Chapter 10: Attack
"Oh hell, Fred!" I groaned, lurching forward and falling heavily to my knees, leaning over the tiny body of my little brother. All the memories of these first two months of school where I'd barely paid him a second glance rushed to the front of my mind, swimming before my eyes.
His dark skin was unusually pale and covered with a sheen of sweat. I squeezed his hand, our connected fingers two different shades of brown. Blood had pooled from a dirty-looking cut on the back of his head and I let out a little moan, my stomach lurching. Somehow, my arm seemed to rise of its own accord and my wand shot off red sparks into the sky, the international sign of trouble.
It wasn't long before Fred's eyelids began to flutter. Behind me, my friends panicking and shooting more sparks into the air; that was all a blur.
"Fred, please, wake up," I pleaded, leaning over him. I didn't know what to do; I didn't know a single healing spell like Mum. I knew his cut was bleeding a lot, and the blood hadn't stopped. At one point, Stefan knelt down beside me and we fashioned a sort of tourniquet out of a strip of my robe.
"Roxie," Fred whispered, lips dry. He opened his eyes, the whites bloodshot. "He came after me...he asked me if I knew anything about...shields." I choked back a sob, tears falling onto Fred's small chest.
"Who came after you, Freddie?" I tried to smile, but my watery eyes gave me away.
"That dark man...I can't remember," Fred whispered, his voice tiny. I had to lean down and place my ear next to his mouth to hear him. "I can't remember, Roxie...I fell and hit my head..."
"It's okay, Freddie." I was crying openly now, clutching his hand tightly like both of us would die if he let go. "It's okay, just..." Then I was yanked away from my little brother as teachers descended upon the scene; McGonagall, Madame Pomfrey, Kingsley: our little spot in the woods was flooded with light and voices. Anna, Lorcan, Stefan and I were all pushed back to the outer edge as Fred was lifted onto a magical stretcher and levitated back to the castle. Next thing I knew I was in Stefan's arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
When I lifted my head, growing slightly calmer, I glimpsed a face and pair of eyes peering out of the trees.
"Hey!" I called out, taking a shaky step forward. The moon shone down from a break in the trees, and right before the man sprinted off, I caught a glimpse of his face.
He was Professor Grigor Nikola.
And then, something Fred had said clicked in my head. He came after me...he asked me if I knew anything about...shields...
Shields. That meant someone else knew about the souls, Fred and how ever many others there were. And now it was obvious just who that someone was: Nikola. He must have been the ones to write on those star maps Stefan and I had found so long ago, and it made sense, too! The man was evil, I'd known it all along! He was trying to corner Fred, for whatever reason-maybe because he was young and easily intimidated-and approach him about the shields!
And if he was the one who wrote on the maps, that means he also knew about the day where he could bring the souls back to the land of the living.
Was it just a strange coincidence that he and his crew of Durmstrang students came at just the right time for it? Was it a coincidence that he discovered it after he came, or was his trip to Hogwarts not a coincidence at all, but a carefully planned mission under the guise of international cooperation?
And what did Nikola need those shields for? I had too many questions, and not enough answers.
"Roxanne Weasley." I looked up from my writing, toward McGonagall's desk. Her lips were pursed, and her eyes sympathetic. A first year had just delivered a note to her which she held in her hand. "Come here, please." I could feel every single pair of eyes in the classroom on my back as I walked forward to the front of the Transfiguration classroom.
"Professor Kingsley would like to see you in his office immediately. I trust you know where it is?" I nodded tersely, and turned stiffly. It couldn't be anything about my little brother Fred, was it? His head injury was minimal...he had come out of his potion-induced coma yesterday and was just fine now. Well, other than his missing memories. The professors were putting it down to a 'tripping accident' for lack of better evidence. And it wasn't like I could come forward with my suspicions about Nikola because that's all they were: suspicions. No one would believe me. I hadn't even talked to Stefan yet.
I hurriedly made my way to the Headmaster's office, all the while dreaming up scary scenarios where various members of my family members ended up in Azkaban, hurt by a resurrected Death Eater, or both.
