Chapter 8 – Warning signs
"NO!" a shrill scream echoed through the house, "NO! YOU INHUMANE MONSTERS!" Harry and Ron leapt from bed, wands ready to fight before they realised they were still in Grimmauld Place and the shouting was coming from below.
"NO!" the voice came again.
"Jen?" Harry murmured, recognising her futile scream. The boys ran out onto the landing to see Dumbledore, Jen and Lee were in the hall, Jen had thrown herself around Chris' legs, a wall of fire blocked the door, "No! You can't!" she shouted.
"Chris," Dumbledore said sternly, "Put the bike in the garage."
"No!" Jen moaned again, tugging Chris back away from the door.
"Jen," Dumbledore said, calmly, "You cannot win, you will not ride the bike to Hogwarts." With a wave of his wand, the fire turned to ice and shattered, sending sparkling crystals across the floor. Jen allowed Chris to move again as she rose, with an air of ferocity that would have sent most men cowering. For a moment, Harry thought she was going to explode and probably blast the hall with flames in the process. But to the surprise of all, she smiled, her eyes narrowed to slits,
"Ok, fine," she said, slyly, "But be warned, without my bike I will be unable to attend vital Order business and you know what that means, don't you?" she sneered. Dumbledore raised an eyebrow, but beneath his beard Harry could tell he was amused, "Without my bike I will be unable to prevent Voldemort from rising. The Dark Lord will rise and destroy the world and that will rest on your conscience. You will sleep with the knowledge that if you hadn't stopped me from taking my bike the world would still be at peace."
"A little over dramatic," Dumbledore chuckled, "But I see your point, Chris take the bike."
"No!" Jen protested, "I wanna ride the bike! It's my bike!"
"I won't scratch the paintwork," Chris smiled.
"You scratch you die," she snarled. Chris raised his eyebrow,
"You crashed my car," he cried, but Jen was already laughing,
"Hey! I'm an irresponsible teenager, what's your excuse?" Chris opened his mouth to speak, but broke off unable to think if an answer. He was saved by the entrance of Moody and Lupin,
"The cars are here," Moody announced. Harry and Ron exchanged frantic glances and bolted back into the room to change.
Halfway through changing Harry heard the door open and Jen poked her head round the door, "Hey you guys ready yet?" she paused when she saw that Harry was hardly dressed, Ron had luckily pulled some trousers on before she could glimpse anything. "Guess not," she muttered, then laughing, "Nice ass Harry."
Harry turned a bright shade of scarlet but continued to change and within minutes everyone was assembled in the hall ready to go. Harry fell into line, they all stood looking at the door, as if they were ready for an army drill. Moody hobbled up and down the line shouting, 'Constant Vigilance!' to keep them all straight backed.
Jen strolled into the hall, pulling behind her a pink carry-along suitcase, designer sunglasses and a phoenix perched upon her shoulder. She was humming the theme tune to 'The Great Escape' which was oddly coincidental to the scene before her.
She saluted at Moody as she approached, "Sir!" she barked.
Moody smiled on her affectionately, "Nice to see manners aren't completely wasted on the youth of today."
Jen smiled and nodded, "Well, actually it was an ironic insult but whatever," she shrugged the last part off and stood away from the line, leaning slightly on her case. Hermione held a finger out to the bird, "Wow, it's so pretty," she said, admiringly. "What is it's name?"
"His name is Pyro, not it!" Jen snarled at Hermione. Hermione smiled apologetically and held her finger out to stroke him.
"Ow!" Hermione shrieked, "He bit me!" Hermione withdrew her finger, sharply. There was a significantly deep cut near her nail which was bleeding, surprisingly profusely.
"Naughty Pyro!" Jen smiled soppingly, "You're supposed to bite harder than that," she narrowed her eyes, "and you damn well know it." Pyro nestled his head in the crook of her neck apologetically while Ron and Harry stifled a giggle. Pyro jumped over onto Harry's shoulder and rested there. Harry looked up at Jen who just smiled back, encouragingly.
"Settle down," Moody encouraged, "settle down." Hermione cradled her finger shooting daggers at Jen and throwing some daring glances at Harry and Ron for not defending her.
Moody launched into an explanation of how they should conduct themselves at the train station, how they should be on the lookout for the enemy at all times, 'Constant Vigilance' and many other items that nobody was really paying attention to. Harry was too busy staring at Chris, who had just moved next to Jen and to add insult to injury Pyro had swooped over and landed on the older man's shoulder.
