HP Life after Hogwarts
Chapter 9
The Next Generation
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The next generation of marauders has their first Quidditch match and the family is there to watch it. Rory and her newly assigned partner find the Asian dark wizards don't even come close to playing by the rules…Modern day rules anyway.
--
Puddlemere United was undefeated this season and had a castle full of Hogwarts students that were now diehard fans of the team. It was no surprise that on the morning of the twins first Quidditch match that everyone was all a buzz with excitement. Harry and the others would be there to watch the Gryffindor vs. Ravenclaw match.
Bree & Bastion Granger and Moria Channing were the Chasers, Alan Channing was the Keeper, Sean was the Seeker, and fourth year Euan Abercrombie and fifth year Dennis Creevey were both Beaters. The new Gryffindor team was a young but talented group with years of promise ahead of them. Dennis was the oldest and Captain of the team. However, everyone got along splendidly, so it was really just a title and nothing more. Oliver and Cedric had graciously gave new brooms to all three Hogwarts teams, so no team really had an advantage over the other.
"I'm nervous." Bree didn't feel like eating breakfast. "What if we bungle the entire match in front of Sissy and the others?"
"Cheer up, Bree. Think positive." Dennis, who had grown by the foot over the past year, tried to cheer her up. "Our practices have been nearly flawless, so I'm sure that we'll do fine."
"You just make the goals." Euan, who had also grown by the foot this summer, winked at her. "Dennis and I'll handle the bludgers."
Bianca "Binky" Quinn-Dumbledore paused what she was sketching and smiled up at them. "Just remember no matter what the outcome of the match it's all in good fun."
"Binks is right. We'll go out there have fun and play our best." Sean munched on a piece of bacon. "You are gonna watch our match right?"
"Our Binks not study, why surely you jest." Bastion teased.
"Button it, Sebastian. She's the only one out of all of us that hasn't lost House Points or had detention." Sean, very fond and protective of Bianca, growled at his best mate.
"Yeah Bastion, she covered for us with Professor Snape and because of that we get to play." Moria glared at Bastion.
"Binks is four or more chapters ahead in every class. Just like Bree and Bastion, only she plays by the rules, and they like to break them." Alan sided with his twin on this matter.
"Bianca's our good luck charm and an expert at strategy. So of course she'll be there." Bree smiled at her cousin.
Bianca held up her sketch, it was a caricature of all of them at the breakfast table. "I find Quidditch fascinating to watch. I may not be into playing it, but I love watching it. Of course, I'm going to be there. I wouldn't miss your first game for all the study time in the world." Bianca smiled serenely at them.
"Oh, c'mon Bianca was we really that ridiculous?" Sean leaned over to get a closer look at the sketch and pouted at her.
Bianca's violet eyes twinkled merrily at him. "When all of you are fretting over your first match, it's only natural for you to act ridiculous." She reached over and stealthfully snitched a piece of his bacon off his plate. "It's all in good fun." She winked at him.
"Gee Sean, maybe Binky should be the Seeker." Bastion smirked.
"Sorry, but I just like to watch the games." Bianca grinned. "Besides, he doesn't mind sharing isn't that right Sean." She blinked innocently at him.
Sean grinned sheepishly, but said nothing. He was smitten with Bianca and would gladly give her the moon on the platter if she asked him to.
Bastion and Alan grinned knowingly at their best friend, but wisely kept their teasing remarks to themselves.
"Bianca Brianna. Sean needs to concentrate on the match, so enough with the adoring eyes." Logan chided his sister from the entrance to the Great Hall.
"Logan!" Binky jumped to her feet and raced over to hug him.
"Let's go, baby sis. Dad is waiting." Logan scooped her up in his arms.
"I'll see you at the game. Remember to focus!" She shouted encouragement at her friends. "Logan Albus, I can walk you know!"
"Yeah, I know baby sis, but I just like carrying you." Logan kissed her on the nose and carried her out of the Great Hall.
"Watch out now, Sean. Logan suspects something." Bastion grinned.
"Bianca and I are best friends." Sean shrugged. "I mean, we're twelve…Logan's paranoid."
"Not to interrupt your manly moment, but did you notice that Logan was in his Quidditch gear?" Bree changed the subject.
"Your right he was." Ami frowned, "I wonder what that's all about."
