Disclaimer: All of this is based upon the lovely J.K. Rowling's work. I own nothing except Salazar's wife, son, and various other original characters. This story is an AU of sixth year, but it will contain a few spoilers from Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows. However, it will still seriously diverge from canon.
"blah": dialogue
'blah': thoughts
"blah" : Parseltongue
"blah": Legilimency/Telepathy
Italics: excerpt from a book /newspaper or any other written form
Bold: a word or phrase that is emphasized
Italics, Underlined, and Bold: location/date of a scene in the story
Chapter Twenty-One: Before the Plunge
Unknown: September 5th, 1996
Bellatrix Lestrange twitched, and her eyes flickered about her room, momentarily scanning everything before returning to the book that laid in front of her. However, she made no actual effort to read it. Once more her gaze unfocused, the book on Concealing charms, Anti-tracking wards, and other useful methods of disappearance blurring completely. She shivered.
There it was again. The feeling that she was being watched. She had felt it all day, felt the weight of some hidden gaze. She could just feel someone's eyes on her, studying her every move, and it sent chills up her spine.
Was it Tom? Did he know?
Was it her husband? Did he suspect?
Was it another Death Eater? Were they watching?
She trembled once more and drew up her blanket tightly around her mid-section. She had to get out. She had to leave… flee… run. She just had to go.
It was the only option. It was her only chance. It was her child's only chance.
She steadied a shaking hand on her stomach, rubbing gently. It was a calming motion, a soothing one that always brought it comfort, something she sorely needed. But what she really needed was help, someone… anyone to turn to.
But Sirius was dead. She didn't know if Potter would believe her desperate plea. She couldn't trust Cissy. Andy would turn her away. She had no friends. Her husband did not love her; he didn't even like her. He had never treated her as a wife or even as a person. She was a possession, a thing to be owned. And most of the time, he was simply indifferent unless there was something to gain from showing interest.
A way of nausea hit her, and she moved her head between her knees. Just the thought of what Rodolphus would do if he ever discovered her pregnancy was enough to make any sane person ill. That man was a treacherous, conniving monster, who would and did stab his own mother in the back. Bella had seen what he had done to the Longbottoms, Frank and Alice. It was only by the grace of Siobhan herself that Bellatrix had seen the little boy first and had managed to hide him. To keep him safe from the raving lunatics that were her lawfully wedded husband, his deranged brother, and the sniveling sycophant, Barty Crouch Junior.
Once more, she shuddered. But this time from the memory of that horrible night. It was one she would never forget. It had been raining; Bellatrix remembered that clearly. It had poured, as if the heavens themselves had opened up. She vividly recalled the way the screams were punctuated by the steady sound of water hitting the roof. How Alice had held her gaze entire time, giving an almost imperceptible shake of her head between the bouts of Cruciatus and warning the other woman from helping. How Alice had given her the look that every mother has perfected but hopes never to use. The one that clearly said, "please, protect my child because I cannot." How she had never looked around for her son because she knew… she knew that Bella would hide him, had hid him. She had known he was safe because she knew Bella, and she had trusted her in that moment of weakness. Alice had trusted a known Death Eater because she knew something that no one else did.
Everyone thought that the Longbottoms had been attacked because they, the Death Eaters, were searching for Voldemort, but that wasn't the only motive. No, they had targeted Frank and Alice for another reason entirely. They were Aurors, and they were receiving inside information from someone in the Inner Circle. Someone was spying on the Dark Lord Voldemort. One of his own followers had turned against him, had been leaking information to the Aurors Longbottom for months. The same someone had warned them about three separate planned attacks on them, information which had allowed them to escape from Voldemort each time.
Rodolphus and Rabastan had actually been hoping to retrieve the identity of the informant from the Longbottoms, in the hopes that the spy knew their master's location and had simply not been forthcoming. Little did the Lestrange brothers and Barty know that the person they had brought along with them on their little information retrieval was actually their betrayer. Voldemort's right-hand man. Well… woman really.
It was truly ironic. Bellatrix had gone to Alice Longbottom over a year earlier and had confessed her sins. Once upon a time, she had truly believed in what Tom Riddle preached; she had believed completely and utterly that the Muggles would one day discover them and that the Mudblood scum would betray their magical brethren. It had happened before. And it was only by the doings of a brave sorceress, her husband, and a magical artifact that magical kind had managed to survive. Even now, almost two millennia later, they still talked about the Roman uprising. About the atrocities committed by the Muggles and La Muerte's heroic defiance.
