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.


§ ¤ § Chapter Ten: Blood, Ashes, and Dreams § ¤ §

"No . . . no, Uncle Remmy . . ."

The pleas began as a whimper too quiet to do anything but make Harry's dreams slightly detached, as if they were plagued by static.

There was the rustle of someone rolling over in their sleeping bag, a few more moments of silence, and then, louder . . .

"No . . . no! Leave him alone . . . Remus!"

It was now that Harry was dredged up from his sleep, still not fully aware of why his dream was fading out until the moaning turned into a shout.

"REMUS! No, you can't take him, give him back . . . REMUS!"

Harry's eyes snapped open and he sat up immediately, allowing his vision to adjust to the darkness.

KayKay was curled into a tiny ball, tangled up in her sleeping bag and she cried out.

"COME BACK! Uncle Remmy . . . Remus! Please! Leave him alone, you—"

"KayKay!" Harry exclaimed, crawling over to where she was beginning to thrash about with her arms hugged tightly about her torso. He grabbed her by both arms and shook her. "KayKay, wake up . . ."

Her hands shot out and grabbed his right arm so tightly that he had to bite back an exclamation. She was clinging to it as if he was simply an anchor to keep her from falling too deep into her own nightmares.

"Wake up! It's just a dream, KayKay! KayKay!"

Her body jerked and her eyes popped open, filled with terror and confusion. She was breathing hard and her gaze darted about rapidly until she finally seemed to understand, at which point her death-grip on his arm loosened and her entire body relaxed as she pushed herself into a sitting position.

"Harry, he was . . ." she began in a frightened whisper, "Remus is . . . it . . . there's so much blood—"

"Shhh . . . it was all just a nightmare, KayKay . . ." he murmured, putting his free arm around her and gently stroking her hair. "You're okay . . . it's fine . . ."

He didn't know which blood she was referring to: blood in her dream or all of the bloody wounds they'd seen that day. Things had only gotten worse after the twin boys had been brought in.

KayKay was recovering from her bad dream quickly if her slowed breathing was any indication. She closed her eyes for such a long period that Harry almost thought she'd fallen back asleep, but he was just barely considering helping her lie back down when they opened again.

She fixed him with a rather odd look that was very much like her normal self . . . he wondered why for the briefest moment, then suddenly realized and sprung away, pulling his arm back sheepishly.

"Er . . . you should probably go back to sleep."

"Can't. Nightmares."

"Have some of the dreamless sleep potion," he suggested.

"Can't. Victims" she said in that same tone. "Speaking of whom . . . I'm going to go check on them."

She pushed herself into a standing position and Harry followed suit immediately. They walked out of the office and down among the cots—as medical staff, they were the only ones who slept in the medical building as opposed to small tents in the field.

The full moon was shining bright and silver, and KayKay halted by a window to stare at it.

"I hate the moon," she whispered, so quietly that Harry was sure that he wasn't meant to hear. "Why did you have to take him?"

There was cough from among the beds, and KayKay left the window to continue checking up on patients. She stopped by Annisele's bed and gazed down at her.

"Poor girl . . ." she murmured, leaning over and smoothing out some wrinkles in the blanket. "Some Death Eater . . ."

Words seemed to fail her, and Harry felt sick to his stomach when he thought about it.

"It almost happened to Madison and I. you remember those two Death Eaters?" She looked over her shoulder at Harry, "Boys, really. I bet it was one of them. Sometimes I still think . . . what would have happened if Voldemort had let them . . ."

"Thank God that they didn't," Harry said, placing a hand on her shoulder—she was shuddering.

"That's my greatest fear, you know," she confided. The way she said it made it clear to Harry that he was the first person she'd ever told this to. "Either that, or—or Madison dying. If I lost the last piece of my family . . ."

KayKay didn't finish the sentence. Maybe it was because she didn't need to, or maybe it was because she'd heard, just like Harry, someone stirring a few cots over. The moment of reflection was over—KayKay seemed to become suddenly aware of Harry's hand, for she shrugged away from his touch. He shoved his hands into his pockets and looked towards the source of the sound.

"It's the boy who was unconscious," Harry told her, recognizing where it was coming from immediately. "I'll get him some potion."

He left her side to assist the young child. They hadn't been able to give him a dreamless sleep potion while he was unconscious—it could have made him go into a coma—but they'd already tended to all of his wounds and used strengthening charms where the potion wouldn't suffice.

"Hey . . . how are you feeling?" Harry asked the boy quietly, kneeling down by the bed so he wouldn't look so menacing.

The boy stared up at him and didn't respond.

"I'm Harry . . . I've come from Hogwarts. We're here to help. Here . . . drink this," he said, offering the boy a cup. "It will help you sleep."

The boy took the cup with weak hands, and Harry helped him raise it to his mouth. He drank quickly, and Harry took back the empty cup and tucked the covers neatly around the boy as he fell asleep serenely.

Brushing his hair out of his eyes, Harry stood back up and felt a small jolt of surprise when he looked at KayKay.

She was touching the shoulder he'd had his hand on and fixing him with a shrewd and suspicious look that was far from inviting.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

KayKay watched over victims for another twenty minutes before sitting down hard in a chair with her head in her hands. Harry helped her up and walked her back to her sleeping bag in the office.

He didn't go back to sleep. A few hours later, at about five in the morning, one of the twin boys again began calling for his mother.

"Mommy? Mommy!"

Harry heard immediately and hurried to his bedside.

"Where's my mommy?" the little boy—Dylan, according to his chart—asked Harry sadly.

"She's . . . she's not here," Harry said with some difficulty. "How are you feeling? Are you hungry?"

Dylan nodded emphatically, and Harry went to a pantry next to the Potion cabinet and retrieved a few slices of bread.

"Here. You should probably start by just eating this. If you're still hungry after that, maybe you can have something else. Would you like some water?"

"Uh-huh."

Harry handed him a slice of bread and turned to fill his cup with water from the sink. When he looked back, he noticed Annisele sitting up and observing him unblinkingly.

"Slow down, Dylan, eat it slow," Harry said, almost laughing in spite of himself when he saw his voracious appetite. "You'll make yourself sick otherwise!"

He handed Dylan the other slice of bread and the water. "Just let me know if you need anything else, alright? My name is Harry."

Dylan nodded again with wide Bambi eyes. Harry ruffled the child's hair almost instinctively, then left his bedside and approached Annisele, being careful to stop several cots away.

"Good morning, Annisele. Do you mind if I come closer?"

