CHAPTER 16: OPENING SHOTS
Fear coiled around Artimus' insides. He closed his eyes, trying to settle his breathing, his heartbeat. His imagination ran wild with images of him in Azkaban, the Dementors sucking out every ounce of happiness, every ounce of him. His soul, his being. He wished he was back at the Salem Witches Institute. He wished Jimmy never went to Hogwarts, then Headmistress Esmeralda wouldn't have had to send them to England.
That's when guilt mixed with his fear. After seven years of friendship, how could he even think about abandoning Jimmy and Rosa and Jared?
But I'm no hero. Not like those three.
"All finished."
Artimus barely registered Lavender Brown's voice.
"Care to see my handiwork?" she asked.
He just nodded.
Lavender held a compact mirror in front of him. He blinked for a second, not recognizing the face staring back at him. His close-cropped brown hair had changed into stiff black hair.
"Nice spellwork."
"Thanks," Lavender smiled. Both she and Parvati had used grooming and glamour spells to change the quartet's appearance, though time constraints limited them to hair color and style. A close examination wouldn't fool the aurors, but given the commotion planned by the D.A. they'd be lucky to catch a few glances at them.
I hope.
"Are you all right, Artimus?"
He turned to find Lavender with her head canted, concern radiating from her pretty face.
"Oh, um . . . yeah. Yeah, I'm fine."
Lavender's brow crinkled. She continued to hold his gaze. Artimus tightened his face, trying to project a confident look. He could feel the attempt failing.
"You, um, sound a bit nervous." Lavender lowered her eyes, appearing uncomfortable at asking the question.
Artimus grimaced. He wanted to lie, say he was fine. How would it look to admit in front of this really gorgeous girl that he was nervous?
Nervous? I'm scared!
He tried to say, "I'm fine." The words died on his lips. He knew Lavender wouldn't believe him.
"Well, um, you know," he stammered. "Um, this is it, isn't it? Our last chance to warn Headmaster Dumbledore."
"Yeah, it is." Lavender slid on her knees, inching closer to him. "I'm nervous about this, too."
"Really?"
"Who wouldn't be? If we mess up, we could be expelled, or wind up in Azkaban, or like Jimmy said, go down fighting You-Know-Who and all those monsters."
Artimus frowned. "I didn't think you Gryffindors got nervous. I mean, you're the house that's supposed to be brave."
Lavender briefly chuckled. "Did you know I'm only the second one in my family to be sorted into Gryffindor?"
"Really?"
"Yeah." She nodded. "Most of my family are actually Ravenclaws, including my parents. But my Uncle Simon, Mum's brother, he was sorted into Gryffindor. My first year, when I came home for Christmas holiday, I told him I had no idea why the Sorting Hat put me in Gryffindor. I never thought myself particularly brave. When I was little I got scared whenever a thunderstorm went over my house, or if I saw a bug crawling across the floor. But Uncle Simon told me bravery doesn't mean you don't ever get scared. It means when the time comes, you're able to deal with your fear and do what needs to be done."
Artimus sighed. "Yeah, I've heard people say that before. But you know, Jimmy and Rosa and Jared, they fought Death Eaters in Ovenderburg a few months ago. Then they took on all those aurors in Hogsmeade and here at Hogwarts. They didn't look scared at all."
"I bet they were. I'd be scared if I had to fight Death Eaters and aurors."
Artimus just nodded.
"But you fought them, too. Didn't you?" Lavender asked.
"Well, yeah."
"Then you couldn't have been too scared."
"I . . . well, it was intense. But, I mean, Jimmy and Jared and Rosa were around me. They were all fighting. I had to . . . I mean, I couldn't let them down."
"Sounds like you were being rather brave. You didn't run away. You stuck by your friends." Lavender's smile widened. "I bet if you went here you'd be sorted into Gryffindor."
Artimus nearly choked on his own breath. He coughed and laughed simultaneously. "Somehow I doubt that."
"You never know. I bet . . ."
"Lavender."
Both of them looked up to find Parvati Patil striding over to them. "I'm finished. We'd best be going."
"Coming."
She turned back to Artimus. He found himself completely focused on her smile. It was such a beautiful smile. Everything about her was beautiful. Thoughts burst in his mind, thoughts holding Lavender Brown, kissing her, running his hands through her lush dark hair.
He frowned inwardly. Girls as beautiful as Lavender were simply out of his league.
I also thought that about Cecilia Malfoy, and look what happened there . . . brief as it was.
"Good luck." Lavender clasped his hand.
Artimus held his breath, tingles racing up and down his body. He looked at Lavender's smiling face, wondering if she wouldn't mind a quick kiss . . .
Before he could decide, Lavender rose to her feet and walked off with Parvati, giving him a parting smile. He returned it, trying not to look sullen.
Damn. Why didn't I go for it?
