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Or a fabulous vacation. Or a million dollars. Or a year's supply of chocolate. Or a pet zebra of yourvery own.

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Chapter 36

A Lot of Things Blow Up

Over the course of the holidays, Nikki and Harry became remarkably close. They could often be found sitting by the fire in the Gryffindor Common Room, helping each other with homework. Nikki happened to be an expert at Potions, saying that her mother learned it, as it was the only magical kind of thing that a Muggle could do, and had taught her long before she was accepted at Salem. Harry, in turn, helped Nicole with the other subjects, to get her up to speed with the rest of the class. Sirius, Heather, Bridget and Remus also came by to help, and were unfortunately poisoning the already mischievous Nikki, turning her into their "Perfect Student" and Filch's "Perfect Nightmare."

Ron, Hermione, and Ginny came back to Hogwarts a few days before the term started again, and found the castle almost deserted. They ended up searching for a good hour before coming across any signs of life, which happened to be Sirius and Heather eating lunch in the kitchens.

"Oh, hello!" Heather greeted. "We didn't expect you back so soon or we would have set up a welcoming party!"

"How come I never got a welcoming party?" replied Sirius.

"For most of the times you would have been welcomed you happened to be on the run from the Ministry, that's why not! Anyway, what's up?" she asked, turning from her chicken and giving Sirius the opportunity to seize it. "Hey! Get your own, the House Elves will be happy to oblige!"

"Perhaps they'd be even happier if they were free!"

"Oy, Hermione, give it a rest with the House Elves, will you?" cried Ron desperately. "They don't want to be free and your darn speeches aren't going to change a thing!"

"Anyway," Ginny interrupted, "we were looking for Harry. Do you know where he is?"

"He's in the Gryffindor Common Room," Heather stated immediately.

"Tread cautiously, though," Sirius warned, "he's probably snogging."

"Snogging who?" Ginny shrieked.

"Besides, we already looked there!" Hermione told them.

"Really now? Hmmmm…" Sirius looked up in the ceiling in thought while Heather got up and paced through the room.

"Did you check the library?" she asked.

"Yep," Ron intoned.

"Great Hall?"

"Already been there," Hermione assured her.

"Uh…Snape's office? Sorry, sorry, just kidding, don't look at me like that. Okay, how about the Astronomy Tower?"

"Why on earth would Harry be there?" Ginny shouted.

"I don't know, you looked everywhere else, why not-"

"The Quidditch Pitch!" Sirius screamed, jumping into the air.

"We already looked there, too! In fact, that's the first place we looked!" Ron yelled. Sirius sat back down in defeat.

"What about the Room of Requirement?" Heather questioned.

"Checked," Hermione remarked.

"I don't have a clue then."

"Great," Ron sighed dejectedly. "We're never going to find Harry."

"Ron, if you were looking for me, why didn't you just get the Marauder's Map out of my trunk? You know exactly where it is."

"Oh, I never even thought-Harry!" Harry had indeed just walked into the kitchens, his arm around a rather pretty blonde girl that Ginny, Hermione, and Ron had never seen before. The two Weasleys stared, open-mouthed, at them in shock, the two Defense Against the Dark Arts professors burst out laughing, and Hermione kept attempting to speak and failing miserably. She finally got her mouth to work after four or five tries and uttered one word: "What?" Nikki let out a couple of chuckles, then gave Hermione her hand.

"Hi! I'm Nikki. Nicole Harrison."

"H-hello…"

"You must be Hermione. And you're Ron and Ginny. Harry's told me a lot about you."

"Where did you come from?" Ron blurted out.

"The sky."

"Really?"

"Ron!" Ginny elbowed her brother in the stomach. "She's joking, you idiot! What he means is, where are you from?"

"America."

"Salem Witches' Institute?" Hermione inquired.

"Yep," Harry replied. "She's going to be at Hogwarts until she graduates."

"What about your parents?" Ginny asked curiously. Harry visibly blanched and shot a nervous glance at Nikki.

"They're-well, they're dead," she responded.

"OH! Sorry, sorry," Ginny apologized over and over.

"It's okay, it's fine, you didn't know," Nikki told her. "America's just getting Voldemort problems, that's all."

"He's there?" Ron questioned, wide-eyed.

"Well, no. But large amounts of Death Eaters are there. And on a killing spree."

"Nikki, I've got a question that has nothing to do with evil wizards," declared Ron.

"Okay…"

"If Hermione was a cat, what would her name be?"

"Sekhmet," she replied instantly. Hermione gave a soft 'oh!' of understanding, but Ron and Ginny were completely lost.

"It's the Egyptian cat goddess of wisdom," Hermione explained. "And it's perfect! Now, what about Harry? Sparky is a little…"

"Ridiculous?" Harry put in.

