There was only one week left before school started again and everyone was slowly getting ready. Harry and Rose's trunks were basically ready, save for a few last minute items. Harry usually waited until the last minute but his sister insisted and he had to agree that it was best to be ready in advance rather than running everywhere at the last minute and nearly missing the train.
"So, what was in that package you had when you came back from work yesterday?" Harry asked Rose.
"A few things Fred thought I might need for the coming year." Rose replied with a soft blush.
"Skiving snackboxes, U-no-poo, Fakewands, Peruvian instant darkness Powder, maybe even fireworks or a sample of their newest products for you to test at school?" Sirius asked, eager to find out what she was going to plan.
"No... His old Quidditch shirts and the sweaters Misses Weasley make them every Christmas. So that I can think of him and feel like he's with me, always." She told them with a blush.
"Oh... How disapointing..." Sirius frowned, making Rose laugh.
"You know, as our gardian, you're supposed to think that this is a much better option than having lots of items to trick people and get in trouble at school." Rose replied.
"I know, I know..." Sirius sighted.
"Don't worry though, I do work there everyday, remember? I have a good enough reserve in my trunk, and Fred promised to send me more samples over time. Also I'm smart enough not to get caught so you'll never know it was me. Even when you're the one pranked, you won't be able to prove it's me." Rose assured Sirius who smiled brightly at her.
"Good... Wait, you're going to prank me?" Sirius asked her, surprised but having a hard time hiding that the thought pleased him.
"What, like I'm going to be the only one who tries after reading Remus' book!" Rose chuckled, making Harry laugh too.
"True, I guess I better get ready for anything. Check my food daily..." Sirius nodded.
"I feel the need to remind you that you're a teacher, you're not supposed to be excited at the prospect of being pranked by teenagers." Harry joked, making them all chuckled along with him.
"True." Sirius nodded sadly.
"By the way, any news on McGonagall and her cat?" Harry asked Sirius.
"She cornered me after the meeting this morning. It's going great, it's like they were meant to meet. Minnie Mc Kitty already acts like Minerva and answers to both names. Also her health is greatly improving. She confided in Dobby and he's helping her heal and take care of the cat. Also it seems that miss Norris is afraid of her, which, you know, it's even better. It's going to be great!" Sirius chuckled.
"You won't know if it's McGonagall or her cat either." Rose reminded him.
"Still going to be fun because nobody will know she has a cat at first. I wish I could do the same! Imagine being able to do things you can't usually do and use the excuse that it wasn't you but your pet! I wish I could have thought of that sooner!" Sirius exclaimed.
"I think while people don't expect this from Professor McGonagall, which is why they'll never guess it's not her, they'll expect it from you and see right through you the minute you try it." Harry joked.
"Yes, the minute you arrive at school with a dog that looks exactly like your animagus form, people will pay extra attention and they'll think it's you the minute they see the dog." Rose smiled.
"True. By the way, Harry, I need to speak with you. As your Godfather and guardian, I just received letters from several Quidditch teams asking for permission to approach you regarding a position on their team. Some imply that they'd like you to join them while staying at school, like Victor Krum did, one of them mentioned having Oliver Wood, your old captain, among them, like it's going to push you to accept. I answered them all that you were free to make the decisions on your own. They'll probably write to you and maybe even come and see you play at the beginning of the year. You might want to start thinking about what you'll tell them." Sirius replied.
"I want to be an Auror! I can't play Quidditch, with training and everything it would take too much time." Harry shook his head.
"You can do both. I mean, when Voldemort is defeated, you'll be able to do both. You'll have more free time, less things to worry about. It'll be safer, too." Rose argued.
"True." Harry nodded.
"Listen Harry, studying, training and fighting Voldemort is pretty time consuming already but only you know what you can handle, so you might want to think hard about this. Do you think you'll be able to handle studying, attending all of your classes, the extra classes Dumbledore wants to give you, your house Quidditch team and joining an official Quidditch team on top of staying safe?" Sirius asked Harry, seeing that he was a bit tempted by it.
