Disclaimer: the characters belong to J.K. Rowling.
Chapter 12 Party of the dead
They passed into Magnolia Crescent where they could already hear the loud music. Here they passed by a batty old woman that was uttering something about noisy children disturbing the peace coupled with a comment about lack of respect for the elderly.
'Hey. Isn't that the lady that talked to mum to days ago about Potter and the Order stuff?' Charon asked, looking at the completely identical lawns they were passing as they moved down the block.
'Think so. She's a little paranoid if you ask me.' Spica instead was kicking marbles along the walk, seeing how far they would go before veering off into the grass. 'Who isn't around here? Last year a couple of dementors attacked the Potter boy.' It was really a shock that there wasn't a whole guard around the house. She knew that there was always a member of the Dragon, or whatever that order was called, but there had to be something else, like a powerful charm that protected the boy against Voldemort. Or so she thought.
'Dementors... speaking of them,' Charon said. 'They are close aren't they? You can feel them also can't you Spica?' An eerie silence fell between the two girls. Suddenly, they both could feel the dementors. It wasn't because of the dread they inflicted on mere people. It was some kind of attraction between the two different natures. They shook their heads simultaneously. 'Well, this is the house.' Charon said.
'Like it was necessary for you to tell me. I can hear the house.' Spica made a face and tried to pull away.
'You weren't expecting rock were you?' it was exasperating to be a babysitter for your older sister.
'I had my hopes... let me take just one last breath of peace and then we go in.' she was acting so much like the spoilt brat she was.
'Oh, stop whining. What would Aunty say?' she knew that reminding her of the glorious past of their family and of their principles was going to help.
'Oh shut up, you know she liked noise. Last year she kept yelling so hard in her other picture that we could hear her in our house.' It had been to say the least disturbing to hear her shouts, of filthy mudbloods, monsters, bastards, and other things like this, especially when she had friends around.
'Well she was a little sensible about her house. Now, get in and don't embarrass me.' She tugged at her sleeve.
'Hey, watch it. I'm the older sister, if you forgot.' Just the spoilt brat reaction she was expecting. She just got behind her and pushed her up the stairs.
'Shut up.' With one last push they were both on the front porch. Charon knocked on the door and soon they were surrounded by a mass of people unknown to both of them. Some Spica had seen during the past few days, but most were unknown even to Cherry who had tried to make as many friends as possible in the short time.
It was proving to quickly be one of the worst parties they had attended. There wasn't much to do and the company was pathetic. All of the guys were the ones Spica had seen surrounding that meatball of a cousin, Diddykins, as Harry loved to taunt him. A shame Harry himself wasn't here. But she couldn't blame him for not associating with such lame excuses for humankind.
It was near the ending of the party when they both felt it. Panic, dread. Then nothing, blank.
They did not understand what it meant until someone shouted near them. 'Hey look at that strange firework', everybody rushed to the windows or out onto the front porch. What they saw took their breath away. In the air glowed the emerald green skull with a snake coming out of its mouth. When the two sisters saw this they did not even bother to get out of the house or try not to be seen, they just disaparated from the crowd, reappearing at the front lawn of their house.
A crowd of people had already formed, they had a difficult time squeezing through all the people. They got as close as they could. The sight was devastating. The house was burning, flames illuminating the faces of the people, giving them a devilish glow. Both girls knew what had happened. Charon looked at the people around; they were unsuspecting muggles, not even aware of the war that had started in the wizard world, a war that was going to affect their world as well soon enough. Spica, on the other hand, was looking somehow through the house not really seeing it, and singing one of those oh, so depressing songs.
With several loud bangs, a number of Aurors appeared around them, trying to discern the cause of all the commotion. They were trying to magically put out the fire and get rid of the people, Obliviating them and sending them on their way.
One of the aurors, a young woman, came in their direction, but first addressed herself to an unruly black-haired boy in front of them whom Spica quickly recognized as Harry. He left to talk to another auror and the woman came towards them, her wand out. Before either girl had time to stop her, she quietly cast a spell.
Unlike usual people, or even normal witches, this charm had no effect on either of them. It merely bounced of, hitting an old lady. Not only did it not affect them, it also seemed to wake them both from their reverie, and most important of all, it got Spica in one of her tantrum moods. Oh brother, well sister, this was going to be a long night, Charon sighed inwardly.
'What do you think you're doing? Obliviate me! No kidding... who are you anyway, don't you think you are a bit young to be fooling around as an Auror?' the attempted spell had clearly gotten Spica into attack mode. She would not finish the chase until the poor auror was frighten out of her skin.
