CHAPTER 10: TEAM BONDING
Artimus grimaced as he rubbed his knee. The healing spell Lavender Brown had cast began to wear off. White hot bolts of pain stabbed his knee. He shifted on the cushion and closed his eyes.
I wish I could see a healer. I wish this pain would stop.
"Hey, buddy."
Artimus opened his eyes to find Jared kneeling beside him.
"How's the knee feel?" Jared slapped him on the shoulder.
"It's . . . doing okay." He clenched his teeth, hoping Jared believed his lie. His knee hurt like hell. But he couldn't let on to his friend. Hell, Jared played hockey for Blazenrowe Hall, as did Jimmy and Rosa. They got banged up all the time, but never let on how much they hurt. How often had he dreamed of being just as tough as them? Tough enough to deal with a swollen knee without wanting to burst into tears. Tough enough to jump into a fight without a second thought.
Tough enough to stand up to his father.
"I still can't believe this happened." Artimus scowled and gingerly rubbed his knee. His neck muscles clenched as another jolt of pain ripped through him.
"Hey," Jared shrugged. "This could have happened to anyone."
Artimus groaned in response. He wondered if Jared just said that to make him feel better.
"C'mon, look on the bright side." Jared gave him a sly grin. "You got that sexy little Gryffindor chick looking after you."
Artimus managed a smile. True, Lavender was very beautiful. Right up there with Cecelia Malfoy.
He sighed softly and let his eyes drop. A familiar pain wrapped around his heart. He still missed her. Cecelia, cast out by the other Malfoys because her father dared to marry a Muggle-born, used as an unsuspecting pawn to spread the Projection Potion throughout the Salem Witches Institute.
The girl he'd fallen in love with. More importantly, she had loved him back.
But she was gone now. Taken into protective custody by the Order of the Phoenix. Is she even in this country?
"You know," Jared continued, snapping Artimus out of his reverie. "I never realized Hogwarts was loaded with so many hot girls."
"Well, Jimmy showed us pictures of some of them."
"Pictures alone don't do these girls justice. Besides, the way Jimmy kept going on about Mireet Miradeaux, you'd think she was the only babe at this school. Just look around, man."
Jared swept his hand across the Room of Requirement. Artimus followed his friend's movement, taking in the little knots of students chatting as they waited for that weird Luna girl to come back.
"I mean, Angelina Johnson looks like she could pin you to a wall and have her way with you. Not that I'd complain. And what about that Cho Chang? Holy friggin' crap, do you want me to tell you what goes through my mind every time I look at her? That Ginny Weasley's a little hottie, too. Heck, even that brainy chick, Granger, ain't half-bad."
"I'm sure Michelle would love to hear you talk like this." Artimus referred to Jared's girlfriend back at Salem, Michelle Bunker.
"I didn't say I was gonna try to do anything with these Hogwarts babes. What's that Muggle phrase Jimmy uses? Oh yeah. The candy store philosophy. You can look, but you can't touch."
Artimus chuckled, until his knee burned with pain.
"So how's our patient doing?"
Artimus swallowed at the soft feminine voice. His heartbeat picked up as Lavender Brown approached.
"Oh, um, it's . . ." He wanted to lie and say it was fine. He sure as hell didn't want to look like a wimp in front of this girl. But if he said his knee was fine, would she leave? Even though their few minutes together had been to treat his injured knee, he did like Lavender's company. He vaguely remembered Jimmy mentioning her as being a bit of a snob. But she had been nice to him while casting those healing spells. Outside of Rosa Infante and Cecelia Malfoy, pretty girls barely acknowledged his existence.
And Lavender Brown, with her raven hair, clear skin and classic features, was very, very pretty.
Artimus chewed on his lip, still trying to figure out a response.
Jared beat him to it. "You know, I think my friend may need to have his knee looked at again. He told me it's still bothering him."
Artimus whipped his head toward Jared, eyes wide with shock. How could he say that? Would Lavender think him a cry baby?
Jared winked at him and rose to his feet. "I'll just leave you two be. Healer/Patient privilege, you know."
With a parting grin, Jared strode off.
Artimus noticed Lavender watch him leave. His heart sunk. Of course Lavender would be eying Jared instead of him.
"So . . ." Lavender looked away from Jared and focused on him. "Let's take a look."
She knelt beside him. While Lavender studied his knee, Artimus gazed at her face. Merlin's beard, she was beautiful. Okay, she did wear quite a bit of make-up, but he felt she would be just as beautiful without it.
