Disclaimer: All characters from the Harry Potter world belong to one JKR.
That is all.
A/N: Well, on with the show. Oh, and thankies to the wunnerful reviewers.
Double Trouble
Chapter Thirty
Charlie snarled, his face twisting into something slightly reminiscent of a Dragon. His whole body shook as the rage and anger filled him, along with worry and guilt. He didn't get a chance to tell her he loved her the night before, like he always did.
"I'm going to see Dumbledore." Charlie growled, his eyes flashing dangerously. The old man had to have known something was going on.
"Charlie, it's not going-" Danielle trailed off, her eyes widening. Charlie stared down at her, the fury coming off him in waves.
"I. Am. Going. To. See. Him." He gritted out through clenched teeth, and then brushed past them, on his way into the castle. By that time, Ron and Harry had joined the girls, both pale.
"Where did Charlie go?"
"To see Dumbledore." Hermione answered, her tone tired and worried. Elizabeth wasn't the strongest of the Quads, though she could take care of herself, Hermione worried that Voldemort would injure her, which would devastate the other three.
***
Charlie strode up to the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office, his body blazing a heat born of passionate hate. . . for Voldemort, not Dumbledore.
"Altoids." He snarled at the gargoyle, who jumped aside as if pushed. He swept past it, ignoring the looks he was getting from some of the students that were walking about.
"Ah, Charlie, I was expecting you. . . have a seat." Dumbledore greeted the irate man, gesturing to a seat that was vacated by the Potion's Master. "Severus, if that is all. . . you are dismissed."
"You KNEW!" Charlie accused, not even waiting for Snape to take his leave. "Why didn't you STOP it! You could have told me!" Snape glanced at Dumbledore, nonplussed.
"Charlie, if it wasn't Elizabeth, it would have been Hermione, or Harry, or even Ron. It's better this way."
"BETTER?! FOR WHO? YOU? HARRY?" Charlie leapt from the seat, his eyes flashing. "HOW CAN IT BE BETTER?! HE'S HURTING HER!" Snape glanced at Dumbledore, his eyes widening imperceptibly. The Weasley temper was something very terrible to witness, but Dumbledore sat there calmly.
"It had to be one or the other."
Charlie grabbed a glass orb that was sitting upon the desk, flinging it, and shattering it against the wall. His breath came in gasps, and his face was bright red, clashing horribly with his trademark hair. His scarred hands were clenched into tight fists, as he stared at Dumbledore.
"That could have been prevented. SO COULD THIS!" Charlie whirled about, ramming his fist into the stone wall, the crunching of bones audible in the echoing silence. He ignored the blood that ran freely down his hand. "She doesn't deserve this!"
"Charlie, you have to pick and choose your battles."
"NO! I want her back! I need to go get her! I need-" He trailed off, his face going pale, tears springing into his clouded blue eyes. "I need to tell her I love her. Hold her again. . . like I didn't last night." He sagged against the wall, his anger turning to despair. "What if he kills her? What will I do then? I can't live without her. I lost her once, I will not lose her again!" He slid down the wall, tears flowing freely down his cheeks, "I can't."
Snape stared at the second oldest Weasley boy, to love so completely.
"I could. . . inquire at the next Revel." Snape offered hesitantly. He felt pity for the other man, watching him sob uncontrollably. "I could probably find out where she's being held. She's too valuable to be killed."
***
"Please. . . just kill me." Elizabeth whispered, scooting back in the bed. "Please, don't let this happen to me." She managed to squeak out, before the necklace about her throat pulsed pain through her body.
"Miss is being unreasonable." Ponny stated, shaking her head in pity. "All will be fine in the morning, Miss will see."
"No it won't." Elizabeth hissed, pain lancing through her body. Stupid Necklace! "It will never be fine!" Another shot of pain lanced through her body, and she screamed.
***
"Will she never listen, My Lord?" Lucius glanced at Voldemort as yet another scream ripped through the house.
