"WHAT IN THE DEVIL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"
Kim's eyes snapped open and she felt the bed next to her jump. It was morning. Kim turned her neck at an uncomfortable angle to see who had shouted. She tried to get up, but she was tangled up with Harry.
She finally fell out of bed and Harry jumped out of it and went to go over to the person at the door. Lupin.
"It's not what it might seem like-"
"HARRY! YOU ARE SIXTEEN YEARS OLD!" Lupin shouted, slightly horrified and extremely angry.
"Honest, we didn't-"
"AND YOU'RE ONLY FIFTEEN!" he added, staring at Kim.
"But we didn't-"
"It's totally outrageous-!"
"LUPIN!" Kim shouted as Lupin opened his mouth to yell some more. "Harry and I didn't do anything. Honestly. You can pour a gallon of Veritaserum down my throat and ask, but I'm telling you that we didn't!"
Lupin was rather red in the face and Fred, George, and Ron had now come over to see what the ruckus was all about.
"Oh, yes?" Lupin was calmer now, but still looked very angry. "You can explain to me why I found you THAT way this morning."
"We were cold," Harry mumbled feebly.
"You were cold?" Even Lupin had expected a better excuse than that.
"What's going on?" Ron interrupted, confused.
"Nothing. Go back into your rooms and get ready for breakfast," Lupin snapped, stalking off.
The three Weasleys remained stationary, "What's going on?" Ron whined.
"Like Lupin said, nothing, Ron, let's go," Harry said, grabbing Ron and dragging him down the hall. Fred and George spared one last glance in Kim's direction before she shut the door in their faces and began changing into some clothes.
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Creeping down the hallway, she met Harry and they snuck down stairs together and into the kitchen.
"How are you this morning?" Moody growled from the corner. "Lupin tells me something interesting." He eyed the pair of them and Kim groaned while Harry turned scarlet. Moody began shaking his head, "Didn't even close the door..."
"We didn't do anything!" Kim exclaimed furious at Lupin for spreading it around. It was a very un-Lupin thing to do.
"Ah, don't worry, he knows you didn't," Moody replied chuckling slightly, "he's just a bit surprised is all. Didn't expect to walk in on you..."
"I'd rather not talk about it. It's a thing of the past," Harry said firmly, not meeting Kim's eyes.
"All right, then," Moody said, rising. "Say your good-byes. Sprite's got a mission for two or three days."
Harry looked startled, but Kim asked, "Where am I going?"
"Back where you came from," he answered shortly. "Grab your cloak and you can go now."
Puzzled, Kim climbed back up the stairs and grabbed her cloak from her trunk and closed it shut, hoping that no one would open it while she was gone before Apparating downstairs right next to Harry, who still looked puzzled.
"I need you to find out what Voldemort's up to. Snape says there's something, but a few are getting suspicious of him, so he can't risk it. All right, you'll be off," Moody said in a low tone. Kim was about to leave, but Harry stopped her and kissed her first, looking put-out that she was leaving again so soon.
"Bye," she said, waving, and Harry trooped into the kitchen with Moody, who hobbled along behind.
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"Yep, I'm back for a few days," Kim said to Nassandra that evening.
"Good. I'm bored," Nassandra replied.
"Back so soon, are we?" Draco butted in, leaning against the door.
"Yeah," Kim replied. "I've got some information, too," she sneered, just to get on Draco's nerves. She earned the prize when he sneered back, but said nothing in return.
"Kimberly?" Wormtail slid in. "What are you doing back so soon?"
"The fools let me alone for hours at a time," she answered. "I've gotten information."
"Excellent," the voice of Voldemort, himself, wafted in. Everyone except Nassandra made a swift bow. "Why don't you tell me about it?"
He motioned for the room that he spent most of his time inside and she hastily obeyed. He followed her inside and sat in a high-backed chair. Kim stood in front of him as bold as she dared.
"Now," he commanded in a persuasive voice, "you must tell me what you've wormed out of these Lupins." Kim realized that he was referring to her lie that she was going to stay at the Lupins' house for part of the summer.
"Well, there have been a lot of developments, my lord," she said slowly. "Although I've heard nothing of what is happening here. No one has conveyed any message to me."
"That is understandable, considering who you're staying with," he replied irritably, "now reveal your information. I may be able to use what you've delved for against them."
"Well, I've decided to get closer to the Potter boy in order to get something on him, my lord. I'm pretending to date him," she began.