She studied him, then looked at Dylan.

"I promise, I won't hurt you," Harry continued softly. "I only want to help you."

She stared at him once more.

"Okay."

The corner of Harry's mouth twitched with a miniature smile. He hadn't been expecting such progress with Annisele's trauma so soon.

"How are you feeling?" he asked as he sat down on the edge of the cot next to hers. He was very attentive to keeping his voice gentle.

"I don't know. A bit hungry, I suppose. And I just . . . I . . . how can I face up to anyone after . . . after what happened?"

She trembled like a leaf in the fall winds and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I'm a h-horrible person! I-I'm a h-horrible, horrible p-person—"

"Shhh!" Harry whispered, instinctively taking one of her hands and placing his other hand on her shoulder. "Annisele, you know that's not true!"

She flinched from his touch at first, recoiling a bit, but her body became less tense as he murmured assurances.

" . . . This is no one's fault but his, Annisele—you must always remember that. You're pure and innocent and clean, the same you that you've always been . . ."

He knew the important thing was to keep talking—he didn't know how he knew, he just did. The blood was draining from the hand on her shoulder, making it tingle, but he left it there. Just as with KayKay, Annisele seemed to regard it as an anchor.

Harry wasn't sure how he knew this, either. KayKay had been clinging to his arm, but Annisele was simply allowing his hand to rest on her. However, he was certain of it . . .

" . . . Don't allow it to define you, Annisele—it isn't who you are and it isn't who you will be unless you let it."

Annisele wiped a tear from her face.

"Thank you," she said finally. Harry let his hands slip away from her.

"Would you like something to eat?"

"Yes, p-please."

Harry nodded and stood up. For the first time, he noticed KayKay standing by the door of the office, watching them and wiping a tear from her face with the back of her hand.

And she was smiling.

§ ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ §

Halloween was cold and frosty and devoid of its usual celebratory glimmer. The only bright side (as KayKay was always determined to find one) was that the Arctic chill that cut through uniforms like steely knives seemed to also quell some of the stench on the breeze. So, even though the wind-free medical tent still retained an odor of death, rescue teams carried out their work with a lessened assault of stagnant blood and charred flesh.

Harry and KayKay regularly performed Body-Heat Retainer Charms on rescuers bringing cargo to the medical tent. It was one of the many useful spells KayKay had found in the spell book she'd packed, and it saved search teams the energy needed for an ordinary warming spell.

However, with the staggering amount of new bodies being brought in, the frantic to-and-fro of healing patient after patient, and the pouring of magic into their fellow students was wearing on KayKay and Harry.

"Come on, you're going to lie down for a bit," KayKay ordered sternly, hauling Harry up by his elbow and helping him to the office.

"No—no, I'm fine! I have to help with—"

"Nothing doing. You've been at this since we woke up at two this morning. You won't do anyone any good if you push yourself too far."

"But—"

"Potter, I'm not asking you, I'm telling you!" KayKay exclaimed, unknowingly using the same words he had when she'd gotten injured about a month earlier. "You're always complaining about me being so independent . . . remember how you told me that if I wasn't dependent on other people once and a while, I'd kill myself? Well, it's the same thing here. You have to trust me to hold my own for an hour or so, until you can regain your strength."

"But—"

"That's my final word, Potter! We're a team, okay? If you keep working without rest at this pace, you'll crash and crash hard. It's better for all of us—you, me, and all of those people out there—if you just rest now. Now lie down and get some rest!"

Harry huffed moodily and flopped down on his sleeping bag, shooting her an angry look.

"Good boy . . . hey, you'll thank me later!" KayKay said, dimming the light and shutting the door with a gentle click.

She surveyed the ward with a silent sigh. Now, where had they left off . . .? Oh, right. Harry had been tending to an elderly man who was in for massive cuts and one large stiletto-like splinter that had pierced his shoulder when his antique shop exploded.

KayKay went back to his bedside, resisting the urge to take a sip of the Strengthening Potion that was so temptingly nestled in a flask on her supply belt. Potions were for the victims, no matter how badly she or Harry needed them.

She pulled a chair up to the man's bedside once more and carefully began removing small fragments of splinters from his shoulder with a pair of tweezers (some things were done best the Muggle way).

About fifteen minutes later, having removed all fragments she could, KayKay stood, stretching slightly to get rid of a cramp in her back. She moved her attention to removing the rather large bit of wood from deep in his flesh. Concentrating strongly, she held the protruding shaft with one hand whilst touching the wood with her wand.

It had been at this point that Harry had fallen. He'd put so much of himself into helping patients that it was only a matter of time before he stretched himself over his limit. KayKay heard no noises from the office, so she could only assume that he'd obeyed (however grudgingly) and gone to sleep.

The wood finally slid out after KayKay recommitted her energies to warding away alien matter from the man's body (several other small splinters came to the surface of his skin as well).

The sinister fragment was nearly the full length of her forearm and three fingers thick. KayKay set it to the side with a shudder and cleansed the man's wounds quickly and efficiently. She'd just barely finished applying a salve to heal torn muscles and bandaging the man's shoulder when the tent flap whipped open and a new wave of victims poured in.

"How critical are they?" KayKay asked sharply, washing her hands hastily.

"The child needs immediate attention . . . the woman seems stable, for now at least," Ginny replied.

"Thank you. Have you received a Body-Heat Retainer Charm yet?"

"Yes, KayKay. Where's Harry?" Ginny asked, her eyes sweeping the ward.

"He's regaining his strength, under my orders. He was pushing himself too far. The work load is so high . . ." KayKay trailed off, looking around at the cots. Since the morning, many more had been filled. "Still, quite a few are ready for relocation to Hogwarts. Tomorrow. Some maybe even tonight."

Ginny nodded. "That should help. Not very much though, if what we've encountered so far is any indication."

KayKay nodded sadly and continued softly, "True. Still, I'd never wish for there to be less survivors brought in. A victim in a cot is far better than a victim in the grave, no matter how heavy the workload."

Ginny murmured her agreement and left shortly after with her partner to continue the search. KayKay glanced out the window where the haze of a moon glowed in the twilight.

"Remus, give me strength," KayKay murmured, moving in to tend to the child, as Ginny had indicated.

There was still no sound from the office, which suited her. Let Harry rest for just a dream more.

That suited her just fine.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

"Where's Harry?" Annisele asked, looking around quickly over the crowd.

"He's inside. Sleeping, I think," KayKay answered. "It's the second time I've had to force him to get some rest. He pushes himself so far . . ."

