Disclaimer: I don't own anything except the plot. Harry Potter™ is the sole intellectual property of JK Rowling, Warner Bros. and various others who all aren't connected to me in any way. No money is being made with this fanfiction and no copyright infringement is intended.
§ º § Chapter Nine: Unforeseen Assignment § º §
"Ready?"
"Yeah. You?"
"Ready."
Harry took a steadying breath and adjusted his stance. Across from him, KayKay licked her lips nervously and tightened her grip on his hands.
"Let's try that meditative breathing Dumbledore told us about," Harry suggested.
KayKay nodded. "Alright."
She immediately began breathing deeply—in for a count of seven, hold for seven, out for seven, wait for seven, then start all over again. Harry joined in with her, noticing something before he closed his eyes.
KayKay didn't shut her eyes as he did, or as most people would, but instead she stared straight ahead, her gaze concentrated and powerful—yet it seemed to go right through him, to something invisible beyond the confines of the empty classroom.
He felt a slight twinge in his power, like a subconscious something knocking on a door. Curious, he pinpointed the feeling. It was odd, foreign—almost blue in his sight. It was a small haze, thin like a cord, and it quivered as if nervous or strained.
(Had he been paying attention to anything but this magical intruder, he would have felt KayKay's nails digging into his palms as she wavered in her breathing pattern.)
Harry could feel his own magic reaching out to join the new magic, stretching itself thin to match it in shape and taking on a green color. Carefully, he exhaled, allowing it to follow it's instinct.
The two threads of magic hovered near each other for a moment as if hesitating. Then, they slowly twisted around each other, tighter and tighter, until the colors blended. Their glow faded until they were as black as shadow in his vision.
This aroused Harry's curiosity. He was about to force some more of his magic into to blackness to see if it would rekindle whatever had been happening when the fused magic erupted with a blinding white flash, as hot as fire. As suddenly as a gust of wind, Harry was yanked away from KayKay by an invisible force and tossed against the wall, as if he was simply a pillow.
From the other side of the room there was the crash of splintering wood, a loud clatter, a thud, and then a groan.
Harry opened his eyes slowly. Dust was settling around the classroom, and all of the desks were set askew, as if shoved away from where they'd stood. There seemed to be two of everything. He clutched his head and shook it back and forth a few times before rubbing his eyes. When opened them for a second time, the world had righted itself.
"Oy . . . are you okay?"
There was the sound of slight movement, then KayKay dazed voice. "Oh yes. Fine and—ow—dandy!"
There was another sound, this one sounding a bit more like something heavy being dropped. Harry pushed himself to his feet, stumbling a bit as he crossed the room to where he'd heard KayKay.
He found her sprawled on a pile of splintered wood, surrounded by tipped desks.
"And to think, I actually imagined that that was a good idea," she said. She tried to give a feeble chuckle but stopped suddenly, clutching her side.
"Hey, at least something happened."
"Oh yeah, this sure is a picnic, isn't it?" KayKay started to push herself up, winced in pain, then collapsed onto the rubble again. "Ow . . . not cool . . ."
"What's wrong? Oh, this is insane—here, let me help you!" Harry said, crouching down next to her and putting one arm behind her shoulders while using the other hand to help pull her up.
"Harry! I can get up on my own, thank you very much!" KayKay snapped. "I just . . . need a moment to breathe."
KayKay batted his hands away, then proceeded to push herself into a sitting position, faltering slightly before crying out and falling back once more, catching herself with her hands.
Harry was immediately ready again, supporting her behind the shoulders before she got injured any further.
"You're just going to hurt yourself more . . . damn it, why do you have to be so independent?" Harry asked quietly as he began pushing fragments of wood aside with his free hand.
"I have to be."
He looked at her in surprise but quickly regained his composure. "And why is that?" he asked, continuing to clear an area of floor.
"I just . . . do. If I'm dependent on people, I'm setting myself up for . . . well, I don't know what. Something. Something bad."
Harry gave a single dry laugh. "You know, your independence is one of your best qualities, I think. Last spring I made myself think that it was a fault. But you know what?" He looked at her, "If you don't learn to be a bit dependent, you're going to get yourself killed. Here."
Supporting her shoulders and legs, he slid her away from the remaining bits of wood and to the empty floor.
KayKay smiled. "Thanks."
"See, depending on someone isn't that hard, now, is it?"
"Well . . . as long as it isn't all the time."
"I agree with you there. Now, I don't know how to Heal, and I don't know how to conjure a stretcher. It looks like I'm going to be carrying you."
"What—no!" KayKay expression immediately turned to one of horror.
"I'm not asking you. I'm telling you."
"But—but Harry . . . no! No!"
Harry looked down at her. "I'm not giving you a choice here. You're coming."
"But—"
Harry bent down and scooped her up, which forced her to put her arms around his neck so she wouldn't fall. She tried to kick her legs and wriggle, probably trying to make him put her down, but it seemed to hurt her too much, and she became still.
"There we go, that's a good girl," Harry said, picking his way carefully between desks.
"It's not like I'm a dog!" KayKay snapped. He looked over at her, eyes wide.
"Oh, I know. Believe me—I know."
He used his foot to open the door. As they emerged into the hallway, KayKay sighed and let her head drop against Harry's arm.
"Why is it always me?"
Harry bit back laughter and ducked through a holographic piece of wall that would serve as a shortcut to the Hospital Wing. The corridor they passed through was dark, but wide, so Harry was able to navigate without fear of running into something.
They emerged through a portrait just a few yards away from their destination.
"Almost there," he told KayKay.
"Goodie," she said sarcastically, rolling her eyes as he backed through the doors.
"Oh, what have you done now, Potter?"
Harry looked over his shoulder at Madame Pomfrey. "Not me—KayKay."
The witch clucked disapprovingly and bustled over as Harry set KayKay down on one of the nearby beds.
"Well, you made it to the first week of October before having to come down here, I should be impressed," she said, waving her wand to make the area around KayKay's bed brighter. "What happened?"