"Miss Weasley, please come with me." Professor Kingsley stepped out quickly from behind the staircase hidden behind a stone gargoyle, which was temporarily sprung to the side. He gestured for me to start up the stairs, and I complied immediately. "I apologize for removing you from Transfiguration, but I'm afraid the matter is urgent."
"Is it Fred?" I asked anxiously, heart seizing as we came upon the door.
"No." Kingsley pushed open the door with his purple-robed arm, and it creaked slightly as it swung in to reveal a large, circular office with all sorts of books, colorful tapestries, maps and large moving photographs. "A friend of yours is in a compromising emotional situation...I thought it would be best to summon you."
"Melody!" I gasped, running forward to the middle of the room where my best friend sat in the middle of the rug, completely dazed. She turned her glassy eyes toward me, face emotionless. Madame Pomfrey was standing to the side, her hand to her trembling mouth.
"Miss Weasley, your friend Miss Porter has experienced quite a lot of stress this year and the most recent developments have pushed her into hysterics. Madame Pomfrey has her sedated with calming potions, but I thought it would be best for her to see a friendly face." With these mysterious words Kingsley gently pushed me forward and I stumbled toward Melody, arms reaching out as I fell to my knees next to her. I wrapped my arms around her shoulders and rested my head on her shoulder. She made no move except to rest her head on my own, and both the Professors tactfully stepped deeper into the office, shutting the door behind them.
"Miss Porter," Kingsley said softly, sticking his head out one more time. "Tell her. She deserves to know sooner rather than later." Melody looked at the floor, and Kingsley shut the door.
"Melody," I said softly, looking up at her carefully. "Mel, what is it?"
"My parents have disowned me," she said flatly, turning her head to stare at me. Her eyes were glassy, and her hair was one big rat's nest. Her muggle clothes were rumpled and dirty like she'd not only slept in them but had been wearing them for the past week.
"Wh-what?" I gasped, completely shocked. "Why?!"
"Don't tell anyone," Melody gasped, and I could tell her calming potion was starting to wear off. Her blue eyes began to brim with tears. "But it's because I'm a witch. I've got nowhere to go." She gave me a sad smile, and my brow furrowed.
Absolutely nothing she had just told me made one tiny bit of sense.
Firstly, Melody's muggle parents couldn't have disowned her for being a witch; that was a flat-out lie seeing as they'd known she was since first year, and okay, they had never been thrilled, but disowning her? What the hell?
And she had no one to stay with? Her extended family was almost as big as mine!
"Melody, you're lying to me," I said quietly. "Something's been going on all year and I want to know what it is. Ever since the train ride to Hogwarts you've been emotional and depressed. Anna says she's seen you throwing up and you're sick all the time. When you had that 'allergic reaction-'" I finger-quoted-"-a month ago, we were all worried sick because when we first checked in the hospital wing, you weren't in your bed when Madame Pomfrey said you were. You weren't there til later. And then that vial from Aunt Hermione. What was it? If Stefan knows, Melody, you can tell your best friend." My face was growing red, and I grabbed Melody's hands so she would be forced to look at me. "And you've got all these weird injuries, don't think I haven't noticed!" My voice rose as I pushed up her sleeves to reveal all the erratic cuts on her arms, and gestured to the ones on her neck and legs. "And poor Ivan, you've got him terrified that you're cutting yourself, or depressed, or-" my voice broke, and I choked back a sob. "Mel, you've got to talk to me. I've tried to be understanding and not pester you. But I can't do that anymore. You need to tell me, right now, what's going on, because I am pretty damn scared for you, Mel," I said angrily, squeezing her hands and then letting go.
"Roxanne," Melody spoke my name as she exhaled slowly. "I know-I know I've been unreasonable..." she trailed off, and I threw my hands up exasperatedly.
"And how am I supposed to even know if you're lying to me about this disowning thing?!" I cried. "You lied about whatever was in that vial Aunt Hermione was sending you, if I have to I'll pester Stefan till he tells me, I swear I will! I haven't done it because I've respected your privacy but I can get him to tell me!" My eyes flashed, and Melody's grew wide with fright.
"He won't!" She whispered, her face pasty white.
"Then why won't you?" All my anger receded and all that was left was a heavy weight of horror at giving out to Melody when she was so fragile like this.
