Chapter 2
Flashes of light flew fast and furiously between the two sides. On one side six figures an black robes and white masks threw Unforgivable and other such things at their opponents. Opposite the black robes were a injured slightly balding red head and a black haired bespectacled teen. The black haired teen (Harry) was dogging and firing of curses so fast that the words ran together into a single stream of gibberish. The red head was out for the count having been stunned earlier (luring Harry out for he could not abandon Mr.Weasley to the Death Eaters).But despite the fast reflexes that made him the youngest seeker in a century he couldn't keep up the pace forever. A curse (Crucius) hit him sending him down screaming in agony. It was this that snapped Lea out of her daze and into full battle mode. Lea was very protective of her friends and even if she hadn't seen Harry for years he was still her friend. Hell was about to break loose the black robes would never know what hit them.
Lea reached into her backpack ,dropping her duffel bag where she stood, and pulled out a fist sized garnet she had picked up in her travels. It was time for her signature attack. The one that had earned her her last name.
She dove head first into the sight. Her view changes into a spectrum of light and color. Threads, a tapestry, a flowing river of light each color meaning something each color a integral part of what it was. No two stones were alike no two flowers. They each had a pattern a voice that only she could comprehend. She felt all powerful knowing that she could change anything, that this was hers to command to change to shape and mold. She was an artist and the world was her canvas. The impossible was possible.
She looked at the stone in her hand. It was a swirl of red and gold and orange it was looked like liquid fire. And indeed it was. She had only to move a few threads and it would be fire. Time released it would explode in a storm of fire. Killing and severely injuring all in the close vicinity. She reached out with mental fingers and grasped three threads she quickly connected them in a feedback loop that would make it build up power and explode instead of just turning into a small fire. She drew back, and aligning her vision with the norm, she lobbed the garnet into the middle of the black robes.
She did not close her eyes her. She denied herself the gift of not seeing what came next. She would watch the aftermath of what she had done to once again reaffirm her vow to kill only when there was no other recourse. She watched as the stone fell among the unsuspecting victims felt a surge of guilt for the lives she was taking the harm she was causing. But oh the surge of something that wasn't joy wasn't pride wasn't satisfaction but mixture of all three and others that remained unnamed as the stone exploded on a wash of glorious flames.
This was something she did it was powerful it was spectacular, it was free, it was wild, it was uncontrollable. Fire the thing that was the most untamed, it was her creation hers to command. She had done this created this beautiful and awe-inspiring thing. This dragon of destruction that roared and writhed in a sinuous dance of life.
But the consequences were dear she had taken three lives the other two had managed to porkey there half dead comrade out. The bodies (what was left anyway) were smoking the air reeked of burnt flesh. A disgusting smell that stung ones nostrils. She switched to the sight and saw the cloth that had been three living beings unraveled it light changing with it till it took on the same light and pattern of all decaying matter. A bunch of unconnected threads that having released the light the center of the pattern (the soul) were ready to become a part of another pattern. To be rewoven into the tapestry of life.
Lea slipped out of the sight and focused on the two who's side she had decided to take. :Harry certainly had changed a lot in the years since I last saw him. He looks sad. Those aren't innocent eyes he's seen a lot. What has happened to you my friend: The object of her thoughts chose this moment to rise from where he had been thrown by the shock wave. He looked at her a puzzled from creasing his forehead as he tried to figure out why she looked so familiar.
He cleared his throat and spoke "Um.. Thanks." There was a pause before he blurted out, "Who are you?" He flushed. She smirked, but decided to answer him before he could die of embarrassment, "It's me Cathrine Applewhite from third grade. Remember, the one who convinced you to help let all the circus animals go?" He looked at her and grinned "Hey Kitten!" he had called her that because "your to small to be a Cat". He took in her appearance along with her duffel bag and the charred Death Eaters and said "Looks like you got some new tricks up you sleeve. You here to visit for a while or just passing thru? Cause if your lookin for a place to crash you can stay with me the Dursleys are to scared to say anything." Then he remembered Mr.Weasley and spun around to revive him. "Enervate."
The red headed slightly balding man sat up quickly spotted the corpse and relaxes rubbing his head. "Mr.Weasley are you all right?" Harry asked concernedly. "Yes, yes I'm fine. But what happened to those Death Eaters?"
"Oh. Yeah Kitten did that." Harry said. "Kitten? Who's Kitten?" Mr.Weasley asked in honest confusion looking around before his eyes landed on Lea "Kitten" Garnet. It was abought this time the Order (Late as usual) decided to show up, in force.