"They won against the Falmouth Falcons, despite the fact the other team cheated like all get out. I mean really, who can blame Sissy for jinxing the tar out of their Beater for sending two bludgers right at her. No one saw a wand, so no foul was called. Then Draco did something to their Chaser for pulling his robe over his head and causing him to miss a goal. They were really after Harry though, sending bludgers at him every chance they got. It serves them right loosing as badly as they did. Harry didn't catch the snitch until the score was 1000, so Puddlemere won by 1150 points to 300. The only minus to the game was that a bludger was sent at Harry's right arm after he caught the snitch, but they don't go into detail about it." Bree read some of the details about the previous day's game on the front-page of The Quibbler.
"It says that their whole team is a cinch to represent England in the World Cup next year. Bulgaria doesn't stand a chance." Bastion smirked.
"I wonder why, since who's on the team." Dennis grinned.
"Just members of one of Gryffindor's finest teams, that's who." Sean smirked. "
"Will you relax, Hermione? I am not gonna drop our daughter!" Harry growled at Hermione, as the doors to the Great Hall opened
"They told you to take it easy with your arm, until it heals completely. It wasn't a simple break, this time the bludger tore the ligaments in your right wrist." She was holding Dani in her arms.
"Like he doesn't know that, it was his bloody arm that got injured." Ron had Ally in his arms.
"After what Logan, Ron, and Draco did to their Beaters it will take at least a month to sort them out." Ginny grinned.
"That was beyond bad form on their parts. We trounced them and only stooped to their level a few times." Draco growled.
"Hello everyone ready for your first match?" Harry had given in to the looks that Hermione was giving him and had Mia snuggled all safe and sound in her baby-sling. He wasn't about to admit that his right wrist was throbbing; because no injury was gonna prevent him from holding his daughters.
Bree, Moria, and Ami all got up see the triplets.
"Oh, they've gotten so big." Bree cooed at Mia.
"They're such good, little angels." Moria smiled down at Ally.
"Oh, she's so cute." Ami cooed at Dani.
"I see that one of them is like her Daddy." Bastion commented on Dani's rompers with little snitches and the words 'Future Seeker' embroidered on them.
"Not just Dani, her sisters are wearing Rompers with 'Future Chaser' on them." Sean chuckled.
"A father can dream big can't he?" He grinned sheepishly.
"Bree, why didn't you eat your breakfast?" Hermione noticed that her sister's plate was still full. "You need all of that energy for the game today."
"She's got nervous butterflies this morning." Alan handed Bree an apple. "You have to eat something."
"Okay Alan, I'll eat an apple." Bree took it from him.
"Just go out there, do your best, and above all have fun." Harry grinned at them. "Oh and play a nice clean game that's very important. No one likes to get hurt." He glanced over at Hermione, who was giving him a look, and added that bit to his pep talk.
"So, why is it that all of you are in your Quidditch uniforms?" Sean asked curiously.
"Oh it's simple really. We plan on holding a little Quidditch clinic after the game." Draco grinned.
"Wicked!" Alan and Bastion high-fived each other
"That's very nice of you, but are you sure that it's good for your arm?" Ami asked timidly.
"I can catch a snitch with either hand, but thanks for worrying about me." Harry smiled at her. "So did you try out for the team or isn't this your scene?" He asked curiously.
Ami smiled shyly up at him. "I did try out, but I found that even though I like to play Quidditch for fun, it just isn't the same when you have to do it seriously."
"There's nothing wrong with that." Harry understood that Ami didn't really wish to follow in her older sisters footsteps. "I bet that you made a fine Keeper when you did try out."
"I guess, but Alan is loads better than I am." Ami beamed up at him. "I'm happy just cheering on my friends."
"I hate to interrupt this chat, but Team Gryffindor needs to head for the pitch." Severus was standing behind them.
"Have a good game." Ron, Draco, Ginny, and Luna wished them luck.
Hermione smiled at her siblings. "Have a good game."
"Just keep what I told you in mind and have fun." Harry gave them the thumbs up as they headed off to the Pitch.
Severus waited until most of the hall had cleared to take Ally from Ron's arms. "What are you going to do if all three want to be Seekers?" He expertly cuddled the infant against his shoulder.
"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it, but Dani is the one of the three that loves to grab at things." Harry changed the subject. "So Uncle Severus what's this I hear about you and Aunt Sibyll expecting a little one?"
"Sibyll and I are expecting a girl this Christmas and are very pleased about it." Severus was his usual stoic self.
