbeers sheepishly. Then Neville said, "So can you tell us about this Darien fellow?"
"That's the ticket, Nev," Ron said as Neville beamed and Harry laughed.
"Alright, what do you want to know?" Guy asked his students a smile spreading over his face.
"How'd he get that scar?" Dean asked.
"And what's up with his eye?" Seamus wanted to know.
Harry leaned over to Ron and said, "I rather like this. We don't have to work as hard a usual."
Neville had heard this and asked, "So, is this whet you guys do all the time."
"More or less." Ron said. "And Hermione spends a lot of time in the library, and Harry over hears things"
"Accidentally of course," said eves-dropper said.
"Of course."
Neville let out a short whistle before turning back to a now narrating Professor Blanc.
Neville, Harry and Ron missed the first bit of this speech, but Professor Guy Blanc launched into this story.
"The eye and the scar are souvenirs of the same battle. But I guess to understand you need to a little personal history.
"Darien doesn't have any family. Very unusual for a gypsy. And he is a gypsy. His family can be traced back as far as mine. His father was killed by Voldemort (shudders all around the table) and his mother, well let's just say she wasn't exactly motherly. So he was left to wander the streets of Haven at age seven.
"Haven is a gypsy city. It is really called the Gypsies Haven, but we don't need to call it that. Only gypsies go there, only gypsies can get there. It's a bit of magic. And it is literally a haven for gypsies. It was founded for much the same reason as Hogwarts, to protect from bigot-minded muggles. Our little town grew to be a very impressive city. Now one lone kid on the street wouldn't be noticed. Hell, half the people there go to other cities as beggars and practice their trade in Haven.
"So this is how he grew up. Alone and unwanted until he was about twelve. Yes, I would have been nine so twelve is right. He found friends. My sister's friends. Not really the best bunch. Actually, no group of young gypsies is the best bunch. We tend to breed juvenal delinquents. Oh, we grow out of it, but still...
"Anyway, you guys know Daisy was nearly killed. There actually quite a lot of us young gypsy hooligans, but we also had our tighter groups. After the 'incident' our whole group never met again.
"Darien built himself a family. The only one he'd know for the past eight years. We were like brothers, even though he was two and half years older than me. He even dated my older sister, later, briefly. She's a bit older than him. And there was Tiger Bayne, hell of a drummer. And Serena and Rancima Dimarr, sisters, Rena is older than me, and Cima is younger. And then Luigi and Vincent Temoldi, Viktor Krum and then Daisy. Vince was the only one who really had friends outside our little circle. Vikt went with him a few times but he wasn't really a joiner.
"We were the closest in the lager group to Daze, and when she ended up in the hospital it was awful. We didn't know who was with her and she was in a coma for three months. Vikt went a little nuts and just played Quidditch. Ty decided to peruse his music, Luigi too. Vince went off to where Vince goes.
"Darien saw his family slipping away. I was going out of my head with guilt. I mean pour little Daisy. She was the youngest, my little sister! I should have been looking out of her. Paying closer attention. I finally couldn't stand it anymore. I went to the hospital over my last Christmas hols from school. She wasn't even able to get out of bed. I just couldn't face my family again.
"Darien knew what I was thinking. As so as I finished school he took me and Rena and Cima away. He said we needed to see the world, to grow up. I didn't care. I just couldn't go home. I couldn't be near Len. What if I did to him what I did to Daze?"
"So we left."
The group of boys was so engrossed in the tale that neither they nor their teacher noticed the people listening. At the next table, with their backs to the boys, sat the girls. It was the first time Daisy had actually sat and listened to the story from Guy's point of view. She didn't want to interrupt, and Hermione and Ginny didn't want to upset her further. So they sat and listened.
On the other side of the large table, hidden in shadow, was a cloaked figure, holding a camera and a quill. This person was taking notes on everything that was said, who was there, and what was happening.
Harry had seen the quill moving furiously, but didn't think it concerned them. Guy's story was interesting but who else would care about what a group of wild gypsy kids did over two years ago?
So without as much as a sideway glace at the extended audience the story continued.
"You just left?" Ron said incredulously.
"Yes," he said lowering his head. "You have to understand. It was my fault everything that happened to her. How could I face her? And my mother! They were all so heartbroken. My stepfather was...well, if he knew it was my fault Daisy had gotten into so much trouble, I would no longer have been breathing."
He tried to smile but the muscles didn't seem to be working. "I just didn't want to disappoint them any further. Darien, Cima, and Rena knew. They didn't judge me. They felt guiltily as well. Cima told me once she felt like she had failed Daisy. Cima wasn't even suppose to be in Haven that day, and she felt guilty. Have you ever seen a guilty gypsy? It's not very common. We aren't known to have very active consciences."
"Daisy said something about Darien, er, suggesting to you to bring her in the first place," Harry said.
"I don't really remember. He may have. Belle said something about bring her along too. But it was me who brought her. My responsibility. I only have one little sister. Why do you think I let her have such an attitude in class? She has every right to be angry with me, and she's got the third highest grade in the class."
"Who are the first two?" Dean asked.
