I disclaim. Other than that which I do claim, to be exact.Now which is witch? Only you can tell the answer...

Chapter Six: Madam Mayhem

"Mother?"

"Yes?"

"I have a question to ask you…" Alexandra paused, thinking.

"Well, what is it, sweetie?"

"Er…well, you see…"

Irene reached over to tickle her daughter. "Spit it out, you! What's your question?"

Alexandra giggled, squirming away. "Well, on mine and Toby's birthday, when we were at Diagon Alley…do you remember?"

"Of course I remember, silly, it was only last week! What about it?"

"Well…"

"Well?"

"Well, remember when we were eating ice cream, and I finished before everyone else so I went to look in the window of the Quidditch store?" She shifted in her seat.

Irene sat up. "Yes, I remember…you were talking with a boy, weren't you?"

"Yeah…I was. He said his name was Neville…Longbottom, I think," Alexandra said. She watched as recognition flitted across her mother's face, followed immediately by pity. "What, do you know him?"

Irene blinked. "Neville Longbottom," she repeated softly. "Yes, I know him…or more precisely, I knew his parents. We were in the same year at school. What did Neville say?"

Alexandra fidgeted. "Well, at first we were just talking…and then he asked me where my parents were and I told him, an' I asked him where his was an' he said that they were very sick an' that he lived with his grandmother. And…and so…"

Irene smiled encouragingly. "And so your question is…?"

Her daughter flushed embarrassingly. She snuggled closer and laid her head against Irene's chest. "Mummy? How come I don't have a grandma or a grandpa? All of my friends do…"

Irene drew in her breath. "Oh, sweetie!"

Alexa hurried on. "I-I-I know that you told us that your Mum and Dad died when you were young, but…but why?"

Irene smoothed her child's hair as she studied her answer. Her kids were growing up a lot faster than she thought. "Nobody knows why people die sometimes," she began slowly. "Sometimes it's an accident, like if someone gets sick. Other times than people just die of old age…like your great-uncle Haverington did----"

"Did your mum and daddy die of old age then?" Alexandra asked.

Irene sighed. "No."

"Wellll…was it an accident?"

"No, Alexa! It wasn't that either! What I was going to say is that…there are other times when people aren't really supposed to die, but they do anyway. Like in the middle of a war. That's when somebody makes them die. And it's those people ---- who are very bad people ---- who have to pay for what they did, so we send them to prison."

Alexandra lifted her head up to look at her mother. "Is that how your parents died?" she asked softly. "Somebody killed them?"

Irene hugged her daughter and rocked her gently. "Yes, Alexandra…somebody did."

Alexandra kissed Mum's cheek and hugged her back. "I'm sorry, Mum…but they were sent to prison, weren't they? So they can't kill anybody else, because we're not in a war anymore."

Irene looked over at the window. A few scattered storm clouds were drifting across the sky in their direction. Her eyes hardened as she thought about her oldest daughter's question.

"No, Alexandra," she said finally. "No. They weren't."

Tobias stared out at the sky from his perch on a creaky, three-legged chair. The air in the hidden room was getting mustier as the atmosphere outside grew thicker.

If he leaned over to the left and strained his neck, he could see a bird in the sky, he figured, though the ivy that covered most of the tiny window hole prevented him from seeing hardly anything else.

He was waiting.

'Waiting' was not a very fun game for a nine-year-old boy. All of the potions were bottled inside small vials he had 'borrowed' from Uncle Balfour. The small fire he had made with Muggle matches had already been doused, the cauldron hastily cleaned with a thick rag and Aunt Hestia's wand returned to her bedside table in one piece.

So now he was waiting…waiting for Dingy and the signal.

He got up and stood on his toes to look down through the ivy and into the Greater Greenhouse. He could just barely see Uncle Balfour and his little sister working at a table near the open doors. As he watched, Morgan moved to sit on a stool near the glass wall.