"Staying safe would be the hardest, it would be easy for Voldemort to get to me if I joined an official team. I guess, if they ask, I'll tell them to ask again once Voldemort is dead for good." Harry decided.
"In the mean time, do you know how you'll form your team this year?" Rose asked him.
"Well, I'll hold try-outs for the positions that need to be filled, but I think the replacement players I selected last year should do quite well. I'm not worried." Harry told her.
.
Back in his assigned bedroom in Malfoy manor, Grindelwald was growing stronger thanks to the good care he was receiving, but also worried. What would happen next and when would it happen? Voldemort had told Lucius Malfoy and Dolores Umbridge about him and they had both visited him a couple of times and, though he didn't like either of them much, it did help pass the time more than the books they left for him.
He knew a lot about Voldemort's plans, even the one where Rose Potter's kidnapper had agreed to carry his child. She wasn't pregnant yet, or they didn't tell him about it, but it had surprised him. It's not something he would have expected from someone like Voldemort.
Something else bothered Gellert. When would he face Albus? Would his old friend trust him, understand that he was faking an allegiance to Voldemort just so he could clean his darken soul and die a better person? He wished there was a way for him to send a message to Albus or anyone close to him, but sadly, he couldn't. Albus and his Order of the Phoenix probably had spies that could be trusted among Voldemort's ranks, but there was no way of knowing who it was. Even if he did, he couldn't contact them, he could barely leave this bedroom most of the time.
Sometimes, Lucius would help him along the corridor and he took him for a walk in the garden, but the older wizard assumed it was only done when the security was heightened and when they were sure nobody was around.
Gellert did his best to hide how much stronger he had gotten. If Voldemort thought him to be weak still, then he would keep on trusting him but if he showed too much strength and power, Voldemort might grow threatened and get rid of him.
Still, there had to be some sort of plan, a timetable, in the Dark Lord's mind and Gellert would like to know what it was, how long he'd have to stay in this house, how long it would be until he could see Albus, speak to him one last time.
Did Voldemort listen to his suggestion to wait until the boy was done with school?
More than anything, he needed to warn Albus about Voldemort's desire to have a child and Jenny Collin's role in this plan. He also needed to tell Albus how sorry he was for his past actions and for the death of Ariana. He would love to write a letter, just in case, in hopes that it would be found and brought to Albus if anything happened to him but that would be too dangerous. If a Death Eater found it, it would cause his death, a death he could guess to be very slow and very painful.
It was three of them fighting that day, when Ariana died, and there was really no way of knowing whose spell hit the young girl, but Gellert Grindelwald knew it was him, deep down, he was sure of it. He knew that he couldn't bring Ariana back, but maybe, if he helped Albus save the Potter twins, then he'd be forgiven. Maybe it would help make up for all the bad things he had done in the name of "the greater good".
.
Jenny Collins had a very comfortable room at Riddle manor. She had plenty of food, books to read and people to keep her company and entertain her. She was allowed in Death Eater meetings and to give her opinion like every other Death Eater but she wasn't allowed to leave the property, for her safety, which she understood perfectly.
It all made her feel like a princess. She loved it all.
The Dark Lord was going to give her a child, she was going to carry his heir and for that, she had to be protected. Then, their child would make sure the Potter's paid for everything they had done.
The Dark Lord visited her at least 3 times a week, sometimes more. They drank tea together and, the more time passed, the more she grew to love him. How could people think that he was a monster? Sure, he wasn't the most handsome of all, but he was powerful, and he had a good conversation. He was smart and knew many subjects, he made every conversation unique and beautifully interesting and captivating. She couldn't wait until she carried his heir, then she'd be really important and she'd help destroy Rose Lily Potter, her brother, their godfathers and all the people they held dear.
"Everything alright, Jenny?" Dolores asked her as she entered the room.
Dolores Umbridge visited with her every day, she was one of Voldemort's closest lieutenant and she was in charge of making sure Jenny was always safe and healthy, she even brought her a tonic every day to make sure she'd be healthier and carry a strong child when she did conceive.
