Hey all readers! Thank you so much for supporting my story and especially to those who sent those encouraging reviews. Thank you all so much! I have no idea how to reply to your review so I'll just address everyone else here. To those that asked if I wrote the sorting song myself, well mostly yes but I also added certain lines from JKR. Also to Lizz, I think you did not put down your email fully. Is it or something else?
Chapter 15: The Negotiations
It was the first week of December and every student in Hogwarts was talking about their plans for Christmas. Ron had told Harry, Hermione and Janieve that Mrs. Weasley had invited them to stay with the Weasleys at The Burrow over the holidays. Harry was really looking forward to it.
"Fred and George also wrote to say that Lee is throwing a party on Christmas Eve and we're all invited," said Ron.
"I don't see how we'll be allowed to go," Harry said.
"Don't worry. Fred and George are working out a plan now. They figured that since Lee's house is quite near to ours, there shouldn't be a problem," replied Ron.
The four of them ambled down to Professor Snape's dungeon for their Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson. Snape had told them that they will be having a duelling match this afternoon. Harry was not sure if he was glad about this. Defence Against the Dark Arts had always been his favourite subject. Having the opportunity to duel should be good news to him. However, Harry was almost sure that Snape would make use of the chance to make things difficult for him.
When they reached the door that led to Snape's classroom, a crowd of Slytherins and Gryffindors were gathered outside of it.
"What's happening?" Ron asked Dean.
"Ssshhh!" hissed Lavender Brown.
They all kept quiet and heard two voices drifting out of the dungeon.
"It's been more than ten years. How long must you take to let go?" said a female voice.
"There's nothing to let go. I've never put it to heart," came Snape's growling voice.
"You know very well that's a lie. You've always blamed Sirius and me. Even after so many years, you've never stop."
"That Animagus and I never get along. That has nothing to do with you," snapped Snape.
"Severus, you are still as stubborn as ever," she said.
"And you're still as persistent as ever," he replied.
There was a moment of silence before the door sprang open and Professor Winter stood in the door way. She smiled wanly at the crowd gathered in front of her, and the students moved aside to let her move. Harry, together with other students stared after her departing form.
"What are you staring at?" Snape boomed.
Everyone jumped and they quickly filed into the dungeon. Harry had a strong sense of foreboding that this DATDA class was going to last really long.
The Gryffindors were brutally thrashed by the Slytherins by the end of the class. It was not that the Slytherins were better than them. It was not that at all. Snape had openly side with the Slytherins even when they had been fouling blatantly while penalising the Gryffindors for every little thing.
"I truly hope something bad happens to Snape by the end of this school term," commented Ron as he rubbed his lower back. For once, Hermione was not speaking up for Snape. She too, was rubbing and shaking her wrists.
"Ron! Harry!"
The four of them whirled and saw a flustered looking Ginny hurrying up to them.
"So good to see you here," she said breathlessly when she caught up with them.
"What's up, Ginny?" asked Harry.
"Haven't you heard?" she asked.
"Heard what?" said Hermione.
"The tornado! Voldermort caused a tornado in America!" Ginny cried.
"What tornado?" asked Ron.
"Voldermort cast a spell and caused a hurricane in various states in America. The took place along all the coasts which swept away countless muggles in those area," said Ginny in a seemingly calmer voice, but she was still bouncing on the balls of her feet.
"What?" blurted Harry even though he had heard perfectly clear every single word Ginny had said.
"Wait, Jan! Where are you going?" shouted Hermione.
Harry turned and saw Janieve sprinting away from them. Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny picked up after her and saw her darting past the Great Hall and out of the castle.
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This had got to work, thought Janieve desperately.
Janieve stood on the lawn before the calm sparkling lake and momentarily forgot what she had come for. She was not sure how she was going to do it. She had never done this before and she sure wished she did. She wished she had taken to the Water Fairy seriously. If she had, those millions of lives could have been saved. Perhaps now she could prevent more damage. She had to try.
She squeezed her eyes shut and concentrated hard. She opened her eyes but nothing was happening. She closed them again and concentrated harder. If this doesn't work, she was at her wits end.
"Janieve!"
Her eyes flew open and she saw Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny running up to her from the corner of her eyes. No sign from the lake. Then she had an idea.
