Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Anything you recognize belongs to JK Rowling, anything else belongs to me.
Authors note: I know I took a very long time to write this chapter, but life intervened etc. It's a bit too short for my liking, andI know its not my best chapter so far, but I'll have to live with it like this.
I am once and for all defeated by reviews (or the need of them). I am never to moan again about the lack of them after this one complaint (unless the circumstances change). So here goes:
Please, please review! I really need more reviews! PLEASE! They're the only thing keeping me going. One of the reasons I stopped writing my other fic was because no-one reviewed! PLEASE! I'm begging you! REVIEW!
Thank you. :)
Chapter 7: Trapped
But there's nothing I can say to change the things I've done…
"Are you sure Harry?"
"Of course I'm sure, it was her Ron, I'm positive."
"But…that means…she can't be Harry…she wouldn't! It's not like her…" Ron paced up and down the living room of Godrics Hollow, agitated and tired. It didn't add up, nothing made sense. Lilly, a death eater? Why?
"It could've been Polyjuice potion…or the imperious curse! Yes! It must be-"
"No, Ron. It was her…I can tell." Harry sat exhausted in an arm chair. They had only just got back from Diagon Alley, and everyone else was at the Burrow.
If he was honest they needed Hermione; she was the one who was good at these sorts of things. She thought. They did. It was how the trio had always done things. But with the brains of their team gone, they had to think for themselves this time.
"It doesn't make sense. Why would she do it? I mean…I can think of a few things, but nothing that would make her do something like this…"
"Stupid?" Harry finished for him. The red head nodded in response.
"I dunno mate, it just doesn't seem right."
And indeed it wasn't right. Not right is in fact an understatement, but there was nothing they could do to make it back to normal.
Right, thought Harry, was one of the things that lately was going completely wrong.
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The crowd parted as Bellatrix Lestrange walked towards her place, shortly followed by Lilly on her right side, and Severus Snape on her left. They stepped up onto the raised platform, where three stone thrones stood, all engraved carefully.
The most important throne, and the biggest, was in the middle of the three. Snakes with emerald eyes were carved up the sides entwined with intricate designs. On the arched back of the throne, in bold letters was carved four words. Power. Knowledge. Strength. Immortality.
The three people sat, in the expected order, in the thrones. The congregation of Death Eaters all stood expectedly looking at the tall woman in the middle, waiting for her to begin. She raised her head, searching the crowded chamber for who she wanted. She saw him, and began.
"You have pleased me. Some more than others, yet I am satisfied with your work." She said in her harsh, cold voice. "I trust you all have realised that this attack was not just for fun. We have alerted the wizarding world that we are still here, to avenge our Lord finally. They think that we did it all for that, but there is another reason, my friends, one that we must all bring to our attention.
"Harry Potter escaped from us a few months ago, thinking that he could defeat us too. But his foolishness brought us the best thing that he could've given us. His daughter," She motioned to her right, were Lilly sat. "And now, once again our Hero has given us a present, by falling for our trap today." She pointed to someone in the crowd, "Bring the prisoner in, Malfoy." She ordered.
Suddenly the doors at the side of the chamber burst open. Two men in black robes pulled in a struggling person, whose face was hidden in the shadows. The figure was pushed in front of Bellatrix' feet, where it lay, breathing rapidly.
"Stand," commanded Bellatrix. The being obeyed, showing their bruised and bleeding face to the crowd. They smirked in recognition to the beaten person standing there. The death eaters smirked and taunted for a while, while the person just staggered and stumbled around the large room, until finally Bellatrix interrupted their game.
"Silence," she said, "face your superiors child, be polite."
The figure turned slowly and painfully, Lilly gasped as she recognised the bloody face.
"No!" she whispered to herself. But her pleas where not heard above the ear-splitting screams of pain as Bellatrix fired the Crucio curse at the prisoner.
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Hermione limped as fast as she could down the lane. She could see the silhouette of the burrow against the horizon. She continued towards it with all her might, her leg hurting a little bit more every step she took.