Harry faltered, looking over at KayKay. They really couldn't explain the real story to Madame Pomfrey. He needn't have worried—KayKay answered with a convincing excuse immediately.
"We were practicing magic for Defense Against the Dark Arts. Something just went wrong and I was sent flying across the room." She shrugged.
Madame Pomfrey raised an eyebrow but said nothing. "Where does it hurt?"
"Ummm . . . here, mostly," KayKay said, indicating her torso and lower back. "Where I landed on the desk."
"I see." She turned and went into her office, emerging a few moments later with a towel, goblet, and small vial. KayKay groaned.
"Oh, none of that. Now, take this," she handed KayKay the towel, "and drink all of this. It's barely a mouthful."
KayKay took the goblet and drank it, only to begin coughing immediately after. She clamped the hand with the towel in it over her mouth and fumbled to give the goblet in her other hand to Harry.
As abruptly as the coughing had started, it stopped, and KayKay let her hand flop back down to her side as she breathed deeply. She shakily wiped the back of her hand across her mouth, and Madame Pomfrey took the white towel back.
"I was afraid that this was the case."
KayKay had been studying her hand with an unreadable expression, but now she let it fall into her lap as she looked at Madame Pomfrey. She wiped it off on the sheets, but not before Harry saw the blood.
"What—" he began.
"You probably have a few broken ribs. I can repair them easily enough, but you'll have to stay overnight. Now, I need to examine you to see which ribs are injured."
KayKay nodded. Madame Pomfrey was staring pointedly at Harry.
"What?"
"You'll need to leave, Potter," she said, as if this was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Why?"
Madame Pomfrey sighed irritably. "I'll need to examine her to see what her injuries are," she repeated.
"But why . . ." he began. He glanced at KayKay, who was blushing furiously. "Oh!"
He immediately felt his cheeks get hot, but he turned and hurried away before either of them could see. Madame Pomfrey closed the curtains around KayKay's bed to begin her examination.
Harry sat down in a chair a few beds away and waited.
§ º § º § º § º § º § º § º § º §
KayKay woke with a start to a loud clatter and someone swearing softly under their breath. She blinked once, twice, and the third time she sat up abruptly.
Where was her four-poster? Where was Casey? Where were the other Gryffindor girls?
She looked down at her hospital pajamas and the crisp white linens and finally remembered the events of the previous night. She'd had three cracked ribs—one had nicked her right lung, Madame Pomfrey had said. She also said that KayKay had a twisted ankle, but how she'd managed to get one by landing on a desk was beyond KayKay.
She looked down at her hand again. It had frightened her beyond words when she began coughing and found blood on her lips. It was horrifically similar to her last few memories of Remus . . . and she didn't want to die. Even though she knew that she felt too "alright" to have to worry—she didn't want to die.
KayKay shivered, then yawned and stretched her arms high over her head. As she did so, the bandages knotted tightly around her torso tugged in protest to the movement.
"Just sit there, I'll be back in one moment."
KayKay looked around at the sound of Madame Pomfrey's voice. Across the way, Brian was sitting on the edge of a bed, pressing a towel against his obviously bleeding arm.
"Brian—er, Professor?"
He looked up in surprise, then noticed her and grinned.
"Brian."
"Right," KayKay nodded. "What happened?"
"Hagrid asked me for help with some creatures for his class. I, being the fool of all time, thought that being learned in Defense Against the Dark Arts would be protection enough. I'll let you fill in the details for yourself."
KayKay cringed. "Great. Hagrid's creatures and I generally don't get along."
"Yeah, he told me about the Meteosnills," Brian said with a knowing wink.
"All I did was sneeze!" KayKay insisted, not for the first time. Brian laughed.
"Well, what about you? What are you in for?"
"Oh, I got hurt practicing magic with Harry. I dunno, something just went wrong. Next thing I know . . ." she pantomimed flying through the air with her hand, "I was on the other side of the room."
Brian was studying her pensively.
"What?"
"I've seen you and Harry duel. You're not ones to make foolish mistakes."
KayKay thought frantically. "Well . . . you see, we were sort of experimenting . . . a bit . . ." Not exactly a lie.
"Uh-huh . . ." Brian said skeptically. He was about to say something else when Madame Pomfrey reappeared.
"Ah, you're up!" she said to KayKay. "Well, just let me attend to Professor Kingstaff and I shall be right with you."
She turned to Brian and took the towel away from him. How bad the wound was, KayKay couldn't tell—pretty serious, though, she assumed by what was on the towel.
The nurse cleaned it with a simple "Scourgify!" then applied bright purple ointment to it and bandaged it up.
"It should be better in no time. Just reapply this every six hours." She handed Brian the jar of ointment.
"Thank you, Poppy. Goodbye, KayKay," he said, turning to look at her. "Hope you're better soon. I was hoping to use you and Harry as an example Monday when I go over dueling a bit more."
"Thanks, Bri—Professor," she corrected herself at the last minute. He nodded a farewell to Madame Pomfrey, waved to KayKay, then turned and left the Hospital Wing.
Madame Pomfrey shook her head, sighing, then quickly pulled the curtains around KayKay's bed closed.
"Honestly," she said more to herself than to KayKay, "employing a student fresh out of Hogwarts . . . let me see your bandages, dear."
KayKay complied without a word, and Madame Pomfrey began her examination.
"Heads would roll at the Ministry . . . that is, they would if the Ministry even gave a flying thought in space anymore. Who's to say what this would is coming to, with You-Know-Who and all . . ."
As she spoke, Madame Pomfrey poked different parts of KayKay's ribcage, before finally giving her wand a small twirl to make the bandages unravel.
"Who knows, perhaps a young person with good leadership is just the role model students need . . . Dumbledore knows what he's doing, I'm sure," she continued, feeling the ribs that had been broken.
"Still," she sighed, straightening and twirling her wand once more to make the bandages bind themselves around KayKay's torso once more before crouching and feeling KayKay's ankle. "Things get messy when you bring alumni back straight away. Old friends, romances . . . a tangled mess between students and Professors . . ." She stood. "It's hard to overlook, but hard to condone."