"That's great Uncle Severus." Draco smiled. "Ginny and I are…" He started to tell him his baby news, but Severus cut him off.
"Oh, I know all about your impending fatherhood." Severus gave him a look. "You and Ginny are expecting a son in May. Next time you two find yourself in a quandary, ask you'd be surprised with the results. I would have seen that you received the ingredients, but then you never even tried to ask."
Draco and Ginny wisely said nothing.
"I think it's wonderful that you and Sibyll are starting a family. Now, if you'll excuse us, we need to get our little family settled before the game." Hermione smiled serenely at him.
"Then allow me to escort you up to the Camelot Wing." Severus led them out of the Great Hall.
--
Ravenclaw and Gryffindor played a good clean game. The two teams were evenly matched, so the score was tied 10 goals apiece.
Karen Crawford, the Ravenclaw Seeker, was keeping up with Sean at seeking out the snitch, so it was a race about which team would get to it first.
"Sean needs to flatten himself out against his broomstick. They both do or they'll never get the speed needed to catch the snitch." Harry grinned when the golden ball with wings seemed to hover near where they were sitting.
Sean and Karen both raced for it, but the snitch was just too fast for them and whizzed away.
"They're holding their own, so it's an interesting game." Logan grinned.
"Well, Quidditch is never boring no matter how it's played." Thea settled back in his arms.
"This is gonna be a long game." Draco sat back and got comfortable. "They're too evenly matched and the Seekers need practice."
"Draco behave!" Ginny elbowed him in the ribs.
"Well, it's true they do!" Draco pouted.
"The teams are basically all rookies, so that's to be expected." Remus reminded them.
"Alan really is doing brilliant keeping the Quaffles from the goal." Kate was proud of her brother.
"Moria just scored another goal for Gryffindor and Bree just intercepted the pass from the Ravenclaw Chasers." Cedric was enjoying the match.
"Bastion just scored! Brilliant job Bastion! Exceptional interception Bree!" Hermione shouted out encouragement.
"Gryffindor is up by five goals." Ron was also enjoying the match.
"Sean is going for the snitch!" Seamus stood up to get a better look. "That's it, baby brother, get nice and low on your broom and…" He watched as Sean made a grab for the snitch. "Yes! He caught it! Way to go, baby brother!!" He cheered.
"Bree scored right before he caught it! They won 310 to 100!" Hermione threw her arms around Harry's neck and kissed him.
"Both teams played a very good game." Luna smiled.
"They've been working hard at practice and it shows." Remus applauded Gryffindor's win.
"Both teams show great promise." James agreed.
"The main thing is that they had fun." Lily smiled.
"I'm just relieved that no one got hurt." Gene was also proud of them.
"Quidditch is a tough sport and the kiddies are bound to get a bump or two." Sirius reminded her.
"You say that now pirate, but what if it were Julie playing out there?" Thea gave him a knowing look. "Or James what if Bell were out there as well?"
"Well, now that's years away now isn't it…" Sirius got all flustered at the thought of his precious angel in harms way.
"Yeah, we shall cross that bridge when we come to it." James also wasn't so sure about the idea.
"I thought so," Thea smirked.
--
Bianca raced over and hugged Sean. "You did great!"
"Thanks Bink's." Sean hugged her back.
"The one thing that you need to work on is to trust yourself on the broom." Bianca gave Sean, what he was expecting, an analysis on how he had played. It was something that she did after all of their practices. "All of you played very well once you found your niche." She smiled at all of her friends.
"Yeah, it took a few, but we finally shook off the nervous jitters and relaxed." Bastion grinned.
"I gained confidence with every save I made." Alan grinned.
"You did brilliantly, Alan." Ami smiled at him.
"I love the challenge of the game and the elation that comes with it." Bree grinned.
"I know it's like your flying high after scoring your first goal." Moria agreed.
"I think we did bloody brilliant." Euan patted himself on the back.
"I think we've had an excellent start for the year and we'll only get better with practice." Dennis was proud of his team.
"Smashingly played game you seven, now let's see if we can give you some pointers." Logan narrowed his eyes at Sean. "Binky go find Mum and Dad."
"Daddy and Mum are up at the castle discussing something major, so I will stay here and watch." Binky narrowed her eyes at her brother.
"Major?" Harry frowned. "I wonder what's up."
Draco shrugged his shoulders, "Nothing that I know of, but then I'm still in training."
