Chapter 30
Kayla looked at her watch, recognizing it was just 1 ½ hours until midnight and the common room was still packed with students. She started to get nervous, so she decided she could as well get her charms homework done to pass the time.
An hour later only a few first years were there and Kayla told Hermione that her father would be paying her a visit. Hermione understood perfectly well and shooed the firstyears to their common room. Harry and Ron decided to leave the twins alone to meet their father and went upstairs as well.
"What dad's coming?" Kelsey gasped "But I thought..."
Kayla interrupted him "He'll deliver something and he won't show up here personally; at least not in one piece. We're supposed to meet him at the fireplace." She checked her watch once more right before the flames turned green and her fathers' head appeared in the flames.
He mumbled something and Kelsey took the fire tongs and removed a little bag from his fathers' mouth. His mouth turned instantly into a wide smile, showing his white teeth, which made quite a big contrast to his dark skin. The twins waved at her father while Odin stared suspiciously at the head in the fireplace and hissed.
"So how are my favourite children today", he laughed.
"Dad, we're your only children" Kelsey replied with a mocking voice. "How do you know" Floyd asked dryly and raised his eyebrows.
Kayla giggled when she looked at her brother's shocked face. "All jokes aside dad, have you talked to Dumbledore lately?" she asked
"No I haven't; I'm not supposed to contact anyone to be honest" he answered remorsefully. "Not even your mother knows where I'm at and..."
"Where is mom" Kelsey interjected.
"Your mother is contacting more potential allies. Her training as a diplomat is very helpful here. But I can't tell you more right now." his father continued.
"Dad, I assume this is what I have asked for" Kayla pointed at the little bag at the table.
"Yes it should be enough for your purposes and I still have a little left at home" the wizard replied.
"Thanks dad" his daughter cheered. "I'd hug you but you are just a little too hot for my taste right now" The wizard laughed loudly at his daughters comment and smiled widely.
Kayla just loved the way her fathers' voice sounded. Since she was a little kid, the full bass voice of her father made her feel comfortable and loved.
"I don't have much time kids. We still don't know how many deatheaters have infiltrated the ministry and to what extend the communication channels are watched. So don't give out any more important information to anyone. Owls have been intercepted; we know that much, but we have no idea if the messages were altered."
"Ok dad; we have all the information we need anyway." Kelsey assured.
"Please tell mom we love and miss her if you should see her before we do" Kayla added meekly.
"Will do. I have to go now and you will go right to bed, you have classes tomorrow after all." The twins nodded and left the common room after their father had disappeared with a little plop.
Kelsey curled up in his bed and thought about what they had accomplished so far. They had bark of holy oak and dried vampire blood in a safe place already. Zara would be providing the Aquarius scale, so this only left the moonbell root.
Knowing that pondering about it any more tonight wouldn't help, he closed his eyes and fell asleep within minutes. It wasn't as easy for Harry. He felt uncomfortable that he had not been able to visit Sirius today. After Herbology he had wanted to make a quick trip to the Whomping Willow, but had been too scared Malfoy would follow him. He decided he would go to see Sirius tomorrow, while Malfoy was attending Snape's extra class.
When they went down to breakfast next morning, Kelsey recognized Zara standing next to a broom closet in the entrance hall. Something seemed to be not quite right, so he told the rest of the group he'd join then later and walked over to her.
When he looked at her he was shocked. Her pretty face was red and blotchy sore and her eyes looked like she he had been crying.
"What happened? Did you get bad news from home?" he asked when he spotted the journal she had clutched to her chest.
"The Aquarius scale... the..the..." she sobbed heart-rending. Kelsey didn't want to discuss this delicate issue in front of the entire students and took action. Without further ado, he grabbed the girls hand and pulled her inside the broom closet.
Zara was caught off guard and had no chance to stop him. Kelsey whispered "Lumos" and his wand lightened his face. He still held her hand and to Zara's surprise it felt rather comfortable, just like her hand belonged right there. Her sobbing had stopped and now she just looked up at the boy's face without saying a word.
After a few moments Kelsey broke the silence and asked calmly "So what exactly happened?" Zara swallowed hard before she answered. Being alone in a very small broom closet with him had crossed her mind more than once in the past weeks, but now that it actually happened she didn't know what to do. They were standing quite closely and while she shifted slightly from one foot on the other, her leg touched his. Kelsey frowned, thinking very hard if he'd said something that might have offended her.
Then she finally cleared her throat and said "My dad just informed me that the Aquarius' are at a conference and that they might not be back for three or four weeks. So we might not get the scale in time" She started sobbing again and before she even knew what happened, Kelsey pulled her closer into a comforting embrace. She leaned her head against his chest and went on sobbing, while Kelsey stroked her hair and tried to soothe her. The two students remained like that for a little longer before Kelsey pulled back and Zara looked up to him.
"No need to cry Zara. The Aquarius scale is the last ingredient to be added and as long as we have it a week before Christmas, everything will be just fine" he assured the desperate girl.
Zara managed a week smile "Are you sure?"
"Yes I am" he gave Zara's hand an assuring squeeze. "You don't need to worry. Everything will work out just fine" he added, although deep inside he wasn't so sure himself. Before she knew what she was doing she rose on her tiptoes and brushed her lips over his cheek. Kelsey's eyes widened in surprise, but by the time he was able to move again, Zara had already left in a hurry. He remained in the closet for a few more minutes to regain his composure. All he needed right now was his sister and his friends making scornful remarks about his, most likely, blushing face.
Despite all his efforts, Kayla knew instantly that something had happened when her brother joined them at the Gryffindor table. The otherwise very talkative and cheerful teenager seemed very reserved and dreamy. His friends also recognized that during the classes he seemed distracted and kind of daydreaming.