"Yes, just thinking about the day I'd finally be able to get my revenge on the freak Rose Potter." Jenny replied with a smile.
"The day will come. The Dark Lord has decided to give them a fake sense of safety, there will be very few attacks until they're done with school, and the few times we will attack, it will be far from the school. We'll concentrate on recruiting more people for our ranks. It will allow us to grow stronger and for your child to come to this world safely. It will also give us time to hide you and him both." Dolores replied with a smile.
"I hope it happens soon, the child's conception. I know our Lord is disappointed that it hasn't happened yet and so am I. I really want to please him... Do you think there's something wrong with me?" Jenny confided.
Dolores smiled. The love potion they were feeding Jenny Collins every day was working. The doses were small, but it worked. Voldemort's plan was great, as always.
"Don't worry, a healer examined you, remember? Everything is fine with you. It will happen when it happens, the Dark Lord understands that these things can take time. He does visit you several times a week to try and conceive, right?" Dolores asked.
"Yes, he does, and... Well, he's a great lover." Jenny replied with a blush.
"See, there is no reason to worry, soon, you'll carry the heir and everything will be fine. Nobody will know about this child but the people we completely trust and you'll be safer than ever." Dolores assured Jenny before they started a game of wizard chess.
.
Rose was in the living room at Remus' house with Tonks, Luna, Hermione, Ginny and Fleur for a girls' night in. Harry, Draco, Neville, Fred, George and Ron were at Sirius' house. They all had their school things with them and Sirius would drive the lot of them to the train station the next day.
Rose had asked Tonks if she wanted to join them because she was fun, she was a new member of the family and because it was a full moon so Remus was locked in the reinforced basement with Sirius. She had also decided to invite Fleur Delacour because the young woman was dating Bill and, since he was thinking of proposing eventually, she would soon be family, so Rose wanted to help her feel included.
"Okay, so we have snacks, we have everything we'll need to give ourselves manicures and pedicures, we have drinks, what else do we need?" Tonks asked.
"I think we have pretty much everything, we just have to remember not to go to bed too late, we do have the train back to school tomorrow morning." Hermione commented.
"True. I hope Voldemort will leave us alone this year. I mean, he could just stand back and give us free time, right?" Ginny asked, half joking.
"Well, he does usually wait until the end of the year to attack Harry directly." Hermione commented.
"How considerate of him!" Tonks joked.
"It might be worst if he stayed quiet all the time, we'd be worried sick about what he was preparing and we'd be unable to concentrate on anything else." Rose shook her head.
"True. He did lose quite a few members lately, a few of his plans were stopped, he might hold back a while to regroup. We think he might start recruiting. he's asked Severus for a list of potential students." Tonks assured them, making them frown.
"Voldemort is kind of like a teenage girl, when you think about it." Luna commented and everyone turned to look at her, surprised.
"What?" Fleur asked.
"Think about it, he has a diary, Ginny found it in her second year, he has a pet he loves, this ugly Nagini snake, and he has an obsession with a famous teenage boy." Luna explained her train of thoughts, making everyone chuckle.
"Well, he better remember that this teenage boy is taken, and I do not share." Ginny shook her head, trying to get the image out of her head.
"He also has the cup thing he wanted that my mother and Sirius found in Bellatrix' vault." Tonks added.
She didn't know what the cup was, just that it was important to Voldemort and a very good thing that they had found it.
"Anyway Hermione, what did you do this summer? Did you meet anyone interesting? A summer fling maybe?" Ginny asked her friend who tried not to blush.
"Oh, you know... Nothing out of the ordinary. I read a few books, hung out with my cousin, went shopping, visited family..." Hermione replied, trying to sound nonchalent.
"No boyfriend?" Rose asked her.
"No, I'm still single." Hermione replied, hoping she was good at hiding how much she didn't want to be single, and how much she thought about Charlie Weasley.
.
The next morning, everyone was awake and ready to go to the train station on time. Just like the previous year, they rented a minibus to fit everyone, especially since they had more people with Neville, Draco and Luna.