'You know... I mean, you're a witch?' the young woman said, confused.
'Course I'm a witch. Just like my parents. Who seem ...to be...dead.' Spica then turned to her sister, with a look of pure disgust. 'You knew it. You knew it all a long.'
This was what she dreaded. Charon knew Spica would accuse her of this, and she knew she had to be careful with handling the situation if she didn't want to end duelling her. 'Spica, calm down.'
'Calm down?!' she began to scream. 'You're telling me to calm down when our parents are dead. When you knew all along about this and you did not do a thing for them.'
'Spell, you're being selfish' Charon said quietly. Spica's chest heaved. It hurt to have someone say out loud what her mind was screaming at her.
'Selfish...selfish. Oh, go out of space.' She said turning to stare at the burning flames, a million thoughts going through her mind, most of them set on revenge and destruction.
'Spell, it was meant to be.' The sky blue eyes locked to the ink like ones. 'Mom knew about it too. And she did nothing.'
'I know. That's what makes it harder.' Spica took another look at the blazing house. 'I am never going to understand your atypical logic.' She was referring to the seer's rule not to tell the future.
'You're not supposed to, you know. Order is not supposed to be in your world.' Charon answered.
'Well you should have told that to mom each time she wanted me to clean up my room.' They both laughed weakly at the joke. But then stopped. Looking around, they noticed all the aurors were staring at them.
'Are you alright? You know, you still have a lot of cleaning and memory erasing, so don't let us interfere with you work.' They spoke to the stunned wizards and witches.
A.N. A few chapters before, Harry was talking to Tonks, and Shacklebolt comes in and asks Tonks how come she knows Harry. Now, yes Kinsley Shacklebolt was there when the advance guard came to get Harry to the headquarters, but this was illegal business the ministry did not know about it. While this time the place was filled with Aurors that were not in the Order, maybe even with spies of You-know-who. So that's why he acted like that. I clearly stated it in the story. It was a warning for her to behave as if they hadn't met.
I hope everybody understood that.
Also thanks to my reviewers, and look it's about three lines longer than my other chapters. I'm on holyday now, but though this usually means more free time, in my case it means I leave for grandmothers' house, and there I don't have a computer, so it's going to be hard to post any new chapters. Hope I can ask my friend, or go to an internet café, don't worry I'll post at least one chapter every other week.
Chapter 12 Party of the dead
They passed into Magnolia Crescent where they could already hear the loud music. Here they passed by a batty old woman that was uttering something about noisy children disturbing the peace coupled with a comment about lack of respect for the elderly.
'Hey. Isn't that the lady that talked to mum to days ago about Potter and the Order stuff?' Charon asked, looking at the completely identical lawns they were passing as they moved down the block.
'Think so. She's a little paranoid if you ask me.' Spica instead was kicking marbles along the walk, seeing how far they would go before veering off into the grass. 'Who isn't around here? Last year a couple of dementors attacked the Potter boy.' It was really a shock that there wasn't a whole guard around the house. She knew that there was always a member of the Dragon, or whatever that order was called, but there had to be something else, like a powerful charm that protected the boy against Voldemort. Or so she thought.
'Dementors... speaking of them,' Charon said. 'They are close aren't they? You can feel them also can't you Spica?' An eerie silence fell between the two girls. Suddenly, they both could feel the dementors. It wasn't because of the dread they inflicted on mere people. It was some kind of attraction between the two different natures. They shook their heads simultaneously. 'Well, this is the house.' Charon said.
'Like it was necessary for you to tell me. I can hear the house.' Spica made a face and tried to pull away.
'You weren't expecting rock were you?' it was exasperating to be a babysitter for your older sister.
'I had my hopes... let me take just one last breath of peace and then we go in.' she was acting so much like the spoilt brat she was.
'Oh, stop whining. What would Aunty say?' she knew that reminding her of the glorious past of their family and of their principles was going to help.
'Oh shut up, you know she liked noise. Last year she kept yelling so hard in her other picture that we could hear her in our house.' It had been to say the least disturbing to hear her shouts, of filthy mudbloods, monsters, bastards, and other things like this, especially when she had friends around.
'Well she was a little sensible about her house. Now, get in and don't embarrass me.' She tugged at her sleeve.
'Hey, watch it. I'm the older sister, if you forgot.' Just the spoilt brat reaction she was expecting. She just got behind her and pushed her up the stairs.
'Shut up.' With one last push they were both on the front porch. Charon knocked on the door and soon they were surrounded by a mass of people unknown to both of them. Some Spica had seen during the past few days, but most were unknown even to Cherry who had tried to make as many friends as possible in the short time.
