Chapter 71

Lily and James guided Petunia and Dudley home and promised them to pick them up again in the morning.

Petunia was totally absentminded and only spoke about five words during the whole time.

Before Lily and James said goodbye, the witched turned to Dudley and said "I have something for you. Every student is allowed to have a pet, so I bought you one"

She pulled a black rat out of her pocket and handed it to the boy.

"His name is Shaka. Take good care of him"

The rat had already crawled on Dudley's shoulder and whipped his long tail.

Lily glanced at her sister and was surprised that she didn't react. Petunia hated animals and especially rats, but the witch was sure that as soon as Vernon was back in the house, her sister would be back to normal.

This was her little revenge for all the terrible things Harry had to endure from her sister.

Dudley seemed to be very happy with Shaka and had already taken him in the kitchen for a little snack.

"Keep your head up, Petunia" Lily said, before she apparated back to headquarters.

"So what did Poppy say?" James said excitedly, when they arrived in the kitchen.

"Well, my dear" Lily smiled broadly. "Poppy told me that the Muscail potion had a funny side effect"

"Did the potion make you sick?" James called with a concerned voice. Instantly he pushed her towards a chair, but Lily spun around and looked him deep in the eyes.

"No need to worry, James. I'm perfectly fine"

"Oh good" he sighed with relief and pulled her in a tight embrace.

"Don't squeeze me too hard. We don't want to harm our little guest, do we?"

James let her go so fast as if he had just burnt himself.

"Guest?" he said and arched his eyebrows. Then the last piece of the puzzle fell in its place and he understood.

"Oh my ... Lily" he whispered as he carefully hugged her again.

Lily felt his tears on her face as her husband cried of joy.

"How do you think Harry is going to take it?" she asked him anxiously.

"Oh trust me; he will be bursting of pride. He always wanted a family and now he finally has one"

Then they heard a rumbling above their heads and a loud crash.

"What was that?" Lily shouted and they both darted out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

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Lady Tanya cursed furiously as she tried to push the hippogriff off her. Sirius entered his mother's old bedroom and recognized the witch, who was buried under Buckbeak.

"Are you alright?" he asked her anxiously.

"Get this brute off me" she called hysterically and waved her hands in frustration. Sirius pulled the hippogriff back on his feet and then helped Lady Tanya up.

"Where is Kimberly?" he asked her.

"She is still at Hogwarts. Right after we took off, something hit her and she fell. Hagrid caught her and I think I saw Remus carrying her back to the castle" she explained.

"Oh my god. I hope she is ok" Sirius exclaimed.

"I tried to land that monster, but it refused. Then Hagrid waved me off and told me I should fly home. I wanted to help her, but that ruddy hippogriff wouldn't cooperate"

Lady Tanya was very enraged and shot daggers at Buckbeak, who was already devouring a bucket of dead rats.

"Calm down now and let's sit down in the library" Sirius said and put his arm around her shoulder.

Lady Tanya reluctantly accompanied him to the library and sat down next to him. Hermione was reading in an armchair while Harry and Ron played wizards chess.

"We had a quite exciting afternoon here as well" Sirius said and pointed at the dark spot behind the door"

"Oh what happened?" Lady Tanya said airily and Sirius told her about Kreacher's death.

"We have taken him into the storage room downstairs, until we know what to do with him"

"Yes someone beheaded this poor house-elf and we couldn't figure out who" Hermione said shocked.

Lady Tanya didn't retort, but grabbed a book and tried to read. However, it was no use; her hands were shaking so hard that she couldn't hold the book steady.

"What is wrong with you, Tanya?" the black haired wizard asked with a concerned look.

At that moment, Lily and James stormed into the library.

"What happened here? We heard that crash downstairs"

Sirius beckoned James and Lily to sit down and then he repeated everything from Zara's abduction over Kreacher's death to Lady Tanya's bumpy landing.

"So Albus and Severus know about the situation with Zara?" Lily questioned.

Lady Tanya nodded.

"There is nothing we can do now until the problem with the floo network is fixed. I trust Albus will take care of that." James said and padded his wife's arm.

"Another question is who killed the house-elf?" Hermione stated. She was very concerned about the death of Kreacher.

"Yes it is a good question. The house was almost empty when he was killed" Sirius mused.

"How do we know that he was killed before we returned from Diagon Alley?" Hermione asked. "He might as well could have died right after we arrived."

"Who cares about that foul house-elf anyway" Lady Tanya cried. "He was evil and perfidious. He was the reason for all the terrible things that have happened."

Sirius and James exchanged curious looks. The outburst was very strange and raised new questions.

"Would you like to explain your assumption please?" James asked and looked at Lady Tanya, who had risen from her chair.