"Excellent. When he finds that you've turned against him, he will trust no one, making him an easier target," he cackled.
"Thank-you, my lord," she stammered.
"What else is there?" he ordered.
"They have a very small group," she continued convincingly. "Not many people at all. I'd been confined to a room with Lupin's daughter, who I stunned temporarily from behind and snuck downstairs. From what I've heard, they've only about twenty people."
Voldemort cackled loudly and the laughter rang in her ears tauntingly. "Very good. Yes, they won't last long. What else?"
"I couldn't get anything else, my lord. They kept a rather close watch on me for the longest time. If I find anything else, I shall alert you," she replied with a deep bow.
"You've done well. Like father, like daughter," he cackled again. "Now, as far as my plan... I've discovered something about the veil in the Department of Mysteries. The archway around it is missing its stones. There are nine stones: eight small stones and one large stone. I have gathered these stones except for two. When they have been gathered, they will be placed in their correct place and I will be able to bring one person back from the dead. I will bring back Salazar Slytherin to work by my side.
"It is rather ingenious. I will need to sacrifice one person, however, and it will be the Potter boy. That is why you're going to be important. You will lure him into the Department of Mysteries and I will take care of the Ministry workers. We will sacrifice him to gain the power of Salazar Slytherin and be rid of the boy." He cackled some more. Kim began to feel sick to her stomach. "It will be done on December the twenty-second when the winter solstice will be out, making Salazar Slytherin and myself each gain power as he returns. Now leave and send your pitiful father to me," he ordered imperiously.
Kim bowed once more, "As you wish, my lord. Do I have permission to return before the Lupins get suspicious?"
"Permission," he said irritably. "Now leave."
Kim bowed once more and exited quickly, sending her father inside. Kim winced as she glanced at her father's mechanical hand and said a quick good-bye to Nassandra before quickly Disapparating. This was bad news.
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Pop! She was back at Grimmauld Place. She hastily ran from room to room, her hair flying askew and everywhere. Finally, she found Moody about to leave for his own house.
"Moody!" she shrieked.
"Something came up, Sprite?" he growled anxiously. "You can't have found out what's going on over there already?"
"Yes. Something big. It's HUGE! And very bad. Terrible, in fact," she mouthed off quickly.
"All right, let's go. There's a meeting that just got out a minute ago. Everyone should still be here," he said firmly.
He gathered everyone quickly and put a Silencing Charm on the door. Everyone looked grave.
"All right, Sprite, what did you find out?" Moody asked quickly and everyone's eyes snapped to Kim.
"The veil in the Department of Mysteries has another secret," she said promptly. She was surprised to see that even Dumbledore was there and looking at her intently. Lupin looked deathly still and grave. Moody was very serious. Everyone else in the room looked anxious and grave as well.
"Do you mean to say that he's using the Department of Mysteries for his work again?" Kingsley Shacklebolt asked.
"Yes," she replied. "He told me, himself. There are nine stones; eight small, one large. There are spaces in the archway with the veil leading to death. During the winter solstice, the stones will be placed into the archway. The Dark Lord has seven of these nine already. Placing these stones into the arch will allow him to sacrifice one person and bring another back from the dead."
"Who does he plan on bringing back?" Emmeline Vance queried, looking slightly nauseous.
"Salazar Slytherin." There were gasps and murmuring. "If this is done on the winter solstice," Kim continued, "both Slytherin and the Dark Lord will gain power and rule together."
"How is he finding the stones?" Dumbledore inquired. "Is it possible that we could get to them before he does?"
"I'm afraid he did not tell me much more, besides the fact that he wants me to lure Harry into the Department of Mysteries so he can sacrifice him."
Everyone looked very disturbed about this news.
"The winter solstice is on December the twenty-second, correct?" Mr. Weasley inquired.
"That's right," Moody growled. "I had no idea that there was something this big."
Kim stayed silent. Even if she did not lure Harry into the Department of Mysteries, she knew someone else would. And if she were to loose Harry... a lump grew in her throat. He was the second person she'd ever loved and the first was her mother. But mother is dead, Kim told herself, there's no use crying over it now.
"Are you all right, Sprite?" Moody growled in her ear.
"I'm fine," she lied, the lump not quite disappearing from her throat.
"No, you're not," he observed. "We should have seen this coming. Go up to bed."
"Yes, sir," she obeyed and rose to leave. She Apparated from the room and into her own. There, she fell asleep.