"Not as ridiculous as Bubbles, mate."

"I think Flame is a good name for a phoenix," Heather piped up, still fighting over Sirius for her chicken.

"Flame. I like it."

"What about me?" Ron cried indignantly.

"Bubbles," all other occupants of the room replied.

"NO! No, please! Anything but Bubbles! I AM NOT BUBBLES!" Harry and Nikki smirked and mumbled some incantation. Moments later, the word 'Bubbles' appeared above Ron's head in big orange letters, along with an arrow pointing at him, and Ginny fell to the floor, laughing hysterically.

"There!" Harry cried triumphantly. "Now you're Bubbles."

"And that dive, Harry! It was awesome! Krum couldn't have done it better than you did, mate!" It was four weeks after their Quidditch match, and the Gryffindor team was still talking excitedly about it. With Nikki's replacement of Sloper, who had been all too happy to leave, Gryffindor had positively flattened Slytherin, the final score being 360 to 10. Their one and only point had been a penalty shot, as Nikki was a bit boisterous about hitting Slytherins with Bludgers.

"And Ron, that last save was just spectacular!" Harry joked as they walked to Hogsmeade. The trip was the first official date for both Harry and Nikki and Ron and Hermione. Harry had also found it a lot easier to ask Nikki than Cho.

"Hey, it didn't go through the hoops, did it?"

"No," Nikki agreed, "but it did hit you in the head."

"A Keeper does everything to ensure that the opposing team doesn't score," Ron replied loftily.

"Yeah, but Ron, most of the time one would use their hands. And from being your sister, I know you've already lost enough brain cells."

"HEY!"

"Ginevra Weasley!" a loud voice commanded from behind them. She turned around stiffly, then relaxed when she saw Heather and Sirius strolling towards them. "That was one of the best comebacks I've ever heard!" Sirius praised. "You'd make a very good Marauder."

"Quit poisoning the students minds with pranks, that's my job, I was here first," Heather argued.

"Technically, I was here three years ago as a dog, remember?"

"And technically, I got off the train, into the boat, and into the castle before you did when we were first years, so ha!"

"They sound like an old married couple," Hermione muttered.

"Well, they are old, and they're almost married, they're engaged…" Harry replied.

"We heard that, Mr. Flame," Sirius warned.

"That was my intention!"

"Intentions can lead to very bad consequences, Harry," Heather informed him.

"Marauder rule number 35."

"29, Sirius."

"35!"

"29!"

"You actually wrote these down?" Hermione interrupted.

"No," they replied. Ron was about to say something when Hermione suddenly grabbed him by the arm and led him into Hogsmeade; Harry hadn't even realized that they had arrived. He took Nikki's hand and they both immediately followed Ron and Hermione, who were headed for the Three Broomsticks. After their butterbeers, the four of them split up, Ron and Hermione going who-knew-where, and Harry giving Nikki a grand tour of all the shops.

"And this is the Shrieking Shack. All the people here think it's haunted, but what they heard was actually Remus. During…"

"Got it, say no more. What's over there?"

"Nothing much. Mountains, some grass, the cave that Sirius stayed in…"

"He lived in a cave?"

"Long story."

"Okay then."

"He was still on the run from the Ministry in our fourth year."

"Oh, okay Ron. Wait, Ron? What are you doing here?" He smiled sheepishly, still holding onto Hermione.

"She says she has something that the two of you need to do." Nikki's eyes lit up, and grinned.

"Thanks for reminding me," she told Hermione. "You two can wander around if you like, I don't know when we'll be back. Is Bridget here yet?"

"Yeah, she's waiting with them."

"What is it you need to do?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Oh, nothing that would concern you…yet," Hermione remarked as they walked off towards Zonko's.

"I'm scared, mate."

"So am I, Ron. And yet, here you are, leaving Hermione alone again. Didn't you do that enough during the Quidditch game?"

"She was sitting with Hagrid, Bridget, and Heather, thank you!"

"Sure, keep telling yourself that…"

"Just because your girlfriend is wicked on a broom doesn't mean you can make fun of mine!"

"Ronald Bilius, I am not making fun of Hermione! I'm reprimanding you for not putting her best interests at heart," he smirked.

"You know," Ron declared suddenly, "I think we should go into the Shrieking Shack, just for old times sake."

"Sure, why not." The two of them wandered in, sat down in a couple of chairs, and continued talking.

"Remember the first time we were in here?" Ron asked.

"Do you think I could ever forget something like a dog that happens to be an innocent mass murderer carrying my best friend into a tree?"

"True. Incarcerous!" Harry suddenly found himself bound to his chair while Ron laughed hysterically.