"It's probably Ministry business." Hermione hugged her siblings. "The two of you were wonderful."
"Thanks Sis, we have excellent role models to look up to." Bastion liked being praised instead of growled at by his sister.
"It's good incentive when ones big sis is on a pro-team or when half their family is as well." Bree smiled up at her then frowned when she didn't see Ginny, Luna, or Thea. "Where are Gin, Thea, and Luna?"
"They went back to the castle to watch over Orry and the triplets." Ron winked at her. "That way Harry, Logan, and Hermione can join in the fun of teaching all of you kiddies some key pointers when it comes to playing a game."
"I thought that Dad, Uncle Sirius, and Uncle Remus were gonna join us, but they went back to the castle with the others." Harry had a feeling that it had something to do with what his Uncle Max and Aunt Harley were talking about in the castle.
"Which means more fun for us," He focused on the task. "First things first, you need to learn to trust your broom. It's not gonna grow teeth and bite you in the arse." He grinned when the younger generation laughed at his comment.
"Learning to master your broom is key to playing the game. Now, I want the Chasers to gather on that side of the pitch with Ron, Hermione, and Logan. I need the Beaters to gather over there by Dean and Seamus, who just so you know, turned down the opportunity to join Puddlemere United to help design and build brooms with Cedric and Oliver."
That impressed the Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff Beaters, but because Euan and Dennis already knew that information it wasn't that big of a deal.
"The Keepers can join Draco over by that goal and lastly the Seekers can gather around me."
The Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Gryffindor teams eagerly did as he asked.
--
"First, I need to see what Emmy has learned over the summer." Harry arched a brow at the Hufflepuff's fifth year Seeker. "You see you two aren't even close to, Emmy. She claimed to be able to catch the snitch in five minutes last September and the two of you took a little under two hours to even come close to it."
Emmy sat on her new Searcher 2005 that Cedric had designed for the three budding Seekers of Hogwarts teams. It was not a professional strength broom, but other than that, it was top-notch. "I've been practicing on my new broom and have got it down to three minutes. It really depends on how the snitch wants to act."
Harry took a snitch out of his pocket, it was the very one that he had caught the following day. "I'll hold you to that." He took out his high-tech stopwatch.
Emmy shot straight up into the air, showing off by performing a looping maneuver, before stopping to hover in the center of the Pitch. "Ready when you are!"
"Whoa, she's really good." Her flying impressed Sean.
"She's been at it longer than the two of you, so don't let that spook you." Harry let go of the snitch, it shot off in the opposite direction, and he started timing her. "Now watch her carefully you two. The key to being a good Seeker is speed and learning how to control it while you maneuver. If you aren't one with your broom then the snitch will fly circles around you."
"The more she flattens herself out on the broom the faster and more agile she gets." Karen kept a keen eye on what Emmy was doing.
"One minute forty!" Harry shouted, as she zoomed by.
"She nearly had it that time, but it tricked her and went the opposite direction again." Sean watched as Emmy just barely missed catching the snitch and clipping one of the grandstands.
"The snitch never does what you think it's going to do. I mean, it really does have a mind of its own." Karen watched as Emmy dove after the snitch then barely pulled up in time.
"That it does, Karen." Harry looked at the stopwatch it was going on three minutes. "Two minutes thirty-five seconds Emmy!"
"I'll get it this time for sure!" Emmy was hot on the snitch's trail. She easily maneuvered around the others who were practicing Chasing and the bludgers the Beaters were working with.
"See how she tamps down any fear that she might have and maneuvers around the other players, all the while avoiding the bludgers? That's what you need to do to be a good Seeker." Harry lectured the two, second year Seekers. "Three minutes Emmy!" One minute thirty seconds after that Emma had the snitch in her hand. "Good job Emmy that was four minutes thirty seconds now come down here and let's sees what these two can do!"
"Be right there!" Emma zoomed down to join them. "Here ya go Harry." She handed him the snitch.
"Thanks Emmy." Harry took the snitch. "You did great. Four and a half minutes is a good time."
"Thanks Harry." Emma was beaming with pride.
Harry pocketed the snitch and got on his Quester 2005. "Follow me and let's see if the three of you can keep up." He shot off into the sky.
The three shot after him.
--
Halfway around the world Rory was off on her first big Auror mission with fellow Auror Mackenzie "Mac" Riley Flamel. He was the many-great-grandson of Nicolas Flamel. They were investigating some of the names on the latest list of Dark Wizards and Witches.
