The Will of the Wands
Chapter 13 - The Hunt Begins
As Dakota wasfinally climbing out of bed in southern England, Madison and Alexis were hard at work. Millie had yet to join them, as she was busy writing an essay for a Herbology project, and, judging by the way Alexis threw down her quill, was probably taking her time with it.
She rocked back on her heels, and stood, pacing in the empty Astronomy Tower.
"Where is she?" the redhead snarled. Her hair flew around her wildly, as if it were a separate entity. "She should have been done with that bleeding essay a while ago, don't you think?"
"Give her a while, Lex," Madison replied, not looking up from the roll of parchment she was decorating. "If we get this announcement finished, then we can hang it up in the common room before lunchtime. Then we can work on the ones for the other houses."
"But it was partly her idea!" Alexis argued.
"And I know that," Madison told her. "Just… chill, okay?"
Taking a deep breath, Alexis did as she was told, and plopped back down on the cold stone floor, and picked the quill up again. A few minutes later, they were finished, and they propped the roll of parchment open with a few small stones so the ink could dry. Madison sat up and admired their handiwork.
"The D.A. would like to invite any student, any age, to a special party for New Year's Eve! Be in the Room of Requirement around eight, and we'll ring in the New Year! Please inform Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Alexis Van Carte, Millie Eliot, or Madison Reed if you are interested. Hope to see you there!" Madison read out loud. "Missing anything?"
"Yeah," a voice said from behind them. Millie dropped her bag beside the growing pile of crumpled up bits of parchment, and picked up the flier. "Where's Dakota's name?"
"Dakota won't be home until that day, remember?" Alexis said.
Millie nodded, putting the flier back down on the floor. "Wait, I thought she wouldn't be home 'til after!"
"Really?" Alexis said thoughtfully. "Maybe. If so, shoot. If not, she'll be able to go to the party after all!"
"Therefore, she can't be available for people to tell her that they're going," Madison added. "Anyway, how'd the essay come out?"
"Good," Millie beamed, smoothing her hair into a fluffy ponytail. "Five rolls longer than Sprout asked for, but there was a lot on the subject in the book."
Madison and Alexis gaped at her. Then Madison stood up, brushing her robes off briskly. "I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that at all, and I'm not thinking that you've been spending too much time with Hermione at all, no, I'm not. However, I am going to the Ravenclaw common room and checking with Cho to see if there's a Replicator spell we can use on these babies." She waved a flier with all of the House crests drawn in the corners.
"We'll see if we can make a banner for the library," Millie told her. "Hopefully Madam Pince won't mind."
An hour later, Millie and Alexis had produced a smart-looking banner, and a few more fliers. Feeling quite satisfied with their work, Alexis moved towards the window, watching as the Gryffindor Quidditch team marched out to the pitch. She smiled, and unhooked the latch to the window, swinging it outward. The cold December air hit her, and she shivered.
"Hey, it's the Gryffindor team," Millie said, looking over Alexis' shoulder. "There's Harry!"
Before them, not a hundred feet away, Harry was chasing the Snitch. They waved frantically. "Harry! Over here!" The Seeker smiled when he saw them, waving their arms in order to catch his attention. He manoeuvred his Firebolt, and soon he was parallel to the window.
"Hi," Harry said, his breath forming small puffs of smoke. "Where's Madison?"
"Downstairs," Millie replied. "Do these look okay for the party?" She held up one of the fliers that they'd drawn in the time that Madison had been gone.
"Excellent," Harry said. He nudged his broom a little farther. "Well, Ron's about apoplectic down there, so I'll talk to you later, okay?" He paused. "How'd you manage to get into the Astronomy Tower, anyway? It's practically impossible to get into."
"Let's just say that, once or twice, Ginny took me and Dakota spying on Ron and Hermione," Millie answered smugly.
Harry laughed. "Okay, then, I shouldn't have asked." Below him, Ron screeched his name. "And it begins. See you." And with that, he took off.
