Twenty million years after her last update, Kate has finally appeared! Yes, sorrry about the huaageeee delay. One reason after another, won't bore you with the details, but i've been so busy the past couple of months, i haven't had time to think! I hope this chapter is to your taste, if not, bugger off. It's quite short as well. Ah well. Enjoy!
The force of the sudden acceleration threw the beds, with their occupants, to the back of the purple bus, resulting in many bumps as the bodies slammed against the sides. Tash swore loudly, rubbing her sore head.
"Now I know how Harry felt," she muttered.
They sped through traffic filled roads, dodging in between vehicles and revving furiously down motorways. Somehow, Colin managed to bring a tray of hot chocolates around the bus to the various travellers. One of them was hooded, only his cheekbones catching the light occasionally. Kate did give him the often glance. She had the feeling that the figure was watching them constantly, even if she could not see the person's eyes. And she did not like it when she couldn't see what was coming.
She blew on her hot chocolate, taking a sip just before the bus ran over a speed bump. The mug flew out her hand, spilling the brown liquid everywhere.
"D'arvit!" she muttered. (A.N- D'arvit is the elfish swear word from Artemis Fowl, if you haven't read the books READ THEM NOW! Or I will shoot you. I use D'arvit all the time!)
"Well done Kate," Beth complained.
"Hey it's not MY fault!"
Jenny and Tash looked at each other while the other two continued to bicker. They both had no idea how they were supposed to cope, they had barely managed it for 5 years on msn. How Emma coped was another matter…
"Well excccuuuuseeeee me!" Kate said. "Sorry for not being so utterly perfect!"
"Well FINE!"
"FINE!"
"SEE IF I CARE!"
"SEE IF I CARE THAT YOU DON'T CARE!"
"Foe god's SAKE!" Tash screamed. "SHUT UP!"
Silence there might have been, but the tension was high now in the bus, and many of the other passengers were giving them extremely strange looks. Jenny's head was in her hands from the embaressment.
"She started it."
"Did not."
Jenny decided to do something to distract her from the shouting. The wand was on Beth's bed. She picked it up warily. How could they be so sure about it? Wand's didn't just drop from the skies like rain or grow on trees. You had to be a wizard or witch to have one and use one. Beth was just a normal muggle, but hadn't she used it only just before? And hadn't it already got them this far? Maybe it was time to experiment and find out. She raised the wand, trying to think of a spell.
"Ermmmm….Wingardium Leviosa?"
At first, nothing appeared to be happening. It wasn't until she looked over to the Beacons, who will still arguing with Tash screaming at them, that she saw one of the mugs filled with hot chocolate had risen in the air. It was hovering over Beth's head.
"I give up!" Tash said, storming over to her bed, face red and eyes blazing. It was a good job she did and not a few seconds later. The mug suddenly tipped over, its contents falling over poor Beth. There was a few seconds of silence before Kate started fretting.
"Beth, are you ok? That drink was boiling! Jenny, get us a towel or something!"
Well, at least the wand was working. Why not try some more?
"Accio towel!"
A white towel flew from one of the cupboards. It hurled across the room, flying straight into Beth's face.
"Thanks," said her muffled voice. Tash raised her eyebrows at Jenny. She shrugged back.
"Jenny, you're not a witch. How could you use that wand? I didn't know it would work."
"It worked for me before," Beth said from under the towel.
"Good point."
"Maybe the wand has special powers that allow muggles to use it?" Kate suggested, who was patting Beth's coat with tissues.
"Hmmm..but then if another Harry Potter fan had picked it up, they would've been able to use it," Jenny said.
The conversation was delayed when the driver slammed his foot once more on the brake. Everything was thrown forwards, including the girls. Jenny clung onto the side, as did Tash. Kate grabbed onto Tash, and Beth grabbed onto Kate.
"Guys, let go!" Tash said. "I can't hold on. You're too heavy."