She fell silent, and KayKay stared at her for a long moment before clearing her throat.
"Ummm . . . Madame Pomfrey? May I go?"
"Well, you seem to be healed. Still, I'd like you to keep those bandages around your ribs for another three days, and I want you to put that brace back onto your ankle if it begins to hurt again."
"Yes, ma'am."
"Very well. You may go."
KayKay grinned, and as soon as Madame Pomfrey had left her curtained bedside she jumped up and changed back into her normal clothes, eager to get back to Gryffindor Tower.
º º º º º
"Wake up! Time for Quidditch!"
KayKay heard the voice in the foggy edges of her mind only a moment before she felt the blow to her head.
"Come on!" the voice repeated, a bit clearer this time, "Get up!"
She was again hit in the head.
"Wake up, KayKay! Come on, time to trounce Slytherin!"
The voice belonged to Harry, she could discern that much by the third time he spoke. He hit her once more, and she responded by yanking the pillow out from under her head and whacking him with it full-force.
He laughed, and she scrambled out from under her blankets, the adrenaline racing through her veins waking her up more effectively than any amount of cold water to the face.
"Potter!" she shouted, hitting him with her pillow. "Why are you up here?"
"Quidditch game!" Harry responded enthusiastically, returning the blow.
KayKay laughed and dodged his next swing, scrambling over her bed and around the other side. He followed after her, trying to hit her while avoiding being hit.
"Give it up, Potter, you'll never get me!"
No sooner had KayKay said it than Harry caught up with her, seizing her around the middle and tossing her back onto her bed.
(If her ribs hadn't been fully healed a week and a half prior, she would have killed him for this).
He stole this opportunity to attack her mercilessly with his pillow.
KayKay shrieked and rolled backwards over her shoulder in order to fall off the bed and escape. She misjudged the distance, however, and ended up hitting her head on the next bed over and her foot on the nightstand as a result.
Almost before she could get up, Harry jumped onto her bed and began attacking her from above. Ergo, KayKay felt completely justified in her next action.
One hard swing of her pillow made Harry stumble and jump off the bed. It took a second, then a third, for him to retaliate.
The chase began again. However, it was to be short lived, for at that moment, Hermione walked into the Dormitory and cleared her throat. When they both stopped and got a glimpse of her, the glare she was fixing them with was a close rival to one they'd get from McGonagall.
"Harry, is there a reason, specifically, that you're in the Girl's Dormitory?" she asked crisply.
"I was . . . getting KayKay up. We have a Quidditch match this morning," he said, looking bewildered at Hermione's seriousness.
"Well, looks like she's awake now, doesn't it?
"Er . . . yeah . . ." he looked at KayKay. "You'd better go get some breakfast, soon. You know what Ron would say if you didn't eat. Hey, maybe you can even find a Slytherin to get mad at—'An angry Beater is a dangerous one . . .' "
" '. . . and that's just what we need'," KayKay finished with a smirk. "See you at breakfast."
Harry saluted, then turned and left the Dormitory, presumably headed towards the Great Hall.
"Hermione, what's wrong?" KayKay asked as she turned to rummage clothes out from her trunk.
"Who said anything was wrong?" she asked, crossing the room and sitting on the end of KayKay's bed.
"No one. But it doesn't really require a private detective to realize that something is up."
Hermione sighed. "It's that obvious?"
KayKay pulled a pair of jeans from her trunk. "Hermione, look at yourself! At the end of last year, you were as loose and carefree—well, maybe not carefree, but you get my point—as . . ." she paused. Neither she nor Harry had been particularly loose or carefree. "As Ron!"
She looked up just in time to see a strange look cross Hermione's face.
"Oh, for crying out loud . . ." KayKay muttered, grabbing her tee shirt. "Just ask him to go to Hogsmeade with you and get it over with!" she exclaimed, inadvertently shaking the shirt in Hermione's face.
"What?!"
"Hermione, you can quit pretending. Both of you are crazy about each other, and you're the only ones too blind to notice."
"I . . . I never—"
"Listen, I'm not about to tell anyone. But you're ruining your last year of Hogwarts!" KayKay began changing out of her pajamas. "I bet you've liked him since you started your First Year! I'm sure it's been easy to put off facing up to it, but now you're in your Seventh Year, and you know that if something doesn't happen you may not see him often or at all once you've graduated."
"But I—"
"And that's why you've been so snappish this year!" KayKay plowed on. "You may pass it off as your position as Head Girl, but you know that a simple badge and some fresh responsibilities wouldn't change you this much."
Hermione sighed and fidgeted, looking down at her lap. KayKay checked her watch, then grabbed her broomstick.
"Come on, let's go down to breakfast. I've got a game to win."
"But if he feels the same way, why doesn't he ever act different?" Hermione blurted.
KayKay sighed in exasperation. "Hermione, he's a guy. Everyone knows that guys are only capable of doing one thing at a time. If they had to do everything we do, they'd explode."
§ º § º § º § º § º § º § º § º §
Gryffindor did trounce Slytherin at their match—210 to 40. Harry was surprised that the Slytherin captain kept Malfoy on the team, as he obviously was a failure at Seeking.
Oh well. It wasn't like Harry was about to complain.
As he and his fellow Seventh Years got further into the term, they became further and further buried in assignments. For the first time that Harry could recall, it wasn't surprising to see Ron in a secluded part of the Common Room, surrounded by books.
Hermione obviously managed fine—quite probably due to her dedication to her schoolwork for six years prior. Somehow, she'd established her own time-efficient system.
Harry and KayKay had a few problems. They still were having regular magic lessons, sometimes with Dumbledore but often on their own. No one had been tossed across the room again, but no real progress had been made, either.
Meanwhile, as students studied and went to classes, dreaming longingly of weekends, the weather grew cold. Leaves began to fall from trees, and the skies changed from a clear blue to an overcast gray. Icy winds found their ways into hallways, classrooms, and Dormitories, heralding with their very presence the fast-approaching Halloween and corresponding trip to Hogsmeade.