Narcissa would join them at Kingscross along with Fred and George, who wanted to say goodbye. She wasn't afraid anymore and so she didn't see any reason to hide out at the Headquarters, especially since the order now trusted her and knew she was on their side.
Draco was nervous of course, he didn't know how people would react to his presence but he was glad not to be alone. He was with friends and even though he and Hermione didn't have to pretend they dated anymore, they were still friends. Plus, he felt reassured by the conversation he had had with Astoria Greengrass at the Creevey funeral. It wouldn't be easy, but he'd be strong enough to get through whatever came next, because he had friends.
That, and he was still a prefect. After one of the meeting of the Order of the Phoenix, Dumbledore himself had asked to speak with him. He had reassured Drago that the moment he felt unsafe in his house, with the other students, then he'd be given private quarters and that he shouldn't hesitate to come and talk to any of them at the first sign of trouble.
Once they arrived at the train station, Hermione was surprised to see Charlie waiting with Fred and George, claiming that he wanted to say goodbye to his younger brother and sister. He didn't mention their correspondence, but she couldn't help but blush at the way he smiled when he greeted her and, of course, she was sure that Draco had noticed something, though he was smart enough not to speak up. Was it wrong of her to hope he came, not only to see his siblings, but also to see her again? Should she mention it in her next letter or wait to see if he would mention it on his own?
Drago said goodbye to his mother, who was safely standing between Sirius and Charlie and walked toward the train with his friends. On the way, he noticed a few Slytherins smiling at him, students he knew didn't have Death Eater parents. They were publically showing him that they were friendly and it gave him hope. He wouldn't stand alone and he wouldn't need Dumbledore's offered private quarters.
"Draco, Astoria and I were wondering if you'd like to sit with us on the train." Daphne Greengrass asked him while her sister blushed.
"Sure, do you mind if Luna joins us? I promised her to play a game with her on the way. She's a new friend." He asked, seeing Luna joining him.
"Of course." Daphne smiled and they all went to find a compartment.
Since Luna and Draco were in another compartment, Harry and his friends were able to find an empty one that would fit all of them.
"So, someone wants to bet on what will happen on the way?" Ron asked everyone before the train started.
"I'm betting on a quiet trip." Neville declared confidently, and Harry couldn't help but smile at the change in him.
Neville's friendship with Rose had given him confidence and it was nice to see.
"I think a few baby Death Eaters will try to cause trouble." Ron added.
"Well, if they do, we'll put them back in their place fast enough." Rose said, trying not to think about how much she was going to miss Fred for the coming weeks and months.
"We won't have too much trouble I think. Did you notice the number of Slytherin students who smiled at Draco at the train station? I think he kind of became the symbol of every Slytherin who don't agree with Voldemort. I think they're ready to stand up." Hermione told them.
"I did notice, and I think Astoria Greengrass has a crush on Draco. Did you see the way she blushed when Daphne invited him in their compartment?" Rose asked Hermione.
"I hope she doesn't get jealous and start being mean with Luna because of that." Ginny shook her head.
"I'm sure everything will be fine. If it comes to that, Draco will defend Luna, I trust him." Harry assured Ginny.
"Nobody else want to bet on what will happen during the trip?" Ron asked.
"No, I think nothing will happen." Harry smiled at his best friend.
Of course, Neville won his bet with Ron, nothing happened during the ride. They did hear, later, about Crabbe and Goyle causing trouble on the other side of the train, but other students and Sirius but them back in their place and they would start the year with a double detention.
As soon as he admitted that Neville had won, Ron tried to get someone to bet on what would happen that year. A death, an attack of the village, an attack of the castle, a poisoning attempt? Nobody wanted to bet with him though.
I almost added a dementor attack on the train ride but I changed my mind.
Hermione's birthday is in september, what do you think Charlie should send her for her birthday? Tell me in a review please, I have a few ideas but I have a hard time deciding. It can't be too much because they're not together, but he also doesn't want her t forget him while she's surrounded by boys her age...
Review please
Lorelei Candice Black