"Jen!" Moody shouted. Jen looked up to find Moody hobbling towards her, "What did I just say?" Jen looked around as if searching the room for answers.
"Constant Vigilance!" she snapped in true Moody style. Moody glared at her,
"No…but you're right, Constant Vigilance!...Now, are we all ready?" Everyone nodded in unison, "Good, Jen, lose the bird."
Jen looked at Pyro, "Pyro," she said slowly, the phoenix looked up at her with an expression between shock and sadness, "Go with Chris," Jen instructed, "You have a very important task, you must at all costs, protect the bike. If Chris scratches the paintwork you know what you must do," she narrowed her eyes as she turned to face Chris. They both laughed,
"What, he gonna gouge my eyes out?" Chris joked, but stopped laughing when he realised Jen was looking at him sincerely.
Smiling she said, "Basically." Chris froze and watched as Jen left the entrance hall laughing. She turned around and clicked her fingers, "Harry, Ron, luggage," she pointed forward and led them out. Ron and Harry exchanged glances of distaste, but inevitably Harry picked up Jen's carry-case and followed her out like her pet, much to the disgust of Hermione.
"Ron, could you give me a hand?" Hermione asked, trying to pull her case to the door. Ron looked over at her, and picking up Jen's rucksack shook his head,
"Sorry, Hermione, she can burn me…you can't."
Harry pushed the case into the boot, said his goodbyes to Lupin and company before slipping into the car and resting his head against the window. He could see Jen talking to Chris outside of the car, she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a comforting hug.
"Now, I'll see you at Hogwarts and remember, when we are there you must treat me in the same way you treat everyone else, that means you do not call me Jenny…in fact don't ever call me Jenny again…or Jennifer for that matter…or J J…"
"I get the idea," Chris grinned.
Jen ignored him and continued, "People will get suspicious that you and I are more than just pupil teacher whatever." Chris waved a hand dismissively and Harry felt his stomach drop at Jen's last words. "Now, remember treat me the same but I do not do homework, I do not do study and I do not do…well you know what I do not do."
"Yeah now will you get into the car, already I think Harry's starting to miss you," Jen laughed and kissing Chris on the cheek slipped into the car, sliding over Harry's lap as she did so. Harry turned a bright tinge of red that would make Ron's hair jealous. Jen noticed but said nothing, leaving Harry with an affectionate smile as she turned to the window to watch the world go by.
The company arrived at King's Cross. Jen strutted ahead, receiving many an admiring gaze from many passing adolescents, filling Harry with a raging jealousy which Jen did nothing to ease when she winked at the desperate teenagers. Hermione was also glaring at Jen and in a pathetic attempt to match her popularity flicked her hair out…which resulted in the walking into a pole, causing ructions within the group as well as from passers by.
Chris had gone ahead on the bike, Moody had been left by the cars under Lupin's suspiscion that he might draw too much attention to them on the platform. Lupin led them to the barrier to Platform 9 ¾ but stopped abruptly. A train to Milford Haven (calling at Llanelli) had pulled up drawing up a large crowd to the platform as they fought for seats.
"How are we going to get on with all these people here?" Ron muttered, as he was forcibly pushed aside by a group of college girls gibbering to each other in a different language. One of the girls laughed and smiled at Ron ,"ti'n cael phenwl ciwt," she giggled causing her friends do burst into peals of laughter.
Ron shrugged and smiled back at her, drawing daggers from Hermione. Lupin however was more concerned with getting the large group onto the train without alerting the muggles around them to their presence.
"What we need…" Lupin began only to be interrupted by an over enthusiastic Jen,
"Is a diversion!" she announced. Lupin reached out to grab her,
"Wait! I know what your diversions entail!" he began but Jen had already screamed, drawing the attention of everyone on the platform as well as her own friends.
"Oh my GOD!" she shrieked, pointing off into the distance, "Is that Freddy Mercury going at it with Kurt Cobain!" The people around her, including Harry turned to stare in the direction Jen had pointed in. He found himself being dragged back though, as Jen pulled him through the barrier.
"Diversion sorted," she smiled, triumphantly. Lupin rolled his eyes but laughed it off, carting the group towards the train, while Hermione murmured, "Who's Kurt Cobain?" As they walked they saw friends and familiar faces…and some they would rather forget.