Say something to her.
He bit down on his lower lip, thinking . . . and thinking. His mind kept drawing blanks.
"How's that? Better?" She looked at him when she finished casting her spells.
"Yeah, it is. Thanks." Artimus smiled, relieved not to feel shooting pain any more.
Suddenly he found his opening.
"You're going to make a great healer one day."
"I doubt it." Lavender frowned slightly.
"What do you mean?"
Lavender sighed and sat with her legs tucked under her. "I really don't have a burning desire to be a healer."
"But you're really good at it."
"I just know some basic spells thanks to my parents. They're both healers."
"And they want you to follow in their footsteps?"
Lavender nodded.
Artimus' shoulders sagged. "I know that feeling."
"What do your parents want you to do?"
"It's my father more than anyone. My real mother died when I was four."
"Oh. I'm sorry." Lavender reached out and placed her hand on top of Artimus'. His hand stiffened for a moment, then relaxed.
"Thanks. I actually have a step-mother, my third one now. Not that she really has much interest in me. Anyway, my father owns a chain of magical supply shops throughout North America. Actually, our family's owned it for about two hundred-fifty years."
"And he wants you to continue the family tradition, I gather?."
Artimus groaned. "I don't have the head for business like Dad does. More importantly, I don't have the interest. And then there are all his business friends. Stuck up, old money idiots who look down their noses at anyone who doesn't have at least three bank vaults filled with gold pieces . . . or anyone who happens to be Muggle-born."
Lavender crinkled her face in annoyance. Even that couldn't detract from her beauty. "What a load of rubbish. I know plenty of Muggle-borns who are just as talented as any pureblood."
"Same here. Not that my father would believe that."
"Here's an idea. Don't work for him."
"It's not that easy." Artimus' face sagged.
"Why?"
"My brother Hector struck out on his own. He went to work for the Department of Magic. Dad was furious. Said a civil servant job was beneath the dignity of the Rand family. He told Hector to quit and come work for him. Hector answered by slamming the door on his way out of the house. They've barely spoken since."
"And you're worried the same will happen to you?"
Artimus nodded. "That and . . . well, let's say I do decide to work outside my father's business. What if I fail at whatever I'm doing? Do I go crawling back to him? Will he even help me out?"
"Then don't fail."
"But what if I do?"
"Look, Artimus." Lavender scooted closer. His chest tightened as he caught her flowery scented perfume. "Do you know what I want to do when I graduate from Hogwarts?"
"What?"
"Me and my friend, Parvati Patil, want to be models for Witches Fashion Monthly."
"Really?" Artimus knew she'd be a natural for something like that given her looks.
"Uh-huh. You wouldn't believe how many rows I've gotten into with my parents. 'You're doing nothing to help wizarding society,' they say. Or my dad saying, 'I won't have my daughter treated like a piece of meat.'"
"So what do you say to them?"
"I say when I turn seventeen, it's my life and I'll do what I want. And I'm going to be successful at it, just to show them I can. Well, that's not the only reason. I mean, for me and Parvati, this is something we really want to do. It seems like such fun. And what's wrong with having a job that's fun?"
Artimus canted his head, gazing at Lavender. Admiring her beauty took a backseat to her words. Something clicked in his head. He couldn't understand why it happened now. Hadn't Jimmy, Jared and Rosa been telling him the same thing for years?
But they aren't coming from our perspective. His three friends all had parents who never pressured them into choosing a career. Even Rosa's parents. Yes they were aurors, and that's what she wanted to be. But they never forced her into it. Rosa's choice to be an auror was hers and hers alone.
He and Lavender didn't have that luxury when it came to their families.
"I don't even know what I want to do after graduation." Artimus sank deeper into the cushion.
"I'm sure you'll find something you like." Lavender gave him a sympathetic smile. "Or at the very least, you can find a job that will hack off your father."
Artimus cranked an eyebrow. He guessed "hacked off" to be the British equivalent of "pissed off." He even had an idea what sort of job would really "hack off" his father.
Now if only he could find the guts to follow through.
XXXXX
"So Jimmy's still going on about Mireet. Can't say I'm surprised, the way he carried the torch for her."
Rosa nodded at Angelina Johnson's statement. "So was there more to why they never got together?"