She got to the door and threw herself against it, ready to break the door down just to get to safety. The door opened fast to reveal the tired form of Ron.
"Ron…" she whispered faintly, and jumped into his arms. Behind the reunited couple stood the rest of the family, anxiously looking at the bushy haired woman currently hugging her husband.
Hermione broke apart from Ron, and looked at Harry.
"Harry….she was there…Lilly…I saw her on the map... I tried to tell you but you were gone…and then…"
"Hermione, it's okay," he interrupted, "I know. We're just glad your back, its all going to be alright."
"But how?" she asked, but before anyone could answer that Ron interrupted.
"We'll tell you everything later," clearly not wanting for everyone to know what Harry and him had been discussing earlier. "But you need to get some rest now." She reluctantly nodded. Later would do for her.
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The letters came flying in on the morning of July the 26th, the day after the attack at Diagon Alley. From upstairs in the Burrow you could hear an excited squeal of a young girl, despite the gloomy atmosphere remaining from the day before.
As Callie-Rose Jane Weasley sat eating her breakfast that morning, three barn owls came swooping through the window and landed in a row on the table. In unison the creatures held out their legs to the girl, who responded by untying the individual letters bound to their limbs. The owls each dipped their beaks into her pumpkin juice and flew off again, leaving Callie to inspect the letters further.
She turned the first over in her hand, and as soon as she recognised the seal of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, she let out a squeak of excitement. Three letters; one for Callie, one for James and…who could the other one be for? She thought. Bill and Fleur's child Charlotte was living France, and she wasn't going to Hogwarts anyway, she was going to Beauxbatons, so it couldn't be her.
She opened the yellowish envelope addressed to her and read the letter enclosed.
HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY
Headmistress: Minerva McGonagall
Dear Miss Weasley,
We are pleased to inform you that you have a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.
Term begins on 1st September. We await your owl by no later than 31st July.
Yours sincerely,
Remus Lupin
Deputy Headmaster
Her serious expression turned into a broad grin as she read it. She had completely forgotten about Hogwarts; what with all the commotion going on. At least she had one good thing to look forward to now.
Ever since after the war, Remus had come clean about his 'furry little problem'. The newspapers had their glory discriminating his reputation. But after a while the wizarding world just became used to having a werewolf in their society. Nobody thought twice now about him teaching their children, so McGonagall had invited him back. He was the first teacher for a long time that had stayed on the Defence Against the Dark Arts post for more than a year, and by far one of the best teachers Hogwarts had seen for a long time.
"Morning, Cal," said a yawning Ron as he came down the stairs into the Kitchen. He pecked his daughter on the cheek and grabbed a piece of toast from the table. "I see you've got your Hogwarts letter." He smiled, just as Hermione came down the stairs.
"Mum! Look," Callie squealed as she showed her mother the letter. Hermione congratulated her and settled down on the table.
"I knew they would come soon." Hermione said as she poured her cup of pumpkin juice. "I better wake up James; I haven't seen him since yesterday."
"I'll go!" exclaimed the bushy haired girl, and ran up the stairs. The two adults sat in comfortable silence as they ate breakfast. Ron scanned the newspaper for anything new about the attack. Nothing new was there that he and Harry hadn't discussed the night before, so he put the paper down and picked up the two remaining letters on the table.
He stared at the address with amazement. It was almost impossible.
Miss L. Potter
The Kitchen
The Burrow
Ottery St Catchpole
Why would Lupin send the letter to the Burrow? Surely he had heard that she had joined the other side? How could he of possibly not? Everybody else knew!
"Ron?" Ron looked up startled. Hermione was looking at him with a concerned face. "Is everything ok?"
He gulped and slowly handed the envelope to his wife. She took it and read the address. Her mouth dropped open as she read it again and again, expecting it to change any minute then.
"H-How? I mean – Lupin knows – Doesn't he? W-w-why?" she stuttered, looking desperately at Ron, who had an equally bewildered look upon his face. He shrugged, and was about to open his mouth when he was interrupted by a breathless Callie, standing in the staircase.
"Dad! Its James…H-he's gone!"