"He really helps people. You both do. It's like . . . you chase away the pain or fear and he refills the empty spaces with goodness. I—I can't really explain it."

Annisele used excessive hand gestures when she spoke, but now her hands dropped to her side.

"I just . . . wanted to tell him thanks before I left," she finished quietly.

KayKay felt sorry for Annisele. Since two mornings ago when she'd let Harry sit by her bedside and talk to her, she'd made incredible progress. KayKay was beginning to notice the spectacular progress all patients had after talking to him.

"Annisele?" Hermione asked gently from behind the girl. She turned and nodded. "You'll need to get in the carriages now. It's time to go," Hermione continued, putting a checkmark by Annisele's name on her clipboard.

Annisele looked slightly hesitant, so KayKay stepped in.

"Annisele, this is Hermione. She and Ron—they're two of my closest friends—will be in charge of things back at Hogwarts."

"Nice to meet you, Annisele," Hermione said, shifting her clipboard under her arm and shaking Annisele's hand.

Annisele nodded a hello, then turned and gave KayKay a hug.

"Thank you so much. One day you'll be truly blessed for your kindness."

KayKay was startled only for a moment, but soon hugged her in return. It was good she was quick about it, because a moment later, Annisele exclaimed, "Harry!"

KayKay turned to see Harry several yards away, just emerging from the medical tent. Annisele hurried over and, to KayKay's great surprise, held her arms out to him. He caught her in a hug, a large grin on his face.

"I thought you wouldn't show up," KayKay could hear her saying.

"Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss it!" Harry replied, a laugh escaping with his words.

"I uh . . ." Annisele said, stepping back, "I wanted to thank you for all you've done for me. You really helped me out, you know."

"Honestly . . . it was my pleasure. I'm so proud of how far you've come in such a small amount of time—"

"Okay everybody, time to get into the carriages!" Ron called, cupping his hands around his mouth so his voice would project farther. "Next stop, Hogwarts castle!"

"That's Ron," Harry grinned, nodding towards the redhead. "Don't hesitate to pull a few pranks on him, he's my best mate. And he comes from a big family of jokesters."

Annisele nodded, saluted, then finished on a serious note. "I'm telling you the same as KayKay—you'll be blessed greatly for your good heart someday."

"Last call for carriages!" Ron shouted once more. Annisele hurried away, touching KayKay lightly on the shoulder on the way by, and climbed into an open carriage. As Harry walked up to join KayKay, a few small children wove around them in their rush to reach a carriage.

One of the twin boys—Dylan, KayKay thought—ran back when he saw them.

"Harry! Harry!" he yelled happily, jumping up as Harry caught him in his arms.

"Hey, Dylan, the carriages are this way," Harry laughed, carrying him away to a carriage that looked like it still had some room left. If she leaned a bit to the left, KayKay could see Harry tousle Dylan's hair before shutting the carriage door.

"Hard to believe that he was an only child that grew up with a bully of a cousin," KayKay commented to Hermione, who nodded.

"Yes, one would think that he had a whole clan of younger siblings," she said, consulting her clipboard a final time to make certain that everyone who was going to Hogwarts was in a carriage.

"He's really good with little kids."

"M-hmmm," Hermione replied absentmindedly. "Ron, is that everyone?" she called.

"Yes, according to my sheet," he shouted back.

"Me too. Alright, let's get going! Bye KayKay. Good luck!" Hermione hurried with Ron to the front carriage and got in. As all three carriages set into motion, Harry stepped back and waved goodbye to Dylan and Annisele. However, when he turned back and rejoined KayKay, his face was grave.

"I feel so bad for him. He still thinks his mum is just away for a while, on holiday or something," Harry said, shoving his hands deep into his pockets.

When KayKay didn't reply, he looked over at her. "What?"

"You're really good with them, you know? I'm not sure you really know how much your involvement helps them," she said, looking at him with mingled curiosity and admiration.

"Well, what about you?"

"Me?" KayKay asked, taken aback.

"Yeah, you. Haven't you seen how quickly the wounds you treat heal?"

"Harry, that's silly. It just depends on the potions and what kind of wound it is. I can't talk to the patients like you can."

Harry looked over at her as a gust of icy wind blew his hair into his eyes. "It's not silly, and you can't pretend you didn't notice. I've seen how much effort you pour into strenuous healings. And I've seen how quickly patients recover from injuries that you handle."

The image of helping the old man with the large imbedded splinter flashed before KayKay's eyes, and she shivered in the wind.

"Well, perhaps—"

"Harry, KayKay, there you are. I should have known."

The pair turned quickly as Dumbledore approached them.

"Oh . . . the victims! No one is there with them!" KayKay exclaimed, feeling ashamed at forgetting about her duties. She was about to run back to the tent when Dumbledore held up a hand to halt her.

"All of your patients are being well taken care of. I want the two of you to take a rest from treating them and apply your energies to something else."

"What else, exactly?" Harry asked slowly. KayKay could tell what he was thinking and she agreed—she didn't want to work somewhere else! All those people . . . they needed her and Harry!

Dumbledore looked them both in the eyes, before beckoning to them.

"Follow me—this evening I'd like for you to resume working on developing your powers."

§ ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ §

"It's not working!" KayKay exclaimed, dropping Harry's hands and flopping into a chair with an irritable sigh.

"We just aren't trying hard enough . . . why don't we do like we did that one time?"

"You mean when I went flying across the room and broke a few ribs? That didn't work!"

"Yes it did, it just didn't work the way we wanted. Let's try it but keep a sharper control of the magic, only releasing a bit until we can handle more of it safely," Harry suggested. KayKay looked hesitant.

"I promise I won't let you get hurt—and if you do, I know how to heal it this time!" he joked. KayKay yawned, then stood up and stretched her arms high above her head.

"Oh, fine," she said finally.

"Shall I initiate it?" Harry asked, sensing her apprehension.

"Er . . . yeah, I think that's a good idea," she said, heading to the center of the room.

They'd been given a wizard's tent to practice in that was a single room on the inside, about the size of a classroom but without any desks.

"Okay. Now, we breathe . . ." Harry prompted, taking KayKay's hands and closing his eyes as they settled into a synchronized breathing pattern.

Again he saw his magic as green light. He willed it to pull itself thin like a spool of thread before commanding it to travel through his hands to KayKay.