Draco Malfoy was saying goodbye to his father beside the train. Lucius Malfoy's hand rested on his son's arm while Draco looked up with wide eyes as if he were receiving words of great wisdom. His eyes narrowed when he saw Harry and his entourage pass. Harry glared back at Malfoy senior, who had managed to influence or buy his way out of a prison sentence.
"I'll see you at Christmas, father," Draco said, picking his bag up and turning to the train.
"Oh you'll be seeing me much sooner than that Draco," Lucius' eyes flickered over into Harry's direction who returned the look with equal ferocity, "Much sooner."
Harry watched Lucius sweep away leaving his son to give Harry glares in his place. Looking around he realised that the company had already moved on without him and were now putting their luggage onto the train, with the exception of Jen who, previously standing by Harry now walked over to Malfoy and engaged him in conversation.
Harry's jealousy soared as Jen laughed loudly at something Malfoy had said and together they boarded the train, without so much as a backward glance at Harry.
"When you're ready, Harry!" Lupin shouted over the noise as more and more students flocked towards the train. Harry lugged his trunk over to Lupin who with a wave of his wand loaded it onto the train.
"Take care of yourself Harry," Lupin said, softly squeezing Harry's shoulder encouragingly.
"Come on Harry!" Ron and Hermione called, hanging out of the window of the compartment they had claimed. With one last smile at Lupin, Harry jumped onto the train and sought out his friends.
"So Harry," Ron said, cheerfully when they had all got comfortable and were settled as the train departed, "Heard any strange voices lately? Had any creepy visions? Metamorphosed into Voldemort's snake? Dumbledore warned you about anything life threatening?"
"Shut up Ron!" Harry snapped, realising with some dread that Ron was right, every time they got on the train they would usually discuss Harry's imminent death. Putting these thoughts aside, Harry laughed with his friend.
"But seriously, everyone will be worried," Hermione said, looking up from the book she was reading, "Voldemort hasn't been seen in months! I mean now that Fudge has finally…"
Jen slipped into the compartment and made a snoring noise as Hermione spoke about the Dark Lord and the element of hysteria the wizarding world was in since his return.
"Please Hermione, can this be one of the few occasions you don't bore us to death with your alleged superior knowledge." Hermione glared at Jen but was silent.
"Hey is that the Daily Prophet?" Ron asked, changing the subject, noticing the paper in Jen's hands. Jen nodded and handed it out to the redhead,
"You can read it, I'm done."
"Anything about Voldemort?" Harry asked, almost desperately as his friend flicked through the paper. Ron shook his head,
"Little article here, 'How to spot a Death Eater,'"
"As if the black cloak, the raspy threatening voice and the dark mark on the forearm wasn't enough, the typical Death Eater always wears stilettos," Jen joked, causing laughs to break out among the group, but not from Hermione,
"What kind of Death Eater wears stilettos?" she asked, unimpressed.
"Well there's this one guy, his name's Malfoy," Jen said, loudly, "He's the type to wear stilettos!" Harry's eyes flickered to the door where he could see Malfoy pass them by. Jen laughed,
"There's a silencing spell on the door," Jen said, watching the colour rush out of Harry and Ron's face with amusement, "He can't hear us. Anyway, back to the paper."
"OH!" Ron shouted, making violent gestures to the paper.
"What what?" came the shrieks from the compartment.
"Voldemort's been sighted!" Hermione cried, but Harry had much darker thoughts on his mind,
"Voldemort's killed again?"
"Kurt Cobain and Freddy Mercury really were making out in King's Cross?" Jen squealed excitedly.
"No," Ron stuttered, "Uh…just this," he showed them the article.
'Memorial Plaque unveiled…at last!
A memorial plaque commemorating the life of Miranda Snape has finally been unveiled at St Mungo's hospital. The beloved healer and mother was brutally murdered by Voldemort exactly fifteen years ago today. Many patients of Mrs Snape have been lodging complaints, demanding for some recognition of the woman who gave up her life to save others. Their pleas have at last been heard and the plaque was unveiled in a ceremony earlier on this morning. A representative of St Mungo's had this to say, 'Miranda was a wonderful woman and an even better healer. She is sorely missed even today so long after the tragic event. We are so pleased to have some reminder of her here at the place where she devoted much of her time even when it was unnecessary. As well as a celebration to her life the plaque inspires hope to patients as well as to remind healers of their duty towards patients.' Miranda's husband, Professor Severus Snape, potions master at Hogwarts School was present to unveil the memorial. Hospital workers had hoped Snape's daughter would attend, but she was unavailable, however a Daily Prophet reporter did find her for comment and she had this to say, 'Like I have the (bleep) time to speak to a (bleeping) reporter (bleep) off!'