"She has her lessons to learn, Lucius." Voldemort hissed, his snake-like eyes narrowing. "She will learn them in time, though I must admit, I am not among the most patient. . . still, she IS a fast learner. Stubborn though." An evil smile split his visage. Another scream echoed in the silence, and Voldemort let out a cackle of glee.
Lucius stared at his Lord with something akin to disgust, though he would never admit it. The man was mad, powerful, but terribly mad. The screams grew in pitch. . . and then, suddenly cut off.
"She's passed out. When she awakes, she will be more docile." Voldemort conversed in hushed tones, as if afraid of waking her. "Then. . . she will be ready."
***
"What do you think he's doing to her?" Pansy paced about the room, Melody bouncing contentedly on her hip, seemingly oblivious to the solemn air about her. Hermione stared morosely out the window, tears in her cinnamon eyes.
"I honestly don't know. It was horrid, though, when I felt that absolute nothingness." She turned to look at Pansy. "If He lays a FINGER on her, Harry won't have to worry about his prophecy, I'll kill him with my bare hands!"
Draco stared at Hermione, shocked at her vehemence. "He won't dare harm her, Mione, she is too valuable to him alive."
"Oh really?" Hermione whirled around, "Then WHY did he take her?"
"She is just one of the many. I heard my father discussing it. . . it's why I had to come to you. It seems he wishes to sire heirs that will have power to rival that of even Dumbledore's."
Hermione paled. "He. . .he WOULDN'T!"
"Yes, I'm afraid he would."
Harry looked up from his and Ron's game of chess, his emerald eyes narrowing in decisiveness. "Draco. . . you know where they are, don't you?"
Draco swallowed slightly, "And if I do?"
"Then we're going to go get her! I will not sit by and let another person die, or worse, because of me!"
Draco smiled, one of his rare real smiles, "Then, yes, I do know where they are." If there was anything he truly loved, it was causing mischief for his father. He knew where they were and his way around the house like the back of his hand. "When?"
Ron laughed, "Tonight, of course. She'll be back before the morn breaks."
Pansy smirked, "So, our first 'Official' act as a Rebellion then?" She glanced at Draco.
"Yes, our first official act. But if we're a rebellion. . . shouldn't we have a name?"
Harry grinned, "Well, Dumbledore's Army worked last year. . ."
"No." Hermione interrupted, a thoughtful look on her face, "How about Students Against Rampaging Despots? S.A.R.D.?"
"SARD?" Ron sniggered. "Why not name it Students Making Advances on Ruling Tyrannicals? S.M.A.R.T."
The rest of them gaped. "Erm. . ." Ginny looked at them, "How about Order of the Crimson Dragon?"
Hermione suddenly burst out in a fit of hysterical giggles. "We'll be the OCD!"
Harry laughed weakly, but he rolled the name around in his head. He liked it, and not just because Ginny had suggested it, but because, if Dumbledore could have an Order, he could too. "I like it. . . I do." Ginny was glaring at Hermione, obviously not getting the joke.
"I like it too." Hermione protested between giggles, "It's just. . . oh never mind, it's a Muggle thing."
Draco smiled, and then turned to Pansy, "So, the Order of the Crimson Dragon. It has a. . . mysteriousness to it. I like it. . . definitely. So, first act as the OCD. . ." Giggles from Hermione, "Is to pick our officers."
"No." This time it was George, "We should have equal footing in this. We need a leader, yes, but. . ."
"But. . . we could have two. Draco and Harry. And the rest of us are. . . hmmm. . . well, we're not aurors, nor are we spies." Fred mused. "We can be the. . . the Dragonets!"
"Should we have a mark?" It was Greg who posed this question.
"Hmm. . ." Hermione suddenly grinned. "How about a streak of crimson in our hair?"
"No. . ." George glanced at his girl. "Four of us are redheads, silly."
"Then, how about a small Crimson Dragon. Like on our shoulder-blades. The spell tattoo type that you used Hermione." Fred grinned. "And as more add to our number, we can just tell them by the tattoo. Sort of make it like a tracking beacon. Tap into the Map for that one."