On October 25th, a piece of paper declared Halloween as the date for the Hogsmeade trip, despite the fact that the 31st fell on a Thursday. This, as well as the fact that Voldemort's attacks had slowed down on their way back south, cheered Harry a bit.
"Just two more days until Hogsmeade!" KayKay said as she, Harry, and the rest of the group left Defense Against the Dark Arts. She hugged her arms around her chest and did a little spin before continuing to walk in her own merry way.
Ron laughed. "Just a bit excited, are we?"
"Of course!" KayKay exclaimed. "I can't wait to get out and get some fresh air . . . I've nearly forgotten what the real world looks like."
As if to punctuate this outrageous statement, the group at the moment passed a window. Outside it was already pitch dark, save for the feeble light of the moon struggling to shine through the clouds.
Harry noticed KayKay's grin falter as she saw the moon, but the moment passed, and she tore her gaze away.
"Anyhow, it's loads better than N.E.W.T. Potions."
No one argued with her on that point. Harry was very thankful indeed that this would be his last year of having to put up with Snape.
"Hey, KayKay," Harry said quietly into her ear as they all sat down for dinner. "Do you think we should practice some tonight? Instead of just once or twice a week?"
She seemed to consider it casually as she served herself some mashed potatoes.
"Yeah, sure," she said finally, in just as quiet of an undertone. "If we don't, we'll probably be dead before we figure it out."
Harry laughed. "Let's hope not. And pass the potatoes, will you?"
"What do you say, Harry? Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw? Who's going to come out on top in the next match?"
Harry took the bowl from KayKay's hands. "I dunno. Hufflepuff has always had a pushover team . . ."
"But Ravenclaw is adjusting with a new Seeker now, you can't forget that. They had Cho Chang for so long, and now they have to get used to new blood." KayKay pointed out
"But still, Hufflepuff isn't that good—"
"They've been getting better over the past few years, though, you have to admit that," Hermione stated.
Everyone stopped to stare at her.
"What?" she asked, looking around in confusion at the incredulous looks she was receiving.
"You mean to tell me that you pay that much attention to Quidditch?" Ron asked.
"As a matter of fact, Ronald Weasley, I do. Why is that so surprising? I'll remind you that last year the two of you begged me to try out for Quidditch."
"Yeah, but you said no."
"So what's your point?"
KayKay was shaking her head wearily and rolling her eyes as Hermione and Ron began bickering. Harry could hear her muttering under her breath.
"Honestly, just date and get it over with."
Harry stifled a laugh, then glanced down the table and hesitated.
Professor Kingstaff was walking between the student tables up to the Head Table. Instead of going to his seat, he went to Professor Dumbledore and whispered urgently in his ear. Dumbledore's face became quite grave and he nodded once.
"Shhh!" Harry admonished, glancing only briefly at the noisy Ron and Hermione before looking again at the Head Table. Dumbledore was asking Professor Kingstaff something and beckoning for McGonagall.
"Honestly, just because I don't play the sport doesn't mean—"
"Will you guys shut up? Stop flirting for two minutes," Madison snapped, obviously noticing what Harry was looking at.
Harry smirked. From the corner of his eye, he could see Hermione's mouth opening and closing noiselessly as she struggled for words, and Ron's ears going bright red.
"What do you think it is? Has something happened?" KayKay asked.
"I don't know," he began. "Let's hope . . ."
He trailed off as Dumbledore stood and general hush fell over the Great Hall.
"Forgive for interrupting," Dumbledore said, the twinkle in his eye gone. "But I fear I have some bad news."
A few murmurs swept the hall, but most students remained silent, staring at the headmaster curiously.
Unnoticed by most, Professors McGonagall and Kingstaff were leaving the Great Hall via the door behind the dais, and Snape was sweeping out the main doorway.
Harry looked back at Professor Dumbledore's grave face. He had the distinct, inexplicable feeling of foreboding. By her rapid, uneven breathing beside him, Harry could tell KayKay hosted the same thought.
"I'm sorry to announce," Dumbledore continued, "that the Hogsmeade trip this Thursday has been cancelled.
"And I am even more sorry to announce that Hogsmeade village has been," he paused, as if trying to decide the best words to use, "attacked. Voldemort and his Death Eaters"—half of the student population flinched—"raided the area just a short time ago.
"Precautions are already being taken. You all are to spend the night in here."
He stopped, even his charisma unable to suppress the anxious mutterings between students.
"But he was making his way south again!" Hermione said, obviously shocked. "South!"
"So now You-Know-Who is right here?" Ron asked, his eyes darting around as if one of the uniformed students was actually Voldemort in disguise and Death Eaters would spring out from beneath the tables at any moment.
"Well not here, obviously," Madison said, "But only a mile or so away . . ."
Her tone was cool, but Harry could hear the worry in it. He looked at KayKay, but she was simply biting her lip, her eyes dark. She appeared to be deep in thought.
"As you all know, there are great dangers in our world today. We can only fight Voldemort's darkness with an equal response of care and love. Therefore . . ."—Dumbledore paused again, as if considering something for a final time—"I am asking students seventeen or older to, if they desire, assist in helping victims of tonight's attacks.
"I wish to impress upon you that this will not be fun," he said. His gaze slowly swept across the Great Hall, as if he was looking at each student in turn.
"You will sleep outdoors. You will get up early and go to bed late. You will work long and hard—nursing wounds, searching for survivors, comforting children and adults alike, repairing buildings and roads, knitting lives back together.
"However—it is my distinct opinion that such selfless care for others is part of the mystery of being human. One good deed merits another, and that another—and if we all help one another, that love will be returned to us in unexpected ways."
If a pin had been dropped at that moment, everyone in the room would have heard it.
After a long silence, Dumbledore asked, "Are there any volunteers?"
The quiet was left unbroken, but barely a moment passed before KayKay extracted her long legs from under the table and stood. Harry followed suit immediately.