The group exchanged silent glances, stunned into shock, "She was my mother's best friend," Ron said, "I never knew her but mum has always said she deserved some kind of recognition for all her work. Never knew she was married to Snape though!" he said in a mixture of shock and disgust. Harry was drawn to the picture of Miranda Snape that smiled back at him from the paper. She was eerily beautiful and looked somewhat familiar to Harry but he couldn't remember where. Maybe he had seen her before in Snape's office or something?
"Oh my God!" Harry shouted, suddenly, "She was married to Snape!" Harry and Ron exchanged shocked words at how a woman that beautiful could love a man that…well it was Snape.
"I myself can't believe the attitude of the daughter. Normally I'd say only a Snape could be that heartless but even Snape went to the unveiling. How could anyone be that callous towards their mother's memory?"
"I'm sure she had her reasons," Jen said, "OH YES!" she shouted, making them all jump, "The trolley's here! I am starved!" she hesitated, "What?" she asked, innocently as the cart lady passed them, "I'm hungry." She ran after her and bought a mass of food to make up for her lack of breakfast. Unfortunately in her eating frenzy caused her to knock a cup of Pumpkin juice over Hermione's lap, Harry being unsure whether this was accidental or not.
Their feast was glorious, but soon disturbed by a rapping at the window. Pyro was outside, tapping the window violently, trying to get in. Jen leaped up, knocking another flask of Pumpkin Juice over Hermione's lap, in her rush to open the window she barely muttered an apology.
"Pyro!" Jen cried, as the phoenix swooped into the compartment. "Pyro, what are you doing here? You never get like this, not unless something's really wrong…I mean catastrophically wrong!"
The group looked up at Jen, worriedly, waiting for the bomb to drop, "Lupin burned my favourite top again, didn't he! I keep telling that man NOT to iron…" Pyro shook his head, "Oh…" Jen paused, "I guess you just missed me then," she pulled Pyro into her arms and cuddled him, sinking back down with him in her arms and purposely missing the patch of Pumpkin Juice where Hermione was sitting.
The train rattled on without any further interruptions. The three friends changed into their robes, Jen refused and instead put her designer sunglasses on.
"It's dark outside," Hermione pointed out to her. Jen lowered the glasses, stylishly down her nose,
"Oh please, you think designers care whether it's dark or not?" Jen said, regally, "Fashion over function, darling, fashion over function."
The train came to a halt and the group scrambled to the window to look out at the platform. It was oddly quiet, there was no Hagrid or otherwise to greet the first years.
"Hmm," Harry murmured, "That's strange, where's Hagrid…and where are the Thestrals? Where are the carriages?"
"Uh guys?" Ron called, "The door won't open, it's locked." Ron continued to pull on the door, but it remained shut tight. Looking through the window in the door, they could see the Ravenclaw's in the opposite compartment were having the same problem.
"What?" Hermione huffed, "The doors can't be locked. All locks are disabled when the train reaches it's destination. It said so in 'Hogwarts: A Histo…'"
"Will you shut up about that book!" Jen snapped, aggressively, "The world is not governed by what is said in books." Hermione shrank back from Jen as she ran to the window, "This is all wrong!" she cried, "What's happening?"
A shadow flashed past the window, "What the hell was that?" someone in the next compartment screamed.
"Death Eaters!" someone else screamed, sending the train into mass panic.
"Whew," breathed a somewhat relieved Jen, "I thought it was going to be something serious." She whistled for Pyro to land on her shoulder, "Don't panic," she said, gently to the group, disappearing in a whirl of fire. Before the friends could register what had just happened, Jen reappeared, holding out the sunglasses to Harry, "Guard these with your life," she commanded, vanishing again into the flames.
Harry, Ron and Hermione ran to the window. The teachers were there now, as were the Death Eaters. There were flashes of various spells bouncing between the two as well as numerous bursts of flames, which Harry was pleased to see always hit their target, sending Death Eaters screaming as the flames consumed their bodies.