"That's a great idea Gred!"
"Thank you Forge."
"No problem, Gred."
"Ah, my pleasure Forge."
"Would you two shut it?"
"Of course, sister dearest."
"We'd love to, eh Forge."
"Quite, Gred, quite."
Hermione clapped George on the back of his head, and threw a threatening stare at Fred, who attempted to look innocent. "Okay, are we all in agreement to the crimson Dragon tattoo?"
A chorus of aye met her question, and she readied her wand.
***
"Well, that was almost painless." George grinned as Hermione placed the last charm on herself, almost a half hour later.
"Of course it was, it wasn't like I was branding you or something." Hermione smirked, then looked over to Melody, who was gazing enviously up at the older teens. "Draco, I think Ari wants one."
"Ari wants. . . I don't think so!"
"What's it going to hurt. . . you know the prophecy, she may as well be a member, she's a medium, so she'll be of good use."
"We are NOT going to mark my little sister. And that is final!"
"Bad!" Ari pouted, and Hermione grinned. "Want 'too."
***
The three remaining Quads paced the room, agitated. Charlie sat in a corner, staring morosely out the large window, his face ashen.
Bill was looking between his brother and the girls when Remus broke into the tense silence. "Look, we can't just sit around here."
"What choice do we have?"
Danielle glanced up from her pacing, her eyes growing distant as her magic sprang into life. "The Serpent must beware the Crimson Dragon." Her voice sounded strangely distant. Skylar and Raya stopped their pacing, glancing at their sister warily.
"Elle, who is the Crimson Dragon?" Raya asked her sister quietly. While she had never been a Seer, the fickleness of her Element allowed for a little leeway into spying the future. Even little glimpses helped, that's how they saved their family the last time.
"Ten strong, a force of reckoning. They are strong apart, but stronger together, enemies becoming allies, fight a force that one has faced before. Where the Dragon and Griffin lead, others follow, but all will bow before the Unicorn Queen when the time is ripe, and it is she who will decide the fight."
"Dragon. . . Griffin. . . Unicorn? What is she babbling about?" Charlie turned his attention from the window, his blue eyes focusing on Danielle.
Danielle stopped, her eyes focusing again, the radiant blue about her body extinguished, and she sagged against Raya, who held her for a moment. "She wasn't babbling Charlie, someone other than us has a vendetta against the Dark Lord. It will take a while to decipher but I'm fairly certain Elizabeth is safe."
***
Elizabeth grimaced, regretting the moment the opened her eyes. No light filtered in through the dim window, so it was safe to assume the sun had set, which meant that He would be coming soon. To defile her.
Ponny glanced at Elizabeth wistfully, she was such a nice Mistress, unlike the Master, who hurt. She needn't be in pain. She was good, the Master was bad. So she was faced with a choice, disobey the Master and hurt, or watch while the Master turned the lovely Mistress into a husk of what she formerly was. Something in her snapped. She would rather die than see the pain she had witnessed earlier. So it was free the Mistress and face the consequences. One life for many, a life of a house elf wasn't much, but she hoped bartering on that scale would pay off. Maybe she would set in motion liberation for her race. She had heard of a Hermione Granger who was trying to free the Elves.
Ponny crossed the room swiftly and silently. It would be easy ridding her of the necklace, but what of the potion given her that reined the Mistress's awesome power? Maybe the one called Snape could help her with that. . . at the school Master Malfoy was always on about. If the Mistress could escape.
Ponny saw that the Mistress was awake, but in pain. . . terrible pain. She quickly unfastened the trinket about the Mistress's neck and dropped it in the floor swiftly. All she had to do now was retrieve a Potion for Healing, and all would be well. One life for many.
"And just what do you think you are doing?" A falsetto voice reached Ponny's ears, and she gave a slight shiver, Master Pettigrew!
***
A/N: Okay, here's chapter thirty. So Harry and Draco have and order. Can you guess who the Unicorn Queen is? I'll tell you it's not Pansy or Ginny. Heh. Anyway don't forget to RR.