"Albus, why haven't I been informed? Deatheaters on the school grounds! And I can't recall that you have permission for those dragons I've seen when I entered the grounds" the minister for magic bellowed.
"I know Cornelius, but the safety of the students had to be maintained and the unpleasant incident with the deatheaters proved that it was right not to wait for the official paperwork to pass" Dumbledore answered calmly. He looked patiently while the angry wizard in front of him was fidgeting with his bowler hat.
"Lucius Malfoy approached me in my office this morning with a petition, signed by all members of the school board, to remove you from your position." the minister continued, still quite agitated.
Dumbledore sighed deeply and pinched the bridge of his nose "Oh not again. I thought the ministry had learned a lesson with what happened last time I was removed from my position. Do you really think it's a wise decision now that Voldemort is back?"
"HE IS NOT BACK!" Fudge spat, biting off every word. "This is all a fairy tale from our number-one-wanna-be-celebrity. I'm getting really tired of parents calling about the safety of their children, just because this little show off can't get enough attention"
Dumbledore smiled at the short man, whose face was now hot of fury and looked like a bomb ready to explode. "Cornelius please, be reasonable now. Maybe you don't believe Harry or me in that matter, but the visit of three deatheaters speaks volumes. Do you really want me to leave now?" the headmaster asked sternly.
Fudge was shifting uncomfortable in his seat now. ""Albus, I don't feel well about you leaving, seriously, but the school board... Personally I don't believe you actually ordered a grim on the grounds. That's just too ridiculous, but Lucius is firmly convinced of it and he can be very persuasive"
"I assumed you were the minister for magic and not Lucius Malfoy" Dumbledore gave Fudge an inquisitive look.
"I AM the minister" the short wizard shouted effervescing.
"Then start acting like it" was the answer he was getting from the headmaster.
The minister gasped for air and then reconsidered his position. "For now I revise the school boards' decision and you will remain headmaster until further notice. But I have to warn you, Albus, if anything else happens, I will have no other choice but to replace you." Fudge said almost apologetically.
"I'm fully aware of that Cornelius" Dumbledore opened the door to his office and followed the minister down the moving staircase.
"Why isn't he cuffed" Malfoy shouted.
"Good day Lucius" Dumbledore said calmly when they reached the blond wizard. "Pleased to meet you. What brings you here during work time?"
Malfoy shook off Dumbledore's outstretched hand like a nasty insect and growled "I'm here to pick my son up. My mother died this morning and the family expects Draco to pay his last respects to his grandmother. I'm sure you will grand this request, won't you"
Lucius Malfoy knew his plan hadn't worked out as planned. The Dark Lord needed the Potter boy to complete the last phase of the spell that would provide him with immortality, so he had to get rid of Dumbledore. He also wanted Dumbledore, but one thing at a time. Still furious how the useless minister had managed to mess up his well calculated plan, he tried to regain his composure. He had to talk to Draco about a special task tonight, which was very important for further actions.
"Of course Lucius; he is furloughed until the end of the week if needed" Dumbledore confirmed. "Would you please excuse me now, but I have some problems to tend to" and without further ado, he went back to his office.
While Kayla and the rest walked back to the castle after Care of Magical creatures, Harry walked over to the Whomping Willow. He wanted to make sure that Sirius was ok and if he had had a chance to make out, who the escaped deatheater was. When Harry entered the Shrieking Shack, he recognized his godfather sitting on the dusty bed, gnawing at something that looked like one of Hagrid's rock-cookies.
"I've heard you've been hunting some deatheaters" Harry stated and managed an almost convincing smile.
"I did. Unfortunately he made it out of the grounds before I could grab him. I still don't have a clue, how he got past the dragons. Do you know who the other two were?" Sirius growled.
"Rockwood and McNair" Harry said simply.
"And both were working for the ministry. Fudge should start thinking, but he has never been a good replacement for... never mind" the older wizards' voice trailed off. Harry knew by the look on his godfathers' face that he wouldn't answer any further questions about this topic and so he remained quiet.
"By the way" Sirius face suddenly lit up "I have something for you". He got up and seized his ragged cloak from a badly damaged table next to the barricaded window. "Open your hands Harry"
The young wizard stretched his hands out while Sirius took something out of one of the pockets of his cloak and put it in the boys' hands.
"Oh" Harry gasped "Is this what I think it is?"
"Yes it is my dear godson" Sirius replied impishly.
"But how...how did you get it?" "I went to the Forbidden Forest the night the deatheaters attacked. This is how I found out about them in the first place. I know the slimy git of a potions teacher told your friend that he couldn't get past the giant spider and I also know that you know what he was talking about. Well I'm not afraid of Aragog."
Sirius looked at the baffled face of his godson and grinned before he continued "During our school time, your father, Remus and I often strolled through the forest and we also crossed Aragon's path. Peter never had the courage to follow us into the very depths of the Forbidden Forest. I never understood why the Sorting Hat put this lousy traitor in Gryffindor."
Harry heard the bitterness in Sirius voice and wished for about the thousandth time they wouldn't have let Wormtail escape.
"It's no use crying over spilled potion" Sirius sighed and got up. "Harry could you please send a house-elf to Hagrid's hut during dinner? I don't want to offend my old mate, but my stomach can't take his cooking any longer" Harry laughed and nodded, before he left the Shrieking Shack.
Outside he decided to take a little walk along the lake before he went back to the castle. While he passed the giant squid, which was playing in the water, he padded the moonbell roots in his pocket. "Wait Malfoy... when we're finished with you, your own mother won't consider her son anymore."
Harry already had turned around and took the way up to the castle, so he couldn't see the shadow behind the tree.