"I knew I shouldn't have eaten that chocolate coated Turkish delight," Kate said regretfully.
"Guys I can't hold on!" Her grip became loser around the bar she was holding.
"Well I'M not letting go!" Beth shouted back.
But it was too late, for dear Natasha's hands were torn away from the bar. This all happened in a split second. The girls were thrown to the front of the bus, while Jenny still clung to the side. She smiled gingerly as the others groaned and tried to pick themselves up.
"Number 12 Grimmauld Place, London."
Jenny looked out the window. There it was, just like J.K Rowling had described, or to be more precise, it wasn't there. Jenny glared and glared, waiting for it to appear, but it didn't. They all made their way to the door. Kate tried to retrieve some of the precious gold coins which had fallen out of her pockets when something alerted her. A smell. Aftershave, but cheap aftershave. It was coming from the hooded figure in the corner. A lock of their dark brown hair had fallen forwards, which they quickly pushed back. She picked up the last coin, and walked to the front.
"Colin," she said quietly, glancing at the person. "Who is that over there?"
"Well," he said, "we don't actually know."
"Oh," Kate said, frowning. "Well, shouldn't have he got off before us if he was on the bus first?"
"Well," he said again," that's the other strange thing. He specially requested that you and your friends be transported first."
"What!"
"Kate, come on! We haven't got time to be hanging around!" Beth's voice called from outside.
Kate sighed causing Colin to smile sympathetically.
"Bye then Colin."
She stepped off the bus, and seconds later it shot away, causing the dust on the road to fly into the air in clouds.
"Man my whole body is aching!" Tash said, rubbing the base of her back. "Remind me never to go on that thing again."
They all moved forwards, Kate trailing behind lost in her own thoughts, while Jenny searched in vain for the house. It wasn't there.
"Argh, we're muggles, we can't see it!" she said dismally. They'd come all this way, and they couldn't even get into the Order of the Phoenix.
Beth nudged Kate while the other two continued to gaze into the empty space.
"What's up?"
Kate looked up quickly as if waking up from a dream.
"Oh, nothing," she said vaguely, "just…..no it doesn't matter, it's nothing."
Meanwhile, up ahead…
"Oh, for GODS SAKE! APPEAR GOD DAM IT!"
"Tash, I don't think the house will respond to human threats."
"Well, it SHOULD!"
They all stopped talking when a soft voice addressed them.
"Excuse me, are you looking for something?"
They all turned around to find a man dressed in a long, battered brown coat. His jumper was knitted and his trousers old. Even though his hair was flecked with grey, and wrinkles surrounded his tired looking eyes, he could have been only 5 or 6 years older than the oldest of the girls. He was carrying a brown paper bag under one arm.
"Can it be……." Jenny gasped.
Beth thought maybe it was better to interrupt before Jenny's next random outburst was released.
"Yes, we're looking 12 Grimmauld Place, but it appears to be missing. It's a matter of great urgency."
The man yawned before speaking.
"What business do you have?"
"Well," Kate said, "we need some help, and we believe the people who inhabit this house can help us. The only problem is….."
"Oh just come OUT with it," Tash said impatiently. "We're muggles looking for the Order of the Phoenix, but we can't see. Can you help us as you're obviously Remus Lupin?"
His lips smiled ever so slightly. He looked like he hadn't smiled for a long time.
"Well, when you put it like that….Beacons of Red Light I take it?" he replied, indicating his head at Beth and Kate. They nodded back.
"Superb. We've been expecting you. Follow me."
They followed him into the empty gap, where suddenly a large, battered and miserable looking house appeared. Kate rubbed her eyes. She wasn't dreaming. Remus walked up to the huge oak door, turned the handle, and walked in. The girls followed.
By the way, you see the search button? Click and search for "Doctor Who and the Beacons of Red Light." It's new and is being authored by my fellow Beacon! Happy easter everyone! Eat lots of chocolate. I will be, i haven't eaten it for over 6 weeks! Ta ta for now!