Love,
~Me~
A/N: Well, on with the show. Oh, and thankies to the wunnerful reviewers.
Double Trouble
Chapter Thirty
Charlie snarled, his face twisting into something slightly reminiscent of a Dragon. His whole body shook as the rage and anger filled him, along with worry and guilt. He didn't get a chance to tell her he loved her the night before, like he always did.
"I'm going to see Dumbledore." Charlie growled, his eyes flashing dangerously. The old man had to have known something was going on.
"Charlie, it's not going-" Danielle trailed off, her eyes widening. Charlie stared down at her, the fury coming off him in waves.
"I. Am. Going. To. See. Him." He gritted out through clenched teeth, and then brushed past them, on his way into the castle. By that time, Ron and Harry had joined the girls, both pale.
"Where did Charlie go?"
"To see Dumbledore." Hermione answered, her tone tired and worried. Elizabeth wasn't the strongest of the Quads, though she could take care of herself, Hermione worried that Voldemort would injure her, which would devastate the other three.
***
Charlie strode up to the gargoyle that guarded the entrance to Dumbledore's office, his body blazing a heat born of passionate hate. . . for Voldemort, not Dumbledore.
"Altoids." He snarled at the gargoyle, who jumped aside as if pushed. He swept past it, ignoring the looks he was getting from some of the students that were walking about.
"Ah, Charlie, I was expecting you. . . have a seat." Dumbledore greeted the irate man, gesturing to a seat that was vacated by the Potion's Master. "Severus, if that is all. . . you are dismissed."
"You KNEW!" Charlie accused, not even waiting for Snape to take his leave. "Why didn't you STOP it! You could have told me!" Snape glanced at Dumbledore, nonplussed.
"Charlie, if it wasn't Elizabeth, it would have been Hermione, or Harry, or even Ron. It's better this way."
"BETTER?! FOR WHO? YOU? HARRY?" Charlie leapt from the seat, his eyes flashing. "HOW CAN IT BE BETTER?! HE'S HURTING HER!" Snape glanced at Dumbledore, his eyes widening imperceptibly. The Weasley temper was something very terrible to witness, but Dumbledore sat there calmly.
"It had to be one or the other."
Charlie grabbed a glass orb that was sitting upon the desk, flinging it, and shattering it against the wall. His breath came in gasps, and his face was bright red, clashing horribly with his trademark hair. His scarred hands were clenched into tight fists, as he stared at Dumbledore.
"That could have been prevented. SO COULD THIS!" Charlie whirled about, ramming his fist into the stone wall, the crunching of bones audible in the echoing silence. He ignored the blood that ran freely down his hand. "She doesn't deserve this!"
"Charlie, you have to pick and choose your battles."
"NO! I want her back! I need to go get her! I need-" He trailed off, his face going pale, tears springing into his clouded blue eyes. "I need to tell her I love her. Hold her again. . . like I didn't last night." He sagged against the wall, his anger turning to despair. "What if he kills her? What will I do then? I can't live without her. I lost her once, I will not lose her again!" He slid down the wall, tears flowing freely down his cheeks, "I can't."
Snape stared at the second oldest Weasley boy, to love so completely.
"I could. . . inquire at the next Revel." Snape offered hesitantly. He felt pity for the other man, watching him sob uncontrollably. "I could probably find out where she's being held. She's too valuable to be killed."
***
"Please. . . just kill me." Elizabeth whispered, scooting back in the bed. "Please, don't let this happen to me." She managed to squeak out, before the necklace about her throat pulsed pain through her body.
"Miss is being unreasonable." Ponny stated, shaking her head in pity. "All will be fine in the morning, Miss will see."
"No it won't." Elizabeth hissed, pain lancing through her body. Stupid Necklace! "It will never be fine!" Another shot of pain lanced through her body, and she screamed.
***
"Will she never listen, My Lord?" Lucius glanced at Voldemort as yet another scream ripped through the house.