"When I returned to my picture to get my cloak, before we left for Hogwarts, I found Kreacher in Sirius bedroom, searching through the cupboards muttering to himself. I heard that he had informed Narcissa and Bellatrix about the trip to Diagon Alley and that he was functioning as a spy. Fortunately he couldn't tell them about Lily and James, because Sirius had explicitly forbidden him to talk about it."

Sirius was baffled and beckoned her to continue.

"Then I just couldn't hold on any longer. I was so upset and I grabbed his filthy towel and shouted at him. Unfortunately I totally forgot myself and told him he wouldn't gain anything with his treachery. When he heard that I wanted to inform Dumbledore, he tried to set my painting on fire. I threw a vase at him, he let go off the painting, ran through the side door of the bedroom into the library and tried to get into the hallway. He taunted that he would inform his Mistress and then I saw no other way. This foul, evil creature was too dangerous to remain free, so I grabbed on of the axes and ..."

"You copped his head off?" Ron called and chuckled impressed.

"I'm sorry..." she mumbled but then she held her head high and said with a strong voice "NO I'm not sorry at all. This turncoat deserved it"

Everybody nodded in agreement, except Hermione. She chewed on her bottom lip, not sure what to think about all that. She would have rather seen the house-elf getting a regular trial than being executed in cold blood.

Lily decided then that it would be the best to keep the good news for later.

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"Is she going to be ok?" Remus asked anxiously, while Madam Pomfrey examined Kimberly. "I'm not sure Remus. I have seen anything like this before." Poppy said and held up a black arrow.

"I will go and get Albus. Maybe he can bring some light into this whole situation" Remus said and left the hospital wing.

Dumbledore had finished his conversation with Severus. They had recognized that they couldn't do anything but wait until Lestrange contacted someone.

The potion master had been terribly concerned about Zara and Albus knew why. The old wizard wondered why Severus had never told him that he had a child at Hogwarts, but as soon as he looked into his face, he didn't need legimency to see the truth.

Just then he heard somebody knock at the door and Remus entered. Quickly he explained what happened and Albus followed him to the infirmary

With a troubled expression, Dumbledore examined the arrow that had pierced Kimberly's shoulder.

"This was definitely a Son of Sekhmet" he stated as he put the arrow back down.

"I will have to ask Severus to concoct a potion to treat the burning, otherwise it might leave a permanent damage" he muttered deep in thought, as he left the infirmary.

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Zara had no idea what time it was. The torch had burnt down and it was dark again. The dementors were pacing up and down the hallway and she felt like she had spent her whole life in this cell.

She lost all the hope that someone would find her and the wailing that echoed through the corridor, made her insides revolt.

It was a woman's voice and Zara wouldn't want to imagine what they had done to her to cause these cries.

She didn't even care what Malfoy was going to do to her. She didn't care about anything anymore.

All she wanted was to die and to end this terrible depression.

Then the door rattled and someone entered. For Zara it didn't matter.

"I see, my gloomy friends made some impression on you" Lucius sneered, but Zara didn't react while he light another torch with his wand.

She fidgeted with the hem of her cloak and hummed.

Malfoy, who had recognized that the presence of the dementors wouldn't bring him any further now, send them off. He drew a chair and waited until the effect of the dementors on her lessened.

After half an hour, Zara seemed to react again. The fidgeting stopped and she chanced an anxious glance at Malfoy every once in a while.

"What do you want from me?" she whispered.

"Oh I trust you know very well what I want. Come here" he commanded and Zara rose from the floor.

With shaky legs, she lurched over to where he was sitting.

"You know I will get what I want. I don't want to put you under the Imperius curse, because it is more fun when you're aware of what is happening. If you cooperate, I can assure you that you will enjoy it, my little mudblood. Don't make me take you by force, you will regret it"

Zara stared at him with wide eyes. She knew what he said was the truth. He wouldn't spare her this humiliation. So if she would give her consent to it, she would lose her honor, but would save her life and might live on with less pain.

"So what shall it be?" Malfoy smirked maliciously and played with his wand.

Zara didn't reply. Desperately she swallowed the bile that had built up in her throat and started to take off her cloak with shaky fingers.

"What a good girl" Malfoy said sarcastically and flicked his wand at her.

"Let's speed things up a little" he said and pushed her further into the room. Zara glanced longingly at her clothes in the corner and whimpered quietly.

He drew the form of a desk into the air and then pointed at it with his long fingers.

"Lie down on the table" he commanded and from that moment on, Zara tried to block out everything.

She didn't want to see, hear, feel or smell anything. She wanted to die, now even more than when the dementors were present.

Unfortunately she did feel Malfoy's long, cold fingers on her body, exploring it.

She tried to tune it out, think of something else but she couldn't ignore the prying finger or the other parts of Lucius Malfoy that invaded her body's most private parts.

It seemed like hours to her until he finally turned away from her, spat on her and left her in her misery.

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The next morning, the potion for Kimberly was finished. When Severus entered the hospital wing, Albus and Remus were already sitting there.

