A while later, Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, and Sprout were in the teacher's lounge, discussing their students. More specifically, Athena Washington.
"Filius, in all my life I have never came across the term Time-Jumping. Care to enlighten me?" Minerva asked of her old friend and colleague as she took a sip of her tea. Flitwick nodded, and proceeded to snatch a biscuit from the tray in front of them. He broke the biscuit in half, before starting to explain.
"Well, Time-Jumping is a very old, almost forgotten art. It is one of those things that cannot be taught; you must be born or gifted with the power. However, those who are born with the power are permitted by the higher-ups to bestow the gift upon others." Filius paused, to chew on the other half of the biscuit.
"That must be how General Washington was permitted to visit," mused Pomona, and Minerva nodded.
"Indeed, Pomona. The good General must have been allowed access to the gift by Miss Washington, but it would not surprise me if he were also born with the talent. After all, I can sense that he is very powerful. Did you know that he actually went here to Hogwarts?" Filius started to get excited, the way he did when he had a lot of information to share on a particular subject.
Pomona and Minerva stared at him, jaws agape.
"You're kidding me, right?" Pomona was the first to ask, and Filius shook his head.
"Couldn't he just have gone to Salem? The American wizarding school?" Asked Minerva, tilting her head to the side as she pondered the question.
Filius thought for a moment, taking a long drink from his cup of tea as wild guesses ran through his head. "I don't know, Minerva. Maybe we can ask him ourselves the next time he comes to visit Miss Washington. But from what I know, he was a Gryffindor, but definitely could have been in Slytherin if not for the fact that he argued with the Hat for a very long time."
Minerva felt pleased, knowing that the General that so many people had looked up to during trouble times had been a Lion. It warmed her heart, the thought of such a noble man in her house.
"But enough of that. Anyone fancy a game of chess?"
Athena Washington was playing chess with Flora Franklin the next day over breakfast, glancing toward the doors to the hall every ten seconds due to her great anticipation of George's visit that day. However, her peaceful morning was interrupted by the tiny form of her Head of House practically running into the Hall, skidding to a halt in front of her.
The words he spoke filled her with dread.
"Miss Washington, the General has been kidnapped, and I don't know where he went!"
Athena was out of her seat the moment he reached the word "kidnapped." Up at the high table, Dumbledore smirked, knowing that Quirrell had begun the plan that he had suggested. The Lieutenant's head turned toward him, and she lightly giggled (despite the situation), giving the old man the middle finger. His face reddened, but she and Professor Flitwick ran out of the hall too quickly for him to retaliate.
"This is the work of Dumbledore," she growled to herself as she clutched her wand tightly. "George, where can you be? I must find you before it is too late."
Filius suddenly looked as if he had a possible idea as to where the General could be. "The third floor corridor," he whispered, and Athena leaned closer so that she could actually hear him.
"I'm sorry? I couldn't quite hear you, Professor Flitwick."
"He's in the third floor corridor. I can feel it." reiterated the charms teacher, gesturing upwards toward where Athena knew that particular corridor was. Before they could move any more, they were intercepted by a voice the Lieutenant knew all too well.
"ATHENA! WAIT UP!"
Athena turned around as Draco, Flora, Hermione, and Padma sprinted toward them, and smiled.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"We want to help you, of course," Draco explained, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Look, we know how much the General means to you, and how heartbroken you would be if you lost him. Therefore, no matter how you protest, we are going to help you."
"Well then," Filius clapped his hands together, smiling. "Time grows short. Let's get this show on the road, shall we?"
"So, how did George get… lost?" Athena asked Flitwick, refusing to use the word kidnapped.
"I was standing at the door to greet him like always whenever a parent comes to visit, and I saw him walking toward the gates, but he vanished a minute later, not a trace of him to be seen!" Flitwick reflected Athena's emotions, in the same state of near panic that she was in. After all, he looked at each and every one of his Eagles as the children he never got to have.
He just hoped Miss Washington would survive this.
Author's Note: Hey guys! How are all my lovely readers?
To answer any questions, I am doing well. High school is actually really fun, and is not as bad as I thought it would be. Of course, my favorite course is AP European History,. (Yeah, I know, you are sooo shocked right now.) and my least favorite is *gag* algebra. Ew.
Anyways, I will try to finish the next chapter of WCCM tonight, and it should be posted by noon tomorrow if I can finish it before Mock Trial tryouts.
Please feel free to comment below with any ideas or constructive criticism!
Disclaimer: I do not own any part of the Harry Potter series or other fandoms mentioned/referenced within. It's FANfiction for a reason, lawyers.