She ran past her friends but Harry grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"Sorry Harry, I have no time to explain," Janieve replied urgently. But Harry did not let go of her.
"I'm not letting you go unless you tell me where you're going," he said sternly.
Janieve tried to wrench herself free and sighed in defeat. "Okay fine!" she yelled. "Just follow me if you like. But I'll only explain later!" she said stubbornly.
She held Harry's gaze defiantly for awhile before running towards the toilet. She sprinted across the length of the field and almost collided into a row of lockers as she turned around a pillar. She dashed into the female toilet and into the shower where she had met the Water Fairy.
From behind, she could hear Ron shouting, "But Harry, that's a girls' toilet!"
"Melody!" Janieve hollered as she switched the tap on. The jets of water that were released were so cold that they stung against Janieve's skin.
"Melody!" she yelled again.
"Hello," said the Water Fairy which was beginning to form bit by bit. Well, to be exact, droplets by droplets.
Janieve heard Hermione gasped from behind her.
"Melody! How do I command the Water Element?" Janieve asked.
"I'm fine. Thanks for asking," Melody muttered.
"I'm sorry but I got no time for this. Please teach me how to command the Water Element," Janieve pleaded.
"You just need to concentrate," Melody answered easily.
"That's all? No incantations or anything?" Janieve inquired. "I did that just now but nothing happened."
"Obviously you weren't concentrating enough," Melody replied disinterestedly.
"Well, thanks for nothing," Janieve shot back rudely before turning to push past Hermione, Ginny and Harry.
She ran back towards the lake again with her four friends still on her heels.
She shut her eyes and attempted to regulate her breathing. Slowly, she began to feel calmer. And just as soon as this peacefulness came, it was replaced by a subtle sense of excitement coursing through her body. She opened her eyes slowly this time.
The surface of the lake rippled slightly and slowly but steadily, it began to rise. Within seconds, a thin sheet of transparent medium raised up to meet her. It began to fold together from both ends and started spinning so quickly it was making Janieve dizzy. It spun so fast until it became a blur and eventually, they transformed into the shape of a giant eagle. The water spun some more until a man finally replaced the eagle.
"What do you want?" he asked.
"I want you to stop the twister in the affected areas in America," said Janieve as she tried to sound as steady as she could though she was shaking badly inside.
"That will not do," he replied.
"Why not?" Janieve asked.
"Because I belonged to the European Seas and am not allowed to venture into the American Seas, much less stop them from their activities," he explained.
"But they are killing thousands and thousands of innocent! I can't let them do that!" yelled Janieve.
"Those people are not innocent, young lady. The destruction that mankind brought about to us and the nature had come back around to them. It's all Karma," the water man replied stiffly.
"It's not Karma! Don't you get it? It's Voldermort!" she screeched. Desperate tears were running down her cheeks and she felt totally helpless, not to mention, useless.
"I'm sorry but I really cannot help you. If you really want it to stop, you may try negotiating with the American Water Element yourself," he said.
"How do I do that?" Janieve asked.
"Just concentrate and try to reach them," he answered.
"Thanks…" Janieve began.
"Marlee," he supplied.
"Thanks Marlee," Janieve said.
"You're welcome," he said and then he disappeared. Janieve forced down her eyelids for the fourth time that morning.
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Harry watched as the Marlee water man disappeared back to the lake in amazement. As much as he was used to surprises in this Magical World, what just happened still shook him a little.
Now, he watched apprehensively as Janieve stood facing the water, apparently concentrating on calling forth the water from the America Seas. He, together with Hermione, Ron and Ginny, had heard the exchange between Janieve and Marlee.
Harry was feeling a bit hurt and pissed off that Janieve had not told him that she had such power over the water element. But he remembered that he was hiding a lot of what he had been through from her too and slapped himself mentally for being such a jerk.
Janieve's black silky hair billowed around her and Harry noticed her body going slack. When he finally came to his senses, he reached forward to catch her. He slipped two hands under her armpits right before her knees buckled and gave way. Her head tilted backwards and rested on Harry's chest as her whole weight weighed upon him. Her eyes rolled back into her skull and Harry heard himself shouting her name while shaking her unconscious form repeatedly.