KayKay's magic crept into his vision, and it wasn't nearly as shaky as it had been the last time they'd attempted such a connection. His magic leapt forward as if to wind itself around hers, but Harry restrained it. That was what they'd done last time . . . and it was as if their powers had become strangled.

Breathing carefully, Harry imagined tying a knot with two strings. While he did so, he also tried to keep a grasp of the feeling he had whenever he was talking to one of the victims . . .

Their powers had connected, not winding themselves together but instead knotting themselves delicately. The colors in the knot and a bit each way blended to make an aquamarine hue, glowing brighter and brighter until becoming a brilliant white.

KayKay flinched—Harry could feel her desire to recoil. He pulled at her hands, forcing her to keep focused and committed to the progress. The white light was to the point of being blinding when it became suddenly subdued, fading to a warm gold.

Warmth like fire spread through Harry's hands, up his arms, and throughout his body, soothing away the pain he had from laborious hours of tending to patients. The heat was immediately followed by a cold that felt like a refreshing spring, washing away the weariness of unyielding hours.

KayKay was shaking his hands. "Harry! Harry, open your eyes!"

He blinked, then gaped at what greeted his eyes.

"Whoa . . ." he breathed, letting go of KayKay hands and looking around appreciatively. The dull room had taken on a brilliant light that sparkled of warmth and cleanliness. The ceiling shimmered with blue, green, aqua, white, and gold sparkles, lighting it up like stars.

This is amazing! Harry thought to himself.

"You can say that again," KayKay said with a laugh that suggested that she didn't quite believe her eyes.

"I didn't say anything," Harry replied, turning to look at her. He jumped slightly at the emerald glow that graced her outline.

"Yes you did, you said that it was amazing—"

"I didn't say it."

They both looked at each other incredulously.

"You mean to say that you thought something and I heard you?" KayKay asked finally. Her voice was shaky.

"If you heard 'this is amazing', then yes."

KayKay blinked. "So does this mean that we'll always know what the other person is thinking?"

Harry felt a sudden pang of worry. "I hope not! Er . . . here, think of something but don't direct it at me."

KayKay nodded. A long silence ensued. Harry was about to ask if she was even thinking of something when she asked, "Did you hear anything?"

Harry shook his head. "No. Now try to let me hear."

"Okay."

.:: Testing . . . one, two, three. Testing . . . Harry is a stupid-head . . . ::.

"Hey!"

KayKay laughed. "Sorry, you didn't say anything!" She paused then. "So does this mean that . . . that we have telepathy?"

"I don't know," Harry shrugged helplessly. "For all we know, it may be a temporary thing having to due with our power connection. It could wear off after a bit."

"Speaking of which . . . what were you thinking of while we were doing that anyhow?" KayKay asked curiously.

"About talking to patients—why?"

"Because I feel—I dunno, happier now. Fuller." She grinned.

"You were thinking of healing, weren't you?"

"Yes, actually. How did you know?" KayKay asked, indicating for him to follow her out of the room and back to the medical tent.

"Because," he replied, "I feel healthier now than I have for a long time."

"So that means that our skills with different kinds of healing are part of our traits!"

"Yeah, but why are emotional and physical healing separated?" Harry pointed out. KayKay grew silent, and looked up at the sky.

"I'm not sure," she said finally. "But if my powers are offensive but on the side of good . . . well, that would be more of a physical battle than an emotional one. Defense can be physical or emotional, but since the powers have to split . . .am I making sense?" she asked, looking at him quizzically.

"Sort of . . ." Harry said slowly. "Since 'battle powers' are physical, you have a knack for healing physically, and defense comes in both physical and emotional forms, but since physical is your aptitude, I get emotional healing powers."

"Exactly."

"You know, I think we're starting to get the hang of this," Harry said.

"Gee Sherlock, what a brilliant deduction," KayKay said sarcastically. "Come on, I want to get back to the medical tent."

§ ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ §

Icy winds grew even more chilling, and by mid-November KayKay and Harry were constantly helping warm search teams, even to the point of going out onto the streets in shifts to cast Body-Heat Retainer Charms.

Their classmates speculated as to how they managed so much with little rest, and even asked them as much. They'd shrugged it off, Harry saying that he had no idea, and KayKay adding the comment that she'd "once read that adrenaline and necessity could give a person inconceivable strength."

These were both lies of course. (Well, mostly lies—KayKay had read the bit about adrenaline, but she in no way thought that it was connected to their stamina.)

They frequently lent each other spare powers. Since KayKay had plenty of health and vitality to share, and Harry had ample inspiration, it made quite a fair arrangement. When one was feeling drained, the other would tie up whatever the current task was and then they'd go to the office and connect their powers again. It was as simple as breathing now that they knew they could do it.

After these connections, their telepathy would linger for a bit—the length depended on the power issued. KayKay found it hard at first to remember to close off her thoughts.

"So, Professor Kingstaff is a good dancer? Don't worry, I'm sure he'd be more than happy to teach you the Tango . . ." Harry commented with an impish grin one afternoon as he breezed by her holding a tray of potion flasks.

KayKay was careful of how she daydreamed afterwards (as if one could concentrate on such a thing and still daydream).

And besides (as she justified to herself to avoid turning red whenever Harry smirked at her for the next hour), it wasn't as if she constantly dreamed of dancing. One of their patients had woken up and started babbling in Spanish just the day before.

Yes. Yes, that was certainly it.

Looking back on the memory now half a week later, KayKay still felt slightly annoyed that Harry had listened in—watched in?—on KayKay daydreams. Still, she couldn't blame him completely . . . perhaps he couldn't have helped it.

That was actually an interesting thought. Could they block themselves from hearing thoughts as well as sharing them?

Another time, KayKay thought (to herself, thank you very much). I can mention it later. Tonight we might actually sleep well.

KayKay thought (to herself, thank you very much).

She moved towards the carriages, wiping a few fluffy snowflakes off of her eyelashes.

"That's everyone," she told Hermione, who was just finishing off her checklist.

"Confirmed," she agreed, tucking the clipboard under her arm and her pencil behind her ear. "So as far as we know, this is the last of the survivors?"

"Yes," KayKay said, feeling a bit sad as she looked out at the destroyed village. "I can't believe we've finished finding everyone . . ."

She felt a warmth on her shoulder, and she looked at the gloved hand, then Hermione.

"There were more survivors than you know," she told KayKay softly. "You simply may not realize because they were always coming and going. There are many more than you believe."

"Still, there aren't enough of them." KayKay replied wistfully. Hermione patted her shoulder, then removed the hand and gave KayKay a hug.