"There's Jen!" Ron called, catching sight of the girl as she threw a number of fireballs at the Death Eater she was fighting. The hem of the cloak caught fire, but he took no notice and shot a flurry of spells at Jen, knocking her back against the station wall.
"Jen!" Harry yelled, watching as the Death Eater advanced. She was far from injured and she looked up defiantly, screaming something and sending more fire with it. Pyro joined in the fray, pecking the Death Eaters that gathered to help the ringleader.
"Wow," Ron gasped, "Look at her go." Jen was back on her feet and sending a relentless fiery assault at the Death Eater.
"Enough!" came a chilling voice, "We have given adequate warning." The Death Eaters looked up at the sky and with no warning vanished into the air. Harry could see Jen falter and collapse against the wall, Professor Snape was first to rush to her, followed keenly by Professor McGonnagoll.
Before the students had time to wonder what had happened, they found themselves mysteriously transported to the Great Hall. A worried mutter broke out among them and the students were on the verge of becoming hysteric. Harry seemed to be the only one more concerned with Jen.
"Students!" a call rang through the hall, silencing the pupils immediately. Dumbledore was standing at the teacher's table, "Please take your seats and begin the feast. You are all safe now, I will make an announcement shortly."
The students filed to their tables, still shivering with fear and excitement. Dumbledore swept through the halls and stopped at Harry, "Come with me, Harry," he said, quietly, looking up at Ron and Hermione, "You may come too."
The three followed Dumbledore to what they had thought to be the hospital wing, expecting to see a withered Jen lying on a fading hospital bed…instead she was in Snape's office screaming and fighting off five professors who were trying to feed her medicine.
With a swift nod, Dumbledore dismissed them, Snape of course would stay, his beady eyes glaring at the Potter boy.
"Jen!" Harry gasped, running over to her side, "Are you ok?"
"Fine," she mumbled, "You haven't got medicine have you?" she asked, suspiciously moving away from him. Harry shook his head, "Good," she said, "You may approach," she gestured for Harry to sit beside her, "Water," she called to Snape, clicking her fingers.
"Good to see the Death Eater attack hasn't done you any serious damage," Hemione growled. Jen laughed,
"Why Harmy, darling you say it as though that were a bad thing!" She flicked a fireball at Hermione which dissolved before it hit her, "I'm sure that's not what you meant."
"Jen," Dumbledore warned. Jen gave a winning smile and drank the water,
"Sorry," she said sweetly, "Anyway, what was with the Death Eaters?"
"They said it was a warning," Hermione gasped, "Will they be back? Are they going to attack Hogwarts."
"Those are our suspicions, yes," Dumbledore said, gravely, "The school governors are pressing to close the school down and this attack is just going to give them more ammunition."
"Why do they want the school to close?" Ron asked, quickly.
"Lucius Malfoy's doing I'm afraid, who knows what his motives are."
"If Malfoy is a death eater and he wants the school to close down, it'll be easier to get at Harry," Hermione suggested, "He could have led the Death Eaters so it would be easier to get Hogwarts closed."
"There are other reasons," Snape murmured, speaking for the first time. Dumbledore gave him a warning glance, but they were interrupted by Chris who burst into the office.
"Jen!" he cried, "Are you ok?" he threw his arms around her, "Did they hurt you?"
"Is the bike ok?" Jen asked, immediately.
Chris laughed and ruffled her hair, "Course," Jen smiled
"Then I'm fine," she returned the embrace, sending Harry into a jealous fit.
"Well, everyone is fine so I suggest we go to the feast," Dumbledore held the door open for them and they went through.
Sitting at the table they were joined by Jen. They polished off the feast which included Dumbledore's speech about why the Death Eaters attacked (as a warning to the minister of magic that not even the children were safe, though Harry was not convinced of the headmaster's sincerity here), they also heard Dumbledore appoint Chris as the new defence against the dark arts teacher which brought swoons and enthusiastic claps from many girls of all ages…Hermione being one.
Finally, after a thoroughly exhausting day, they returned to Gryffindor tower, the new password being Hanabeech, Harry climbed the staircase, trying to think of what Snape had said when he had spoken in the dungeon. He was greeted by his fellow Gryffindors all discussing with excitement the Death Eater attack. He brushed them off and retired. Rolling into bed he heard Dean cry, "That Jen girl is amazing!"
"She sure is," Harry thought.
TBC