All characters depicter here belong to JK Rowling. I own nothing but the pleasure of writing this particular story.
Seeing
March faded into April. My classes started to go even better than they had been. I'd always picked certain things up easily and magic, it turned out, was one of those things that I found easy.
Professor Flitwick pulled me aside after one of my Charms lessons to tell me that he'd never seen a student so far behind pick up things so quickly. He'd had me do a Cheering Charm, something he taught in third year, on Hermione and he said that I'd performed it admirably. Hermione stumbled out of the room behind me, wearing a carefree smile. It was nice to see her smiling, even if it was Charm induced.
"What's wrong with Hermione?" Ginny asked as she joined up with us on our way to the dormitory. "She looks…spaced out."
"She is," Harry answered with a grin. "Jules put a Cheering Charm on her."
"I'm okay," Hermione answered, still wearing the silly grin. "I just hope it doesn't wear off for a while."
"Ginny, Professor McGonagall told me this morning that they've decided to allow us to have a rematch for that Quidditch game we missed," Harry announced suddenly, his eyes dancing.
Ginny's eyes lit up. "Excellent! They shouldn't have made us forfeit in the first place. That was completely unfair of them. It's not as though we were trying to get out of the match!"
"I bet Ravenclaw isn't too happy about that," Ron muttered as we passed a couple Ravenclaw students.
"Yeah, well, if they'd had any decency to start with, they wouldn't have insisted on a forfeit," I said angrily, not bothering to keep my voice down. I didn't care who heard me, I thought that what the Ravenclaw captain had done was wrong. Even Professor Flitwick, the head of Ravenclaw House, had apologised to Harry and Ginny about it.
Going to Mr Granger's funeral had meant that Harry, Ron and Ginny weren't there for the match. Gryffindor had been three players short and had been, of course, unable to play. The Ravenclaw captain, Lisa Turpin, had thrown a huge fit, saying that the reason behind the players not being there was unimportant. The match had been declared a forfeit and Ravenclaw got the win and average points. Harry, Ginny and Professor McGonagall had been fighting it ever since.
We'd just turned the corner and made our way toward the Fat Lady when Ginny let out a shriek. We thought something was wrong until the enormous black dog with pale eyes came galloping at us, his tongue lolling.
"What is he doing?" Ron hissed. "Has he gone mad?"
"Gone?" Harry repeated, chuckling.
Padfoot ran straight past us without even stopping. We spun around to watch. We knew what was going on as soon as we turned around.
Mrs Norris, Mr Filch's nasty cat, had been behind us as we made our way up the stairs. During one of our Defence Against the Dark Arts lessons, Sirius had complained to us about Filch and Mrs Norris constantly following him around the castle. He was feeling a little…disenchanted with the pair of them and had apparently decided to exact a little revenge.
Mrs Norris let out a hiss and turned tail, haring down the stairs, nearly knocking students out of the way as she ran. Padfoot gave chase for a minute before letting out a bark and turning back up the stairs. He stopped at Harry's feet and grinned up at him. He transformed.
"That was mature," Hermione said with a laugh. The silly grin was still firmly fixed on her face. Sirius raised an eyebrow at her.
"What's up?" he asked, indicating Hermione.
"Cheering Charm," I answered.
"Ah." He nodded, grinning at Hermione.
"What was that about?" I asked. He turned to me.
"I told you the other day that I'm tired of Filch following me. He did it when I was at school and he's doing it now, and I am tired of it. I don't have to watch myself around him anymore."
"You could still get into trouble for being an unregistered-" Harry started.
"Who's unregistered? Arthur knows I'm an Animagi. So long as the Minister knows, it's okay," Sirius said with a grin.
We'd reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. She smiled brightly at Sirius as she waited for the password. Ginny gave it and the Fat Lady winked at Sirius before swinging open.
"What did you do to her?" Ron asked, his eyebrows raised. We entered the portrait hole and Sirius followed. He laughed.
"I just apologised for slashing her and I told her it would never happen again. Nothing more." He shrugged as he settled into a chair by the fire. "I have no idea why I followed you in here."