"We'll be bringing some of the fully recovered adults in a few days. You'd be surprised at how anxious many people are to help rebuild the town," she added as she consulted her checklist once more. "Is there anybody you'd like to say goodbye to?"

KayKay nodded, then set off towards the second carriage.

"Ah, young Kayleigh! I had hoped you'd come see us off."

This jovial greeting came from the elderly man who'd been pierced with splinters when his antique shop had been destroyed. He was one of the survivors that had taken longer to heal.

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world," she replied with a smile as she poked her head into the carriage. "And I wanted to assure you that Harry and I will personally rebuild your shop."

"Ah, Harry . . . where is the lad?" he asked distractedly.

"Ummm . . ." KayKay leaned back out of the carriage and looked down the line, "he's starting at the other end. He'll be here to say goodbye before you leave—I promise."

"Bless you," he said, taking KayKay's hand in his and patting it, like an affectionate but distant grandfather. "Bless you."

KayKay smiled at him again. "Best of luck! We'll see each other again."

He nodded to her, and she stepped away from the carriage. The next one down the line was occupied by two children and the Spanish woman (who appeared to be in her mid-twenties).

"Goodbye Janie. Goodbye Tyler. Don't worry," she added quickly, seeing the looks on their faces. She opened the carriage door and took one of each child's hands.

"You will love Hogwarts," she said sincerely. "And there will be plenty of kids your age to run around with. Plus, did you see that guy with the red hair?" At the children's nods, she leaned forward as if sharing a very exciting secret. "He's very funny. He'll know how to make you feel right at home."

Confident that the children looked more at-ease, she hugged them both before turning to the Spanish woman, Francisca.

"Adiós, Francisca," she said, kissing her on the cheek in the familiar custom of the lady's home country.

"Adiós? No, KayKay, hasta luego! Veré tú otra vez." She took KayKay's hands in her own and looked straight into her eyes. "Tú eres un ángel verdadero. Dios bendecirá tú."

KayKay thought rapidly as Francisca spoke, pulling together the bit of Spanish she already knew, the few words she'd learned recently from helping Francisca, and any words that resembled English ones.

"No soy ángel," KayKay laughed. "Soy sólo una chica que trata de ayudar."

"Tú eres un ángel," Francisca insisted stubbornly. "Y Harry es un príncipe noble."

KayKay stopped herself from laughing outright—but she only managed by insisting to herself that it would be rude to do so.

Still, Francisca obviously saw the mirth in KayKay's eyes, for the corner of her mouth twitched up in a small grin.

"Tell him, por favor," Francisca said in broken English. "I no think he understand español."

"Sí, él no comprende una palabra de español!" KayKay felt no shame in laughing this time, and Francisca joined her.

Just then, Harry poked his head into the carriage.

"Buenos días, Francisca," he said.

KayKay bit her lip to hide a smirk, and Francisca looked pointedly out the window at the setting sun.

"Buenas noches, Harry," she corrected.

"Sí, sí . . ." Harry said, looking both embarrassed and confused. "Er . . . adiós, Francisca," he said, holding out a hand. He blushed as she laughed and kissed him on the cheek.

"Hasta luego, Harry! Veré tú otra vez," she said with a grin.

"Oh . . ." he said, nodding but looking more lost than ever.

"Lo explicaré todo a Harry," KayKay reassured Francisca. "Hasta luego!"

"Hasta luego!" Francisca replied with a twinkle in her eye. She waved a farewell as Harry continued forward in the line and KayKay continued backward.

The rest of their farewells didn't take nearly as long. Soon the carriages were rumbling off down the road towards Hogwarts.

"Okay, you can laugh now," Harry muttered as the carriages went around a bend and out of sight.

"Why would I laugh?" she asked, being careful to keep her voice steady. She was managing to stay in control quite well until she made the mistake of looking at him and burst into riotous laughter.

He looked slightly insulted, but open to the criticism he was receiving.

"Okay, what was my first mistake?" he asked with a sigh of resignation as they turned and headed back to the first aid tent.

"Well, for starters, you said 'good morning' instead of 'good evening' or even 'good afternoon'."

"Oh." He held open the tent flap for her. "Well, where did I go wrong with 'adiós'? I know I had that word right."

"Well," KayKay said slowly as she thought about it, "you were half-right, half-wrong. I made the same mistake at first."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked as he flopped down on a clean cot.

"It's a small thing—more of a cultural difference than anything else," KayKay explained as she grabbed two cups and filled them with cold water from the sink.

"Are you ever going to actually come out and tell me what it is?" Harry asked. He sounded impatient, but the gleam in his eye proved that it was just in jest.

"In many Spanish-speaking countries," KayKay began as she handed Harry a cup of water and seated herself on the bed next to him, " 'Adiós' means a lot more than just 'goodbye'. It's often a bit more of a . . ." she searched for the right word, "permanent statement."

"What do you mean?"

KayKay bit her lip in thought. "Well, it's like . . . you know how in English, 'farewell' and 'see you later' are the same but different?"—Harry nodded—"It's like that. 'Adiós' is used usually when you won't see the other person ever again, or at least for a very long time. 'Hasta luego' means 'until later' or 'see you later', and it's used much more frequently."

"What do you know, we're finally off of medical duty and we're on to learning foreign languages," Harry joked. However, the look in his eyes as he glanced around the empty room didn't escape KayKay's notice.

"It feels strange doesn't it?" she said quietly. He nodded in agreement and sighed deeply.

"Now that we're done working in here . . ."

"Our next step will be working out there," KayKay finished for him, nodding at the entrance to the tent. "Rebuilding. I told Mr. Archer that you and I would be the ones to rebuild his shop."

"Why am I not surprised?" Harry asked with a knowledgeable smirk. "Still, we've wandered away from the subject we were on."

"Oh?"

"Yes. How is it that you can understand Francisca so quickly?"

"Well, first of all," KayKay began, ticking off the reasons on her fingers, "you must remember that Escondito is in California and many students from southern California speak Spanish and English. Secondly, Francisca had been awake for a while now, and I couldn't very well go about helping her without knowing some Spanish. And third, a lot of Spanish and English words are similar . . . such as 'angel' and 'ángel'."

"So, just like that? You can understand everything she says?" Harry asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"Well, not everything. You need to look at it in context, pick out the important things, and then you get the gist of it."

"Oh. So, what did she say to you?"

KayKay settled more comfortably into her seat. "Let's see . . . she said I was a 'true angel' and that God would bless me . . . I argued that I wasn't an angel, just a girl trying to help out, but she insisted that I was an angel."