It was proving to quickly be one of the worst parties they had attended. There wasn't much to do and the company was pathetic. All of the guys were the ones Spica had seen surrounding that meatball of a cousin, Diddykins, as Harry loved to taunt him. A shame Harry himself wasn't here. But she couldn't blame him for not associating with such lame excuses for humankind.
It was near the ending of the party when they both felt it. Panic, dread. Then nothing, blank.
They did not understand what it meant until someone shouted near them. 'Hey look at that strange firework', everybody rushed to the windows or out onto the front porch. What they saw took their breath away. In the air glowed the emerald green skull with a snake coming out of its mouth. When the two sisters saw this they did not even bother to get out of the house or try not to be seen, they just disaparated from the crowd, reappearing at the front lawn of their house.
A crowd of people had already formed, they had a difficult time squeezing through all the people. They got as close as they could. The sight was devastating. The house was burning, flames illuminating the faces of the people, giving them a devilish glow. Both girls knew what had happened. Charon looked at the people around; they were unsuspecting muggles, not even aware of the war that had started in the wizard world, a war that was going to affect their world as well soon enough. Spica, on the other hand, was looking somehow through the house not really seeing it, and singing one of those oh, so depressing songs.
With several loud bangs, a number of Aurors appeared around them, trying to discern the cause of all the commotion. They were trying to magically put out the fire and get rid of the people, Obliviating them and sending them on their way.
One of the aurors, a young woman, came in their direction, but first addressed herself to an unruly black-haired boy in front of them whom Spica quickly recognized as Harry. He left to talk to another auror and the woman came towards them, her wand out. Before either girl had time to stop her, she quietly cast a spell.
Unlike usual people, or even normal witches, this charm had no effect on either of them. It merely bounced of, hitting an old lady. Not only did it not affect them, it also seemed to wake them both from their reverie, and most important of all, it got Spica in one of her tantrum moods. Oh brother, well sister, this was going to be a long night, Charon sighed inwardly.
'What do you think you're doing? Obliviate me! No kidding... who are you anyway, don't you think you are a bit young to be fooling around as an Auror?' the attempted spell had clearly gotten Spica into attack mode. She would not finish the chase until the poor auror was frighten out of her skin.
'You know... I mean, you're a witch?' the young woman said, confused.
'Course I'm a witch. Just like my parents. Who seem ...to be...dead.' Spica then turned to her sister, with a look of pure disgust. 'You knew it. You knew it all a long.'
This was what she dreaded. Charon knew Spica would accuse her of this, and she knew she had to be careful with handling the situation if she didn't want to end duelling her. 'Spica, calm down.'
'Calm down?!' she began to scream. 'You're telling me to calm down when our parents are dead. When you knew all along about this and you did not do a thing for them.'
'Spell, you're being selfish' Charon said quietly. Spica's chest heaved. It hurt to have someone say out loud what her mind was screaming at her.
'Selfish...selfish. Oh, go out of space.' She said turning to stare at the burning flames, a million thoughts going through her mind, most of them set on revenge and destruction.
'Spell, it was meant to be.' The sky blue eyes locked to the ink like ones. 'Mom knew about it too. And she did nothing.'
'I know. That's what makes it harder.' Spica took another look at the blazing house. 'I am never going to understand your atypical logic.' She was referring to the seer's rule not to tell the future.
'You're not supposed to, you know. Order is not supposed to be in your world.' Charon answered.
'Well you should have told that to mom each time she wanted me to clean up my room.' They both laughed weakly at the joke. But then stopped. Looking around, they noticed all the aurors were staring at them.
'Are you alright? You know, you still have a lot of cleaning and memory erasing, so don't let us interfere with you work.' They spoke to the stunned wizards and witches.
A.N. A few chapters before, Harry was talking to Tonks, and Shacklebolt comes in and asks Tonks how come she knows Harry. Now, yes Kinsley Shacklebolt was there when the advance guard came to get Harry to the headquarters, but this was illegal business the ministry did not know about it. While this time the place was filled with Aurors that were not in the Order, maybe even with spies of You-know-who. So that's why he acted like that. I clearly stated it in the story. It was a warning for her to behave as if they hadn't met.
I hope everybody understood that.
Also thanks to my reviewers, and look it's about three lines longer than my other chapters. I'm on holyday now, but though this usually means more free time, in my case it means I leave for grandmothers' house, and there I don't have a computer, so it's going to be hard to post any new chapters. Hope I can ask my friend, or go to an internet café, don't worry I'll post at least one chapter every other week.