We all laughed, heading up to drop our things in our dormitories. Hermione turned to me, still smiling. It was starting to get a little creepy.
"Is there a counter charm for that, Hermione?" I asked.
She shook her head. "Not that I have ever read about!" she answered brightly. "Professor Flitwick never taught it to us."
She followed me back down to the common room, chatting about house elves. I wasn't really sure what house elves were, but I didn't tell her that.
"…enslaved and nobody stands up for them! It's not right, Jules."
"Are you back on house elves?" Ron demanded, glaring at Hermione. She grinned up at him.
"Well, something needs to be done, Ron."
"Hermione, you haven't mentioned house elves in a while, why have you brought them up again?"
"Because she's cheerful," Ginny answered. She smiled sadly in Hermione's direction. "Enjoy it, Ron."
Ron closed his mouth and stared at Ginny. He nodded and turned to listen to Hermione. She'd continued to gabble on and on, not noticing that none of us were really paying attention.
"She sounds like she's been hit with a Gibberish Charm," Harry said with a laugh, joining the rest of us in the common room.
Sirius frowned. "A Gibberish Charm?"
Harry laughed again. "I don't know. Sounded good."
Sirius chuckled as we exited through the portrait hole. The Fat Lady winked at Sirius again and blew a kiss at him. He grinned at her and waved.
Harry grinned at Sirius mischievously. "The thing about dating a portrait is there's not a lot you can do, is there?"
Sirius spun around, his eyebrows raised.
"Pardon?"
Harry grinned again, his eyes starting to sparkle.
"Well, you couldn't leave the castle. You'd have to chase after her from picture to picture."
Ginny grinned evilly. "I can imagine what kissing would be like."
"Ew," I said with a laugh.
"What are you on about?" Sirius demanded, his eyes narrowed. "I'm not dating anyone."
"You're sure flirting with her though," Ginny laughed.
"With who?"
"The Fat Lady," we all chorused.
"I am not fli…I am being nice to her is all!" Sirius spluttered. Harry laughed.
"We're all nice to her and she doesn't blow kisses at us," he deadpanned. Sirius looked so thunderstruck that I burst out laughing.
"For your information, Mr Potter," Sirius sniffed. "I could still get any woman I wanted. I don't need to date a painting."
"Wow, sure of yourself are we?" I said, raising my eyebrows at him. He grinned at me.
"Stating fact, Miss Jules."
"You couldn't get Jules," Hermione said with a laugh. Sirius turned to stare at her.
"Well…as Jules is the girlfriend of one of my oldest friends, I wouldn't even try," Sirius said slowly. I glanced around, making sure nobody heard.
"Shut up," I hissed. "Nobody is supposed to know that."
"However," Sirius continued, a little quieter, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "If I'd met Jules first, she would have won her."
"Excuse me?" I yelped, spinning around to face him. "You did not just say what I thought you said!"
He grinned at me again. I glared at him. I could feel my face heating up.
"I am not a prize to be won!" I snarled before turning on my heel and storming ahead of them.
I'm not sure why that had made me so angry, but I had found the comment incredibly disrespectful, not only toward me, but toward Remus as well. I knew, though, that I had over reacted a bit. That embarrassed me.
"Jules, wait, I was joking." Sirius caught my arm, trying to slow me down. I shrugged him off. I wasn't ready to look at him yet. I was still embarrassed about over reacting. "Please Jules, it was a stupid joke. I'm sorry."
I stopped walking and turned to glare at him. He held my gaze.
"That was the rudest remark I've ever heard, Sirius Black. I am not a prize to be won. I love Remus and even if you had met me first, I would be with him. Do you understand that? I think it was an impolite remark to me, and it was an impolite remark toward Remus as well!"
"Keep your voice down," he muttered.
"Sorry," I said with an ironic laugh. "But I thought that comment was out of line. But you're right, I over reacted."
"I noticed. It was a joke. Just a bad joke. I was teasing is all." He looked closer at me. "Are you alright? I wouldn't have thought that you'd have a reaction like that to a stupid comment."