Harry snorted and KayKay swatted him. "Shut up or I won't tell you what she said about you!"

"As if she said anything about me!" Harry argued, swatting her back.

"Indeed she did, Oh-Noble-Prince!" KayKay laughed, causing Harry to halt.

"She didn't call me that!"

"Hmmm, you're right. She couldn't have been referring to you . . ."

Harry hit her with a pillow, and she responded by throwing her cupful of water into his face.

"No fair! I'm unarmed!" she protested. "Besides, do you want to hear the rest or not?"

"Fine, fine. What else did she say?"

"Well, she asked me to tell you that she said so, and I told her that I would, since you can't understand a word of Spanish—"

He hit her with the pillow again, and KayKay jumped up and grabbed a pillow from the next bed over.

"And you should have seen how red your face was when she kissed you!" KayKay teased, hitting him with her own pillow.

"Shut up!" he snapped, swinging wildly at her. She ducked, and his pillow passed harmlessly above her head.

"Make me!" she teased. Harry dropped his pillow and caught her wrist before she could land another blow.

"Hey!" she protested, trying in vain to pull away. She glanced up from his hand to look him in the eyes and jumped back, startled by his expression. She faltered only a moment, then swung the pillow with her left hand before twisting her wrist out of his grasp with a handy little self-defense move they'd learned over the summer.

"Oh, so is that how we want to play?" Harry asked, a glint of challenge in his eye.

"Yes, Potter," KayKay said condescendingly, "that's how we want to play."

Harry grinned, then lashed out with a sweeping kick. KayKay tossed her pillow aside as she jumped to avoid being tripped.

"Colloportus!" KayKay shouted, flicking her wand at the tent entrance to bar outsiders from entering. She then took Harry's distraction as an opportunity to trip him from behind.

"You know I'd have to say that's your one weakness in self-defense," KayKay commented with a smirk. She didn't have long to gloat, for it was less than a moment later that they were at it again.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤


¤ Ishy, I can't believe I'm actually putting an author's note RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STORY! Ugh. But I figured that those of you who don't "do" Spanish might want to get a translated version. The words in bold were previously Spanish: ¤

Confident that the children looked more at-ease, she hugged them both before turning to the Spanish woman, Francisca.

"Farewell, Francisca," she said, kissing her on the cheek in the familiar custom of the lady's home country.

"Farewell? No, KayKay, 'until later'! I will see you again." She took KayKay's hands in her own and looked straight into her eyes. "You are a true angel. God will bless you."

KayKay thought rapidly as Francisca spoke, pulling together the bit of Spanish she already knew, the few words she'd learned recently from helping Francisca, and any words that resembled English ones.

"I'm no angel," KayKay laughed. "I am only a girl trying to help."

"You are an angel," Francisca insisted stubbornly. "And Harry is a noble prince."

KayKay stopped herself from laughing outright—but she only managed by insisting to herself that it would be rude to do so.

Still, Francisca obviously saw the mirth in KayKay's eyes, for the corner of her mouth twitched up in a small grin.

"Tell him, por favor," Francisca said in broken English. "I no think he understand español."

"Yes, he doesn't understand a word of Spanish!" KayKay felt no shame in laughing this time, and Francisca joined her.

Just then, Harry poked his head into the carriage.

"Good morning, Francisca," he said.

KayKay bit her lip to hide a smirk, and Francisca looked pointedly out the window at the setting sun.

"Good evening, Harry," she corrected.

"Yes, yes . . ." Harry said, looking both embarrassed and confused. "Er . . . farewell, Francisca," he said, holding out a hand. He blushed as she laughed and kissed him on the cheek.

" 'Until later,' Harry! I will see you again," she said with a grin.

"Oh . . ." he said, nodding but looking more lost than ever.

"I'll explain everything to Harry," KayKay reassured Francisca. " 'Until later'!"

" 'Until later'!" Francisca replied with a twinkle in her eye. She waved a farewell as Harry continued forward in the line and KayKay continued backward.


¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

KayKay glanced around the dark room desperately, all too aware of the hopelessness of the situation. Her wrists ached from their shackles, and the stone wall against her back was cold and damp.

"How shall me honor our little guest?" a cold voice asked casually, addressing the question to the ranks of robed Death Eaters.

KayKay tugged fruitlessly at her chains as chilling and inhumane suggestions were offered. She tried to block the words and concentrate only on escaping.

However, she'd gotten lucky before . . . what were the chances of that luck remaining with her now? No one could keep luck all the time, and her time sounded like it was almost up—alone but for murderers.

"Crucio!" a voice shouted, effectively cutting through her concentration. The wand responsible had been wielded by a Death Eater that KayKay didn't know.

Now it was another's turn—then another's—then another's.

"Crucio!"

"Crucio!"

"Crucio!"

In waves they came, leaving KayKay disoriented and making their own images blurry in her eyes.

"Enough!" The onslaught ceased, and a single image was left in her immediate sight. "Perhaps you are willing to reconsider?" Voldemort suggested silkily.

She spat at his face and he lashed out and gripped her chin hard, making a pain more horrific than any Cruciatus Curse tear through her body and center on a single point of her forehead. KayKay jerked her face away from the spider-like hand and kicked out with her feet.

"You've had your chance, Mudblood. My patience with you is finished. AVADA KEDAVRA!"

The green light lashed out.

"NOOO!"

KayKay screamed and sat bolt upright in her bed, quite suddenly very wide awake.

Hers was not the only voice that had yelled at that moment.

"H-Harry?" she ventured after taking several deep breaths.

"Yeah?" He sounded winded too.

"Did you—did you just . . . have a nightmare too?"

There was a long silence, then he finally admitted, "Yes."

KayKay's eyes were adjusting to the dim light of pre-dawn, and she could see that right across the aisle from her, Harry was sitting up stiffly in a very similar fashion.

"Voldemort?" she asked, as he wasn't volunteering information.

"Yes," he confirmed again.

She nodded and sighed quietly, closing her eyes and leaning her head against the wall as her racing heart still tried to settle.

The quiet was unbroken for nearly a minute before KayKay's thoughts reminded her of another detail of the nightmare she'd forgotten.

"And you were . . .?"

If she'd startled him, he didn't show any signs of it. Sunrise was approaching fast, and the room was gradually getting lighter.

His silence stretched even longer this time than his first answer, but finally, he said, "No. It was you."