Mac was well aware of his devastating golden boy good looks and his killer charm, but to Rory he was just someone that her Uncle had shackled her to work with.
"Uncle Max gave us strict instructions to only observe the goings on! Not take them on ourselves!" Rory hissed at Mac, as they skulked right into the heart of enemy territory. "We have no idea what these men are capable of!"
"We are gonna observe, Babe." Mac grinned at her. "We're just gonna do it using a little stealth and cunning." With that said, he wrapped an invisibility cloak around the two of them.
"Mac, if you're trying to get fresh with me I will make it so you never father any kids in your lifetime." Rory hissed up at him, when he pulled the two of them into a dark corner.
"Relax, someone's coming and I don't wish to be caught; besides, I don't hit on married future Queens." Mac got deadly serious. "Now shush or we're gonna be in beyond hot oil."
A sinister looking Dark wizard silently apparated nearby, he was tall, well-toned body wise, but they couldn't see his face because he was clothed in jet-black from his head to toe. The only feature that they could distinguish were eyes as dark as night, because he turned to glare right where they were hidden.
"Shin is getting paranoid, because of the price on our heads. I sense something, but there is no possible way that anyone can infiltrate here and I not know it." Khan growled to himself.
Another wizard dressed similarly to Kahn appeared beside him. "I heard that Khan." He snarled. "It's wiser to be paranoid than dead or in prison."
"I have no intention of being either." Khan sneered at him. "Our biggest threat is currently keeping house with his princess and their three brats. He has not been included on the International Aurors Dark wizard hunt nor has the other threat, his older sister, England's future Queen. They'll send what they think is their best and we'll take care of them as we have for centuries."
"Muggles call us ninja's or mystical warriors. If the Aurors or Hit Wizards aren't schooled in the ancient arts, they will fail. The ancient one hasn't taught anyone since Potter and Black." Shin fingered a shinny silver ball in his hand. "We have never really taken sides on any issue. We are assassins and work for no one."
"It's Pendragon and De Lac now, but no matter they're too busy looking after brats of their own. The ancient one is a myth or he would have joined in the downfall of Voldemort. It's only rumor that he is said to have trained the young prince." Khan continued to glare over at one corner, but did not try to investigate what he was sensing.
"Magic is useful, but then it is also of no use if you have mastered being one with your surroundings or the elements around you." Shin walked over to where he was standing directly in front of Rory and Mac. He also stared intently into the shadows, but instead of reaching out, as his instincts told him to do, he turned to look at Kahn. "Kane has captured himself a liondragon; maybe this one will last longer than the last one."
"Either way it will be amusing to watch him break it." Khan's amused laughter made Rory's skin crawl.
"He showed some mercy to that Yeti, at least he put it out of it's misery before he skinned it for it's pelt. Then there were those Fire-Crab's that he toyed with before making them into caldrons." Shin walked back towards Kahn.
"Can't forget about the Demiguise that he keeps just for its fur, but he seems fond of that, since its fur is very useful." Khan headed out of that part of their dojo.
"He values the Re'em's more than any of his collection for their strengthening value. Kane is quite the collector of creatures." Shin agreed.
"Beasts are just that, good for hunting, good for their hides, pelts, or potion ingredient capabilities." Kahn paused in the entryway to the main area of their headquarters. "There's a ghoul lurking around here somewhere, put that child's toy of yours to good use, and throw it in one of the dark corners."
Shin carelessly tossed the silver round ball at the corner and then the two of them left the corridor.
"Hey, now what's this and why would it frighten a ghoul." He bent to pick up the silver ball.
Mac wasn't expecting that tiny round ball to contain a blinding substance inside it. It just wasn't something that modern day wizard's or witches used in their arsenals. This was something from ancient times or something seen on a Muggle television or movie.
Rory went to stop him. "Mac, you half-wit, you don't know what that thing contains."
The tiny ball activated at their feet causing a blinding flash and a shimmery dark-gray smoke to blow up in their faces.
Rory put her hands to her eyes, as if that would ease the stinging pain the smoke had caused them.
Mac wore glasses, so all he was really seeing were stars. "It must have been meant to stun the ghoul or blind the poor thing. Uh, babe, I think we've heard enough. What do you say you get us out of here?" He was now able to focus on Rory and she was in pain.
