Hey everyone,
So I started on this chapter right after writing "An Alliance Weekend" for Titles Change Lives. Yeah, you can imagine how that made me feel. One heavy chapter after another. And after that I worked on "That Took Long Enough", "A Godly Presence" and "Concerns For A Child". Also heavy chapters.
Oh joy,
Venquine1990
Chapter 34
Discussions, Curiosity And Concerns
3rd of November 1993
Entrance Hall, Hogwarts
Rosie's POV
"You don't really think mum would sink as low as those bastards used to, do you?" Iris asks, but I shake my head and say: "No, I don't. I just don't think some of you would be able to hear these things, even if they're not on the same level as those Muggles." And with that do I chance a look at Harry, who sighs and says:
"You're right there. I just – I don't get it. I mean, I've always seen signs of discontent between Mrs. Weasley and the twins, but I never thought they'd go this far. I just don't get why I never saw it." But I smile at the boy, who has turned out much better than I ever expected after finding out about his fame and I say:
"It's because of what you told Arthur yourself, sweetie. Because you have always seen more signs of the Weasleys loving each other than this discontent, did you never get the chance to see just how deep it actually runs. It was your upraising that made you blind to the signs." At this Harry nods in understanding and he asks:
"So what do we do now?" And I turn to the rest of the two groups as I say: "What your friends need to do is get together, present with future, and discuss which events of the future match with events of the past that made Jeremy say what he did. Why it is that Dudley and the others deserve whatever it is that we Magicals can do to them."
At this the two groups nod and then split up to do as I told them to. Yet Harry comes to stand with me and asks: "What do you think I should do?""Care for a talk?" I ask as I feel I can trust him with what has been bothering me for some time now and the boy smiles at me, obviously remembering the other times I asked that.
"What's on your mind?" He asks and I look up, Jeremy and Jason having made sure that everyone has somewhere to sit and thus allowing me to look over all of their heads and out the open doors as I say: "I don't know why, but – I am feeling some strange kind of connection whenever I am around that uncle of yours."
"Uncle Regulus?" Harry asks, but I shake my head and mutter: "The other one." Shocking Harry as he asks: "Professor Snape?" And while the eldest two of the groups look up, do I absently wave at them to just go on and they turn back to each other as I say: "I don't really know how to describe it, but it just feels – right."
This makes Harry grimace at me and I giggle as I say: "Not the way you're thinking, little one. I mean, right as in the way it feels right for Jack to be with Eddy and right in the way it feels for you to be with Jeffrey and Jessie.""Wait, could he be your brother?" Harry asks and I sigh as I mutter: "It really wouldn't surprise me."
"Why not?" Harry asks and I answer: "It's what I told your Headmaster when I had a chance to meet with him. I remember that I came to Hogwarts, that I sat under the Sorting Hat and that I underwent my OWLs and NEWTs, but – I don't remember their scores, what classes I was good at or who I used to hang out with.
I – I think I might just have been the first Pettigrew tried his MMB on and that it backfired horribly, which in turn inspired him to cast one all over Magical England." And Harry turns angry as he growls: "To make sure people wouldn't worry about you – because they had forgotten your entire existence as well as so much else."
I nod at him and I say: "And from that, he must have stemmed the rest of his little plan. His plan to kidnap the Prewett twins, your mother and the others, his plans to make people think you are an orphan with only a godfather instead of actual parents and maybe even his plans to kidnap all of the kids here with us."
"Really wouldn't put it past the bastard." A chorus of voices then sound behind us and I turn around, shocked to notice that Fred and George Weasley are behind me. Yet before I can ask them why they are here, does their friend actually slam the doors to the Great Hall behind himself, his face a mask of raging fury.
"She went way below belt, didn't she?" Harry asks and Lee nods before he snarls: "How can you be so calm about that?" And Harry answers: "Because I know she doesn't mean it and because I've always heard worse from those who actually did." And this simple stating of horrible facts seems to snap the boy out of his anger.
Instead he sighs in resignation as he asks: "That Marge?" To which Harry turns dark himself and he says: "Trust me, you're better off knowing as little as you do." The Rasta-styled tanned lad nods at this and then I get a need to hope that the others have had their chance to discuss stuff as the rest of the Weasleys join us.
"At least you don't really mean it." Lee mumbles as he looks at Mrs. Weasley and the woman looks at him shocked before she sends a guilty look at her twin sons, who chorus: "What Lee said." Making them receive a grateful smile from their mother before I notice Isaac taking stock of the others and he then stands up and moves over.
"Some of us have managed to find events of the last few years that are similar to what we experienced in the next three, but I can tell that the twins and Rosemary have trouble. Joshua and I had our own little discussion, but personally I think his event is worse than mine. Then again, I become more closed off the older I got."
And while the boy shrugs at this, do I wonder why this is and I can't help but chance a quick glance at Harry, hoping he hasn't spotted it. The boy seems oblivious to it, but I can't help but wonder if, as his bond with Isaac's sister grew, his bond with Isaac weakened and whether or not that made the boy become more closed off.
"Just – just tell us what you can, dear. I'm pretty sure we still have some time before the others finish the rest of the chapter.""It's not read yet?" I ask and Arthur sighs as he says: "The – you were right." At which I nod and Harry looks at the Weasley family as a whole as he asks: "Are you sure you want to hear those tales now?"
At which the Weasleys all share a look and Isaac says: "It would give us more time to discuss what to tell you. You know, recount which events that we've gone through with – well, him – make us hate him so much we'd go against why you work for your Department in the first place." At this Arthur sighs and then Percy says:
"Let's just wait a little longer, go back in and see if there is anything that can't be considered important to the plot before we decide when to relive those tales." And everyone nods before Isaac and Harry turn around to walk around the hall and inform the others of this decision. And while they do, do I motion Arthur.