"What on earth was that for?"

"For being a prat! And I didn't get the spell right, you're supposed to be gagged. Let me try again."

"Ron, what are-"

"Incarcerous!"

"Mmmmmmm!"

"There. Who's got the last laugh now, Harry James Potter? That'd be me! You lost! Ha! But what would make this even better is if you were trapped in a closet!" He dragged the chair and struggling Harry into a small room off to the side, took his wand, then closed the door. "I'll be back for you before we leave, don't worry!" he shouted through the wood, then casually sauntered out and onto the street.

Harry eventually gave up struggling and began stomping on the floor, hoping that someone would hear him. As luck would have it, the door opened again a good hour and a half after Ron had left and soft footsteps could be heard coming closer to the door.

"Harry?" It was Nikki's voice, sounding rather nervous. Harry kicked the door and she screamed loudly. She then wrenched open the door, gave some kind of battle cry, then hit Harry on the head, knocking him out.

"Oops," she gasped, throwing the candlestick she had found on the floor and trying desperately to wake him up. All of a sudden, more footsteps could be heard, and she quickly ran all the way into the closet and closed the door. A small group of people was dragging something, and then dropping it unceremoniously onto the ground.

"Alright, runt, answer us! Where-is-Harry-Potter?"

"I already told you, I don't know!" Nikki held back a cry; that was Ron's voice, and she recognized the woman who had asked the question as the Death Eater who had killed her parents: Bellatrix Lestrange.

"You're his best friend, of course you know!"

"I DON'T! I haven't seen him since this morning!"

"I'm sure," another voice taunted, but Nicole didn't know who it was. "Would you remember where he is if, perhaps, you had a chat with a fun little orange curse?"

"I don't know where-"

"Crucio!" Ron screams echoed through the Shack, and Nikki had to bite her lip not to shout in anger.

"We'll be back in awhile," Bellatrix assured him. "If you still don't know where he is, we have every intention of blowing this place into tiny pieces-with you in it. Come on, Malfoy." Once she was sure they had left, Nicole untied Harry and opened the door.

"Nicole…" Ron rasped, struggling against his own ropes.

"You're a git for locking Harry in here, but you've also got to be one of the bravest people I know. You stood up to Bellatrix Lestrange!" She bent down to free Ron, then helped him to his feet.

"What's wrong with Harry?"

"I kind of knocked him out with a candlestick. Do you have your wand?"

"No, they took mine and Harry's. Nikki, what in the world are we going to do?" he cried in anguish. "They're guarding that door!"

"Didn't you say there was some kind of secret passage way going from the school into the Shrieking Shack? Does it not go back or something?"

"Oh, duh, right. Give me Harry, this is my fault, I'll carry him."

"Ron," Nicole argued, "I'm the one that knocked him out. And besides, couldn't we just use Ennervate?"

"Haven't learned that one yet."

"Darn it, neither have I."

"Just hand over my best friend so we can get out of here!" Ron demanded. They slowly walked through the passageway, with Ron leading since Nikki kept running into the wall. After about an hour, an explosion shook the tunnel, throwing Ron and Nikki to the ground.

"What was that?" Nikki asked nervously.

"Don't know, but let's…"

"THE TUNNEL'S COLLAPSING!"

"What?"

"Look!" Nikki pointed over her shoulder to rocks falling from the ceiling.

"We're almost at the end, we can make it! Just run! I'll follow!" Nicole sprinted through the passageway with Ron some feet behind her, going as fast as he could. She made it to the end when another tremor shook the tunnel, and behind her, rocks narrowly missed falling on top of her head. They had, however, completely cut her off from Ron.

"Ron! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine!" his muffled voice responded, " but I can't get through! I'm going back the other way!"

"Not without a wand, you're not!" She found a small hole in the rocks and threw her own wand through it.

"But what about you? There are Death Eaters out there!"

"I'll manage. I'm very resourceful. Now go, before the rest of this falls. And do me a favor and use a shield spell, will you? And be careful." Ron gave his assurance that he would, and Nikki climbed through the opening, only to be smacked by the Whomping Willow. "Darn those British Trees!"

Back in the passageway, Ron was not having much more luck. He managed to find his way through the tunnel, and climbed into the Shrieking Shack. Said shack had morphed into a blazing inferno, and even with a wand, both he and the unconscious Harry were slightly burned by the time they got out. Ron finally got to the door, flung it open, and dragged Harry out. What he found, though, made him sick. Hogwarts students and the city's residents were running and screaming everywhere as Death Eaters shouted spell after spell. Trees and homes were on fire all around him, and children crying were a common sight.