The athletic-looking girl with long light brown hair next to Angelina shook her head. "No. It sounds like Jimmy pretty told you everything." Katie Bell frowned slightly as she continued. "Mireet broke up with her old boyfriend shortly before she arrived at Hogwarts. Tore her heart to pieces. Since Jimmy was going to go back to America at the end of term, she said she didn't want to risk another heartbreak."
"What rubbish." Angelina scowled. "Mireet told us she had feelings for Jimmy. Me and Katie and Ginny kept telling her to act on it, to make the most of the few months they'd have here. I can't believe she never did. Mireet's a smart girl, unlike that Fleur Delacour."
Rosa's brow furrowed. It took a few seconds for the name to register. "Fleur Delacour? Wasn't she the Beauxbatons champion for the Tri-Wizard Tournament?"
"That's right," Katie answered. "I thought she was a twit. Snooty, too. Mireet would have made a much better champion for Beauxbatons."
"Mm-hmm." Rosa gave both Angelina and Katie thoughtful looks. "So, what more can you tell me about Mireet Miradeaux?" As much as Jimmy liked to talk about the French witch, his descriptions of her were limited to hot, smart, hot, athletic, hot, nice, hot, graceful and really hot. Rosa figured Angelina and Katie could provide her with way more detail.
"Well," Angelina began. "Let's see. I know she -"
"Oy! Are you girls exchanging embarrassing information about my good mate, Jimmy?"
One of the Weasley twins leaped into view, dropping one hand on Angelina's shoulder and the other on Katie's.
"Bugger off, you git!" Angelina drove an elbow in the tall redhead's stomach. He simply laughed it off.
"So which one are you?" Rosa asked.
"Fred Weasley at your service."
"Oh quit lying." Angelina shot him a scathing look before turning to Rosa. "He's George. You can tell by the dimples on his cheeks. And that fact he's a bigger arse than his brother."
"You wound me, Angel." George gave her a mock frown.
"What are you doing here?" asked Katie. "I mean, besides making a nuisance of yourself."
"Ha-ha, Bell. If you must know, I wanted to come by and tell Jimmy's friend here how impressed I was with that Body-Bind Curse she threw at that prat Smith."
George waggled his eyebrows at Rosa. She kept her eyes locked on that face, a face with the brightest smile she'd ever seen. She felt a brief hitch in her breathing before she spoke. "Thanks. I mean, I don't normally go around hexing people willy-nilly, but he just irritated the hell out of me."
"He irritates the hell out of everyone. Besides, the way Jimmy talked about you, hitting an idiot like Zacharias Smith with a Body-Bind Curse is something you could do in your sleep."
Rosa couldn't help but smile. "Thanks. So what exactly did Jimmy say about me when he was here?"
"Well, I think we'll just leave you two be," said Angelina. "Come on, Katie."
The two girls walked away. Angelina suddenly stopped and turned to Rosa. "Oh, if I were you, I wouldn't accept anything from this git. Especially candy. I wouldn't want to see you vomiting or fainting or having a river of blood come out your nose."
George straightened, pretending to look appalled. "How dare you besmirch my good name?"
"Oh, get stuffed." Katie gave him a dismissive wave before following Angelina off.
Rosa looked back at George. "Ex-girlfriends of yours?"
"No, just annoying, abusive, unappreciative classmates . . . who I happen to love like sisters." He said it all with a huge grin.
Rosa softly chuckled. "Well, I can see Jimmy was right about you."
"What, that I'm dashing and handsome?"
"I mean," she snickered as she spoke, "the way you're always joking around."
"Life's not worth living if you can't laugh. That's our philosophy. Me and Fred, I mean."
"Well, it's a philosophy that's rubbed off on Jimmy. He rarely pulled practical jokes until he got back from Hogwarts. Now he seems to average one a week." She told him about Jimmy enchanting the bust of Kensington Kadermass to insult that idiot Merak Mather.
George threw back his head and laughed. "It looks like we thoroughly corrupted him. Stick around a little longer and I may do the same to you."
"Too late. I'm already corrupted." Rosa gave him a wry grin.
Again, George laughed heartily. She liked his laugh, unfiltered hilarity with a child-like quality.
"Jimmy was right," he said. "You are cool."
Rosa drew a staggered breath. Her heart beat quicker. She focused on George's face, studying his long, smooth features framed so nicely by his shoulder-length blazing red hair.
"So what else did Jimmy tell you about me?"
"Well, he went on about how you want to be an auror, how you were a good hockey player, how you could kick anyone's arse, man or woman."