"She has her lessons to learn, Lucius." Voldemort hissed, his snake-like eyes narrowing. "She will learn them in time, though I must admit, I am not among the most patient. . . still, she IS a fast learner. Stubborn though." An evil smile split his visage. Another scream echoed in the silence, and Voldemort let out a cackle of glee.
Lucius stared at his Lord with something akin to disgust, though he would never admit it. The man was mad, powerful, but terribly mad. The screams grew in pitch. . . and then, suddenly cut off.
"She's passed out. When she awakes, she will be more docile." Voldemort conversed in hushed tones, as if afraid of waking her. "Then. . . she will be ready."
***
"What do you think he's doing to her?" Pansy paced about the room, Melody bouncing contentedly on her hip, seemingly oblivious to the solemn air about her. Hermione stared morosely out the window, tears in her cinnamon eyes.
"I honestly don't know. It was horrid, though, when I felt that absolute nothingness." She turned to look at Pansy. "If He lays a FINGER on her, Harry won't have to worry about his prophecy, I'll kill him with my bare hands!"
Draco stared at Hermione, shocked at her vehemence. "He won't dare harm her, Mione, she is too valuable to him alive."
"Oh really?" Hermione whirled around, "Then WHY did he take her?"
"She is just one of the many. I heard my father discussing it. . . it's why I had to come to you. It seems he wishes to sire heirs that will have power to rival that of even Dumbledore's."
Hermione paled. "He. . .he WOULDN'T!"
"Yes, I'm afraid he would."
Harry looked up from his and Ron's game of chess, his emerald eyes narrowing in decisiveness. "Draco. . . you know where they are, don't you?"
Draco swallowed slightly, "And if I do?"
"Then we're going to go get her! I will not sit by and let another person die, or worse, because of me!"
Draco smiled, one of his rare real smiles, "Then, yes, I do know where they are." If there was anything he truly loved, it was causing mischief for his father. He knew where they were and his way around the house like the back of his hand. "When?"
Ron laughed, "Tonight, of course. She'll be back before the morn breaks."
Pansy smirked, "So, our first 'Official' act as a Rebellion then?" She glanced at Draco.
"Yes, our first official act. But if we're a rebellion. . . shouldn't we have a name?"
Harry grinned, "Well, Dumbledore's Army worked last year. . ."
"No." Hermione interrupted, a thoughtful look on her face, "How about Students Against Rampaging Despots? S.A.R.D.?"
"SARD?" Ron sniggered. "Why not name it Students Making Advances on Ruling Tyrannicals? S.M.A.R.T."
The rest of them gaped. "Erm. . ." Ginny looked at them, "How about Order of the Crimson Dragon?"
Hermione suddenly burst out in a fit of hysterical giggles. "We'll be the OCD!"
Harry laughed weakly, but he rolled the name around in his head. He liked it, and not just because Ginny had suggested it, but because, if Dumbledore could have an Order, he could too. "I like it. . . I do." Ginny was glaring at Hermione, obviously not getting the joke.
"I like it too." Hermione protested between giggles, "It's just. . . oh never mind, it's a Muggle thing."
Draco smiled, and then turned to Pansy, "So, the Order of the Crimson Dragon. It has a. . . mysteriousness to it. I like it. . . definitely. So, first act as the OCD. . ." Giggles from Hermione, "Is to pick our officers."
"No." This time it was George, "We should have equal footing in this. We need a leader, yes, but. . ."
"But. . . we could have two. Draco and Harry. And the rest of us are. . . hmmm. . . well, we're not aurors, nor are we spies." Fred mused. "We can be the. . . the Dragonets!"
"Should we have a mark?" It was Greg who posed this question.
"Hmm. . ." Hermione suddenly grinned. "How about a streak of crimson in our hair?"
"No. . ." George glanced at his girl. "Four of us are redheads, silly."
"Then, how about a small Crimson Dragon. Like on our shoulder-blades. The spell tattoo type that you used Hermione." Fred grinned. "And as more add to our number, we can just tell them by the tattoo. Sort of make it like a tracking beacon. Tap into the Map for that one."
"That's a great idea Gred!"