Soon after, a boy from Ravenclaw stood; then Madison, and then several people at once from Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gryffindor, including Ron and Hermione.
A single person from the Slytherin Table stood. A few of his housemates muttered at him, but he paid them no heed. He must have been in his Sixth Year, because Harry recognized him, but didn't know who he was.
"Very well," Dumbledore said, nodding solemnly. "Those standing, please come with me."
Chatter broke out once more, and the collection of Sixth and Seventh Years followed Professor Dumbledore out, all of them sporting grave but determined faces.
§ º § º § º § º § º § º § º § º §
"Please, be seated," Dumbledore said to the assembled teenagers as they filed into an empty classroom. There was the clamor of scraping chairs as everyone complied, but no words were spoken. Once everyone had found a spot and was gazing expectantly at the wizened headmaster, he cleared his throat.
"I thank you," he said, looking at each student in turn, "for agreeing to this sacrifice."
He allowed these words to settle heavily upon them, and KayKay held back a shiver, shoving frivolous hesitations to the back of her mind. If she was to be an Auror, this was a good way to begin.
Besides that, she wouldn't be able to stand herself if she'd refused to help.
KayKay felt—or at least believed she felt—Dumbledore's gaze linger on her and Harry.
"I will assure you all now that this service will be replacing your regular lessons for as long as it lasts. You needn't compensate for missed curriculum—I shall ensure that your N.E.W.T. exams do not cover the subjects you miss."
KayKay blinked in surprise. The thought hadn't even occurred to her. Glancing out of the corner of her eyes at a few other people, she could see that few besides Hermione had considered it.
"We shall leave early tomorrow morning. This gives officials a chance to certify that any immediate danger is over," Dumbledore continued. KayKay got the sneaking suspicion that, if Pomfrey was correct and the Ministry indeed was doing next to nothing about Voldemort, the "officials" he spoke of were teachers.
"I wish at this time to know what areas, if any, you feel you'd be best attributed to, or any areas of work you feel unable to be part of. You will also be placed with a partner. Always stay in your groups of two, as you'll be responsible not only for your tasks but also for each other's safety.
"Mr. Potter, do you have any preferences to your position?"
"Anywhere is fine," Harry said. KayKay looked at him and was struck by how his disposition found a way to emanate from him. His face was grim and as set as stone—his eyes were hard yet determined. He seemed as ready for this upcoming challenge as KayKay wished she did.
"Miss Determan?" Dumbledore continued. A quill and piece of parchment had appeared from nowhere and were taking notes on the discussion of their own accord.
"I'll help wherever I'm needed."
"Very well, you shall be paired with Mr. Potter."
Dumbledore looked next at Hermione. "Miss Granger, you are needed here."
"But—but I want to help." Her voice was not whiny, nor meek, but professional and assured.
"You misunderstand me," he told her. "Orphaned or separated families will be housed here temporarily. It is my request that you apply your leadership skills to helping children and adults alike adjust to their situation. You still will be working for the recovery project instead of taking your classes, and Mr. Boot will take over all of your Head Girl duties."
Hermione, obviously content enough with this arrangement, nodded.
"You'll depart with us tomorrow morning and once we begin finding survivors they shall accompany you back to Hogwarts, if their health permits. You will repeat this process each day for as long as necessary."
She nodded again, and Dumbledore continued on to the next seat.
"Mr. Weasley, I request that you do the same." Then, before Ron (who looked rather surprised) could ask why, he continued, "As you have grown up with a large family, you are better equipped to know how to handle some situations that may arise."
Ron nodded, and Dumbledore indicated that he and Hermione would be partners. He continued through the rest—altogether there was bit less than two dozen students. Some he paired up immediately, others he needed to wait until finding someone with similar traits. Madison was a bit squeamish at blood (although she didn't say so in those precise words), so it was a while until she was paired up with a boy from Sixth Year, the only other Slytherin to volunteer.
When positions had been noted and partners assigned, the headmaster gave each of them a duffel bag scarcely larger than their book bags. He advised them to pack their things wisely and asked that they do so immediately.
Everyone left in the same silence that they'd maintained throughout the meeting, subconsciously dividing into the pairs they'd been assigned to. Ron and Hermione lingered to find out more about their job, since theirs had been the only one assigned thus far.
Harry and KayKay walked in silence as they made their way up to Gryffindor Tower. Without immediate conversation to occupy her, KayKay felt her detached numbness ebb away as her anger mounted. What gave anyone the right to take the life of another, especially someone innocent? It was one thing for Voldemort to attack someone like Harry or herself to usurp their born powers, but to kill away mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, whole families . . . By making it unrelated, Voldemort had in his cruel way made it personal.
KayKay growled and kicked a suit of armor with all the force she could muster. The suit jumped slightly and cringed, glancing down at the dent in his leg while KayKay huffed irritably.
"Hey . . ." Harry said softly, "take it easy—"
"It's not fair!" KayKay found herself shouting. "They didn't do anything! Why does he have to hurt them?"
"I don't know," he said quietly but evenly, being the patient one for once. He put a hand on her shoulder. "But shouting about it—"
"I DON'T CARE!" she yelled, jerking away from his hand and aiming another kick at a suit of armor. This one wisely jumped out of the way.
"Why?! How can anyone feel that they can do that? He has no right—Why does he—"
She broke off, crying as abruptly as she'd begun yelling. Somehow during her brief ranting she'd grabbed hold of Harry's shirt in her fists and not even realized it.
"I hate him," she whispered. "Oh, God, I hate him so much."
Harry pulled her into a comforting hug.
"I know," he assured her. "I hate him too. Come on, let's get our things packed so we can help fix things."
KayKay nodded, stepping back and digging the heels of her hands into her eyes to wipe away her tears. Crying would help nothing. The walk again fell into silence.
"Password?" the Fat Lady asked with exercised caution. The portraits must have already been informed to be on their guard.