The potion master however had the impression that neither man had slept the previous night.

Albus looked more tired and older than ever and the werewolf had dark shadows around his eyes.

Severus feared that if the potion was not successful and Kimberly died, it as well would mean the end of the greatest wizard of the current age.

He walked up to the hospital bed and looked at the limp form of his fellow teacher.

Severus knew that he would have to work quickly. The potion was only affective for the first twenty minutes. He also had concocted an ointment to treat the wound on her shoulder, where the arrow had injured her.

Carefully he lifted her head and her eyes fluttered open.

"You need to drink that." he said firmly and put the vial on her lips.

He could feel her hot skin through the fabric of her nightgown as he stood close to her. She was glowing like an open fireplace and large beads of sweat formed on her forehead.

When she had swallowed the potion, he placed her back down on the bed.

Then he opened the first two buttons of her nightgown and exposed her injured shoulder.

Carefully he applied the ointment on the swollen area. Fortunately, Madam Pomfrey had removed the arrow, before all the dark magic could take effect.

Kimberly winced under the touch and groaned slightly, but her body was too weak to fight.

Severus remembered very well, that the positions had been the other way around just a few months ago. He had been the patient and she had been the potion master.

She and Celeste had saved her then, so he had to save her now. Then another thought entered his mind.

"Where is Celeste?" he asked with impatience edged in his voice.

"She went to London to get special ingredients for me" Madam Pomfrey answered.

"Professor Dumbledore, you need to summon her instantly. We might need her healing abilities, because I'm not sure if the potion will be strong enough" Severus urged.

"You might be right. I will do my best to call her back immediately" Albus stated and returned to his office.

Remus was also concerned about Professor Dumbledore. It seemed to him that he had lost a lot of his strength and optimism since Kimberly had been attacked.

The werewolf was sure that with the help of Severus and Celeste, Kimberly would be saved, but he didn't know if it wouldn't leave permanent marks on the old wizard's soul.

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Lily agreed that it would be best if James would take care of the Dursley situation the next morning. She still felt exhausted and James insisted that she rested.

Although both didn't want to talk about it, they were afraid that the long coma and the stress have already caused problems.

She slept long and well and when she finally woke up James was already sitting on her bedside.

"Did everything go well?" she asked him sleepily and sat up in the bed.

"Yes everything is fine. Vernon is a lot better, although he will need a few more weeks to rest. They altered his memory so that he won't remember the attack"

"How is my sister doing?"

"She is back to her nasty old self" James smirked. "When she recognized little Shaka, she wasn't pleased, but Dudley promised her that he would keep him in his room in a cage when he's not at Hogwarts"

"And she was ok with that?" Lily asked disbelievingly.

"Not really. She was complaining and ranting all the time"

Lily snorted and got up.

"How are my babies doing today" James said and helped her in her dressing gown.

"Oh I have felt better in my life, but at least I don't feel sick this morning. That's a plus"

She proceeded to the bathroom and James went to check on Harry.

Everybody was worried about Zara and not even the New Year's party the next day could get her mind off it.

"At least the floo network is open again" Sirius said as the all settled down at the kitchen table for breakfast.

"I wonder how Bella did that. There have to be more deatheaters in the Ministry than we have thought."

James nodded thoughtfully and sighed. "I had no idea that Fudge made such a mess. No matter if he wanted or not, Albus should have taken the position after my 'death'. When this is sorted out, I have to talk to him"

At this moment, the flames in the fireplace turned green and a letter appeared.

Lily summoned it and broke the seal.

"It's for you, Sirius" she said and handed the parchment to Sirius to read.

He flipped the parchment open and another letter fell out.

He skimmed over the writing and groaned.

"What is it?" James asked him.

"They set the date for my trial."

"And?" Lily asked anxiously as she recognized the troubled expression on her friend's face.

"It's tomorrow morning at 10"

"Did they say anything else?" James questioned.

"It includes a note from Albus. He wants you, Lily and me to see him in his office after breakfast to discuss the details."

"Well then, I trust he will have some ideas already" Lily stated.

After they had finished breakfast, James, Lily and Sirius got ready to floo to Hogwarts.

Mrs Weasley had engaged the kids to help her clean the old living room. In her point of view it would go at lot faster now that the house-elf wasn't hampering anymore.

Just a little later, James, Sirius and Lily stepped out of the fireplace into Dumbledore's office.

They immediately inquired about Kimberly's condition and were extremely relieved when they heard that she was on her way of recovery.

"As you know, they set your trial for tomorrow. I hoped that we would have a bit more time to get prepared but unfortunately we will have to use what we have."

"They are never going to discharge me without solid proof." Sirius exclaimed and his voice started to shake.

"Don't throw in the towel just yet, my boy. I have given our options a lot of thought and I think I came up with a good solution" the old wizard calmed him down.

"Let's have a cup of tea and a lemon drop and talk about the intricacies"