"This is disgusting," Nikki suddenly panted to his left. She appeared to have run all the way from Hogwarts. "Ron, your cloak is on fire!" He yelled in shock, then grabbed his cloak and threw it on the ground, stomping it for good measure.

"Well," he shivered in the cold air, "that takes care of that."

"Give Harry to me, Ron, you look like you're going to faint."

"Seems like a very good option at the moment," he replied, handing Harry to her as Hermione raced up to them.

"Thank goodness you're alright! What did the Death Eaters do to him?"

"Death Eaters nothing," Nikki told her, "I whacked him on the head with a candlestick." Hermione gave her a strange look, then whipped out her wand.

"Ennervate!" Harry opened his eyes and shook his head a little.

"What happened?" he moaned, rubbing the spot where Nicole had hit him.

"Death Eaters," Hermione muttered, waving her hand at the chaos. Harry suddenly shot out of Nikki's arms and looked wide-eyed behind them. Hermione noticed whatever it was, too, and shakily pointed her wand at it. Turning around, both Nikki and Ron saw something to make their hearts stop: what appeared to be the full ranks of Voldemort's Death Eaters. Both Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange started saying something, and suddenly the four students were flying in a rush of colors. They woke up in a dungeon of sorts, all bound.

"I have had enough of being tied up!" Harry yelled to know one in particular.

"Well, tough luck. We're stuck here for awhile," Hermione reminded him.

"You know Ron, this is all your fault," remarked Harry. "If you hadn't tied me to a chair…"

"Well, that wouldn't have made any difference, I'd still be tied up!"

"No one cares about you, Ron!" Nikki shouted in exasperation.

"I CARE ABOUT RON!"

"Who cares if you care?" Nikki replied coldly.

"I CARE IF I CARE!" Hermione screamed.

"Weasley ruins everything, Weasley is a ding-a-ling, That's why Death Eaters all sing, Weasley is our king."

"Would you shut up, Harry? You know how much I hate that song!"

"Weasley's brain is made of tin, With him we're all chucked in the bin…"

"Harry, that doesn't even make sense!" Hermione interrupted. "Just give it a rest!"

"He's evil if being stupid's a sin," Nikki continued, "But Weasley is our King!"

"This isn't helping us any!" Ron announced. "And besides, didn't you say I was one of the bravest people you knew?"

"I might have, yeah. There is, however, a difference between cowardice and stupidity."

"Would you all just drop it," Hermione groaned.

"Okay, Ron, I'm sorry. There, happy?"

"Why would you call Ron the bravest person you knew?" Harry asked.

"He stood up to Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius Malfoy, and the Cruciatus Curse when they asked where you were," Nikki told him.

"What?" Hermione breathed. "Oh, Ron!"

"Ha!" Harry suddenly shouted.

"Harry, I doubt this is anything to laugh at. I think he's cracked-" he was cut off by a trill from the bird that was flying around their heads. The three of them looked up to see Harry in his Animagus form, parading proudly around the room.

"Okay, we're all glad you're free. Now do you mind untying us?" Nikki whispered urgently. He swooped down and sliced the ropes with his talons, then transformed back. Nikki grabbed a pin out of her hair, using it to unlock the door, and the four silently crept down the hallways.

In a matter of minutes, they had found their wands, which were sitting on a table in plain sight. Harry turned into the phoenix, grabbed the wands, and then handed them to Nikki and Hermione. They then snuck past what appeared to be the only two Death Eaters in the house, who were too busy chatting to notice them.

"What was our Master thinking, putting them at Riddle Mansion?"

"Probably something to do with that graveyard, remember, from two years ago?"

"How could I forget my Master rising?" The two Death Eaters seemed quite young, compared to most, which disturbed Harry. What Krum had said about Pettigrew recruiting school children appeared to be right.

Things seemed to be going fairly well, or as well as escaping from Voldemort could be expected when a pack of exploding snap cards suddenly fell out of Ron's pocket. They made a popping noise, startling both Hermione and Nikki, who turned and fired unknown spells at the deck. The four Gryffindors turned to look at each other, then back at the cards.

"Uh, now what?" Ron wondered out loud. He was answered when the pack burst into flames, quickly engulfing everything around it. Harry, Hermione, Nikki, and Ron screamed and ran full out until they reached the doors, which surprisingly opened without any locking charms or magic. They fell into the snow outside the giant house to watch the smoke rising out of it.

"That fire must be magical, it's spreading tremendously fast," Hermione deducted. Harry was about to respond when the shrieks of the two Death Eaters pierced the air, then abruptly stopping as the house came tumbling to the ground. Ron looked down at the smoldering ashes, while Nikki said what everyone was feeling.

"Oh, dang it!"

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