He'd surprised her and she didn't manage to hide it. It was rather fortunate that at that moment Madison entered to wake them to start their third day of reconstruction.

Without saying a word, they stumbled out of bed and to their respective bathrooms to get dressed and prepared for the day. They'd made a good start on Mr. Archer's antique shop—the frame was up already (with the assistance of their wands and a magical blue print that warned them if they were about to do something wrong).

KayKay and Harry quickly gave each other a power-boost before grabbing energy bars, performing Body-Heat Retainer Charms on themselves and stepping out into the icy November air.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

"It's looking great, you guys!" Madison commented as she looked up at the nearly finished structure.

Harry glanced over his shoulder at KayKay and Madison as he held up another board against the framework of the home they were working on.

"Aw, what can I say?" KayKay said in a would-be modest voice. She flicked her wand in Harry's direction, making nails shoot over and wedge themselves deeply in the wood at all proper anchor points.

Madison smirked at KayKay while Harry let out an exclamation of annoyance at her carelessness. "I'm certain the effort is grueling."

"Well, it is quite a strain on the wrist, you know," KayKay sighed theatrically.

"I'm sure . . ." Madison deadpanned. "Well, I'll see you later. I need to go meet the villagers and assign them to jobs."

She waved and left as Harry came stomping over.

"Would you mind being a bit more careful of how you nail those boards to the wall?" he demanded peevishly.

"Oh, don't be such a baby," KayKay said, brushing him off as she bent to grab the next board. He thrust his palm in her face.

"Like I can see anything when you're that close . . ." She said, grabbing his wrist and moving his hand to a more observable distance. "Oh!"

There was a perfect spot of blood on the skin between his thumb and index finger, a spot that was repeated on the back of his hand. A drop of blood was oozing slowly towards his wrist.

"Oh, give it here," KayKay said, pinching the wound between two of her fingers and pouring some magic into it, just like threading a needle.

"There. All better," she said, thrusting his hand back at him with a roll of her eyes and a slight chuckle. "Child's play, honestly . . ."

"Well I'd appreciate it if it didn't happen again. Easily healed or not, it's still careless." His voice was laced with a growl that KayKay dismissed quickly.

"I can handle it. Really—"

"But someday you might find a wound too tough to handle."

"Can we please just focus on the house now? We've been making a ton of progress in the past week, let's not stop yet."

Harry said nothing in reply but simply grabbed another board and nailed it into place with his own wand.

"Let's see . . . we don't have much left according to this model," KayKay said, observing the magical three-dimensional blueprint they'd made of the building. "Simple stairs, simple rooms . . . nothing a few more hours can't take care of."

By now Harry was on a third board.

"Energy bar?" KayKay offered, pulling hers out of her supply belt and holding it out to him as he finished the board. Harry bent down, got a fourth board, and climbed a few steps on the ladder to nail it to the frame.

"Oh seriously Potter, now you aren't even talking to me?" KayKay demanded, crossing to the ladder. Harry finally acknowledged her, but not in a positive way.

"No, stop!" he exclaimed as she ducked underneath the tall ladder to get closer to the house. "It's bad—"

He never finished, because KayKay straightened too soon and made the ladder tip with a clatter that sent both of them sprawling.

At least Harry was only two steps up.

"Ah . . . that's going to hurt in the morning," KayKay winced, rubbing her head as stars danced before her eyes.

"I told you," Harry groaned, sitting up and dusting snow out of his black hair. Snow had first started falling on November 12th and hadn't vanished for the 15 days since. Now and then they got some snowfall, but all of the teenagers from Hogwarts kept working diligently.

"Oh, seriously Potter, ladders aren't bad luck. You just bring out the worst in them, that's all" KayKay replied, blinking rapidly. "Here," she tossed the energy bar at him, "Now eat it . . . unless, of course, I have to walk under a few more ladders first?"

"No, that's alright," he said, tearing open the wrapper. KayKay repositioned the ladder and a grabbed a board to work on while Harry ate. She'd just finished putting it up and was coming back down when the tip of a wand was pressed to her back.

"What—"

"Don't move."

KayKay froze, allowing Harry to perform the incantation for yet another Body-Heat Retainer Charm.

"Your breath was starting to cloud," he told her once he'd finished and she'd gotten off the ladder to get another board. He climbed up to the third rung, taking the board KayKay handed up to him.

KayKay checked quickly and was relieved to see that his breath still wasn't coming out in white puffs—while such was normal in cold weather, it was a sign that the Body-Heat Retainer Charm was wearing off.

Ginny stopped by not long after with a second ladder for them to use, and KayKay refreshed her charm before thanking her and sending her on her way.

With two ladders the work went much faster. They were both able to work at the same time, levitating the boards to themselves instead of climbing down in between each nailing.

The outside of the home was finished just as large flakes of fluffy snow began to fall. KayKay blinked against them as she finished laying the last row of shingles.

"Be careful coming down—the ladders are getting slippery," Harry cautioned as she walked back to the edge of the roof. She was . . . well, she at least was more careful than usual, and she lost her footing only once on the way down.

KayKay and Harry looked proudly at the finished home—sure, the inside was still bare, but that wasn't their task to fulfill. Everyone of the rescue team contributed to the houses in some way.

"KayKay! Harry! Come on, back to the main tent! This snow is getting worse!" Madison shouted over a wind that had begun to noisily announce its presence.

It was true—the flakes were whipping now and falling thicker. Together, the three made the journey back to camp.

§ ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ § ¤ §

Lookin' out the window I can see
The sun is shining softly through the trees
I think about the world

It seems so very beautiful to me
I think about the air that we all breathe
What does the future hold?

I close my eyes and wish that I could see things differently
Maybe there's still time to change

Together we can do it
Together we can try
Together we can learn to make
A difference in our lives
'Cause if the world is dyin'
It's up to you and I
Together we can do it if we try

Sometimes when I'm watching the TV
I see a hungry child look out at me
I think about the world

And I know that when I'm fast asleep
All the homeless people are on the streets
What does the future hold?

I close my eyes and wish that I could see things differently
Maybe there's still time to change

Together we can do it
Together we can try
Together we can learn to give
To someone else's life
Why should there be hunger?
It's up to you and I
Together we can do it if we try

The pictures in the paper show the world can not be free
Hear the children's voices, they are calling out the pleas
I wonder if we will ever be united in love and harmony

Together we can do it
We'll help to save out world
Together we call out for peace
Every boy and girl
We'll stop the trees from fallin'
And let the eagle fly
Together we can do it if we try


Okay, one quick note about the Spanish: Hopefully that wasn't too annoying, the way I put the translation right in there, but I thought it was only fair to those people (which are probably the majority) that are in the same boat as Harry.