Bellatrix had learned that history lesson well, one that her aunt had taught her. And so had believed that the Muggles would one day rediscover them, most likely due to the idiotic behavior of Mudbloods. They were always going back and forth between the mundane and the magical worlds, using their gifts where they shouldn't and to people who were not trustworthy. And they didn't even care if they were exposed. There had been countless incidents of Muggleborns being outted as magical; it was only due to Memory charms, continued Muggle ignorance, and the belief in parlor tricks that they hadn't been found out completely. For the sake of the Maker, that idiot Houdini actually had his magic caught in Muggle pictures. But thankfully, they still hadn't realized what they were looking at.
And for all this, for the constant risk of exposure, the Muggleborns needed to be stopped. They were simply too much of a hazard.
But inexplicably, Bella had begun to have doubts, not about the danger of exposure. No, that fear remained. Nevertheless, she had started to doubt their methods. How they simply tortured and killed the Mudbloods, instead of trying to reason with them. One day, she had just known that what they were doing was wrong. She hadn't known why or where her doubts came from, but they had just suddenly appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. She had been in Hogsmeade, just walking down the street, when she had seen the light, both literally and figuratively. The night sky had been lit with a bright flash, completely blanking out the stars. And then, it was as if her entire perspective had shifted.
And that was what had eventually led her to the Longbottoms. She had gone to them, secretly hoping for a swift execution. What she had actually gotten was an option to turn spy under the condition that the Longbottoms would tell no one her identity with a pass from Azkaban, an annulment of her marriage, and a new life somewhere far away once the war was over.
And that, too, was ironic. Just as it was ironic that she had gone to a Gryffindor. Yet, there was a reason behind what many would see as madness, a Slytherin seeking help from a Gryffindor. Bellatrix had gone to the former Lion because they had been in the same year at Hogwarts and because the other girl had seen beyond the House lines, always acting friendly with everyone, even the Slytherins. Bella had admired her for that, for doing something she was never brave enough to do herself. Perhaps if things had been different, they could have even been friends. Friends instead of informant and Auror as they had later become.
But that was all the past now, and it couldn't be changed. There was only the present and the future to think of. Bellatrix couldn't help shudder as she thought about Rodolphus and what he would do if he ever discovered that she was carrying another man's child, much less the child of--
She shook her head, driving the horrid thought away. Rubbing her temples, she leaned forward and rested her chin on her chest. With a sigh she was about to turn back to her book, but the feeling of being watched heightened unexpectedly. Bellatrix's head snapped up, and her wand appeared in her hand, pointed determinately at a burst of flame suspended midair.
There was a phoenix in her bedroom.
And the first words out of Bellatrix's mouth were "Fawkes" followed by "You've been watching me!"
Fawkes smirked and landed on the edge of the desk. "That I have, Lady Bellatrix. Truth be told, I have been checking your aura and monitoring your thoughts as well," he responded candidly.
And Bellatrix's mouth dropped open, only to snap shut as his words completely sunk in, not to mention the fact that phoenixes really could talk. Her sudden bout of reveries suddenly made sense. The bloody bird had been directing her mind! He wanted to see her true level of involvement in the fiasco.
"Yes, I wanted to see what had occurred. What had actually occurred that night," he answered as though he had been reading her mind, which he probably had. "And I had no idea. None at all." He looked at her in a sort of wonder.
"It seems as though no one did," she put in with a slightly dazed tone.
"You saved the boy, Neville. You saved him. Without your interference, they would have killed him outright." He eyed her for a moment before asking, "And how is it that no one knew? Neville was old enough by then to talk about it or to have Pensieve memories of the event made."
"Obliviated," she whispered quietly. "He was Obliviated. He was babbling about it to the Ministry workers after they found him. They thought him befuddled and a victim, so they destroyed the memory, hoping that it would help heal him." She grimaced. "Besides, they didn't want to believe that a Death Eater could show compassion, even if it was to a child."
Fawkes' face twitched in understanding. "Ah, yes. The infamous Obliviate. Hogwarts and I are still working to reverse the effects. I still don't know how Dolores Umbridge managed to keep her job after bollocksing up that one."