"I'm sorry, Roxanne," she whispered, and I gave in. I wrapped my arms around her and we cried on the floor of the Headmaster's office.
"Miss Weasley!" It wasn't long before Kingsley burst out from behind the door, and Mel and I wiped our eyes and stood.
"Yes Professor?" I took a shuddering breath. I was pretty sure I'd cried more this year than the rest of my life put together.
"An urgent situation at home has occurred-" his eyes flickered to Melody. "A family problem, so if you will, and you too, Miss Porter, if you will, please round up the rest of the Weasley and Potter children and bring them here-"
"What is it, sir?" I blurted, and he fixed me with a deep brown stare. "Sorry," I blushed, looking down at the floor.
"Victoire and Teddy have returned home."
I was already sprinting out the door and down the steps.
"Rose!" I bellowed, running like a maniac down the Great Hall. Most of the students were congregated there now for lunch, and now they all looked at me like I had a mental disease.
"Rose!" I exclaimed, grabbing her shoulder to stop myself, jerking to a standstill. "Are you and Scorp going out now-oh that's cool-Ted and Vic are back-come on help me get the other cousins!" I let out in one breath and then went running down toward the Ravenclaw table yelling, "Liiiiilyyyyyy!" And Rose went the other way screeching for Louis and that pretty much snowballed until basically every redhead in the Great Hall was running around like a crazed lunatic.
At last, only Al was left. Of course. We had been nothing but cordial to each other since our fight in the corridor about a month ago, and I was extremely hurt because he'd chosen Nadia over me. Oh yes, now they were officially dating as well so Nadia and I were back to practically spitting in each other's faces again whenever we saw each other.
I went running down the corridors, really hoping Al wasn't where I thought he'd be. He and Nadia seemed to have these 'special little places' all over the palace, and I knew a bit of a secret passage left over from the Battle of Hogwarts hidden behind a tapestry where they usually went to 'be alone.'
I yanked it open, breathing out a sigh of relief but also disgusted to see my cousin and Nadia twined around each other, passionately snogging. They pulled apart with a great sucking noise and I yanked Al by the hair out into the corridor.
"Ow-ow-ow!" He yelled, slapping at my hand. "What are you doing, Weasley?" He shouted, straightening indignantly.
"Oh, it's Weasley now, is it Potter?" I snapped, crossing my arms.
"Whoa, you look scarily like Aunt Angelina now so please just calm down a little bit Roxanne-"
"Albus Severus Potter, are you ready to grow up and listen to me?!" I exclaimed, my eyes flashing. "TED AND VIC ARE HOME AND IF YOU WANT TO STAY AND SNOG NADIA THEN FEEL FREE TO DO SO BUT I THOUGHT I'D WARN YOU-" Al pulled me into a bone crushing hug, ruffling my hair.
"Oi!" I said indignantly, brow furrowing. "Al, what are you doing?!"
"I missed you, cuz!" He exclaimed. "I don't care what Nadia says, I'm still going to hang out with you."
"Nadia-what?" I spluttered. Alright, now I knew I was right to be suspicious of that girl.
Al took my arm and began to pull me down the corridor. Funny, he didn't even know where we were going. Though he hadn't made any wrong turns just yet. Maybe he'd heard all the yelling from the Great Hall. "You listened to her?" I spluttered, more surprised yet.
Al just laughed in response, and we practically flew down to Kingsley's office.
"I'm going first, she's my sister!" Louis was bellowing, red-faced.
"No, I am!" Fred was screaming back. "I'M THE YOUNGEST!"
"At least I'm going before those two!" Lily was protesting, pointing to Molly and Lucy and looking at Kingsley expectantly as if he were referee. He was looking helplessly at them, and McGonagall was trying to no avail to calm us all down.
I decided to take advantage of the complete pandemonium in the suddenly cramped Headmaster's office and snuck forward quietly, darting toward the fireplace-
"Ouch!" I hissed as I smacked headlong into Rose, who apparently had had the same idea as me. "Wand cloak stone?" I proposed, holding up a hand.
"You're on!" She agreed and we quickly dueled.