"Katherine Aurora! Did you get hit point-blank in the face?!" He instantly became serious and concern for his wounded partner flashed in his sky blue eyes.
"No Mac! My eyes are just swollen shut and on fire for the fun of it!" Rory snarled back.
"Hang on, babe. I've got you." He swept her up in his arms.
"Lucky for you I don't need to see to get us the hell out of here and don't even think of getting fresh!" She focused on blocking out the pain and getting them back to Master Chen's in one piece. They left enemy territory as soundlessly as they had arrived.
"Fascinating, Shin's little toy injured the pretty dove and yet she still was able to retreat with her imbecile partner." Kane appeared out of the shadows. "Such fire even when in intense pain. This one seems to be an intriguing challenge not unlike my Lotus Blossom."
--
Chen was having an intense conversation with James, whose head was visible in the green fire. "I understand your concern over Aurora's safety, but Auror Flamel is very apt at covert operations. Max would never risk anything happening to Aurora, so he partnered her with Mackenzie Flamel. He is one of his most skilled men, also trained under my guidance."
"I don't give a shit how skilled this Flamel kid is! Rory should never have been given that mission in the first place! They are dealing with the unknown! We've left that part of the world alone, because of not wishing to clash with that kind of ancient dark magic! Hell, none of the Aurors of this era has a clue what those two could come across, unless you covered that type of magic when you trained Logan, Harry, Draco, Rory and Flamel. Ancient Wizard Warriors do not use conventional magic to do battle! You of all people should know that!" James lit into him with harsh words.
"They are merely here to observe them and nothing more. Aurora will come to no harm." Not the least bit upset by James words Chen calmly sipped his tea.
"Lily says that something happened to Rory and I'll take her instincts and link with our kids over your reassurances any day of the week old man!" James hazel eyes blazed with fury and fear for his daughter. "I swear if anything happens to my baby, I am going to tear you, Max, and that Flamel kid to shreds!"
Before Chen could respond to his threat, Mac appeared with Rory in his arms.
"Mackenzie, your orders were to observe not make contact with them!" He was not pleased.
Rory's eyes were even worse, but she refused to give in to the pain that her injury was causing her. "Mac wanted to play with a shiny silver ball and this is the result of his curiosity! We weren't seen, Master Chen. This was just because of the male's constant need to investigate everything!" She hissed through teeth gritted in agonizing pain. "I swear Mac, if I'm blind now because of you, I will personally be the one to chop off your head instead of my husband when he finds out about your bungle!"
"BLIND!! What the bloody hell happened?! Max's most skilled covert man my ass!" James wanted blood after hearing his daughter's threats to her partner. "The hell with Wills…I'll torture the boy slowly and it will take weeks!"
"Daddy!? Where are you?!" Rory cried out.
"Be right there, baby!" James head vanished from the fire and moments later, he was standing in Chen's home. "Daddy's here baby." He stalked over and took his child out of Mac's arms.
"You activated a very old and nasty trick that Dark wizards of the Far East tend to use, either to vanish or to flush out their prey. Usually one only ends up seeing spots for a few days because of the flash, but there is the occasional wizard who likes to put a nasty surprise in them. In this case I would say a nasty blinding dust of some sort." He carried Rory over to a futon and carefully set her down.
"It's going to be okay, baby. I promise." He kissed her on the top of her head.
"I'll take your word on that, Daddy. Right now my eyes feel like they're on fire and I couldn't open them if I tried." She whimpered.
Chen knew exactly what to do and prepared a cool liquid like substance to pour over her swollen eyes. "You are a very brave girl, most males would be howling at the top of their lungs in pain by now, and that includes your younger brothers." He carefully poured the remedy over her swollen and inflamed eyelids.
"Mackenzie, did you think, after your foolish actions, and save the ball that fascinated you so much?" He growled at Mac.
"It's in my jacket pocket." Mac produced the item in question.
James snatched up the item in question and began examining it for any traces of the blinding dust. "The good news is that you will eventually be able to see." James was all too familiar with the dust that poured into his palm.
"Good news Mac, you get to live." Rory growled. "I'm not permanently blind that's good news. Now what's the bad that always comes with the good?"
"It will take time for your eyes to heal." Chen gently opened her eyelids with his fingers and began bathing each of her eyes with the cool soothing liquid. "The dust is meant to render an opponent unable to defend themselves, making them easier to contend with."