The pair lapsed into silence for a minute before the human spoke again, finally realizing something. "Isn't it dangerous for you to be here? Someone might see you, and you have undoubtedly set off the wards," she said, still quite shaken by the entire situation.
Anyone could waltz in at any moment and see the blasted bird perched on her desk. But then, she reasoned, her wards would alert her beforehand. Or at least, they should. But they hadn't warned her about the feathered menace in the first place.
Fawkes seemed to pick up on her anxiety. "No worries, dear, I will know if anyone approaches, and the wards are set for wizards and other human-like beings. They don't even register my presence," he replied, doing his best to put her at ease. "Besides, my magic allows me to be invisible to anyone save yourself. It is an interesting trick, truly," he commented absentmindedly, as though he hadn't a care in the word and still attempting to soothe her. "I could use it to spy, but sadly, I can only travel to known locations or people. With the personal wards around Tom, he would know I was there in an instant." He looked at her solemnly. "Besides, I had an important message to deliver."
He indicated his talon, and she belatedly noticed the parchment clasped in it. Not knowing if she should move to retrieve it or not, Bellatrix simply remained still. However, the phoenix sighed and hopped across the desk to her, depositing the message in her hand before skipping away.
Bellatrix hesitated before rapidly reading and then re-reading. Her mouth dropped open once more, and her eyes widened as she did a double-take. The expression on her face would have actually been quite comical, if it weren't for the seriousness of the situation.
"Is this… I mean… is it?" she attempted to ask the phoenix through her shock. "Is this… for real?" she finished with unmistakable hope.
The phoenix simply nodded and then did something truly remarkable. He flew over to her shoulder and nuzzled her hair. And it felt as though a great weight, a great crushing and terrible weight, had been lifted from her chest. He was going to help. He, Harry, was going to help her. To help them.
A strange and powerful emotion rose up in her chest, and she suddenly felt like crying, something she that seemed to be doing a lot of lately.
They had help. They had a chance. That was more than anyone else had given them. And it was enough.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Outside the Headmaster's Office: September 6th, 1996
Dear Harry,
I would like to discuss a few things with you on. Kindly come along to my office at 8 p.m. I hope you are enjoying your first few days back at school.
Yours sincerely,
Albus
P.S. I am quite fond of Canary Creams.
Green eyes flickered from the letter in his hand, one he had received the day before during lunch, to the gargoyle statue in front of him. A pleased smirk crossed Harry's face as he scanned the last line once more, and he chuckled slightly. Still laughing, he tucked the letter into a hidden pocket of his robes and turned to the statue, which was eyeing him strangely.
"Canary Creams," he said merrily, knowing that he hadn't really needed the password since Hogwarts would have allowed him in regardless. But he still couldn't resist using it as he, too, liked the sweet.
The young wizard politely waited as the statue moved, watching as the gargoyle gifted him a faint nod and a smile before opening. The teenager gave the statue a murmur of thanks and a wink as he stepped inside and up the stairs. Briefly, the teenager paused outside of the door, fighting the strange feeling rising in his stomach. It was part nervousness added in with giddiness, a hint of pride, and the obscene needed to laugh manically. It was the same feeling he always had when meeting with Dumbledore nowadays.
Psyching himself up and exhaling slowly, along with a prod from the castle, he gently reached for the knob. Harry entered the headmaster's office, only to be immediately greeted by Albus at the door. The elderly man's eyes sparkled as he beamed down at the younger wizard. Though the difference in their height was quickly becoming far smaller as the younger man aged, he was still at least a head shorter than his professor. Dumbledore patted the teenager on the shoulder and steered him forward to a plush purple armchair.
Unexpectedly, Harry's latent Empathy arose probably due to his nervousness. Deciding against pushing it down with his mental shields, he let it be. Instantly picking up on a few of the headmaster's emotions.
"How have you been, my dear boy?" Albus inquired, looking at Harry with a mixture of affection and pride. He discreetly offered the younger wizard a lemon drop, only have his grin widen as the teenager accepted.
Harry held the lemony candy in his hand and replied, "Quite well, Albus, though I did have a bit of a shock yesterday. And you?" he shot back pleasantly, slipping the treat into his mouth.