"Oh. That's nice." Rosa feigned approval. Inwardly she wanted to strangle Jimmy. Merlin forbid you should talk about my personality or how I look. No. Talk about what a brute I am, instead.
"So, what made you want to become an auror?"
"I come from a family of aurors. My parents, my aunt, both my grandfathers, a couple cousins. I grew up listening to stories about them battling dark wizards and dangerous creatures. It sounded really exciting. After a while I couldn't picture myself doing anything other than becoming an auror." She sighed, her voice taking on a somber tone. "I picked a perfect time to do it, didn't I? It looks like we're on the verge of another war."
"'On the verge?' I'd say we're already in a war."
"Yeah, I guess you're right. Especially when You-Know-Who is trying to add all those American Death Eaters and dark creatures to his army. Merlin, I hope that Luna girl finds McGonagall. I mean, if we don't stop this . . ." Rosa cast her eyes to the floor. A horrible vision formed in her mind of wendigos invading the school, chasing down Jimmy's friends, ripping them to shreds and feasting on their flesh.
Her stomach clenched when she pictured George Weasley as one of those victims.
"Don't worry. Luna will come through."
The cheeriness in George's voice surprised Rosa. She began to wonder if he took anything seriously.
"And if she doesn't," he continued, "we'll just fight all of You-Know-Who's reinforcements. Just be sure to stick close to me."
Rosa's thin eyebrows scrunched together. "Why? So you can protect the poor, defenseless girl?"
"Protect you? I want you to protect me!"
All her worry vanished, swept away by a torrent of laughter. Rosa doubled over, her body shaking as she howled. When she looked up, George was laughing along with her. He fixed her with a big smile. Merlin, he had a beautiful smile. Everything was beautiful about him. His red hair, that mischievous yet friendly gleam in his eye. They only knew one another by reputation, but George treated her like he'd known her for years.
Rosa stared into his eyes again. That's when she noticed it, and it sent tingles through her body.
George was checking her out!
She swallowed. Dread coiled around her insides. She glanced down at herself, at the plain blue sweatshirt and jeans covered with dirt from the battle with the aurors and the trek through the cave. Not only did all that activity make her dirty, it also made her sweat. A lot. The realization made her cringe. She didn't want to think about how bad she smelled. And her hair! Oh Merlin, it must look awful. More than anything Rosa wished she could run to a bathroom, shower, redo her make-up and fix her hair until it looked absolutely perfect.
"You know," George said. "There's something else Jimmy never mentioned about you."
"What's that?" She imagined him saying, "You look and smell like a vagabond."
Instead he said, "The stupid git never told me just how fit you are."
"Oh. Well, I do play hockey. You gotta be in shape for that. And since I'm going to be an auror, you have to be in top physical condition."
George chuckled. "That's not exactly what I meant."
"Huh?" Rosa canted her head. Suddenly something clicked. She remembered some of the differences Jimmy told her between American English and British English, or as he called it, "Brit Speak." Here they called sneakers trainers, an apartment was a flat, bathrooms were loos, and being fit meant . . .
Rosa held her breath. She stared at George, taking in his gorgeous smile. A smile aimed right at her.
She grinned and felt herself blush.
XXXXX
"I'm telling you, Jimmy," Michael Corner spoke with uncharacteristic vibrancy. "With Harry and the Weasley twins kicked off Gryffindor's team, and Ron playing Keeper, that Quidditch Cup is going to be ours."
O'Bannon smiled in response. However, his grin couldn't match those of Michael or his two buds, Anthony Goldstein and Terry Boot. He tried to be happy for them that Ravenclaw had a chance to take the Quidditch Cup. But anger kept bubbling within him. He clenched his teeth, trying to listen to Michael while thinking about Umbridge banning Harry, Fred and George from playing Quidditch ever again. It just piled on all the other crap his former Triad teammates had told him about that tinhorn bitch. She was trying to get Hagrid sacked because she didn't like people of mixed heritage. Okay, the half-giant may not be the greatest teacher in the world, and at times O'Bannon had feared for his limbs, if not his life, in Care of Magical Creatures class. But he always considered Hagrid a nice guy.
Then there were all the stupid Educational Decrees forbidding any points of view contrary to official Ministry policy. O'Bannon so wanted to get a copy of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, or its British equivalent, and attach it to Umbridge's ugly mug with a Permanent Sticking Charm. Maybe then the whole freedom of speech thing would sink in.
