Chapter Three:
Soft morning sunlight cascaded into Taylor' bedroom, casting soft shadows into the corners. It wasn't bright, but the gentle beams of dawns first light. Quickly, the wave of light reached Taylor's eyes and she reluctantly opened them, blinking away her dreams.
"Good morning, Miss Taylor Miss," Bibben's voice came from beside the bed. Taylor yawned and stretched.
"Morning Bibben," Taylor replied sleepily, vague memories of her dream floating to her minds surface. Attack on Diagon Alley, Harry Potter in her house… wow my head hurts. "Has my mother left for work yet?"
"The Miss Katherine Mum has not yet returned from Diagon Alley," Bibben said. "And your guests are still asleep."
Taylor froze and stared at the house elf's sad expression, the noise in her ears growing louder.
"Mum's not back yet?" Taylor asked and got quickly out of bed. She threw on her dressing robe and pulled her dark brown hair back with a hair band.
"Bibben thought it would be best to wake you first, Miss Taylor Miss," Bibben said.
"Thank you, Bibben," Taylor replied shutting her eyes from the pain. Mum's not back yet. Where is she? Has she been trying to contact us and can't get through? "Bibben have you got the redirected mail yet?"
Bibben nodded and handed her three envelopes. "They are all scanned and safe, Miss."
This one is my Underage Magic notice," Taylor muttered, reading through her letter excusing her from using magic in the event of an emergency. "This one is from Uncle James, something about how he thinks he's found actual leprechauns… sounds like those Healers at St. Mungo's need to up his potions." She read through the last letter, which was from Hogwarts, simply stating that traveling to Hogwarts this year would commence as normal, the Hogwarts Express, from platform nine and three quarters.
"There were no more?" Taylor asked.
Bibben shook her head. "The Morning Prophet is on the table, Miss. But there is no other letters."
Taylor felt her stomach clench and the roaring in her ears grew louder.
"Will you be wanting breakfast, Miss Taylor Miss?"
"I won't," Taylor replied. "But the other might. I do need something for my headache between my eyes and this horrible roaring in my ears."
"Miss has a roaring in her years?" Bibben asked. "And a pain in her sight?" Bibben's eyes grew wide.
"I know what you're thinking," Taylor said to the house elf. "Just don't say it. I'm not ready… not ready to believe it yet. I can't accept it."
Bibben nodded and left the room with a small pop.
Taylor looked out the window. She knew what the sound in her ears and the pain between her eyes meant. There's no way, Taylor thought. Not now.
Taylor came into the kitchen and only Paul was in room, sitting at the table reading the Prophet. From the look on her face, he knew that she was upset, and from the unread note on the table, Paul had a good idea what had upset her.
He put his arms around her and held her for a few minutes. Wordlessly she took a seat and Paul got her a cup of tea, two sugars, equal cream. Taylor sighed, thankful he knew how to make her tea. It didn't surprise her though; they had known each other for so long it would have surprised her if he didn't know how she took her tea.
She and Paul had known each other for over ten years. Their mums worked together in the Auror Department at the Ministry for Magic, and as toddlers they have become instant friends in the Ministry Nursery care program.
He was a year ahead of her at Hogwarts, and his first year he had written her every day, telling her about all the great things to expect. And when she started the next year, Hogwarts was everything she had imagined. Paul knew who she was, and he didn't treat her any differently, and when she was sorted into Gryffindor, he wasn't surprised.
Paul had been her best friend for so long; it felt way too natural for him to slip into the role of her boyfriend. He had finally gotten the nerve kiss her after the Yule Ball in her fourth year, and a year and a half later, she could not see what took them so long to get there. Paul was her confidant, her shelter; he was her tutor and her protector. She had no doubt that they would marry once they were out of Hogwarts. Paul had plans to go to the Auror Academy while she was in her seventh year, and after she finished her studies at Hogwarts, Taylor had many different things she was considering.
"Morning," Hermione said coming into the kitchen. Taylor smiled and sipped at her tea. Harry and Ron came in moments later, followed by Ginny, all looking well rested.