"Wand cloak stone one two three go!" We whispered fiercely.
"Ha ha, cloak beats stone!" I did a small happy dance, quickly grabbing a bit of floo powder and stepping forward, shouting the address of the Burrow.
In a swirl of ash and green flames I was transported across the country, catching snippets of other people's living rooms along the way.
I finally stumbled out into the carpet, flying into a very shocked Ted Lupin's arms.
"Roxie!" He exclaimed, grinning and pulling me into a bear hug. "It's been ages!" He pulled back to look at me. "Have you grown another couple centimeters or-"
"Oh, shush!" I protested, smacking his arm. "Oh, I'm glad you're back!" I threw my arms around him once more and inhaled his familiar smell.
"Oh sorry, I've got ash all over your shirt-Victoire!" I shouted, interrupting myself and turning next to my veela cousin who had stood from her seat on the couch, grinning hugely. She wrapped me into a tight hug, her soft hair spilling over and tickling my cheek.
"Oh, I've missed you, love," she laughed, grinning. "I've got loads of adventures to tell you about, once we can get away, later!" She gave me one more squeeze and then turned toward the fireplace, which was just beginning to spit out the rest of the cousins.
"Roxanne!" My mother yelled, running forward to wrap me in a tight hug, lifting me off the ground with enthusiasm. "Oh, I've worried so much, I just knew something was going to happen this year and then Fred goes off and hits his head and no one knows what happens, I bet those Durmstrangs are at the bottom of it, no doubt-"
"Roxie!" My father exclaimed from behind her, holding his arms out for a hug, his blue eyes sparkling and grin huge. One look at him and I began to think of Fred. His smile was quickly replaced with one of terror. Could he read my mind?
"D-Dad," I spluttered as he enfolded me in a hug, giving a rather panicky look to Mum over my head. He closed the door behind him, and we were alone in the kitchen as he hugged me and I tried to reign in my emotions. How could I not tell him about Fred, his brother? His twin, his best friend? I knew that as I looked at my dad, I was also seeing voice.
"Roxanne, what's the matter?" Dad asked softly, stroking my hair.
"I-just..." I squeezed my eyes shut tight. "Missed you," I cracked a smile.
"Missed you too, Roxie," he grinned, and gave me another tight hug. "Just as long as you don't start crying...are you okay? Really, you can tell me, love. Boy problems? I've still got quite a few trunks of Weasley's Wizard Wheeze's you know you're entitled to," he said, eyebrow raised over a mischievously twinkling blue eye.
"No boy troubles, Dad," I laughed, and the second thing my mind turned to was Al, with his problems concerning the opposite gender. The first thing that had flown into my mind worried me a little: Stefan.
"Alright then," Dad scratched his head, looking rather helpless. He actually looked a bit disappointed; I could tell he really wanted to bust out his joke products. "Ready to get back out there?"
"Sure," I nodded, smiling. "And on second thought Dad, I'd really like those trunks." I tried to hold in a smile as I thought of Nadia meeting Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Unexpectedly, in a preferably loud, public way.
Dad and I stepped back into the living room, and now every single person in our family-minus Dom-was perched on chairs and sofas. We all looked from Ted to Victoire, the tension mounting in the room.
"So," my father began, breaking the silence. "I'm thinking of reopening Weasley's Wizard Wheezes."
"Son, that's great!" Grandpa Arthur bellowed, trying to overcompensate for the unusual silence in the room.
"George, what a fantastic plan!" Aunt Audrey beamed prettily at Dad.
"Yes, it was all George's idea, he thinks it's a great thing to do and honor Fred's memory..." Mum continued.
"Victoire!" Teddy shouted, and everyone in the room jumped. We stared at Ted silently with wide eyes. The color of his hair and eyes were flickering between colors faster than my eye could track them, and he took a slow step toward Victoire. "Victoire Weasley," he began softly, taking her hands. "I can't even begin to comprehend what this must be like for you. The...love potion and all. And I completely understand if...if you need a...a break, but-but Victoire, I love you," Ted's voice broke and he looked just like a kid again, his eyes shining down at Victoire. She looked up at him with wide eyes, her face completely radiant. I knew Dominique was wrong. They were perfect for each other. "And I still want to be with you, if...if you'll have me."