"I am well also." For a moment, a look of confusion crossed the elderly teacher's expression as he thought about the earlier part of Harry's statement, but then, his face lit with understanding. "Ah, yes. Professor Boyd's little Dark Arts discussion. He seems to have surprised quite a number of people, several professors included."
Harry studied him closely. "But not you." It was a statement, not a question.
The headmaster chuckled. "Not as much as he did the others," he allowed, settling back in his chair and looking at the young man in front of him.
Over the past few weeks, Albus had greatly enjoyed their improved relationship, which was now one of equals. As such, they had finally started to know one another. Really know each other.
"I did have a bit of forewarning though," he stated with a hint of amusement. "The professor told me straight out during his interview about his views of both the Ministry and the Dark, and I can't help but agree with him on many issues."
Harry feigned shock. "The great Albus Dumbledore, purveyor of knowledge and beacon of Light, agreeing that the Dark isn't evil. What is the world coming to?" the reborn Salazar inquired with a slight smirk, reaching for another lemon drop.
Albus' smile widened, and he winked. "Well, my boy, you already know that. While I may favor the Light, my heart truly follows the path of good. And as such, I know the difference between what is thought to be evil and what truly is evil," he answered readily enough, entering into the now familiar pattern of part debate and part discussion that all their talks seemed to follow.
They had covered many topics during their exchanges, going far beyond discussion of their childhoods and lives and venturing into their own beliefs and philosophies. They had even gone over their differing, yet surprisingly similar, views of the magical world. Including the Ministry, Dark and Light magic, and a number of other topics.
Harry smiled, and the two lightly exchanged pleasantries for a few more moments before the headmaster eventually got down to business.
Leaning back in his chair and steepling his fingers, Albus stated, "But enough of such talk for now, my dear boy. What I really wanted to discuss was the continuation of your lessons from last year. However, I would be your teacher."
Harry looked at him with interest. "Occlumency, Albus?" the sixth-year questioned with a hint of surprise. "I'm already quite skilled at it." He paused, thinking it over.
Even with his returned memories and the additional effort he had put forth during the summer, it was still a good idea to continue building his shields. For one, they helped control his visions, not to mention his latent Empathy. Both of which seemed to be growing more powerful as time progressed. Nevertheless, it was still not nearly as strong as it had been in his previous life. And while it was possible to master Occlumency, there would still always be room for improvement.
"But I suppose the extra practice wouldn't hurt," Harry finally allowed.
The headmaster chuckled. "Yes, you are quite skilled," he inserted knowingly, remembering that he had in fact checked Harry's shields several times before and that he had yet to break through them. "While the practice wouldn't hurt, what I truly what to work on was Legilimency."
The younger wizard thought for moment before nodding. He really did need to improve on his Legilimency as it was a skill that he had only begun to work on before his death. While he was skilled enough to pass messages using it, much the way he communicated with Dominic during class, he still had problems breaking through others' mental shields.
"However," the professor interrupted Harry's thoughts, "that was not all I wished you to practice. I had hoped to cover a few other subjects as well. Dueling, in particular."
Harry blinked. "Dueling?"
Today seemed to be his day to be surprised, but already the wheels in his head were turning. Albus Dumbledore was one of the best duelers in the world, the only one Tom Riddle had ever feared. Dueling and learning from him would be an enormous help, something Harry considered as he studied the other man across the desk. Still, there was the downside of his increased magical knowledge arousing suspicions, but perhaps he could simply put that to his summer studies. And was not like taking Legilimency lessons from Albus wouldn't include the same risk.
"Dueling?" Harry repeated after a moment. "Why?"
Albus chuckled. "Yes, dueling. As to your other question, I believe that it is passed time that I teach you this. You have needed such knowledge before and will undoubtedly need it again."
"The prophecy," Harry responded, instantly knowing where Albus was going with this.
The headmaster nodded and unexpectedly rose from behind his desk, moving to stand in front of Harry. "While it must be you to defeat Tom, it doesn't say that you must do it alone." He bent slightly and placed both of his hands on the teenager's shoulders. "I will help you with this, Harry. I will stand by your side to the end and beyond." His voice was full of emotion. "What do you say, my dear boy?"
Harry swallowed past the forming lump in his throat, leaning into Dumbledore's pseudo-embrace. "I… I would very much like that."
Hogwarts, The Defense Professor's Office: September 7th, 1996
'Nox Noctis Eludere,' the vampire thought, and a wave of darkness shot out of his wand, barely missing Harry as he dove out of the way.