"Hermione and Harry." he said.
Then Guy waved his hand in front of his face, like he was clearing away fog. "But we weren't suppose to be taking about me, eh? So Darien and his scar, the grand adventure!
"Two years ago I finished school and Cima had taken and past her N.E.W.Ts, gypsies don't always go to school, just take the qualifying tests. So we were all fully qualified witches and wizards off to see the world. I've seen a lot of the places we talk about in class and spent time with almost all of the groups of peoples. But we also ran across the some things that just can't be explained.
"One of those things was a shape-shifter. Not like a veela or a werewolf, that goes between set shapes, but a thing that could be anything. We all fought it. The four of us, together, could take on anything. Or so we thought. I had this sword. Quite impressive really, and very old. In the hilt was a phoenix tail feather, so the blade acted like a wand. I was actually in the lead of the battle for a while, mostly because of the sword, I think. Then, Cima was hit, and she went down. I was distracted. It was long enough for the thing to put me down and out too.
"So keep in mind, at this point, I'm barely conscience. I remember Darien shouting and Rena coming over to us. Serena Dimarr knows more medi spells then anyone. She was taking care of us, and was kept out of the fight, leaving Darien to face it alone. I used to think the man had a death wish. Now I know he doesn't. I've never seen someone fight so hard to live.
"I know about sword fighting, and Darien was good, but the shifter wasn't fighting with a foreign object. It was fighting with it's own body. It turned into a liquid thing. Darien ran it through with the sword, but being that it was now liquid it did no damage. Until Darien cast a spell. A thunder spell, the lightening blew the creature apart. It also blew apart the sword.
"A piece of the shattered blade slashed his face. And a piece of the shifter hit his face. Between the magical blade, and the shifter, his eye was affected. It can see the true forms of any shape shifter, or even the invisible. But the creature still lives in him. He must fight the evil every day." ***********************
Daisy was quick in Gladrags. She found and amazing dress robe and cloak that went with it. It was actually the first thing she picked up. It even had a sizing charm so she could adjust it to fit her. Ginny only needed to buy a new cloak. She actually found one quickly in the clearance rack. Hermione also bough new dress robes, though she wasn't sure why.
So the girls quickly bought their things and went to the Three Broomsticks. They spotted the boys and Professor Blanc at a table and headed over. But as soon as they got near, Daisy stopped them and pulled them to the next table.
They listened to the story almost from the beginning. Daisy pulled her hood close to her face when she tried to sneak a glance at the other table. Finally, Guy came to the end of his story and Daisy couldn't keep quite any longer.
She stood and turned and said, "He's always the hero, isn't he?"
Guy looked up at her. He was totally lost for words. Then she hugged him.
"And it wasn't your fault! I never blamed you for that. I was angry because you left. I wanted my big brother. Allen has tried but there is a difference between a little brother and an older brother. I just missed you."
"You wouldn't rather have your real brother?" he asked.
"What do you mean 'real brother'? You're really are my brother, just like Belle is really mysister. Len and I have never distinguished between full and half siblings. Have you two?"
"Well, no I haven't." he said. "I can't speak for Belle, though."
Daisy looked at her brother and said, "I don't pretend to know what's going on in her head, but I know I've always needed both of you. You are my older brother, and I love you." And she hugged him again.
While this was a rather touching scene, it did make the Gryffindor boys a bit uncomfortable.
"Er, Nev, Seamus, want to help me get some more drinks and maybe some lunch?" Dean said.
Anxious for the excuse to leave both boys agreed.
They girls had now joined the table. Daisy was sitting next to Guy and Ginny and Ron were talking in hushed voices at their end of the table.
"Kinda makes you feel left out doesn't it?" Harry leaned over and remarked to Hermione.
"Well, you're like a brother to me Harry, so no, not really," she said with a smile. Then looking back at them again she said quietly, "Alright, maybe a little. I mean look them! I've never really wanted a sibling but sometimes I just wonder..."
"What you're missing?" Harry asked.
Hermione was actually thinking that maybe she wouldn't feel so lonely but she just said, "Yeah."
Meanwhile, Ron was lecturing Ginny. "Now, Gin, if he tries anything, you know you can come to me or Fred, or George."
"Ron, I can take care of myself and he's not going to try anything, because I'm sure you or Fred or George have already gotten to him! You know that's the way Allen went when you started dating his sister."
"Yeah, but you heard Daisy. It's different between younger and older siblings."
"Actually I meant you were acting like an eleven year old."
And at yet another part of the table (big table isn't it?)...
"I'm still sorry I dragged you into it." Guy said.
"Don't be. You didn't drag me, and you weren't the only one to ask me along." Daisy answered.
"But I should have been..."
"If you say responsible for me I'll scream. There is no way you could have controlled me. A lot of stuff happened that you probably still don't know about. In fact only Vikt knows most of it, and only Vince knows everything."
"What exactly do you mean 'everything'?"
Daisy just smiled sadly and took a sip of her drink.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shoes.
Black paten leather shoes gliding along next two pink sandals.
'How can she walk in those?' Daisy thought. The pink sandals had three inch spike heels. 'I'd fall and brake my neck!'