Here came Tonks and Kingsley, Mundigus and Remus, and all the rest. Even Dumbledore was there. They spotted the corpses and proceeded to raise a fuss. "What happened to those Death Eaters?" "What are you doing out of Privet Drive, Harry?" "Arthur what happened?"
This continued on for some minuets with Lea wondering just who the Hell these people where and why, if they were Harry's friends, they had shown up after the battle was already over. Then a scared old man with a fake eye and a wooden leg roared "Quiet!" Then he turned to her ,wand out, and growled "And just who are you Missy?"
Lea blinked and then arched an eyebrow. And ignoring him said to Harry, "Nice friends you got Harry." Not waiting for a reply she continued, "Why don't you introduce me?" She watched as the yet unknown man (Mad-Eye Moody) who up into this point had been steaming at being ignored swiveled his real eye, keeping the magical one on Lea, to Harry as Lea implied that she already knew Harry.
"Guy's this is Cathrine Applewhite an old friend of mine from muggle school. Kitten these are.." he pointed to each as he named them. "Kitten's a old friend and she's responsible for the fried Death Eaters." At this they took a closer look at her. "Well my dear girl I believe we owe you a thank you. So thank you." He caught her eye and she felt the probe. Lea quickly hid the more sensitive information and all information pertaining to her power and the Nest. She let him see how she knew Harry and that she meant no harm. The scene she had arrived to (the sight of Harry dodging the Death Eaters attacks). But as he continued to dig for information (specifically how she killed the Death Eaters) she kicked him out smartly and said "Oh no you don't. You got what you wanted so in the future stay out of my head or being booted out will be the least of your troubles."
A flabbergasted Dumbledore blushed at being found out, and after a moment asked "I know your not a witch so how did you sense my Legilmacy and much more importantly how did you kill those Death Eaters?" Lea thought this was quite funny and began laughing, "Death Eaters? D…D…Death E…Eaters? Who came up with that horrible name!" It was Harry who answered her question "A guy named Voldemort." At this Lea who had just stopped laughing once again burst into howls of mirth "Voldemort? Voldemort? You mean MoldieVoldie! The idiot that tried to get the vampires to join him?"
MoldieVoldie, dubbed so by a vampire friend of hers, had asked, more like demanded, that the vampires choose his side in the war. He would hear nothing of being neutral. So the vampires had stalled and called in Lea for a few favors. She may not be much in battles and quick work, the garnet had taken her two weeks of hard work, but her specialty was wards and shields. Given enough time she could make a shield even Voldie couldn't break.. The vampires had stalled for two months while she had built the shield around there home base, which was a huge muggle city. This was fairly recent news considering that after finishing the shield she had caught the next transport out. And had eventually (in two days) ended up where she was now. With the Order staring at her because of her slip up.
"Um…Oops?" she said laughter instantly forgotten as the Order, minus Harry who had no clue about the Vampire thing, stared at her. Remus was the one to break the silence "How do you know about that?" Lea certainly wasn't going to be honest with these strangers and so she lied, "A vampire friend told me." Tonks spoke up "Your friends with a vampire." She blushed. Damn Lea thought, Tonks had gotten that part correct at one time she and Jake, the vampire, had been more than friends.
Dumbledore cleared his throat "We'll discuss this later when we are back at headquarters." Remus went to get Harry's stuff while Harry quizzed Lea on where she had been. She in turn questioned him on who these people were and what school he went to, Hogwarts of course. When Remus got back with Harry's stuff she sighed and said "Well I better move on and find a place to crash. See you later Harry." She walked over and picked up her duffel bag. Harry was going somewhere else and she hadn't been invited. "What do you mean go? You can stay with us at Headquarters. I want you to meet Ron and Hermione." Harry said. Dombledore intervened "I'm afraid not Harry. Headquarters is only for the Order and their families." Lea watched Harry's eyes flash with anger. The dog was about to bite. "Well then I won't be coming either." He said to Dumbledore before turning around to ask her "Where do you suggest we stay?"
"But Harry you have to go it's not safe here!" Tonks said. Harry raised an eyebrow at her then gave a pointed look at the bodies of the Death Eaters. His meaning was quite clear. She had shown up and taken care of the Death Eaters better than the Order. Obviously seeing that he wasn't going to win this one Dumbledore gave in. As she grabbed the porkey Lea saw Moody having an intense conversation with Dumbledore. A short porkey trip later and they were at Headquarters.