His gaze shifted to a tree in the grove behind the greenhouses. Its branches were rustling and shaking like there was something in them. Then Dingy's small head and big ears appeared on a branch some nine feet above ground. Directly below him was an old-fashioned birdbath amidst a bed of wild lilies. Old William the gatekeeper was digging up some turnips in one of the vegetable patches near there.

Toby watched the small house-elf scoot along the branch on his rear, wobbling slightly. A small pack was attached to his back, with something long and skinny poking out.

Tobias grinned, his green eyes twinkling.

It was time.

"So…your parents died when you were fifteen, and they died because someone killed them. But…what about Daddy's parents? Are they dead? Did they get sick, or did they die of old age, or was it an accident…?"

Irene studied her daughter. "Your father's parents…" she said slowly, measuring her words carefully, "…they both died before we were married."

Alexandra ran her fingers through her dark curls. "But how, Mum?"

"Do you really need to know?" Irene said sternly.

Alexandra changed direction mid-word, at one look at her mother's face.

"Yeh --- no."

Her mum kept looking benignly at her until she was forced to conclude, "All right, I get it, I get it! I don't really need to know. Now are you happy? I was just wondering!"

Irene ruffled her daughter's curls. "Yes, I'm happy. All you need to know is that your father's family died in the war before you and Tobe were even born, 'kay?"

Alexandra sat up, confused. She opened her mouth to comment, but Irene beat her to it. "And I absolutely forbid you to ask your dad about it when he gets home!"

Alexandra nodded reluctantly, hugged her mother once more, and scooted away, her green eyes glinting. She peered out of the open window where a thick breeze was blowing in, warning of foul weather.

She'd just sworn to her mother that she wouldn't pry.

But Mum never said that Tobias couldn't.

On the lawn, Biddy was picking her way to the Greater Greenhouse, carrying a tray laden with drinks and snacks for Mory and Uncle Balfour.

Behind Alexandra, her mother zoomed all of the piano books away into the cupboard with her wand, still talking to Alexandra about everything that was on Dad's plate…("He doesn't need you asking questions on top of all that right now.")

Suddenly, Biddy stopped outside, the tray swaying precariously.

Alexandra looked closer and saw that Biddy's eyes were fixated on something happening in the Greenhouse. Her face was masked in horror.

Dimly, Alexa heard Uncle Balfour shout her sister's name. She leaned out the window to see what was going on inside the Greenhouse.

There was a shriek and a roar. Then her mother's voice caught her attention again.

"…He just doesn't need another reminder of what happened. Goodness knows how much he's been through. Why, what with everything that happened to him during the war, and then when we were in hiding ---- " Irene stopped.

It took a moment for Alexandra to register what was said. She spun around. "What? You were in hiding? But--- but---"

Just then there was a loud pop, and Biddy appeared, breathless and wide-eyed. "You must come, Mistress Irene! Hurry! The Greenhouse----the plants----Mistress Morgan----"

"What?" Irene was on her feet at once, striding to the house-elf. "What's wrong with Morgan? What happened?"

Biddy could only gasp out, "Please come! There's not much time!" She vanished again.

Irene twirled around on the spot, just in time to see her daughter look at her bewilderment. "But, Mum, I don't understand! Who were you hiding from? Why?"

But Irene couldn't hear her any more. She had Disapparated.

Dingy carefully held out a bundle of Filibuster's Fabulous No-Heat, Wet-Start Fireworks over the birdbath ten feet below him.

He counted down.

"Three…"

There was a flurry of motion in one of the greenhouses.

"Two…"

Then there was a loud roar that made Dingy jump.

"One!"

The fireworks slid out of his grasp and started falling down…down…down…

They exploded.

A roar of sound met Irene's ears. She had Apparated directly to the door that led into the Greater Greenhouse.

All around her was confusion and chaos. Behind her, fireworks were exploding off into the sky, with booms and bangs. Marmie was hurrying outside, towards the grove of trees in the back, which suddenly resembled something out of a circus. Catherine Wheels were spiraling everywhere, bottle rockets exploded in a color of light and smoke. The wind carried many of them away into the sky.