'That was a close one,' the young man reflected, ducking behind a crate, one of the many obstacles they had erected in the training room. A bead of sweat slid down his face, but he completely ignored it. 'I need to be a bit faster; I just can't compete with vampire reflexes.' His chest heaved as he breathed heavily, already exhausted from his extended duel with Dom.
'Tempus Socius.' He pointed his wand at his chest and felt the tingle of magic spread through his body.
The teenager turned his gaze to the room, observing the changes the spell had done to his perception, as well as his body. Time passed differently for him now, allowing him to react faster and basically making him appear as a blur to anyone watching. Not only that, but it made everything else seem much slower. This was evidenced by the second hand on Dom's wall clock, which now seemed to take three or four seconds to move a tick instead of just one. The effect was a bit nauseating, especially considering the fact that he had only just learned the spell.
'Not bad for a first try,' he mused internally, even as he quieted his breathing. Inching around the crate, Harry reached out with his magical senses. 'But imagine what it will be like once I have it down. It's supposed to effect time even more when mastered.'
Ducking around the crate, Harry squatted closer to the ground and rushed to another obstacle, this time a boulder. He instantly realized that the move was not a good one as a tingle of warning shot down his spine. He glanced up at the speeding ray of glistening purple-red light and without hesitating drew the runic symbol for reflection with his free hand. The rune burned midair as the spell hit the shield, which was just inches in front of his face, before bouncing back to its source.
A sudden upwelling of consternation followed by relief in Harry's mind showed him that the vampire had managed to dodge the reflection.
Growling slightly at his own distraction, the young wizard followed up with three quick spells in rapid succession, one courtesy of his lovely Luna. 'Haiku Bakari. Rictusempra. Impedimenta.'
But to his dismay, the Defense professor dodged the first and absorbed the other two in a strong shield of his own. He then proceeded to send back a few spells.
With his increased reflexes, Harry managed to cast another runic shield that reflected the Tripping jinx, the Concussion hex, and the Banishing spell. However, those three with the combined strength of the last spell, an Arrow of Light, was too much. It overloaded. But thankfully, the shield managed to absorb the magical arrow, so it dissipated instead of hitting him in the chest like it would have otherwise.
Of course, it was at the very moment that the shield dissolved that Dom decided to use a runic spell of his own, casting a summon for the other wizard's glasses. Nevertheless, much to the vampire's chagrin, the glasses remain on Harry's face. The teenager had apparently thought of such an occurrence before and had taken steps to make sure they would firmly remain on his nose.
'Nice try, old man,' he allowed playfully, 'but I've already thought of it, and they're unbreakable, too. If you have enough gall to try that one.'
He quickly cast an iceball at the vampire, who was about to try another hex, in order to distract him. It did nicely as the ice clipped him in the shoulder, breaking into chunks of densely packed and rather hard snow and making the professor wince.
'Alright,' the reborn Slytherin thought suddenly, sweat once more beading down his face. 'If he wants to play it that way, time to get dirty. Serpensortia.'
The effect was instantaneous. And it was in that moment, Harry's increased skill and power became apparent as not one but eleven deadly serpents appeared.
"Please help me, my friends," he hissed to them. "Attack that fool for me, just don't kill him." He smirked faintly then. "I might have use for him later on."
Dom immediately paled at the sight of the snakes, all of which were heading for him. Harry would willingly bet every Galleon he had in Gringotts that exactly one thought was going through the vampire's head: 'Bugger.'
Yet, the man made a nice recovery and took several rapid steps backwards. His gaze flicked from Harry, who was panting heavily, to the snakes and back. He thought rapidly for a few seconds, the serpents moving ever closer, before he suddenly cast a line of fire on the floor in front of him. The four-foot-high, blue-white flames stopped the snakes' forward progress, and the professor completed the spell by encircling the flames around them, completely negating the animals as a threat.
Harry, taking advantage of the situation, cast a quick Abrogarma. Dominic though had recovered by then and sent an advanced Disarming charm of his own. Unfortunately for the both of them, the spells hit mid-way between their destinations and went streaming back to their casters.
Both their wands went flying. The teenager instantly moved towards where his had landed, wandlessly summoning his, which actually moved towards him. However, it was at that moment that the vampire, who Harry had thought to have also gone for his wand, chose to do something completely unexpected.