"Vita Orbis" Harry offered, repeating the new password Dumbledore had instructed them to use. The Portrait hole swung open and KayKay and Harry entered the abandoned Common Room.
Harry proceeded straight to the winding staircase, but KayKay paused, drinking in the state of the Common Room as though she'd never quite seen it before. Gone were the students that always lingered in one corner or another—gone were the chessboards, quills, and scattered papers.
Her eyes slid over the whole scene curiously. She felt like a stranger, seeing this empty, lifeless place for the first time. However, if she closed her eyes and listened, she thought she could hear the echoes of excited conversation and laughter—behind it, though, there was sorrow . . .
She opened her eyes with a snap, shaking away the moment as quickly as she'd embraced it. The first thing her gaze fell upon was the window. She scowled at it and walked over to shut the curtains against the night sky.
When she turned around, she was startled to see Harry still at the foot of the staircase, studying her with an expression she couldn't quite pair up with a meaning.
Saying nothing, not even looking him in the eye, she walked past him—then, once she was out of sight around the first spiral of the staircase to the Girl's Dormitory, she ran the rest of the way up.
Upon reaching the Dormitory, she again pulled the heavy curtains over the windows shut. KayKay was quite certain by this point that she hated memories, hated the pain that they brought, hated feelings in general.
Sighing in a disconsolate way, she set down her duffel bag and opened her trunk. After studying the contents for a bit, she chose function over form: a sweatshirt rather than a cloak, a single pair of jeans and a few tee shirts . . . She made certain she had room for a book she'd salvaged from Remus's home: Practical Survival Charms. She was certain it would be helpful.
As she took out the book from the bottom of her trunk, she spied a piece of folded parchment underneath it. Curious, she picked it up and unfolded it. It was a hasty scrawl in her own handwriting.
The time draws near. The Heir of he, the Dark Lord, the Master, is no longer dormant. No, not even the Heir knew their destiny, but it—
KayKay hastily folded the paper once more. The prophecy Professor Trelawney had made—amazing though it was to KayKay that the woman actually did possess the Sight—wasn't relevant at a time like this. In fact, it was no longer relevant at all, she thought. The Heir had already come and gone.
Still, this thought did not keep KayKay's pulse from racing a bit faster. The paper shook slightly in her hand—with a great effort she stilled it.
Tossing a few more necessities into her small bag, KayKay shoved the paper under a pile of sweaters she avoided wearing at all costs, then closed and locked her trunk with a bang that resounded eerily through the empty tower.
There the words would lay forgotten for nearly two months.
º º º º º
Waking early to aching limbs from sleeping on the hard floor of the Great Hall, KayKay blinked at Professor McGonagall only twice before getting up and grabbing all of her things.
She joined the silent trickle of volunteer students leaving the Great Hall silently, picking her way carefully through batches of sleeping students.
After taking as little time as possible to get ready, KayKay entered the same classroom that they'd used for the meeting the prior night.
There was no chatter, no sounds—every student, though wide-awake, was silent in determination.
After the last few students had entered, Dumbledore swept in, two bags hovering behind him. He began without preamble.
"The area around Hogsmeade has been declared secure. We will still have people circulating, however, so they may let us know if something new should develop. We will go now—we have to walk to Hogsmeade. On your way out the door, be certain to grab a uniform, supply pack, and breakfast bar. There's no time to lose. Let's go."
All the students fell immediately into line, grabbing their respective items before filing into the hallway after the headmaster.
Now, after an hour of walking they approached the crest of the last hill they'd need to mount before seeing Hogsmeade Village. Glancing around at her peers, KayKay deducted that they looked like a strong team—a peaceful army of sorts.
Every one of them was in uniform—a sky blue jumpsuit that went over their normal clothing. They all sported armbands too, white with a red cross in front of a wand shooting purple sparks. Also, strapped around every individual's waist was a supply pack.
The supply packs looked almost like tool belts, except they were far less bulky and they contained very different "tools." There was a holster for wands so they'd be easy to draw, a pouch containing bandages, another containing gauze and medical tape, a miniature book on medical care for emergencies, a supply of high-energy foods, and a self-replenishing water canteen.
However, most important of all the items they carried were several flasks containing potions from Madame Pomfrey's most vital stores. Every student needed them with at all times—blood-replenishing potions, Pepperup potions, dreamless sleep potions, strengthening potions, and a few KayKay had yet to encounter personally.
Their earliest instructions were to search houses for survivors of the attacks. Each pair was assigned certain streets to cover, and once they'd checked a home, they were to send up a signal to hover over the place—a phoenix composed of violet and gold.
Unlike most of their schoolmates, Harry and KayKay were not assigned to search teams, but to nursing any wounded that either were uncovered or simply came to their encampment. While they waited, they were to work on potions that would be needed when their current stores were used up.
Breathing somewhat heavier than they had been before starting on their journey, the teenagers continued their nearly completed hike. They finally reached the top of the hill, capable of seeing Hogsmeade—and they halted.
"Bloody Hell," Ron whispered fervently.
It was in ruins. From every angle the Dark Mark glared down at them in grotesque smugness. Houses and shops were destroyed; glass was shattered everywhere, and smoke rose in small smolders from many buildings. Under the wind, KayKay thought she could hear wailing or shouting.
From beside her, somebody lunged forward and began down the hill at a half-run, half-stumble. She'd no sooner distinguished the messy black hair before she broke into a run after him.
"Harry—Harry! Wait, we need to stay together!"
Behind her she could hear other students hurrying on their way down the hill. She stumbled twice, tripped, and rolled over on her shoulder, springing back up immediately.
Harry had slowed and was nearing a large white tent. KayKay entered with him at blinked in mild surprise.
The tent, while of a fair size on the outside, was enormous inside. It was rather like being indoors—there were at least a hundred cots, and beside each were a medical kit and a small sink. There was a tall cabinet on the far wall with the doors swung wide open. One side revealed more potions, the other, potions ingredients.
Also to the back were two doors, one heralding "Lavatories," the other,
"Office."