But Irene only spared them a second glance. What she was focused on was what was happening inside of the Greater Greenhouse.

There was a flurry of activity. Balfour was shouting something to Biddy and rushing towards an exotically gigantic purple flower in the middle of the room.

Virgilia was barking at the flower madly, trying to make herself heard over the blaring din outside. Balfour had a long metal instrument in his hand, which he was trying to shove down the flower's 'throat'. There was a bulge in the middle of the stem, which looked oddly like---

Irene peered more closely at it.

Then she screamed.

"Morgan!"

She rushed forward to where Balfour appeared to be trying to wrestle the Snapping Dragonwort. "Balfour! What are you doing? GET HER OUT OF THERE! NOW!"

"WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE I'M DOING, SHAVING MY LEGS?" Balfour furiously wrenched the Dragonwort's mouth open and stuck his hand in. The Dragonwort clamped its jaws tightly onto his arm.

He yelled in pain, then in triumph. "I'VE GOT HER HAND! I'M GOING TO TRY AND PULL HER OUT!" he shouted above the fireworks, which seemed to be going crazy outside. None of them were slowing down at all; in fact, the explosions were only increasing in numbers and in strength. "IRENE! YOU HAVE TO KEEP ITS MOUTH OPEN! COME HERE!"

Irene ran forward, reached into the depths of the petals and worked her fingers around its teeth. She pried them apart and kept them as far away as she could, groaning with the effort.

Outside, Marmie was streaking across the lawn, pulling out her wand as she ran. The sky had darkened considerably and the wind picked up, blowing fireworks all over. Some had a mind of their own, caterwauling over the Mansion and smashing straight into one of the upper windows.

Old William had not been but ten feet from the birdbath when they all first exploded. He screamed in fright, dropped his spade, and ran. Now he was yelling obscenities at the fireworks, pulling out his wand to hex them as they streaked past.

Beyond the gates and in the neighbors' yards, people streamed out to watch, wondering what blockheads were celebrating in a storm. Children were jumping up and down excitedly, almost carried away by the wind, craning their heads to look up at the sky.

Up in the tree, Dingy watched, fascinated at what he had just done. It was like Bonfire Night all over again, but so much better!

Then he saw a vicious dragon careening straight towards him, its wings spread out wide. With a squeak, the small house-elf toppled out of sight and into the much abused birdbath.

Alexandra watched all of this from her perch in the drawing room window. She leaned further out to watch one go off above the Mansion roof. Thick, swirling clouds were moving around restlessly above the noise. Then, with a loud crack of thunder, the skies opened and a bolt of lightning lashed to the ground.

Alexandra shrieked as thunder sounded, remarkably close to them. A few large drops of rain started falling. This only spurred the fireworks on to greater heights.

The many watchers hurried inside, so as not to be victims of the storm's awesome power. Once indoors, the kids ran to the nearest set of windows so as not to miss the fireworks battle against the rain and lightening.

Everyone was much too preoccupied to notice a dark-haired boy slip in and out of the Mansion's abandoned kitchen.

Balfour felt Morgan's small hands tighten around his own, and pulled with all his might.

The Snapping Dragonwort squirmed and twisted, but Irene held on. The jagged teeth cut into her skin and she knew she was bleeding, but still she kept its mouth open.

She saw Balfour's large hands emerge, holding tightly to Morgan's. When most of her arms were showing, he gripped her tightly around her armpits. Irene gasped when she saw her daughter's blonde head. The girl was covered in a strange sticky substance Irene could only guess to be part of the Dragonwort's innards.

Balfour heaved and pulled, and slowly more of Morgan was revealed. She was halfway out when the Snapping Dragonwort started tugging back, bucking its top half and throwing Irene to the floor. Balfour pulled with all of his might, keeping a tight hold on Morgan, but he too was almost overthrown.

Morgan shrieked as she was pulled back into the flower's body. Her feet were locked together by what felt like a snaky tongue.

Irene shouted herself hoarse, screaming at Balfour to get her out.