She began to look up. Pink silk dress robes next to green. They were a handsome couple. He was tall with black hair and eyes to match his robes. She was only just shorter than him in her heels. Her hair was dark and curly.
I know her! I know them!
Then the couple spoke. "I can't believe she said yes," the woman said.
"Of course she said yes. She loves him madly, what else would she say?"
"Oh I don't, maybe the same thing she told him the first three time he proposed. 'I love you madly but I want to wait to marry.' Honestly Harry, just because we worked so well doesn't mean everyone can marry at nineteen."
Harry? Nineteen?
"We were eighteen, and you only just."
"Well were twenty now, and so are they. But I'm worried about her. Hermione isn't the sort to rush into things. I still don't see why they had to get married."
"You've met Molly Weasley right? She'd have kittens if they didn't get married. Hermione's parents weren't thrilled either."
'What happened? Why would Hermione rush into marriage? And is it with Ron?'
"Anyway," Harry was saying. "At least now Heather will have someone else to play with."
"She already has DJ, and Evie."
"Yes well, some one who isn't her brother, or a Malfoy."
"Oh Harry stop! You like Draco. And what would you do if he suddenly wasn't there to bicker with?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shoes again.
This time just the pink sandals. But they were in someone's hands.
"I can't run with the damn things on. Where is Heather? The other children?"
"They're all safe," Answered an unfamiliar voice. "Only a few injuries, Mz. Potter. But there's been a casualty."
"Who?"
"Draco Malfoy."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
She could still hear verse from the service: 'Be ambitious for the higher gifts. And I am going to show you a way that is better than any of them.
If I have all the eloquence of men or of angles, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing.
If I have the gift of prophecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything and if I have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am nothing at all.
If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever.
Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never rude or selfish; it does not take offense, and is not resentful.
Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.
Love does not come to an end.'
Well, that might be a bit hard to convince the widow of now, she thought as two clunks marked the fall of two pink sandals to the floor.
Some wedding celebration!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Daisy was looking at a group of teenagers. People she knew. She was there. She was twelve, but she was there. She was watching herself, and Guy laughing. They were a little ways apart from everyone else. He was so much taller than his little sister.
Then Vince came over. He pulled the younger Daisy away by the wrist, and she went without looking back at her brother.
Rancima came over to Guy then. "She'll be alright. She's a smart kid. We all love her." Cima said as she put her arm around Guy.
"Yes, but she's not your sister." Guy said. The Daisy watching saw the hunted look in her brother's eyes. How had she missed before? "I just have a really bad feeling about..." Suddenly his eyes went very wide. "How much V-clear did she just take?!"
Cima shrugged. "Belle is over there. Belle is her sister. She'll take care of her."
"Zuts! C'est impossible. She can't take that much! Vince shouldn't have given her that much. Putain de merde!"
"Guy relax. She's cool."
"Yeah, fine." But he still watched his little sister closely.
*
It took Daisy nearly an hour to stop her visions. She had a lot more control and could tell that her training was paying off. But she wasn't quite in control. She had so many questions. She needed answers.
In flash she was off. She had her cloak rapped around her shoulders as she reached the porthole. It swung open on its own before she got a chance to open it.
It was Dean, Seamus, Neville, Ron, Heroine, and Ginny.
"Heading out again?" Ron asked.
"I need to think. I'm just going for a walk, you know try and clear my head."
"Want some company?" Ginny asked.
"No, I'd rather be on my own. But, um, where's Harry? You didn't leave him alone down there?"
"No," Seamus said. "No offense, but your crowd was a bit odd."
Daisy smiled. "We're gypsies, Seamus. We're very odd."
"Harry's on the Quidditch pitch. Said he wanted to practice some new moves." Neville supplied helpfully.
Daisy took his hand and squeezed it briefly. "Thanks. Bye all."
"Good-bye" they called after her. ******
At the same time Daisy was making a mental note to avoid the Quidditch pitch, Harry was picking up his Firebolt from the broom shed. He had shrunk everything he bought the morning with a hand 'reducto' spell Hermione had shown him, so he was still carrying around a pocket full of candy, and even a few butterbeers.
As he kicked of the ground, he was grateful that he wouldn't have to go into the castle any time soon. Harry wanted to do some thinking. Daisy talked to him. Maybe it was because they had both suffered so much. Maybe it just because he was around when she felt like talking, or because he overheard things that she didn't want him to think he understood, so she would tell a bit more to make him realize he had only scratched the surface.
He did a great loop-to-loop, and continued to fly higher. He had come out here to stop thinking. He never had to try so hard to leave the rest of the world behind on his broom.
He was quite high now. He could see almost the whole grounds. He could see all the way to Hagrid's house and beyond. He could even make out a purple cloaked figure, far away from the pitch, heading towards the forest. The purple cloak was so dark it was almost black. It looked just like Daisy's cloak. In fact, it was Daisy's cloak.
Going of into the forest on her own? What was she playing at? She could be killed.
Without a second thought, Harry rushed towards the purple figure as she disappeared into the forest.
*********************************