"Any news from your mum yet?" Ginny asked, sitting opposite Taylor. Taylor shook her head and tried not to think about what her headache meant.
"Bibben has brought you a headache remedy," the house elf said, holding a vile containing a green liquid. "And some Dutch amaryllis petals to seep into your tea, to help your ears. The red lion flower should do just the trick.."
"Are you ill?" Hermione asked.
Taylor stirred the petals in her tea, watching as their red bled into her creamy tea, turning her drink's color a deep magenta.
"I just have a headache," Taylor replied. "Nothing this green stuff won't fix."
Hermione was still frowning, lost in thought.
"Something else wrong, Hermione?" Taylor asked.
"No, I don't think so," Hermione said, studying Taylor's face. Taylor knew her dorm mate was figuring things out in her head, but she wasn't about to tell her how close she was to the truth.
"Let's eat," Taylor said as Bibben floated platters of food to the table. The three boys did not need further instruction and filled their plates, and their mouths, quickly. Ginny took her time eating, as did Hermione. But Taylor couldn't help but notice that Hermione kept throwing her curious glances, and Taylor did her best to ignore them.
"Do we know when the Floo will be back up?" Ron asked.
Taylor sighed and pushed her food around her plate. "I don't know where Mum is. I can owl Professor Dumbledore; he might be able to help."
Hermione nodded and Harry looked skeptical, and Taylor decided that was what she was going to do. She excused herself from the kitchen and found her owl, Amarantha, dozing softy on her perch by the window in Taylor's room.
Dear Professor Dumbledore,
I am writing to ask if you have any information on the whereabouts of my mother, Auror Katherine Swikeman. She was last seen, by me, in Diagon Alley during the attack that took place there yesterday. I know she was huge fan of your bird and an active member in the fan club surrounding him. If you have any information regarding this, please let me know. Due to the events of yesterday, our emergency portkeys were activated making it hard for someone to reach my home, though I'm sure you remember how to get here. Also, I have five other Hogwarts students staying here, and essentially they are trapped here until we have some answers about my mum.
Thank you and I hope you enjoyed your trip to France. I know Paul did… on some level.
Taylor Swikeman
Taylor sealed her letter, confident that no outside eyes would know what she was referring to, at least the important stuff. Making sure Amarantha had the letter clutched tightly in her talon, she kissed her head.
"To Dumbledore, Amarantha, with haste," Taylor said to the creamy owl and set her into flight. She watched as her owl grew smaller are the distance between them became greater.
With her eyes and ears still in pain, she headed down the stairs to rejoin the others at breakfast.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOo
Hours later, Taylor's mum had not arrived, there had been no word from Dumbledore and Taylor was near tears from the pain in her head and ears and from the fear of her mother's fate. She watched as Harry played a game of chess with Ron, and Ginny was watching them, occasionally giving a tip to Harry. Hermione took another biscuit from the tray Bibben had brought in earlier and returned to her book.
Taylor chanced another glance at the clock on the wall and it read quarter till six.
Fifteen more minutes and we can use the Floo, Taylor thought. She sighed and Paul continued running his hands through her hair. The green headache solution Bibben had given her had not helped. The leaves had helped the sound in her ears, but her head still felt like it was being split in two. At least Paul's hands were calming.
"Do you know what N.E.W.T. level classes you're going to take next year?" Hermione asked.
Taylor nodded. "Potions, Defense, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology and Arithmacy."
"Same classes are Ron and I," Harry commented. "Except we have Care of Magical Creatures instead of Arithmancy."
"How did you do on your O.W.L.'s?" Hermione asked.
"I got eleven," Taylor replied. "I failed the Astronomy O.W.L., but after what happened, I'm not surprised. But I sat the Muggle Studies, Divination and the Care of Magical Creatures O.W.L. even thought I didn't take the classes."
"Evelven is wonderful," Hermione said. "Congratulations!"
"Hermione got eleven also," Ron said snickering. "She just wanted to compare scores."
"I did not, Ron," Hermione replied. "I was just making conversation. Besides, you got eight, and that's something to be proud of."
"What did you get, Harry?" Taylor asked.