Things took off without a hitch, and many D.A. members, pleased with the events of the Christmas party, eagerly awaited the New Year's Eve party. In between her classes, Millie managed to send Dakota an urgent owl, asking her if she was, indeed, coming back to Hogwarts in time for the party.
The Friday before New Year's, as Millie was hurriedly finishing the crusts of her toast, her snowy owl dropped a letter in her lap.
"Ugh, Snowflake, 'bout time," she mumbled, stuffing the letter into her bag and dashing out of the Great Hall, heading towards the dungeons. To her chagrin, she was three minutes late for Potions, something she knew Snape would use to humiliate her. As she reached the door, she wondered how Dakota would react. She smiled, picturing her friend marching in, head held high and picturing Snape as a pincushion, or something equally ridiculous.
Taking a deep breath, Millie pushed the door open and marched in, surprising Snape and forgetting the letter entirely.
After a small but filling breakfast with the aunties, Dakota volunteered to follow her father on a traditional hunt for the New Year's meal the next day. Her mother and a few of the elder women had objected, but finally Roland Williams agreed. Her job was to carry the arrows for him and her uncles, who were to accompany them. In her haste to find the traditional robes, she missed the look that passed between her parents.
For the remainder of the day, Dakota followed them, dressed in the traditional white robe and barefoot, carrying the extremely heavy basket of arrows, all tipped with the finest pheasant feathers Galleons could buy. Upon asking why wands weren't used, her father explained that it was considered dishonest if a hunt was made with magic. So, her uncles and her father left their wands with her mother and aunties. Dakota, not being an actual participant in the hunt, had slipped her wand into the pocket of her robe. Her father was pursuing an albino deer, something he considered a sign of prosperity, and her uncles were hunting across the small river that ran through their estate.
"Stop, beti," Roland said, bringing his hand back and stilling her. "Look." He pointed with the tip of the bow he held in his rough hands.
Dakota looked, and she saw it. The deer, almost glowing because it was so white, was drinking from the river. It looked so peaceful, standing with its feet in the water. "That's the deer you're going to kill?" Dakota asked quietly.
"Yes," her father replied, positioning his bow. "Arrow, please."
Dakota hesitated.
"Arrow, please," her father's voice was more urgent this time. "Dakota. Give me the arrow." When she didn't move, he snarled in frustration and snatched the arrow out of her hands. He positioned the bow again, taking careful aim for the deer. Dakota covered her eyes. She heard the almost silent swoosh of the bow releasing, and she gasped.
"Merciful Babaji," breathed Roland, lowering the bow in amazement. Dakota's eyes snapped open, and she could just make out the silvery mist, where the deer had stood. "It's gone!"
"It wasn't real," Dakota whispered. Her brown eyes were wide as she tugged on her father's sleeve. "It's a sign, Daddy, from Babaji."
"Perhaps," was the short reply. "Dakota, why don't you go and pick some flowers for your mother and aunties while I find your uncles and see what they make of this, huh? Go, on, there's a greenhouse a short way beyond the hill there, in the middle of the forest. We'll come find you when we need you."
"Okay," Dakota said. She lowered the basket of arrows, and took off, her heart pounding as she ran and contemplated the meaning of the deer's disappearance.
When she found the greenhouse, Dakota almost died. Hundreds of beautiful flowers, of all colours, spread before her. Not minding the fact that she was wearing a white robe, Dakota all but flung herself to the ground, picking the flowers that looked the best. She had gathered five bunches, intent on picking a bunch for each auntie, when she heard the snap.
She turned around, and saw her uncles and her father looming over her, their faces stony. "Dad?" she asked, a bit wary. "Hello?"
Four sets of eyes turned on her, and they all began to speak. "Today, a sacrifice shall be made, and three more in the time left in the Old Year, in honour of the master. Innocent lives, all connected, shall be taken in order to restore his." They all drew long knives, each with a sparkling jewel set into the handle. "And it begins."
Dakota screamed, and struggled to stand. She was outnumbered, and therefore had only a slight chance of escaping. Escaping… she slipped her small hand into her pocket.