Unfortunately, he couldn't do a damn thing to help his British friends with Toadface. All he could do was try to get word to the Order of the Phoenix about the Longathian Tunnel, which had become more difficult than any of the tasks at the Tri-Wizard Tournament.
Michael went on about how he hoped Ginny wouldn't be a sore loser when Ravenclaw beat Gryffindor for the Quidditch Cup when O'Bannon noticed Tonks out the corner of his eye. The young auror plopped into a cushion near one of the bookcases.
"Hey, can you guys excuse me for a sec?"
O'Bannon started walking away before the three Ravenclaws nodded. He took a glance at Michael, then gazed around the room until he spotted Ginny.
Michael Corner and Ginny Weasley. He shook his head. Talk about an unlikely couple. Oh sure, they had become friendly when they were both on the Triad, but those two together? That seemed as unlikely a pairing as, say, Neville Longbottom and Hannah Abbott.
"Hey, To . . . er, Katerina."
Tonks looked up and smiled. "Jimmy." She then canted her head. "You look like you have something on your mind. Have a seat and let's talk."
O'Bannon groaned. He couldn't believe Tonks read him so well. On the ice he'd become a master of "The Game Face," masking his true emotions from the opposition.
Well, there's a lot more at stake here than winning a hockey game.
He plopped down next to Tonks.
"So?" she asked expectantly.
O'Bannon gazed at her face, his jaw flexing. He had second thoughts about this. What would Tonks think of him if he spewed out his worries? But dammit, he had to get it off his chest. He couldn't talk about this to Jared, Rosa or Artimus. He was their leader. He had to appear confident in front of them. The same with his old Triad teammates.
Tonks, however, was an outsider. As an auror, she also had way more experience than him in these situations.
"It's just . . ." He sighed and looked away for a moment. "This is gonna sound stupid. I'm just getting worried about all this."
"Well who isn't?"
"No, I mean. I'm really worried. All I can think of is what if we can't contact the Order? What if Luna doesn't fool her way past the aurors? What if she gets arrested? What if those reinforcements come to England? I mean, friggin' hell, this was supposed to be simple. Come here, tell Dumbledore and let the Order handle everything. But nothing's gone right since we flew out of Boston. Good God, people are gonna die if I can't pull this off. People I care about."
A sympathetic look came over Tonks' face. "Welcome to the world of leadership."
O'Bannon's eyes widened. That's it? That's all she has to offer? This woman was an auror, for God's sake. She'd been trained for stuff like this. Shouldn't she have some sort of sage advice?
"Quite honestly, Jimmy," Tonks continued. "I'd be worried if you weren't worried. That's what leaders do. You're going to worry when you send other people out to do a job you feel you should be doing. You're going to worry about their safety, worry if they'll succeed. Times like this, you have to try and stay positive."
"Positive?" O'Bannon snorted. "That's a tall order when every time it looks like we're free and clear, we get another curve ball thrown at us. Hell, more like a beanball."
Tonks' face screwed up in a quizzical look. She probably had no clue about the baseball terms he'd used.
He didn't bother explaining, just plowed ahead. "I've got people in two countries depending on me. And here I am, trapped in Hogwarts, every auror in Britain looking for me. I have to depend on a witch who believes in friggin' nargles to relay a message to the Order. Everything I've touched over the last twenty-four hours has turned to utter crap and people are gonna die because of it!"
"Jimmy!" Tonks grasped his lower arm. He held his breath as she stared at him. Intensity blazed in Tonks' eyes. O'Bannon couldn't turn away. He felt Tonks' fingers pressing hard into his skin. "Don't let your worries consume you. If you do that, you're going to panic, and panic accomplishes nothing. We need you to have a clear head."
"Maybe what we need is someone else to be in charge. Hell, I don't even know how I became the de facto leader of our little quartet. Rosa, Jared and Artimus are all purebloods. They grew up in this world. I was just a happy, content little Muggle until I was ten and surprise, surprise, I found out I'm a real wizard. Out of the four of us, Rosa should be in charge. She comes from a family of aurors. She wants to be an auror. That makes her a hell of a lot more qualified than a hockey player who can barely pass his Potions class."
"She's not in charge," Tonks said forcefully. "You are. And there's a reason your three friends follow you, and why your headmistress chose you for this mission. I saw it myself when I was at Salem. You're a fighter." She squeezed his arm tighter, to the point it started to hurt. "You won't quit. You won't back down, whether it's playing your hockey game or fighting Death Eaters in Ovenderburg. Look at all the obstacles you've faced since coming to England. You've overcome them all up to this point. And you'll overcome this one as well."