"Teddy Lupin, you silly boy," Victoire threw her arms around his neck. "I have always wanted to be with you." The room burst into applause and Teddy wrapped his arms around Victoire's neck, lifting her off the ground in exuberance.
"Finally!" I squealed to Rose, who was next to me and she nodded so hard I thought her head was going to fall off. We both exchanged huge grins, and turned back to Ted and Victoire.
"When I first left, I didn't really know where I was going. I stayed in the Hog's Head a few nights, and met some...er...shady characters," Victoire winced, remembering.
"Like who?" I asked eagerly. The two of us were sitting outside leaned up against a tree that had shed its leaves for the winter. There was no snow on the ground, but the sky was gray and the November air was chilly. "Well, d'you remember what your parents told you about Cornelius Fudge? The old Minister for Magic?" I nodded. "Well, he was there with some vampire, and the vampire tried to bite me...anyway, I'm alright, obviously, but that ended my stay at the Hog's Head.
"I know my sister, so I thought she'd travel to France. She wasn't there, but I found a hint that she had been, at least at one point. Pretty soon, she knew I was following her and it became a mad chase of me closing in and her trying to escape without a love potion-drugged Teddy suspecting anything. One time she tried to evade me she had to board a muggle cruise line with Teddy!
"So then...well, that incident led to several muggles' memories being obliviated because Dom put up a huge fuss when she saw I'd apparated into one of the ship's linen closets. And I cornered her, so she couldn't just apparate out! Then, with every single muggle watching and chanting "fight! fight! fight!" like we were some sort of entertainment-"
There was a loud crack and we saw the back of Dominique's strawberry-blonde head as she was violently spit out of thin air, running up to the door without seeing us and pounding furiously.
"Please open the door! Is Victoire here?" She was yelling, and we both saw Aunt Fleur rush to her daughter.
"Dominique!" She exclaimed, throwing open the door and enfolding her daughter in a bone-crushing hug. Then she began to angrily chatter in French, and went back and forth between giving out to her daughter and hugging her.
"Mum, is Victoire here?" Dominique interrupted, pushing past into the room of wide-eyed Weasleys and Potters.
Victoire pushed forward, walking briskly into the house.
I ran after her, and we met up with Dom in the living room.
"Oh, I'm so sorry," Dominique began to sob in front of all of us, putting her hands over her face. My eyes flickered to Ted; he was looking at her with horror and ferocity written clearly over his face. It was as if a shadow had passed over his features, and I remembered then that his father was a werewolf.
"Victoire, I know you can never forgive me," she whispered, slowly removing her hands from her face, her blue eyes bright and shiny with tears. Bill took a lurching step forward toward his youngest daughter, but stopped himself. Dom had betrayed us all when she betrayed Victoire, and a practically tangible wall had come down between her and the rest of us. She was a stranger, and all the times we'd played together as children were like a dream. I ached to talk to her, but she was...different. Sadder. Older. "But I'm going to make it up to you. I will, I promise."
With that, a crack shot through the air, making everyone jump. And then Dom was gone.
"Well," Aunt Audrey said loudly, trying to diffuse the tension. "I have...cookies in the kitchen, if anyone wants them..." she trailed off. Not even James and Hugo jumped at the sound of Audrey's cookies. Grandma Molly was standing next to me, silent tears streaming down her face. I wrapped my arms around her stout body and she jumped a bit, surprised, like she had been living in the past. Uncle Percy shot a furtively guilty look at his mother, and I rested my head on Grandma's shoulder. Maybe she was remembering when Uncle Percy himself put something else above his family, and how that turned out.
"Roxanne, there you are!" Uncle Harry was weaving through all of the cousins toward me. Several hours later and the sun had set; we were all travelling back to Hogwarts and were now standing in the living room of the Burrow, trying to delay our departure. "Do you remember the job I gave you before you came to Hogwarts?" He said in a low voice so only I could hear.
"Of course!" I exclaimed, and a look of relief washed over his face. "I've been working on it practically every day, Uncle Harry. It's coming close, I know it. Are you sure I can do this?"