"I'm really tired is all. It's been a long day." I watched Hermione smiling as they went ahead of us into the Great Hall. "And that's depressing," I added, indicating Hermione.
Sirius sighed and slipped an arm over my shoulder, leading me toward the Great Hall.
"It is depressing. But Hermione is stubborn about bringing Voldemort down before allowing herself to mourn her father."
I nodded. "I know." I glanced around at her. She was still wearing the same spacey grin that she'd had for the last hour. "Maybe we should just keep putting Cheering Charms on her."
"No. It's too creepy when Hermione smiles for no reason."
I burst out laughing. I gave Sirius a quick hug before moving over to the Gryffindor table.
*
There was fear in the air so thick that you could almost taste it. Fires burned and smoke fell thick across the horizon. I was running as fast as I could, but I wasn't getting anywhere. People were falling all around me and there was green light flying in every direction. I tried to search for somebody, anybody, that I knew, but I found nobody. I could feel panic rising in my throat and swallowed, trying to choke it down. People were screaming; panicking. Everywhere around me, people were running, screaming, trying to get out of there, and were trampling each other in their terror.
There was a girl laying in the grass, crying out with pain, her long white blonde hair coming out of its neat ponytail, her face pressed against her knees. I knelt beside her and tried to lift her to her feet. She let out a yell when I moved her.
"Come on!" I cried, wrapping her arm about my shoulder. "We need to go!"
She pulled away from me and fell back to the grass, her face buried in her hands. I grabbed her again, trying to lift her off the ground. I ran my hands down her legs, trying to feel for breaks. I heard something start to crash in the background and looked up in time to see the castle imploding.
"You're fine! Get up!" I yelled, panic stricken. "We have to find everyone!"
She turned to look at me, her hair seeming to shrink back into her head. She started to laugh maniacally. I gave a gasp and let her fall back to the ground once more.
The face that stared back at me was bleached bone white with a flat nose and snake-like nostrils. Even more horrifying than that were the fiery scarlet eyes that glared right at me. I backed up a few steps, my hands out in front of me.
"Who are you?" I choked out, horror rising in my throat.
The person continued to laugh, coming to its feet slowly. I stared as it drew itself to its full height and towered over me.
"You're next, Mudblood. You're next."
I gasped, sitting up in my bed, my heart racing. I was shivering with fright and my pyjamas were drenched in cold sweat. I ripped back the hangings on my bed, staring wildly around, making sure the school wasn't really on fire.
I breathed a sigh of relief to find the air smoke free. I slipped out of bed and made my way over to the water pitcher by the window. I glanced out the window, making perfectly certain, before pouring myself a glass.
Someone sniffled behind me and I spun quickly. There was nobody there. I set my glass back beside the pitcher and held my breath, trying to listen.
Another sniffle. I frowned, making my way back to my bed. I heard one more sniffle and realised it was coming from Hermione's bed.
"Hermione?" I whispered, pulling the hangings back a little. She became unnaturally still and her breathing stopped. "Hermione, it's Jules. Are you okay?"
She let out a sigh and rolled over to face me. Her face was wet with tears.
"Did I wake you?" she asked softly. I shook my head, sitting down on her bed and pulling the hangings shut once more.
"I had a nightmare. I got up for a drink and I heard you."
She nodded, wiping her cheeks quickly.
"What's wrong, Hermione?"
She tried to smile and failed. She shook her head.
"Nothing, really. After effect of the Cheering Charm."
I said nothing, merely stared at her.
"Okay, so it's not. I had a nightmare also. About the night my parents were attacked."
I nodded. "I thought as much. Did you go visit your mother today?"
"Yes. She's still…out of it. She doesn't remember the attack, thankfully." Hermione sighed and rolled to her side, curling into a ball. "I keep dreaming about it."
"Are…are there counsellors or anyone here that you could speak to?"
"Madam Pomfrey has offered to talk if I feel the need."
"Have you?"