Tonks edged closer to him. His heart beat a little faster as the auror's face hovered inches from his. O'Bannon could make out every pore, every scratch, and speck of dirt on her face. Even with all that and her sweat-soaked hair, she still looked hot.
"You're a good man, Jimmy." Her voice softened. "You're brave, loyal, passionate, you have a clear sense of right and wrong. We're going to need people like you if we have any hope of defeating You-Know-Who."
His anxiety started to melt away. He continued staring at Tonks' face, soothed by the warmth it projected, and the confidence. Confidence in him.
"Thanks, Tonks." He managed a brief smile. "Sorry I kinda freaked out."
"Hey." She shrugged. "You're only human. You okay now?"
"Yeah. Yeah, fine. Just gonna stay positive. Luna's going to find Professor McGonagall. Even if she doesn't, we'll find some other way to alert the order."
Tonks let go of O'Bannon's arm and rubbed his shoulder. "It's like I said when we first met back at Salem. You have what it takes to be a good auror."
"You really mean that?" He raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Considering how hard the training is, that's not a statement I'd throw out there lightly."
O'Bannon studied Tonks' face, looking for any sign she was BSing him, or rather, saying it just to be nice.
She looked dead serious.
He worked his jaw back and forth. Part of his mind mulled over Tonks' words. Another reveled in the fact her hand still rested on his shoulder. He looked away from her, searching the Room of Requirement until he spotted Rosa, who was sharing a good laugh with George Weasley. He thought of all the stories Rosa told of her family's adventures in the Bureau of Aurors.
Could I really . . .
A loud thunk echoed throughout the room. All eyes turned to the double doors as they swung open. O'Bannon jumped up from the cushion when Luna Lovegood casually walked in.
"Luna!" Half-a-dozen voices, including his, erupted as everyone surged toward her.
"Are you okay?" asked Harry.
"What took you so long?" demanded Hermione.
"Did you find Professor McGonagall?" O'Bannon's face tightened in anticipation.
"Hello, everyone." Luna smiled dreamily at the group, seemingly without a care in the world. "I'm sorry I'm late. I was detained by Professor Umbridge and Draco Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson on my way to Professor McGonagall's office."
Several gasps went up from the D.A. members.
"They didn't do anything to you, did they?" Ginny asked.
"No. Well, not initially. Umbridge did have Draco and Pansy escort me back to the Ravenclaw Tower. They cast five Trip Jinxes on me before we got there. I must say, they are rather good with that jinx."
Anger surged through O'Bannon. What the hell kind of guy abused a girl like this? A girl who'd never done a damn thing to him. More than anything, O'Bannon wanted to get hold of Malfoy and pound the s.o.b. into a bloody mess.
He gazed at the others. Ginny's face nearly matched the color of her hair. Angelina Johnson and Susan Bones shook their heads. Michael Corner, Terry Boot and Cho Chang looked . . . ashamed? O'Bannon wondered if they had picked on Luna in the past, or just ignored her.
Then there was Harry Potter. His head shook with rage as he stepped over to Luna. "I can't believe that scumbag . . . even for Malfoy this is beyond the pale. Did he . . . hurt you?"
O'Bannon took note of Harry's tone. There seemed more to it than just the typical concern an average person would have for the well-being of another. If it hadn't been for the fact Harry was with Cho Chang, he'd wonder if The-Boy-Who-Lived had a thing for Luna.
Now that would be one hell of a pairing.
"I just had a few scrapes and cuts," Luna told Harry. "I healed them myself before I snuck out of Ravenclaw Tower to come back here. I'm all right, really."
"Luna." O'Bannon strode over to her. "Did you find Professor McGonagall? Did you tell her about the Longathian Tunnel?"
"Oh yes, that. Unfortunately, there was a problem."
O'Bannon swallowed. "What problem?"
"Well, it appears Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall are no longer at Hogwarts."
TO BE CONTINUED
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Props out to the new feature on this site "Reader Traffic," which allows us to find out the country of origin of the people reading our stories. I've learned there are quite a number of people in Bulgaria who are reading "Dark Horizon," and hopefully enjoying it. So let me give a shout out to the contingent from Viktor Krum's native land . . . and heck to all the people around the world enjoying this fic. Also, Artimus' relationship with Cecelia Malfoy and Tonks' exploits at Salem are chronicled in my fic "Air of Disharmony."