The man walks with me and I ask: "What is your stance with Severus Snape? Are you and him on the same level as he believes to be on with Sirius and the others?" But Arthur, to my relief, shakes his head and says: "Severus and I have always been neutral to each other. Or, at least, for as long as I can actually remember."
And while I nod to indicate that I understand how he is referencing the MMB, do I look away as I ask: "You think you can get me to meet him one on one? I – I think he can help me on something that, so far, only your twin sons, Harry and Albus know about." But Arthur grimaces to prove that might not work and says:
"If Albus is aware of your problem then –." And I nod as I say: "Better it be his boss than just someone who is a neutral stranger to him. Thanks anyway." And Arthur nods at me before we all converge back in front of the Great Hall doors. And what we hear as we enter already makes me feel a whole lot better about all this.
Albus is reading and his voice alone makes me feel better and the fact that he reads of what happened at the end of that same evening, the evening Harry arrived at the Burrow for a summer stay, makes me feel confident that the chapter can only get better and will probably be over sometime soon. At this I let out a silent sigh of relief.
Harry also seems to enjoy what Albus read about as he makes a positive comment before happily joining back with his parents. But while Albus seems focused on how Amelia speaks with Arthur about what important stuff we missed, do I notice Harry sending Severus a curious glance, the man himself luckily oblivious to this.
We then read of Ron talking with Harry and Hermione about Sirius and why Harry doesn't tell them about the reason he wrote Sirius a few chapters ago and Sirius himself seems to find his son's emotional state more important than him sharing these facts with his friends. And Harry himself obviously appreciates this.
Yet then we reach a point that actually makes me feel angry with Molly for reasons I can't understand. And when James explains about the ranks of Houses and their Statuses, do I think: "Could that be the reason? Is Severus' line above the Weasley one in status?" And while this intrigues me even more do I listen to Albus as he reads.
The man reads the last bit of the chapter and while it ends in such a way I believe it will anger Molly, does it seem she is too worried about what her newly found daughters could potentially have to tell her to care about it. Albus then sets the book aside and asks about exactly those events, at which the two groups share looks.
"That depends. Do any of the next – five chapters – have a calm, filler-kind of title?" And Albus takes back the book and seems to mumble as he reads out the table of content. And for some reason does one of them actually make him whiten in a way I haven't seen since we read of the chapter describing the Dementor attack.
Harry and Minerva both call out to the man, who then orders Amelia to ensure that the World Cup is ensured of maximum security and when Cornelius, who for some reason looks pretty handsome when he doesn't wear his bowler hat, wants to try and comfort and reassure the man, does Albus explain him his reason behind the order.
And while I don't actually have any memories from the time that Voldemort was rampaging war on England, did I always retain the emotional trauma left behind from whatever happened to me at the time and hearing the name of a Mark that cost so many people either their lives or their loved ones does the same thing.
A Badger then asks if Pettigrew could be behind the title, but Isaac proves his intelligence as he says: "No, I don't think so. I think it's that servant Power was talking about. I think we're going to get our first glimpse of who that is." And while the boy doesn't say it, do I know what he isn't saying and why he won't say it.
"There is no way these students can enjoy the book if they realize how long it might take before we truly know who this servant is." I think and I look at Amelia and Cornelius. Yet while the woman is actually the one who leads the Aurors, does it seem as if Cornelius has more vigor in his need to see my silent request answered.
He nods at me and just by the look in his eyes do I know he will go above and beyond to make Albus' words come true and to make things even better and safer for the World Cup. "Just like he did before." I think, but then I feel something magically attacking me and I yelp at this, my hand reaching out to my temple as the pain attacks me there.
Instantly everyone looks at me and I mumble: "I – I'm starting to – to remember." And I look at Cornelius again, my eyes slightly teary due to the sudden pain I experienced, yet the man seems just as confused as I feel as to why looking at him and thinking of him could have sparked a memory suppressed by the MMB.
"What could have been his role in my life?" I wonder to myself and the man seems to wonder the same before Harry asks: "Are you feeling okay, Aunt Rosie?" And just like before, do I feel as if the boy has a more legitimate reason to call me that than he knows. Yet I ignore this feeling and just nod at him as he asks:
"What are the other chapters called?" And Albus relieves the entire Hall by reading them out loud. "The Portkey, Bagman and Crouch and The Quidditch World Cup." Harry nods and asks: "And the chapters after the Mark one?""Mayhem At The Ministry andAboard the Hogwarts Express." Albus reads, to which Harry says:
"Then I guess we better save the stories of the Gang and the Squad to the chapter about the Express. I mean, the Dementors won't be back in this story, so I guess the chapter is just filler about my friends and I guessing about the Mark, the Mayhem and that Goblet of Fire thing." At which everyone nods and Harry asks: "So who reads?"
Good question, Harry.
Unfortunately, it will be answered next chapter. And I am sorry that the chapter length for this one wasn't all that long – and that there wasn't any real discussion about what Dudley caused either the Gang or the Squad, but I had to take the time between them leaving and re-entering the Great Hall into account here.
And yes, I do think that, back when I wrote that chapter, I kind of did so on purpose. To be honest, I really don't know why I would postpone something like this, but I can only imagine that it's because I find it difficult – read "stupid" – enough to write about GoF and I don't feel like adding more negativity than I need to.
Understandable, right,
Venquine1990
PS. At the time that I was writing this, the waiting for Ultra Sun & Ultra Moon was KILLING! That week before the release date of anything you are anticipating to have/watch/play/whatever is just so HORRIBLE!