Dom tackled him to the ground, partially knocking the air out of him, and his wand went soaring overhead. The two wrestled for a moment, Harry actually managing to cast a wandless Impediment jinx, which held for all of a second, and two Stunners that the professor dodged. But the vampire's superior strength gave him the upper hand and allowed him to effectively pin the younger man.
With both of his wrists magically bound and with Dom sitting on his legs, Harry gave up his struggles. "Alright, I surrender." He exhaled slowly, pushing at the vampire with his knees. "Now, get off me. You're heavier than you look."
Dominic laughed and released the bounds with a wave of his hand. Smiling, he gave the other a helping hand up before summoning both of their wands and handing Harry's back.
"Thanks," the reborn Slytherin commented as he staggered over to the near wall and sat down on a large, red pillow he had conjured earlier in the duel. He turned and partially leaned his forehead against the cool stone of the wall.
Smirking, the Defense professor walked over to him, conjuring a bottle of water for each of them. "Tired, much?"
"Very," was the breathless response as the teenager accepted his drink. "Thank you."
"Me, too. Though it seems not as much as you," Dom commented idly, summoning another one of the pillows the cheeky blighter had ambushed him with. "Interesting duel, wasn't it? The runic magic was a nice touch. I had forgotten that Salazar taught Runes at Hogwarts." The vampire grinned and sank to the deep green pillow next to Harry. "So how are things going along?"
The teenager laughed heartily. "Wonderful," he answered airily and waved his hand. At Dom's upraised eyebrow, he carried on, "Well, I think that Minerva and Severus are both starting to remember. It's probably only dreams right now, but their memories are still coming back. If the blank stares and odd behavior are anything to go by."
"So they're reacting to you then?" the teacher asked with interest, attempting to flick a loose piece of hair out his eyes. Harry had earlier used a Hair Growing charm to distract him, so his normally well-groomed locks were all over the place. He would have to fix the problem before anyone else saw him.
"Not just me. They've done the same around both Luna and Ginny. I'm not sure about Hermione and Draco though," the younger wizard answered after a moment, taking another drink of water.
The vampire nodded in understanding but grimaced at the mention of the redhead, who didn't seem to like him very much. "Overall though, I think it is having a greater effect on Severus." Dominic whispered conspiratorially, "Filius told me at dinner last night that he startled his students so much during the joint Hufflepuff-Slytherin fourth-year lesson that they actually asked Madam Pomfrey to check on him."
"I can imagine how much he appreciated that." Harry snorted at thought.
Dom snickered. "The funny part is that Severus actually allowed the nurse to do a check-up; he thought something was wrong, too."
The pair dissolved into sniggers, both imagining the normally dour Potions master in the over-bearing nurse's clutches.
"In all seriousness, though," Harry inserted after a minute, "I can't help but feel bad for the man. I remembered how confused I was."
The vampire shrugged. "True. But then, it will all be over in a week. So if he holds out until then, everything will be fine."
Harry nodded. "I believe that Severus is made of sterner stuff…" At Dom's snort, he rolled his eyes but went on blithely, "Than we given him credit for, so I think he'll be just fine."
Silvery eyes gazed at the reborn Salazar for a second. "So do I," he put in, laying a hand the other man's shoulder and patting it. "And what of the headmaster?" the vampire asked after a few heartbeats.
Harry sighed and rubbed a temple with his free hand. "Albus… well, things are still improving. He wants to teach me dueling and work on my Legilimency."
A startled expression crossed the Defense professor's face. "Are your shields strong enough to keep him from discovering our plans?" he queried with bated breath.
"Yes," Harry answered simply. "Yes, they are. Fawkes and I've been working on them." His eyes flickered to the vampire sitting beside him. "I'll be fine; our secret is safe with me. Don't worry."
The teacher shrugged but didn't answer. 'That is a hard thing for me to do, my friend.' He shuddered faintly, thinking of all the things that could possibly go wrong with their entire plan and causing Harry to look at him in surprise. 'A hard thing to do indeed.'
Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place, The Kitchen: The Same Day (Late Evening)
The kitchen at the Headquarters of the Order was currently not a very safe place to be. While it and the rest of the house were still under the Fidelius charm, it was not Death Eaters that one braving the room had to worry about. No, it was a far worse thing indeed. A thing which could instill fear in the hearts of countless men, send children scurrying to their beds, and actually make Mad-Eye Moody take pause.
