Well, here is another Harry Potter story and it's actually not dark, and not very fluffy. It's supposed to take place following the Weasley wedding when Harry, Ron, and Hermione are at Godric's Hollow. This is a collaboration of me and my friend Jessi, who is also an writer, I just can't think of her name for some reason. Enjoy
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or Jessa, she is Jessi's character. And I only own half of Xander, for he is both myself and Jessi's character.
3 young people quietly made their way through the dense forest surrounding Godric's Hollow. Harry Potter's eyes darted left and right trying to see through the thicket. He wished that the leaves below his feet didn't crunch so much as they walked. He looked up silently wondering why the leaves of fall had already abandoned their trees when it was still early August, but he saw green still in the trees and figured that they must have been from last year. Harry then felt strangely like he was being watched from close by. He flashed a look at Ron and saw his eyes scurrying from side to side; he must have had the same uneasiness. Hermione on the other hand was in between the two; her wand held out and lit. She was still looking for the source of the rustling leaves she had heard minutes ago.
"Hermione, it was probably a rabbit," Ron moaned quietly.
"Well Ron, its either we confirm that or run the risk of being killed, your choice," she hissed back. Ron muttered incoherently about her being 'over-anxious' and 'going to hex someone's eye out.'
A figure followed the Potter gang stealthily through the trees and laughed silently at Hermione's statement, it was she who had made the noise, almost tripping on a hidden tree root. But she would never think of killing them, although she was carrying a wand and an array of muggle weapons.
As they neared the Potter's old home the group's follower ran swiftly, but silently ahead of the group and hid around the perimeter newly built but unoccupied house. As Harry, Ron, and Hermione approached the house they let their guard down a bit, thinking they may have been safe. When they come nearer to the house 2 hooded figures opened the front door of the house and stupefied Harry and Ron. Hermione wheeled around to fire when 2 girls jumped out from their refuges and used Locomotor Mortis, causing the Death Eaters to freeze and fall to the ground, each smacking their head off the front step and being rendered unconscious. After the girls tied them up they rounded on each other. One was around 5'7 with shoulder-length red hair and dark brown eyes, she was muscular and was carrying a wand, sword, 2 pistols, and a semi-automatic rifle. The other was shorter, maybe 5'4 with thigh length wine colored red hair and light misty blue eyes that reminded Harry of someone, but he couldn't put his finger on whom.
"Who're you?" both girls cried. Harry and Ron sat up, the hex was wearing off, and they stared at the two new comers.
"I am Rhymes Black," Rhymes stated simply.
"The daughter of Sirius Black?"
Rhymes nodded. Harry stared at her, he had known Rhymes for a while, she popped in at Hogwarts every once in a while to speak with Dumbledore and they had spoke often, but he never had known her last name was Black.
"Have you any proof?" the other girl asked, breaking Harry from his thoughts.
"Do you want to see my driver's liscense?" Rhymes said exasperated.
"I do not care wether or not you can operate a muggle machine," the other girl said irritably.
"Well, we can tell that you can't drive."
"Have you any reasonable proof?"
"How's this?" Rhymes held up her ring finger showing a ring that had the Black family crest imbedded on it. "What now bitch?"
"O goody goody for you," the girl said, turning away from Rhymes.
"Goody goody? What the hell is she on?" Rhymes muttered.
The girl ignored Rhymes's snide comment and turned back to more important matters. Ron, seizing the opportunity once both girls had shut up, stepped forward and stated the question on everyone's minds.
"Um…excuse me, but…who exactly are you?" His statement directed toward the unknown girl.
"I am Jessa Sullivan, granddaughter of the great and world renowned headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore. I am here to protect Harry Potter as was ordered of me by the Order of the Phoenix," she stated like she was a grand princess announcing her title.
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all stood in shocked silence. Harry finally realized whose eyes she had, Dumbledore's. None of the group knew Dumbledore had a daughter let alone a granddaughter. Clearly she didn't know that her grandfather was dead. But Harry was also contemplating why Sirius had never mentioned a wife and child to him. Now that he looked at Rhymes, however, he could see that she had his eyes.
"Um," Harry said, approaching Jessa. "I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but Dumbledore's dead."
Jessa froze, sadness and confusion streaking her face.
"No, that can't be…"
"He is, I saw it happen."
Jessa broke into sobs then and everyone shuffled their feet, not really knowing what to do or how to comfort her. After a couple minutes Jessa took a deep breath and pulled herself together.
"Are you-" Hermione began.
"I'm fine," Jessa spat.
"Well, um, why are you here now?" Ron asked.
Jessa sighed, "didn't you hear me before? I was sent here months ago by grandpa to wait for you, I've been here for months."
After her explaination Hermione turned to Rhymes.
"And why are you here?"
"I heard you guys at the lake at Dumbledore's funeral and you didn't think that I would let you guys leave without me! I want to avenge Dumbledore and my father's deaths just as much as you guys!"