"It scratches the hell out of your cornea and that's what needs to heal." James turned to glare at Mac. "Observe means to not be seen and this little beauty is proof that they made you from moment one. The thing is these bastards have a sixth sense like a kneazle and tend to play with their prey before taking them out. I should know Sirius and I have tangled with their kind before."
Harry appeared in the room. "What the hell happened? Mum is going off about Rory being blind and Dromi just arrived at the castle worried to death about her!"
He looked ready to tear something in half, especially when he caught sight of Mac. "Of all the people to saddle Rory with Uncle Max had to choose you!? You're the Casanova of all the Aurors! You were more interested in seeing the ladies than concentrating on the mission last December!"
Harry grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall. "YOU HAD BETTER NOT HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT THEM WHEN RORY GOT HURT OR I WILL PERSONALLY AK YOUR SORRY ARSE!"
"He was behaving, little brother. They were trying to snuff out a ghoul. Neither of us was seen or I would have known." Rory defended Mac. "They were dressed from head to toe in black in something straight out of a Muggle action movie. I had no idea how dead-on the writers of these movies are about them, but then they are considered the mystical warriors of the orient." Rory tried to keep her mind off the fact that she couldn't see a bloody thing.
"What did this idiot do? Pick up one of those little silver flash balls?" Harry let Mac go.
"Yeah, something like that, but neither of us knew what they were, or what they contained." Rory winced when Chen bathed her eyes with another liquid, only this stuff stung her eyes. "So Master Teacher what's the prognosis?"
"Your eyesight shall return in time with proper treatments. It is not forever Aurora, just for a lunar cycle." He carefully dressed her eyes with soft bandages.
"That's nearly twenty-eight days! Wills gets leave from Sandhurst next week! He's going to go mental when he sees me like this! I have to be at every Royal event next weekend! How am I supposed to explain the condition of my eyes?" Rory was not pleased with what she was hearing.
"We'll just say that you were out riding. The horse you were on got spooked by something, you were thrown, and landed face first in the thicket. Now because of that you scratched your corneas and it's gonna take time for you to heal." Harry was the master at spinning a story for the press. "I can say that I was with you when it happened, got thrown off my horse as well, only I injured my arm."
"By Merlin, you're good at spinning yarns." Mac was impressed.
"When you happen to be famous in the eyes of both worlds it's a matter of survival." Harry shrugged.
"I will prepare what she will need for her recovery and bring it to you. Meantime take her home and get her settled, she needs her rest." Chen finished this treatment for her eyes.
"Up you go, sweetheart." James scooped her up in his arms. "As for you kid. Max is waiting for you at the castle." James glared at him.
"It's not Mac's fault entirely…" Rory once again went to Mac's defense. "We lingered longer than we should have and this is what happened because of it."
"No your father is right. I'm the one with more missions under my belt and you're the rookie. I should've known better than to infiltrate their domain, but I've been so impressed by how skilled you are as an Auror that it clouded my better judgment. I'll check on you later." Mac disapparated.
"Why the hell did you cover for that hotdog!" Harry scowled at his sister.
Rory turned towards his voice and scowled at him. "Mac may be a pain in the ass, but I knew that we were taking a risk by infiltrating their domain, which makes the two of us both in the wrong."
"What's done can't be undone, now let's get your sister settled back home in her rooms." James growled.
"You do that while I go explain the details to Mum, Dromi, and the rest of the family." Harry turned to Chen and asked. "I guess I will be seeing you at Sanctuary as well?"
"That you will young one and when I do you can explain to me why it is that you can't manage to stay unharmed for long periods of time." Chen smirked.
"Oh good can't wait." Harry rolled his eyes heavenward and prayed to the powers that be for patience then vanished.
"He was playing Quidditch and the other team got testy about the loss, so that injury wasn't his fault." James gave Chen the information on Harry's latest injury.
"Go get Aurora settled. I will see you this evening." Chen went back to preparing more of what was needed for both Rory's and Harry's injuries.
"I'll see you this evening then." James vanished with Rory settled comfortably in his arms.
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Chapter 10
Aftermath
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I do not claim any of JKR's characters only that I love being able to create my own kind of mischief with her beloved characters. I do not claim any other things that are owned by other companies that I may mention once and a while in the stories...Although the original characters and ideas are mine and I loved creating them. So please review if you wish but try not to flame me too badly.
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Cindra 2004-2008