"I know you have the ability," Harry said firmly. "And I know you're worried about...the legality of it all, but you know I wouldn't ask you to do anything that would get you in trouble. You just focus on changing, and leave the rest to me." He smiled, pulling me into a hug.
"Bye, Uncle Harry!" I shouted as I stepped into the fireplace. "Don't worry, even though you won't tell me what it's for, I'll do it," I teased him, stepping into the green flames.
"Hey, Weasley!" I turned around to see Stefan grinning as he tapped one shoulder and then popped up on my other side.
"That's the oldest trick in the book, Stefan," I groaned, shoving him playfully. "What are you doing here anyway?"
"Sending an owl. What are you doing, staring all broody out the window at the lovely snow?" Stefan joined me standing in front of the glassless opening in the stone wall. I was actually staring after the owl I had just sent out to Victoire and Ted, but I had lost sight of it seconds after it took flight because of the thick, heavy snow falling to blanket the ground.
"Maybe," I grinned as the wind tossed my hair around my shoulders. We grinned at each other, holding eye contact for just a second longer than necessary. I looked down suddenly, cheeks flaming red. I traced the stone pattern on the window sill with my gloved hand, hair falling down in front of my face.
"Are you alright?" Stefan asked, putting a hand on my shoulder. I jumped slightly, not expecting the sudden contact.
"What do you mean?" I coughed, looking up to meet his concerned expression.
"Well, you and all your cousins sort of disappeared from school yesterday," he said with sort of a 'duh' sound to his words.
"Oh...well, you remember I told you about Victoire and Ted and Dom?" I began, looking at my gloves. "Well, they came back. And Vic and Ted are back together, she found him on a muggle cruise ship. And then Dom said she'd make it up to Victoire somehow. I don't know how she's going to do-"
"Stefan!" A blonde Hufflepuff in my year, Lucy Brookes, bounded forward and planted a kiss on Stefan's cheek. She wrapped her arms around his waist and settled her head on his shoulder. She looked at me pleasantly, smiling.
"Hello, Roxanne! How are you?" She asked brightly. She was a very pretty girl, with dark eyes, tan skin, and short blonde hair. She had a lot of boyfriends, but she was practically the nicest girl in Hogwarts.
"Great," I said tersely. "Stefan, I was just about to talk to you..." I ground my teeth together. I had never had a problem with Lucy, but suddenly her perky attitude and sunny disposition were very annoying indeed. I bet she was taunting me behind that pretty face, too. About what though, I didn't know. It's not like she had anything that I wanted.
A sudden, sharp pain in my hands caused me to look down. I hadn't realized I'd been digging my fingernails into my palms until now. I put my arms down at my sides.
"What?" Stefan was asking, and I noticed he had his arm wrapped around Lucy's waist, holding her to his side securely. How sweet.
"Er, are you a couple?" I pointed to them.
"What? Oh, yes," Stefan grinned down at Lucy, giving her a peck on the lips. "Just of yesterday!"
"Congrats on your one day anniversary," I said sardonically, but Lucy just grinned and thanked me, so I could tell she didn't catch my sarcasm. A strange look flitted across Stefan's face, so I wasn't sure if he'd noticed or not. "Well, happy cuddling, you two, I've got to go wait for Melody because she'll be back soon." My voice was strained as I turned and walked out of the Owlery. My insides felt strangely uncomfortable, and my heart was beating unusually fast. I shook my head. I must be getting sick. I hadn't been in a while, so I was probably due to catch the flu or something.
"Roxanne!" A shout from down the corridor behind me reached my ears, and I turned around to see Stefan running toward me, sans Lucy. I just stood there, not really sure what to do.
"So, you've got a girlfriend." It came out harsher than I intended.
"That's not a crime, you know," Stefan said lightly.
"I know that," I snapped.
"What did you want to talk to me about?"
"The portkey station, last summer in France." I crossed my arms and the smile fell off Stefan's face.
"I've already told you, I wasn't there! Whatever happened to you, it wasn't me. Why can't you tell me instead of just closing up like a clam whenever I mention it so I can at least assure you that I had nothing to do with it?" Stefan's words were smooth, but I had known him long enough now to tell when he was lying.