Hermione rolled her eyes, knowing perfectly well that Rhymes was here to be with Harry.
"Well, guys I guess no one lives here and I want to see my parents' graves, so can we go?" Harry asked, trying to change the subject. The rest nodded, Jessa really looked like she was trying to hold herself together, but was still grief-stricken.
They walked behind the house and actually saw the cemetery only a few feet from the back fence. Quietly and cautiously they climbed the fence and looked at a few headstones before they found two right next to each other bearing the names James Potter and Lily Evans-Potter. Harry knelt down and felt his eyes water as he touched the stones. He looked at the ground as the tears came. Hermione and Ron let him have his space while Jessa stood holding her wand in one hand and wiping her eyes with the other. Rhymes had her hands on her hips and was thinking about her own mother's death. Then she heard it. A soft rustling, almost inaudible from behind her, she looked over and saw that Jessa was frozen; she seemed to have heard the noise too. She was gripping her wand tighter. Rhymes had stowed her wand so she grabbed the hilt of her sword.
A whoosh went over their heads and a boy landed on the top of Harry's parents' graves. Before even the culprit could react Harry yelled, "stupefy!" and the boy froze and fell backwards. Rhymes bound him and she and Harry sat by his side til he came around. When the boy opened his eyes and came too Harry forced his wand in his adams apple.
"Who are you?" he asked fiercely.
"My name is Xander Lupin, I have come from the Order of the Phoenix," he replied, his voice gruff, and his gray eyes full of anger.
"Why have they sent you?" Rhymes said.
"To protect Jessa Sullivan, which I believe is you," he said.
"I am not Jessa, that over there is Jessa!" she replied pointing, a look of mild disgust on her face. Xander looked over and cocked his head to the side.
"Guys, we should really talk about this," said Harry. "Out of his hearing range."
"You'll have to go far, I have excellent hearing, I have werewolf blood running in my vains," Xander said. Harry glared at him and motioned for the ones not bound to move to the other side of the graveyard. As Rhymes and Harry began talking and discussing while the others mostly stood there and put their words in whenever Harry or Rhymes took a breath Xander began to have a conversation in his head.
'Well' he thought looking at the motley crew. One girl was bushy haired and looked fairly intelligent, a boy with radical red hair looked like he couldn't find his way out of a paper bag with a map and signposts, he knew which was Harry Potter, and the loud brash red head had pointed out Jessa. 'Well, this may be a handful. It seems that the loud one and Harry Potter are the alpha couple and Jessa seems to be the smallest and weakest, no wonder they sent me to protect her. The other two look as though them may serve some purpose sometime. The girl looks quite smart, she may be an asset, and the boy, well, he just looks like he's there for entertainment.'
They returned after several minutes of conversation and looked at him.
"We've decided that we believe you, but we don't trust you," Rhymes said. Harry nodded. Ron made like he was going to untie Xander, but Hermione stopped him.
"I could make some Veritaserum, and then we'd know if he was lying," Hermione said. Harry looked like he was considering this.
"Maybe whenever we get back to the wizarding town we past, but none of us can go in an apothecary to get the ingredients," Harry said after a bit.
"I'll go get the stuff," Rhymes said. "I'll take princess here and wolfy too."
Harry nodded.
"Are you going to untie me?" Xander asked.
"Oh, sorry, I forgot about you," Ron said, untying him. Xander stood up to his full height, 6'2, and swung his light brown hair from side to side shaking the dirt out of his hair.
"Well, we should start heading back through the woods, maybe find some kind of shelter so that Rhymes can get the ingredients and Hermione can make the potion," Harry said. The rest nodded and they began walking. Harry and Rhymes walked at the back and started talking about what she had been doing all summer, she hadn't gone to the Weasley wedding like she intended too, she was on a mission in Scotland. Jessa and Xander walked next to each other, not speaking. Hermione and Ron led the way, Hermione finding a small alcove made by pine tree branches and rocks that they could stay in for the duration of the potion making. It was near dawn now and everyone was tired from the exciting night.
Xander stood outside the hut and Jessa stood with him.
"Why were you sent?" she asked.
"To protect you, like I said. But it seems that you have all the protection you need with the Black daughter. She must be powerful, she carries a magic rifle and only extremely powerful wizards and witches are allowed to purchase those. I mean, I thought that you would be more powerful, being Dumbledore's granddaughter and all, but you're so small. You must be weak," he said. Jessa looked daggers and him and promptly smacked him across the face. As a reaction he growled at her, nearly baring his fangs.
"Don't growl at me mutt!" she cried, turning on her heel and walking into the shelter.
"What's her problem?" Xander wondered aloud, sitting on a rock and waiting for the sun to finish rising.
Well, there is the first chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. R&R please, no flames will be acknowledged, only constructive critism because I am perfectly aware that I am not J.K. Rowling or could even compare to her. Thank you.
Rhymes
Last line of song that I heard:
I lay dying
And I'm pouring
Crimson regret and betrayal
-"Tourniquet" Evanescence