She grinned, and the four men stopped, all confused. "Wingardium Leviosa," she shouted, flicking her wand. Terra cotta flowerpots that stood four feet high were levitated, and unceremoniously dropped on their heads. Once they had fallen, Dakota leapt over their prone forms, and ran. She ran through the woods, tears streaming down her cheeks. She didn't dare look back; she didn't want to know how ineffective her levitating charm had been. Reaching a small hill, she climbed uphill as fast as she could, her feet numbing from the cold snow. When she reached the top, she stopped, gasping for breath. The manor was at the bottom. Where things would be safe.
This thought giving her a little hope, she took off again, gaining speed as she neared the bottom. She pushed through the heavy oak doors, and promptly slipped on the clean tile floor.
"Miss, why are you all dirt and…is that fertiliser I smell?" Svetlana stooped over her, her grey eyes concerned.
"Svetlana, Daddy said I could go back to Hogwarts," Dakota said quickly. "He told me that I don't need to be here with you guys. He told me that I could go back to my friends."
"Uh-huh," Svetlana said, looking thoroughly unconvinced. "And that's why you smell like fertiliser?"
"He told me to visit the greenhouse," Dakota explained.
"And where is he?" Svetlana pressed, eying her charge suspiciously.
Dakota smiled innocently. "Hunting." For me, she mentally added.
"I see," Svetlana said. She helped the young girl to her feet. "Are you packed?"
"Uh-huh," Dakota nodded quickly. "It's basically stuff I didn't wear there anyway," she added, hoping she sounded innocent. "Saris and stuff that Mum made me pack."
Svetlana nodded, and walked Dakota to the east wing, towards her bedroom and the library, where Dakota would Floo to Hogwarts. Dakota dashed into her room, scooped up the necklace that Harry had given her, and a few books, and ran back into the library, glancing over her shoulder worriedly.
"Okay, I'm ready," Dakota announced. "Bye, Svetlana. See you at summer." She accepted a small hug from her nurse, and a pinch of Floo powder. "Professor Dumbledore's office!" As soon as she felt the fire envelope her, Dakota breathed a sigh of relief.
The walls of the fireplace stopped moving, and Dakota stepped out gingerly. Before her, the headmaster sat at his desk, feeding his pet phoenix happily.
"Professor!" cried Dakota, running towards him. The phoenix gave a loud hoot, and took off in a flurry of feathers.
"Miss Williams," Dumbledore said sharply, standing as well. "You aren't due to come back until next week, after the New Year. Has there been a problem?"
"No," Dakota croaked. She had been about to tell him what had happened, but couldn't bring herself to do it. Surely he'd think she were round the bend. "Mum said I could come back early, that's all."
The headmaster levelled her with a calculating stare. Finally, he sighed, and said, "My dear, if something has happened, and you have assured me otherwise, I know, that something should be told. It could help. Even if it is not an adult, but a trusted student, that could be the difference between the positive and the negative outcomes."
Dakota gaped at him.
"You may carry on to Gryffindor Tower," Dumbledore said gently. "You don't have to attend the last class of the day if you don't wish."
"Thanks, Professor," Dakota mumbled, exiting the office quickly. She urged the staircase to go quickly- all she wanted was to be back with her friends, none of whom wanted to kill her, she supposed.
As soon as she left, the crimson phoenix fluttered back down to perch on the weary wizard's arm. "You know, Fawkes, I didn't think he had it in him," Dumbledore said, running an aged finger under the magnificent birds' chin. "He still doesn't."
A/N: Creepy. I know, innit? Anyway, this is where creepier stuff begins to happen. And we haven't been writing creepily all along? Creepily is a word? Sniggers I'll have you know, it is! Whatever. Review! –The Still Notably Trying to Get to the Good Parts Before Half-Blood Prince Prints, Siaryst-Dufoli.
P.S. If anyone's confused, please tell us. We'll try to explain it to you (if we think it's been explained in the chapter) or we'll work an explanation into the plot. Oui? This is your chance to be part of the three-ring circus that happens every time we write a chapter! Siaryst… Oops, gotta go!
