22. Jade's girl
Astoria slept the night in Jade's bed and fell asleep reading her friend's Grimoire. Jade had watched her all night and found it cute the girl still trusted her. She never had believed in friendship but Astoria changed her view. She stood up for Jade and never betrayed her. She did what Jade wanted from her even without her soul been taken.
"Do you have any advice for me?"
"Don't get yourself killed" Jade left the bed and put her Grimoire and gobstones in Astoria's bag. "And I will come with you. This magic is not made for everybody and you never used it. I don't want you do get injured or dying because you can't control what Hermione wants you to do"
"Jade, I'm sure I know what I'm doing. I'm not afraid of the magic because you saved me twice using gobstone magic. It's a good magic and I feel a bit sad we don't have each others pieces anymore. I felt close to you when I knew you had a piece of me" Astoria pulled her knees closer and watched Jade sit down next to her. Her hand touched Astoria's face and the witch even smiled. "I watched you and knew you are not afraid. You are my only friend, Astoria. I always controlled everybody to make sure they are loyal but... you never made me feel you don't trust me. Not even now. You are the only one I care about"
"I will never leave you" Astoria held Jade's hand and smiled with her friend. "I care only about you too. I will do the spell with Hermione but I believe you are the better witch. I'm sorry you can't do the magic with us"
"I will be with you. We fight side by side" Jade and Astoria both promised each other to look out for each other and fight.
In another room Draco and Ron held hands too. They were already up for two hours when Hermione knocked on the door. She didn't look as confident as she used to be and faulted her hands. "Ron, can we talk?"
"I have no secrets from Draco. You can talk to him" Ron heard Hermione sighed and made sure Draco didn't leave for the sake of her and his boyfriend's friendships with his best friend. Instead both boys watched her coming closer and sighed again. "I came to apologize to you. It wasn't fair to think are under a spell. You care for Draco and he obviously cares for you. I... I felt alone when you was with him"
"You are not alone. I'm still your friend and one day you find love too" Ron hugged Hermione while Draco smiled. "Until then you still have Scabior"
"Thank you, Draco, I had hoped to forget his soul part is always mine because otherwise we can't help Salem" Hermione left to find the snatcher who was studying a map of Salem in the kitchen. Chris had marked important places and personalities.
Now it was Scabior's job to figure out the shortest ways from one to another and which of them was going where. Hermione interrupted him and made him look up at her. "What do you want? You already have my soul, what else could you want?"
"Stop this. I'm sorry about this but I can't change it. If I give you back your soul I can't be a gobstone witch and Astoria can't do this spell alone. All I can do is promise I won't make you do anything you don't want to" Hermione was getting angry and ignored Scabior was grinning and walking around the table. "I was just joking, Hermione. I don't care if you boss me around. Many people did before you and I still look up to Jade. I'm not a powerful wizard myself and so I stay around them. Guess, now I have to stay around you forever; better get used to it"
"You... you are not even angry with me?"
"No, why should I? Of course I didn't want to get killed when your spell didn't work properly but now I don't see why it shold be a problem for me. I will get saved by you and have to be loyal to a great witch. I see only good for me" Hermione was confused by Scabior's honesty. All the past weeks she had thought he hated her for doing the spell and now he proved her wrong. Scabior even enjoyed the fact to be serving her and didn't think of himself as being a slave.
Scabior's opinion on his situation gave her new hope. Maybe it wasn't so bad what they would do to some of the muggles. It was for a greater good and this made her smile a little too. "Thank you, Scabior"
Another hour later all of them were meeting in the kitchen and talked their plan through for one last time. Astoria would take one half of town and stay with Jade, Draco and Ron while Hermione would go with Scabior and Chris.
While Astoria's group left earlier Hermione's group waiting at the house after Chris called his father. The major should be the first to be taken his soul from and help to persuade the rest of the village. When he came home he was alone and Chris led him to his office where Hermione pointed her wand at him.
Scabior grabbed the major by his shoulders and stood behind him to make sure the man won't escape and warn others. Hermione's spell made him quiet and acting politely. He hugged his son and even congratulated Chris who blushed. "Hermione, thank you so much. My father hasn't been like this for years. I can barely remember how he showed his love for me or told me that he's proud but look at him now... you made him a better man again"
Hermione was glad to see Chris happy and let him take his father back to city hall while she herself left with Scabior to follow the map and stick to the plan.
Jade and Astoria led the boys to the west end of the town. Chris had given them the names of a lawyer and a baker who both had a lot of influence talking to many citizens of Salem every day. First one on their list was the lawyer and Astoria got a bit scared when they entered his house.
The young witch suddenly didn't feel like she could do it but with Jade by her side she kept walking and searched every toom for the lawyer. It turned out the man wasn't even at home and the friends quickly left to try all over again at the baker.
At the bakery Draco sealed the door behind them to make sure they weren't interupted and Jade put all her gobstones on the counter while Ron and Astoria walked on into the kitchen. The man himself stood by the large oven and wanted to strike against the witches but wasn't fast enough. Astoria's spell hit his chest and let the man sink to the ground. He moved a bit in pain before hi soul part left his bod alone and turned into one of the gobstones.
"Yes, I did it! Did you see me?" Astoria was excited and hugged Jade tighter this time. With the Grimoire in her hands she followed Jade outside while Draco and Ron took care of the unconcious baker.