"Thank you Forge."
"No problem, Gred."
"Ah, my pleasure Forge."
"Would you two shut it?"
"Of course, sister dearest."
"We'd love to, eh Forge."
"Quite, Gred, quite."
Hermione clapped George on the back of his head, and threw a threatening stare at Fred, who attempted to look innocent. "Okay, are we all in agreement to the crimson Dragon tattoo?"
A chorus of aye met her question, and she readied her wand.
***
"Well, that was almost painless." George grinned as Hermione placed the last charm on herself, almost a half hour later.
"Of course it was, it wasn't like I was branding you or something." Hermione smirked, then looked over to Melody, who was gazing enviously up at the older teens. "Draco, I think Ari wants one."
"Ari wants. . . I don't think so!"
"What's it going to hurt. . . you know the prophecy, she may as well be a member, she's a medium, so she'll be of good use."
"We are NOT going to mark my little sister. And that is final!"
"Bad!" Ari pouted, and Hermione grinned. "Want 'too."
***
The three remaining Quads paced the room, agitated. Charlie sat in a corner, staring morosely out the large window, his face ashen.
Bill was looking between his brother and the girls when Remus broke into the tense silence. "Look, we can't just sit around here."
"What choice do we have?"
Danielle glanced up from her pacing, her eyes growing distant as her magic sprang into life. "The Serpent must beware the Crimson Dragon." Her voice sounded strangely distant. Skylar and Raya stopped their pacing, glancing at their sister warily.
"Elle, who is the Crimson Dragon?" Raya asked her sister quietly. While she had never been a Seer, the fickleness of her Element allowed for a little leeway into spying the future. Even little glimpses helped, that's how they saved their family the last time.
"Ten strong, a force of reckoning. They are strong apart, but stronger together, enemies becoming allies, fight a force that one has faced before. Where the Dragon and Griffin lead, others follow, but all will bow before the Unicorn Queen when the time is ripe, and it is she who will decide the fight."
"Dragon. . . Griffin. . . Unicorn? What is she babbling about?" Charlie turned his attention from the window, his blue eyes focusing on Danielle.
Danielle stopped, her eyes focusing again, the radiant blue about her body extinguished, and she sagged against Raya, who held her for a moment. "She wasn't babbling Charlie, someone other than us has a vendetta against the Dark Lord. It will take a while to decipher but I'm fairly certain Elizabeth is safe."
***
Elizabeth grimaced, regretting the moment the opened her eyes. No light filtered in through the dim window, so it was safe to assume the sun had set, which meant that He would be coming soon. To defile her.
Ponny glanced at Elizabeth wistfully, she was such a nice Mistress, unlike the Master, who hurt. She needn't be in pain. She was good, the Master was bad. So she was faced with a choice, disobey the Master and hurt, or watch while the Master turned the lovely Mistress into a husk of what she formerly was. Something in her snapped. She would rather die than see the pain she had witnessed earlier. So it was free the Mistress and face the consequences. One life for many, a life of a house elf wasn't much, but she hoped bartering on that scale would pay off. Maybe she would set in motion liberation for her race. She had heard of a Hermione Granger who was trying to free the Elves.
Ponny crossed the room swiftly and silently. It would be easy ridding her of the necklace, but what of the potion given her that reined the Mistress's awesome power? Maybe the one called Snape could help her with that. . . at the school Master Malfoy was always on about. If the Mistress could escape.
Ponny saw that the Mistress was awake, but in pain. . . terrible pain. She quickly unfastened the trinket about the Mistress's neck and dropped it in the floor swiftly. All she had to do now was retrieve a Potion for Healing, and all would be well. One life for many.
"And just what do you think you are doing?" A falsetto voice reached Ponny's ears, and she gave a slight shiver, Master Pettigrew!
***
A/N: Okay, here's chapter thirty. So Harry and Draco have and order. Can you guess who the Unicorn Queen is? I'll tell you it's not Pansy or Ginny. Heh. Anyway don't forget to RR.
Love,
~Me~