She shook her head. "Not yet." I could see tears well in her eyes again. "It's hard to see it in my dreams. I'm not sure I can talk about it. I'm not brave like Harry." She turned her back to me then to hide the tears that were starting down her cheeks once more. I wasn't sure what she meant about being brave like Harry but I didn't say anything. I lay down behind her and wrapped my arms around her. She didn't say anything but I felt her tremble as she started to weep.
I woke to the sounds of whispers in the dormitory. I blinked to clear my eyes, wondering why on earth I had a mass of hair in my face. I remembered trying to comfort Hermione and realised I must have fallen asleep. I eased away from her and peaked out of the crack in the hangings. I didn't really care what the other two thought, but I didn't think that Hermione needed rumours going around on top of what she was going through.
I couldn't see either of them so I slipped out of the bed and into my own. I lay there listening to the other two get up and leave. I finally slid out of my bed and made for the shower.
When I came back, Hermione was up and had dressed. She looked a little uncomfortable.
"What's wrong?" I asked, frowning. I seemed to be asking her that a lot lately.
"Nothing," she answered, smiling. "Thank you for laying with me last night. My mum used to do that when I was younger."
"My grandmother did too," I replied, smiling back. I picked up my bag and moved toward the stairs. Hermione followed.
"I wonder if the others have gotten up yet," she wondered aloud, setting her bag on one of the tables in the common room.
"No, here comes Ron," I said, looking up at the stairway to the boys' dormitory. Ron came out of it, his hair sticking everywhere. "He hasn't bothered to comb his hair."
Hermione grinned at me then turned her attention to Ron. "Not awake yet?"
"What?" he asked, staring at her. Close to, we could both see that he had dark circles under his eyes and looked as though he hadn't slept well.
"You didn't comb your hair. Do you not have Defence Against the Dark Arts with us this morning?"
"Yeah, I'm going back up. Harry is asleep still. We both had nightmares last night."
Hermione frowned and looked at me. "We both did also."
"Me too," a voice said behind us. We turned to find a very pale Ginny. Her eyes also had dark circles under them.
"Get Harry up," Hermione whispered, her face paling even more. "We need to go down to the Great Hall."
Ron didn't argue. He hurried up the staircase as fast as his legs would carry him. He was back a moment later, a dressed but half asleep Harry at his side.
"What's going on?" he demanded, jamming his fists in his eyes, trying to wake himself up.
"Something's not right," Hermione answered, flinging her bag over her back. "We need to get to the Great Hall. Come on."
None of us disagreed. We followed Hermione through the portrait hole, down to the Great Hall. I felt terror rise again as I pictured those gleaming scarlet eyes. Students were chattering noisily, apparently without any concern. I felt some of my panic start to fade.
As soon as we entered, I noticed all the teachers standing together at the head table, Remus, Sirius and Professor Snape right in the middle. They seemed to be having a heated discussion and I thought it looked as though one of the professors was crying.
"You're right, Hermione," I muttered, nodding toward the head table. She nodded at me.
"I wonder what's going on," she whispered, her face pale. "Professor Sprout is crying. Look."
Harry, Ron and Ginny looked in that direction. Harry took Ginny's hand quickly and we made our way to the Gryffindor table.
I couldn't get the gleaming red eyes out of my mind. I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head, trying to clear it.
Harry drew a sharp breath and let out a yelp. We all turned to him as his hand came up and clutched at the thin scar on his forehead.
"Something…wrong…" he mumbled, his eyes shut tight. The other three had gone white. "He's…angry."
"But he can't get into your mind anymore!" Ginny wailed, her hand on Harry's arm.
"He's…not," Harry panted, both hands on his scar now. I stared at him, not sure what was going on.
"Harry, stop it!" Hermione cried, trying to pull his hands away from his face. I stood, meaning to go get somebody to help when Harry pulled his hands away on his own.
"Don't ever do that again!" Ron yelled angrily.
"Sorry," Harry muttered, buttering some toast to avoid looking at us.
"What happened?" I asked.
"He just tried to get into V-Voldemort's mind," Hermione explained, still angry. "Why?"