It was an infuriated Molly Weasley.
The currently fuming redhead in question was aggressively chopping the vegetables for lunch, mumbling under her breath about unappreciative Order members. Occasionally, she sent angry glares at the closed door, as if daring someone to open it, like they would even try in her current state. After mangling a perfect innocent potato, Molly paused in her actions, eyeing it a second and still muttering.
"I can't believe the nerve of that man," she snarled to herself as she reached for an onion and roughly diced it. "'Oh, don't worry about it, Molly,'" she mimicked fiercely. "'I don't need help with the Arithmancy for the new spells. I'm sure it's way beyond your level anyway.'" She fisted both of her hands around the knife, fighting the urge to stab something.
'Beyond my level, is it?' she thought rhetorically, now slamming a pan onto the table. 'I'll have him know that I made Outstanding on both my OWL and my NEWT in Arithmancy. By Rowena, I actually worked as an Arithmancer for the Ministry after I graduated. The only reason I quit was because Bill and then Charlie were born.'
"But that chauvinistic git," she resumed her angry mumblings, "insinuates that I'm unable… that I'm not capable of doing such simple spellwork. Argh." She angry threw her hands up into the air.
Undoubtedly, several other things were about to go flying, when an unexpected owl arrived. Distracted from her righteous indignation, Molly retrieved the letter, absentmindedly offering the bird some water from a dish. She quickly scanned over it, eyes narrowing the further down she went. Just as she reached the end, her fist suddenly bunched and balled up the parchment.
First, that little bugger Diggle implied that cooking was all she is good for and now this! Were things truly so bad with Ron that a teacher, the new Defense professor no less, would actually summon his parents for a conference after only the first week of school!
Belatedly, Molly sank into an empty chair at the table. The owl, which was obviously waiting for a response, hopped out of the way.
'I had thought things with Ronnie were improving,' she thought dejectedly. 'He had seemed so much better the last few days before school. He had actually started smiling and even laughed at one of the twins' pranks.' She placed her head in her hands.
"How could things have deteriorated so quickly?" she asked to no one in particular and sniffled.
The owl hooted, forcefully reminding the woman that she still needed to compose a response. And sighing, Molly lifted her head and conjured a quill and parchment with her wand. After a moment, she paused in her writing and scanned the original letter once more.
'He wants to meet on Friday; I'm sure Arthur can use his lunch break then to go up to the school with me.' She shook her vivid, red head and fought the urge to sigh. 'We're just going to have to see how bad the situation really is and go have a talk with this Professor Boyd.'
Nox Noctis Eludere: Darkness Wave. Non-verbal. Casts darkness on an opponent, while simultaneously hitting them with a wave of power.
Nox Noctis: Darkness. Non-verbal. Surrounds the victim and prevents light from reaching them. It has a specific anti-jinx, Expromo Luciferum, and cannot be countered with Lumos.
Tempus Socius: Time's Ally. Non-verbal. Temporal manipulation that allows a person to move faster. All others will appear to be moving at a snail's pace.
Luciferum Sagitto: Arrow of Light. Non-verbal. Shoots an arrow of pure energy at the target. An exceptionally powerful spell, which can break through almost any shield, both physical and magical.
Abrogarma: Advanced Disarming charm. Verbal and non-verbal. Is resistant to many shields and is harder to block than Expelliarmus.
AN: Does anyone know where J.K. got the names for the runes mentioned in canon? I would actually like to name some of the spells, but I need to know if they are actually based on something first.
Additionally, I have found a post-HBP story that I actually like! Amazing! It is titled Time to Spare and is by EmySabath. Check it out if you have the time.
Things to think about: Bellatrix's er… situation will have a major impact on the rest of the series. Also, Bella's sudden change of heart happened in Hogsmeade, around the time someone else changed long held views. Harry's reaction to Albus has a specific reason and not the one you'd think. There is a reason behind Molly's ties to Arithmancy.
To everyone who reviewed: Thanks!
Special thanks to Our Catholic Faith (online) for the Latin translation.
Chapter Twenty-Two: Shards of Memory
Ever Hopeful,
Azar
Updated and Edited:
06/21/08