I spent longer on that post than any other this whole chapter . . . I wrote what Spanish I could on my own, then kept translating the rest back and forth from English to Spanish and kept adjusting until it made sense in both languages (unlike some people who plug it into the translator and slap it into the story . . . foreign language dialogue can really come back to bite you in the butt sometimes).

You'll also note that I didn't use Spanish punctuation (¿?, ¡!), and I did so since this is an English story . . . if I were writing it in Spanish, it would have been punctuated in Spanish, even if there was English dialogue.

Okay, last night I spent at least 45 minutes answering reviews and then it ALL GOT DELETED. ¤ sighs ¤ so, here we go again . . .

siriusfanatic: You know, I've developed a theory . . . I'M not the crazy one. It's the voices inside my head that have the problems, not me.

(And I'll add that I have every right to joke about this issue because I know where to draw the line and I have a close family member with mental problems. Some people don't know what they're joking about or when to stop; I do.)

Hope you had a good Christmas too! Glad you got to spend it with a more . . . shall we say, favorable crowd? ¤ winks ¤

Nick: ¤ starts talking in a girlish voice ¤ Oh please. Stop. Really—I'm blushing. You'll embarass me. ¤ grins ¤

You know, people keep telling me that I'm good at creating a visual picture of the story, and I think I'm finally starting to believe them.

A bit. ¤ grins ¤

Ana: Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for reviewing!!! I'm so happy that you came out of the shadows!!! ¤ beams ¤

§ see above response to part of Nick's review about vivid-ness §

And I promise, I try to post fast . . .but you're right, I have to pick up the pace. I DO plan on being done with this story by Fall of 2005 (hahaha . . . don't I wish . . .) ¤ shifts uncomfortably and wipes sweat off of her brow ¤

And Hyper-Weirdo-Insane types work just fine for me! (Hack, they have to . . . I'm one myself!) I know what you mean about always typing right and going crazy about grammar and spelling . . . I do that too. What can I say? I LOVE words!

¤ imitates herself at introductions on her church reatreat ¤ "Hi. I'm Callie, and I love words! Ergo!"

It didn't sound quite so nerdy in my head . . .

Thanks for reviewing!

GoForkYourself: Alex! Long time, no type! Thanks for still reading during lurkitude.

ANA: ¤ falls off of chair and cowers behind it, trying to avoid the un-happy words of doom ¤

(Wait, I'm getting confused . . . are you the same Ana that just responded to a few seconds ago, or . . .?)

Okay, first things first . . . I ADORE your e-mail adress!!! Is that your REAL e-mail??? I love it! I need one like it!

§ see above response to part of Nick's review about graphicness (which is a fine word indeed, I might add) §

And please, don't let my ficcy discourage you! I'd feel so . . . ishy inside, and I wouldn't be able to stand it . . . ¤ frowns pensively ¤

siriusfanatic: Good luck with your boy troubles ¤ coughSOAPOPERAcoughcough ¤

Sorry. As you can tell, I'm not really the romantic type (the irony, huh?). I really DO wish you luck.

(Good luck with classes, too.)

siriusfanatic (again): Snowboarding and myself don't sound like a good mix, but rock on!

And do you post your poetry anywhere? If not, fictionpress is a good place to do so . . .

¤ bursts into song ¤ Gray skies are gonna' clear up, put on a happy face . . .


Okay, since "Someday, You'll Remember That" was a one-shot—yes, just a one-shot—I'll respond here.

ooocaffeineooo: I'm so glad that I broightened your day! . . . AND that it was full of Brian-ness.

Actually I wanted more. I was thinking—

¤ snaps mouth shut ¤

Must not show a bias, MUST NOT SHOW A BIAS!!!

IcyPrncss: I wonder HOW it made you feel insane . . . but I'm glad you loved it!

Nick: I'm glad it made up for late chapters . . . but like I said, it's a one-shot, and that's as far as it goes . . . one chapter.

Kayla: Thank you . . . and about Harry being evil . . . ¤ grins wickedly ¤

ZenamesKat: Not to be disagreeable, but . . . yes I caa-aaan! ¤ sticks tongue out childishly ¤

You guys will just have to use your imaginations. Besides, it will build up your immunity . . . I MAY end the REAL ficcy in a suspenseful way like this . . . ¤ grins evilly ¤Now, that's enough of my plot secrets revealed for one night! You will get no more from me!

(However, that's not to say that I'm not delighted to know I can write suspense as well as . . . well, whatever my writing style is now. My cliffy-ability has been waning (I dunno, maybe my every-night readers are becoming immune) . . . but I still have it!!! ¤ punches air triumphantly ¤ Ka-CHIIING!)

Phoenix: § see above answer §

§ ¤ § PROPOSAL § ¤ §

Okay, I had an idea week or so ago. People who frequent my "homepage" at the Harry Potter Dialogue Center also take part in writing "castles" (one-shot, fic of a fic, like "Someday, You'll Remember That") . . . it's not always me.

So my proposal is thus: I'm thinking of making a "storybook" that'll have Castles written by ANY of you who wish to do so . . . you'd have to e-mail it to me, and I'd add them together—so rather than "chapters", it'll be like a collection of short stories.

RULES: (I want to tell you beforehand so I don't have to spring them on you later).

¤ It must be a good length; at least Size 12, single-spaced, and 5 pages in MS Word or Apple Works (etc.).

¤ I reserve the right to beta and edit grammar, spelling, punctuation, and paragraph layout.

¤ I will NOT change your story, but I MIGHT e-mail you back if something is unclear, etc.

¤ It must be well-thought out and plannednot something you threw together in a few minutes.

Let me know if you're interested!


Okay, response to "Dog Tags" reviews on fictionpress—first of all, thank you for reading my first posting of original fiction . . . even if it IS a short story.

Kat Small: ¤ offers a tissue ¤ I'm (how can I say this best?) glad that it invoked an emotional response from you, and I'm hoping it does justice to people in the military . . . I'm sorry about your friend's son.

Nick: ¤ whines ¤ No constructive criticism? PLEEEASE give me something . . . be like Simon . . . really, tear my writing (fan-fiction OR original) apart, I'm serious—I need something to work with (as long as it IS constructive).

Thanks you two!

10-4! Peace and I'm O-U-T out!