"Because I wanted to know what was going on."
"That's a stupid reason," came Sirius' voice from above us. We looked up to find him angrier than I ever would have thought possible. He grabbed Harry's arm and yanked him out of his chair. He pulled Harry out into the Entrance Hall.
"That didn't look good," Ron observed.
I looked up toward the head table. Remus was looking out into the Entrance Hall and nodding at something one of the professors had said. He looked tired and dismayed.
"Something very bad has happened," I said quietly. Harry and Sirius came back into the Great Hall. Harry looked thoroughly put out and Sirius nearly had steam billowing from his ears.
The Hall went quiet as Dumbledore nodded and stepped forward. We all watched him clear his throat and look out at the students.
"I regret to announce that there has been an attack," he said softly. We caught every word.
Hermione's eyes closed and her hands clenched around her goblet. Ginny started to cry softly, while Ron just stared at Albus. Harry looked straight at me.
Albus cleared his throat again before speaking. "The Minister received word this morning that Beauxbatons Academy for Magic in France was attacked early this morning by Lord Voldemort and many of his supporters."
I sat up straighter, the gleaming scarlet eyes even more vivid in my mind as Albus continued. Again I heard the voice telling me "You're next Mudblood. You're next."
My fear must have been evident on my face because Harry reached over and took my hand suddenly. I stared at him, listening as Albus explained that the survivors would be making their way to Hogwarts later that day and that the school had been completely destroyed.
"How many survived?" Hermione asked quietly, her eyes still closed. Albus turned to her.
"We're not sure at this time, Miss Granger."
"Why Beauxbatons?" a girl sitting at the Hufflepuff table asked. She had long dark hair pulled back into a braid.
"I am not sure, Miss Bones. I have only assumptions, each as unlikely as the next."
"Are we next?"
I didn't know who asked it, but Albus looked at somebody sitting at the Ravenclaw table.
"I won't lie to you. We may well be. I've owled each of your parents and explained to them what has happened. If they wish for you to leave school, then they just have to let me know. I maintain that this is the safest place for you to be at this time."
Somebody else started to ask something but was interrupted by the doors being thrown open. I stared as a woman as tall as a house came through the doors, her eyes bruised, her nose bloody. She was barefoot and her robes were torn.
"Madame Maxime," Hermione whispered. "She survived!"
The woman made her way up to the head table and leaned heavily against the table. She spoke with Albus quietly for a moment before nodding. Albus waved his wand and a chair materialised out of thin air. The woman collapsed into it, her face buried in her hands.
Albus cleared his throat again.
"Survivors from Beauxbatons are arriving now. Your morning classes have been postponed until further notice, as we need the professors to assist with injuries. I ask you to finish your breakfast and return to your house common rooms. You will be alerted when your classes resume."
Nobody spoke when he sat down and leaned toward the woman in the chair. We finished eating and made our way back to the common room.
"Who was that?" I asked quietly.
"Madame Maxime," Harry answered. "She was…is…the Headmistress at Beauxbatons."
Ron stopped just as we were giving the Fat Lady the password. He had gone stark white and his eyes were the size of dinner plates.
"What?" Ginny asked.
"Gabrielle."
"What?" Hermione demanded.
"Gabrielle!" Ron repeated. Harry grabbed his arm.
"We have to tell Bill."
"Who is Gabrielle?" Ginny asked.
"Fleur's sister!" Ron and Harry yelled as they hurried back down the stairs.
Hermione and Ginny stared at each other for half a beat before following Ron and Harry. I followed them.
"Who is Fleur?" I demanded.
"Bill's girlfriend!" Ginny called over her shoulder. The three of us entered the Great Hall after Ron and Harry. I gaped at the scene.
It looked like a bomb had gone off. I stared around, awestruck, at the devastation around me.
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Hello everyone…sorry about the length of time to update…it was hard to write this chapter, for some reason. Again, not overly happy with the chapter, but I hope you enjoy it. I might change things (I've already changed quite a few things from what was originally written), and will let you all know if I do.