Balfour could feel Morgan's slimy hands slipping through his fingers. He tried to grasp her with all of his might, but failed.

NO!

Hestia stopped and listened.

"Do you hear something, Evan?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

In the distance there was a rumble of thunder, and above them, the tops of the trees swayed to the wind's tune…but she thought she heard something else.

Evan cast his eyes around them. He only came up to his aunt's waist, so he couldn't see as far as she could into the darkness around them. With the trees' foliage covering the sky, the light that shone down on them was very limited. Now, with a storm coming on, Hestia was beginning to get very edgy.

When they had first set out, they had taken a stroll through their part of town. Then, when they turned around, they decided to go home the longer way through the trees.

Hestia was starting to think that had been a very bad idea.

Evan perked his ears up. There…he heard it. It was like someone was tromping through the woods somewhere around them.

"I hear it," he whispered.

The wind circled around them, blowing Hestia's hair wildly in every direction. Leaves danced around them, thunder shook the sky, fireworks went off somewhere ahead of them, which struck Hestia as rather odd.

And then it came again, louder this time, right ahead of them in the darkness. Hestia peered into the underbrush, but a second later, she found she didn't have to.

Lightning split through the woods, followed by an instant clap of thunder.

Hestia stared. Evan's hold on her hand tightened.

A man stepped out of the darkness before them.

Lord Balfour was trying, but it was no good. Morgan was being swallowed up before his very eyes, for the second time.

Then, out of nowhere, Virgilia soared over Irene's body and landed beside her master. She was barking furiously, slobber dripping down her muzzle. Balfour fell as Virgilia pushed roughly past him to get at the Dragonwort.

Irene and Balfour stared as the dog seized the violent flower around the stem. Green, magenta, blue, and black blurred together as the two wrestled.

The Snapping Dragonwort put up a very good fight, but Virgilia snarled ever more savagely and ripped at its stem and petals. Finally, the Dragonwort spat the little girl out, and Morgan hurled through the air to land on her mother.

Cowering, the gigantic flower shrank as far back as it could, away from the mad dog. Virgilia howled in triumph, in harmony with the vicious thunder and firework bangs outside. Rain was pounding on the Greenhouse roof now, dripping down the sides, giving the occupants inside an eerie greenish look.

Irene hugged her daughter and kissed her all over, ignoring the slime covering her. Balfour walked over to them, exhausted, after giving Virgilia a well-deserved rubbing down.

"Irene, I…" he started weakly, but she only glared back at him.

"Don't speak to me," she hissed.

Morgan tore herself from her mother's arms to launch herself at Balfour. He picked her up and held her close, trying not to let her slip out of his grasp again.

It was entirely his fault, he knew. There was no way he could blame anyone or anything else. He should have kept a better eye on her; he should have set their table up outside, away from the more dangerous plants; he should never have let her within twenty feet of the Snapping Dragonwort…he should never have even let her in the Greenhouse in the first place.

He thought that the protection he'd put around the Dragonwort was good enough, but it obviously hadn't been. He'd set perimeters around it, even kept it in a corner far away from everything else. He couldn't have put an invisible enchantment on it (no magic inside the Greater Greenhouse, he'd said it before), but he should have at least built a ten-foot wall around it, so as to keep little Mory away.

Damn it! He felt like crying as he hugged her harder. It's all my fault…it's all my fault and I almost lost her…it's all my fault…how will she ever forgive me? How will my little girl ever forgive me?

Just then Morgan whispered in his ear. "Uncle Balfour, it was so awesome! I got eaten! Just wait till Toby hears about this!"

Balfour jerked his head back to stare at her. She giggled.

Well. I guess she already has.

Author's Note: Aahhh! The terror! The horror! Whatwill happen? What will we do? How can we possibly wait for the outcome!

Do not worry. I hear your cry. I shall return...with an update! In one week! Shall I spare you until then?

HA! I think not!

Love, Hestia

P.S. (You can proclaim your vengence by not reviewing!)