"Nine," Harry replied, taking out one of Ron's knights ("It's about time you made a decent move, you scallywag!"). "Though, I'm, not sure how. I can't believe I passed Divination or History of Magic."
"It looks like we'll all get into Snape's Potion's class," Hermione said. "That's a good thing."
"Forgive me Hermione," Ron said moving his bishop into checkmate. He looked up at his bushy haired friend and said, "I don't see how Snape's N.E.W.T. level Potion class can be a good thing."
Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry and Ginny snickered. Ron's bishop pulled off his cap and beat Harry's king about the head with it.
"Snape's N.E.W.T. level classes aren't all that bad," Paul said. "They're tough, but you learn some really cool potions. And there's not as much written homework."
"Taylor!" a voice cried from the kitchen and all six teen jumped. "Miss Swikeman!"
Bibben appeared in the doorway as they all scrambled to get up.
"Miss Taylor Miss, Professor Dumbledore has arrived by Floo," Bibben said and Professor Dumbledore came out of the kitchen followed by Professor McGonagall.
"Thank goodness you are all right," Professor McGonagall said.
"We're fine, Professor," Hermione said.
"Yeah, we were lucky Taylor was there," Harry said. "Or we might not be okay."
"From what I've been told, Miss Swikeman, you held a very impressive shield up for quite a few minutes," Professor Dumbledore said. "For now though, we will have to set what happened at Diagon Alley yesterday to the side, there are more pressing matters."
"Like my mum?" Taylor asked.
Professor Dumbledore nodded. "If I might ask, Taylor, how is your head?"
"It hurts between my eyes."
"And your ears? Has the noise stopped yet?"
Taylor glanced at Ron, Hermione, Harry and Ginny all looking at her curiously. "Erm, no, Professor, it hasn't. The roaring is still there."
"Then you know what this means," Professor Dumbledore said and Taylor slowly nodded, tears filling her eyes. She turned and put her head into Paul's chest and began to sob as he put his arms around her. He led her back to the couch and sat her down.
"I'm sorry there was nothing more we could do," Professor Dumbledore said, stepping around the other students and knelt down beside Taylor. "She was able to stun twelve Death Eaters, who are all now in custody. We believe it was Bellatrix Lestrange whose spell your mother fell to."
"Bellatrix murdered my godfather too," Harry said quietly and Taylor looked up at him. She had forgotten for a moment that they were there in the room. The four of them were huddled together beside Professor McGonagall, looking a bit confused but over all sympathetic.
"I know this is hard, Taylor," Professor Dumbledore said and she looked back at him. "Professor McGonagall has come to take guardianship of you. But time is of the essence. You are aware of the prophecy Leopoldina Trelawney made regarding the return of the Hogwarts heirs to the school?" Taylor nodded and the elderly professor continued. "I need to know if you are ready to take your place, to accept this fate."
"I…I…" Taylor stammered. "I need time. I'm sorry, Professor, I can't make that decision right now. I… I just can't."
"Taylor," Paul said and took his hands into his. "You know there is no other. You've known this since you can remember. You can think about this all you want, but in the end there is no other answer."
"I can't accept that she's gone, Paul," Taylor replied. "It can't be."
"Then explain the headache and the sound in your ears," Paul continued.
Taylor nodded and looked down. "It's just like Gryffindor said."
"And it will only go away when you can accept your place."
Taylor looked at Paul and then to Professor Dumbledore. "She's really gone, isn't she?"
Professor Dumbledore nodded. "I'm afraid so."
Taylor sighed. "Then I can accept my place."
It was like someone had cast a very powerful Silencing Charm and doused her with the strongest headache solution ever, because instantly the horribly loud roaring in her ears was gone and the pain between her eyes vanished.
Taylor looked at Professor Dumbledore and he gave her a soft smile and a nod.
"It's gone," Taylor said. But what happened next, none of them were expecting.
The room suddenly went black and a very loud voice filled the air.
"And now the Gryffindor shall that her place…"
Gold and scarlet flakes of magic began to fall from nowhere, creating a sparkling tiara around the top of Taylor's head.
"… and fulfill her place as the last heir."