Outside she could hear Dumbledore calling, "You know your tasks—work quickly but be cautious! Be sure to keep thorough records of anyone you find, where you work, and for how long."
"I—I guess that's our cue to start working on potions," KayKay said to Harry, who was still silent. She indicated for him to follow her into the office. "Shall we start with blood-replenishing and dreamless sleep potions?"
Harry nodded slowly, passing her and staring into one of the empty cauldrons, then kicked it angrily with a strangled cry. KayKay faltered for a moment, hovering on the edge of uncertainty, then stepped forward and rested a hand on his shoulder.
He was still breathing raggedly, but under KayKay's hand his body gave a tiny shudder of defeat and relaxed slightly.
"I'm going to get the ingredients, okay? You can get the fires started," KayKay said.
Harry nodded again. KayKay patted his shoulder and left the room.
For Harry's own dignity, she pretended she didn't see the tear in the corner of his eye.
By the time she'd returned, flames were licking the bottoms of the cauldrons and Harry looked perfectly normal.
"I have your flames at the temperature for a dreamless sleep potion," he informed her as she set down several ingredients on a table.
"Alright. Here . . ." she began sorting the items into two groups, "this is what you'll be needing."
He stepped around his cauldron and, studying the instruction pages carefully, began measuring ingredients. KayKay located a set of brass scales and began measuring unicorn hair.
After a long silence, Harry said quite suddenly, "Thanks."
KayKay glanced up at him in surprise. "What for?"
"For being patient with me."
"Harry, you need to give yourself a little leeway. Everyone is angry with Voldemort. Besides, you saw me last night, I was far less composed than you."
"But—well, still . . . thanks," he repeated, carefully grinding some scarabs.
"Hey, what are friends—"
"Harry! KayKay!" a voice sounded urgently from the front of the medical tent. KayKay and Harry immediately dropped their things and hurried out into the main room.
Justin Finch-Fletchley was maneuvering a floating stretcher into the tent, on which was supported a middle-aged man.
"How serious is he?" Harry asked quickly.
"I'm not sure," Justin replied quickly. "He's nearly unconscious, though."
"Put him on a cot up there—the most serious cases will need to be near the supply cabinet," KayKay instructed. The Ravenclaw boy let the stretcher down on a bed near the very front, waving his wand to make the stretcher vanish once the man was situated.
KayKay grabbed a chart on a hook at the foot of the cot.
"Can you hear me, sir?" she asked clearly, crouching down next to him. "What is your name?"
The man took a long time to speak, and when he did it was very soft and slightly difficult to understand him.
"Joseph Meyers. Is—are there any others?"
Justin answered. "You're the first. Other teams are still searching your home."
"Ah . . ." Joseph closed his eyes for a drawn-out moment "And . . . who are you?" he asked, opening his eyes and focusing them on Harry, who had also crouched down nearby.
"We're Justin, Kayleigh, and Harry," he said, indicating each of them in turn. "We're from Hogwarts—we've come to help."
"Ah . . ." the man repeated. "Merlin bless you."
He closed his eyes again, either falling asleep or passing out. Harry took out his wand and began checking Joseph's injuries to see what attention he'd need. KayKay moved closer to Justin to get the rest of the information.
"I don't know much," he said. "But he's from number Six on Cliodna Circle."
KayKay copied down the information, then glanced at Joseph. Harry seemed to be faring well on his own, so she leaned a bit closer to Justin and continued in a whisper.
"How bad is it out there?" There was dread laced through her voice, and she hated herself for it.
"Really bad," he confided. "There are bodies everywhere . . . some are burnt from house fires, and other people aren't completely dead but are close to it . . . the blood and the wailing . . . you two are lucky to be in here."
KayKay had her fingertips pressed over her mouth, and slowly she lowered her hand.
"Maybe," she said, looking over her shoulder as Harry wrapped a bandage around one of Joseph's arms. "But who can say how long it will last?"
Justin left quietly and KayKay went to join Harry at Joseph's bedside. She was about to ask if he needed anything when the tent flaps again burst open.
"KayKay!" It was Madison, and she was, like Justin, bringing with her a person on a stretcher. Her wand arm was trembling, and no sooner had she lowered the stretcher onto a cot than she ducked back outside the tent door.
"Madison, are you alright?" KayKay asked. She heard her cousin retching and she ducked out after her.
"I'm fine . . . I'll be fine," she said, wiping her mouth on her dirty sleeve and clutching her stomach. "The girl—take care of the girl."
KayKay nodded and went back to the stranger's bedside. Joseph seemed to be taken care of for the time being, and Harry was next to the new victim.
"Miss? Can you hear me?" he asked softly, shaking her shoulder gently. "Miss!"
The lady—or rather, girl, because she could barely be older than KayKay herself—opened her eyes slowly, taking much time to focus her gaze on the two faces above her. When she did seem to finally comprehend KayKay and Harry, she gave a shrill scream and began thrashing as if trying to escape.
"No—no, leave me alone, get away!" she shouted, squeezing her eyes shut. "Stop—please, stop!"
Harry held her arms down and opened his mouth to speak, but the moment his hands touched her, the girl screamed again.
"No, stop! Stop it!"
KayKay suddenly understood and pushed Harry away hard, catching him with a hand in front of his chest when he tried to again approach the bed.
KayKay pleadingly tried to communicate a message to him with her eyes as she took his place in holding the girl to calm her.
"Shhh . . . shhh, it's alright Miss, we're here to help. My name is KayKay, and I'm from Hogwarts. What is your name?"
"Please, don't let him . . . don't let him touch me . . ." the girl wasn't struggling as much but she was still hysterical and tears were running down her dirt-streaked face.
"He won't hurt you, Miss, he'll stay away." Out of the corner of her eye, KayKay could see Madison drawing Harry away while whispering quickly. "Now, what is your name?"
"But he'll—he might—"
"I promise you, nothing will happen to you. You're safe now," KayKay said soothingly, taking the girl's hand. "What is your name?"
"A-Annisele Westin."
KayKay picked up the clipboard from the foot of the cot. "Okay, Annisele . . . how old are you?"
"S-sixteen . . . almost seventeen."
KayKay swallowed hard, but nodded, copying down the information and forcing herself not to remain professional even though she felt her eyes begin to water.
"Where do you live?"
"N-number Seventeen, Wisteria Lane."
"Thank you . . . don't worry," she said, taking Annisele's hand once more when she saw the fear in her eyes. "You're in good hands. We've come to help.
"Now, is there anyplace specifically that hurts? I see that you have a bad cut on your shoulder . . ." KayKay prompted, taking a cloth out of the medical kit and getting up to soak it in warm water.
Annisele tried to sit up. "He—he just came at me! I told him to stop, and I screamed but no one came, and I wasn't strong enough to—"
"Shhh!" KayKay hushed, gently, sitting down next to her immediately. "It's not your fault."
She gently forced Annisele to lie back down, worried that if she let the girl continue talking she'd get hysterical once again. Taking the warm wet cloth, KayKay gently began wiping dirt and soot off of Annisele's face, taking special care to dab away new tears that leaked out of her eyes.
"Harry? Will you please get me a salve for deep cuts and some more washcloths?" she called over her shoulder.
"Don't worry," she added to Annisele as she saw her become tense once more. "That's Harry Potter. He won't harm you, I promise."
Still, Harry stopped a good distance back to hand over the items. KayKay set to work cleaning the gash on Annisele's shoulder. She later learned that it was from a broken window.
Annisele winced and shuddered as KayKay mended her wounds, but seemed to be calming down. As KayKay finished up with the bandages and repacked the first aid kit, both girls sighed with relief.
"Here—drink this," KayKay said, pouring the vial of dreamless sleep potion into a plastic cup. "It will help you sleep well so you don't have nightmares."
Annisele took the cup with a small, "Thank you," and drained it quickly. KayKay took the cup and rinsed it out as she quickly drifted off to sleep.
KayKay recorded Annisele's injuries on the chart—physical and emotional—then restored it to its rightful place. She was about to step away from the bedside when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror.
Her eyes were red, the lines around her mouth were hard . . . her hair, despite being restrained in a tight braid, was unkempt . . . and her uniform was already dirtied with blood, dirt, and soot.
A sigh, the sound used when words weren't enough, wasn't even adequate to describe how she felt. Shaking her head at herself, KayKay hastily washed and dried her hands, then turned to assist Harry two young boys that had just been brought in, one whimpering for his mother, the other out cold.
§ º § º § º § º § º § º § º § º §
This ain't comin' from no prophet
Just an ordinary man
When I close my eyes I see
The way this world shall be
When we all walk hand in hand
When the last child cries for a crust of bread
When the last man dies for just words that he said
When there's shelter over the poorest head
We shall be free
When the last thing we notice is the color of skin
And the first thing we look for is the beauty within
When the skies and the oceans are clean again
Then we shall be free
We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, walk proud
'Cause we shall be free
When we're free to love anyone we choose
When this world's big enough for all different views
When we all can worship from our own kind of pew
Then we shall be free
We shall be free
We shall be free
Have a little faith, hold out
'Cause we shall be free
And when money talks for the very last time
And nobody walks a step behind
When there's only one race and that's mankind
Then we shall be free
We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, walk proud, have a little faith, hold out
We shall be free
We shall be free
We shall be free
Stand straight, have a little faith
We shall be free
Well, I hoped to have at least reached the Christmas SEASON by this point story-wise, but . . . oh well, so it goes.
It's nearly Christmas!!! Oooh, my favorite time of the year!!! Major family issues going on right about now, but things are stabalizing and it looks like it'll be a Harry—excuse me, Merry—Christmas after all.
Okay! Review-reviews!
siriusfanatic: I PROMISE you, I don't care if you do a bazillion reviews for chapters, it makes me feel special! (Unless they say "DIE CALLISTA, DIE" . . . creepy.) And I caution you . . . don't read too far into EVERYTHING just yet, especially regarding relationships. Consider discussions that you have with your best friend . . . transpose those into all the conversations into Chapter Eight. There. See?
º muttersº Really, just because a guy and a girl . . .
TheSugarPlum: Thanks for the cookies, and I ADORE swing! Oh, and let me help you out . . .
Circle, circle
Dot, dot
Now you have your Cootie Shot!
º pokes her in the arm º Ah, Fifth-grade memories . . .
sewsweet: Thanks for reviewing! I'm so glad that you "came out of hiding" . . . thank you!
Nick: Have I ever let you guys down before? º wink º I love this story too much (does that sound conceited coming from the author?) . . . and I love swing!
ZenamesKat: Before I even review your review, I am SOOO glad that your story is back! HEY EVERYONE! Kat has her Lily/James fanfiction back up, I highly reccomend it!
Now, where were we? Ah yes, you've written me yet another novel. Don't worry, I'll get ice to stop my head from swelling before I read it. I'm glad you kept hold of that cliff.
And thanks . . . I strive for humorous/pensive writing. If I've made you think . . . well, then I'm glad. Ditto for laughing. I like laughing. It's fun. Don't you think so???
(Wow, no more sugar at Eleven O'Clock at night for ME!)
Yes, yes, fluffiness, etc . . . must squash rebellions . . . It's sort of like the collapse of the Roman Empire, "Bread and Circuses" (Can you believe I actually LEARNED stuff in history this year? Crazy!)
But yes, thank you, thank you, oh Professional Flatterer!
LairyFights: Here you go!
Kayla: I was wondering where you'd gone! I'm glad you're still reading, even if WB is being evil.
And a big thank-you to Garth Brooks for this gorgeous song and for STILL not having sued me, even though he seems to be the unofficial celebrity endorser of this story . . . or is that the other way around?
And since I love you all OH-SO-MUCH . . . I have a holiday gift for you!
It's merely a clue . . . but dig deep into foreshadowing in this chapter . . .
Well, Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! I'm TRYING to hurry on the updates!