He watched Lavender and Parvati exit the Room of Requirement. The corners of his mouth twisted. He looked down at the robes in his hands. A few D.A. members rustled up some spare robes for him and his friends, since students running through the corridors without robes would arouse suspicion. He focused on the red and gold patch with the lion, the symbol of Gryffindor House. The house noted for courage. Not that he had much courage when he tried to decide whether or not to kiss Lavender.
He sighed, Lavender's face imprinted in his mind's eye. Her words echoed in his ears. Her thoughts on courage, pointing out how he fought with his friends instead of abandoning them.
Artimus ran a thumb over the Gryffindor crest, thinking back to those battles with the Death Eaters and aurors. He tried to relive those moments, picturing the spells shooting around him, remembering what he had felt.
His body froze. Realization gripped him. He could clearly remember casting Stunning Spells and Shield Spells . . . and not being afraid. Or maybe what Lavender said. Putting that fear aside and doing what needed to be done. Like being there for Jimmy, Jared and Rosa when it counted.
He looked over at his friends, who were conversing with the Weasley twins, Lee Jordan and the three female Chasers from the Gryffindor Quidditch team. A surge of hitherto energy went through him, stiffening his back. Maybe Lavender was right. Maybe he did have enough courage to make him a Gryffindor.
And maybe, if they got out of this, maybe he could find the courage to do something he should have done a long time ago.
XXXXX
"Jimmy. We have a plan to get you and your friends out of Hogwarts."
O'Bannon knew he should be excited by Angelina Johnson's statement. He even tried to force the emotion to the surface. Tried and failed.
"Thanks, Ang. But we need to concentrate on one thing at a time. And right now that thing is getting the word out about the Longathian Tunnel."
"Well, you have your responsibility, and we have ours." She took quick glances at Katie Bell and Alicia Spinnet behind her. "Look, Jimmy. All the chaos we're going to unleash will give you lot the perfect opportunity to scarper off."
He let out a slow breath. "Okay, what'd ya got?"
"Well, with everyone running around in a panic over cornish pixies and boggarts and Kirpalas, we plan to slip outside, head to the Quidditch pitch, and take some brooms out of the supply tent and leave them under the Gryffindor stands for you."
O'Bannon's stomach tightened. "C'mon, Ang. That's way too risky."
"As opposed to everything else we're doing to alert Professor Dumbledore about the Longathian Tunnel."
"But the plan is to stay out of sight while you're causing all these distractions. You guys have to stick around when all this is over. You can't afford to get caught. And how far do you think you'll make it across the grounds before some aurors or, God forbid, a Dementor comes after you."
"Actually, the Dementors are pretty much keeping to the walls around Hogwarts," Katie said. "They haven't come close to the castle."
"And as for the aurors . . ." Alicia waggled her thin eyebrows and gave a sly grin. "Well, we have ways to deal with them."
"What ways?" O'Bannon eyed her suspiciously.
"Just trust us, Jimmy," Angelina said.
He let out a slow breath. "I don't know, Ang."
"Jimmy has a point." Fred stepped next to Angelina. Worry spread across his pale, freckled face. O'Bannon couldn't remember a time when Fred looked that way. Then again, this was Angelina. Not that Fred ever said it aloud, but O'Bannon sensed his redheaded friend cared a lot about her. Probably even loved her. It always amazed him that the two never got together. He wondered if the whole "just friends" thing got in the way of that.
"Stuff Jimmy's point," Angelina snapped. She refocused on him. "You and you're friends risked a lot to warn us about the Longathian Tunnel. So if we have to take a risk to help you break out of here, that's how it's going to be."
He drew a breath, ready to argue some more. But the resolute look on Angelina's face deepened. He knew her well enough to realize when she dug in her heels like this, no one was going to make her budge. Worry festered in his gut. He didn't want Angelina and Katie and Alicia to do this. He couldn't imagine living with the guilt if any or all of them wound up in Azkaban because they tried to help him.
His eyes flickered among the three girls, noting their determination. Something burned through his worry. A sense of incredulity. He couldn't believe they would risk so much for him. Him! Some Muggle-born guy from Boston. How the hell did he inspire that sort of loyalty?
O'Bannon's throat constricted. He clenched his teeth, fighting back the stinging moisture in his eyes. He wished he could say something to these girls. Not only didn't he trust his voice, he couldn't think of the right words. What could he say to three friends willing to put everything on the line for him?
"Thanks." He hugged Angelina. He could think of no other way to express his gratitude. "You're a great friend."
"So are you."
He released Angelina and embraced Katie and Alicia.
"Oi!" Fred blurted. "Don't we get hugs, too?" Both he and George pretended to look dejected.
O'Bannon couldn't help but laugh. "You're more likely to get my foot crammed up both your asses."
The twins grinned and leaped on him, pounding his back and ruffling his hair, now colored black thanks to Parvati's spells. Seconds later Lee Jordan joined in the pile.
"Be careful, all of you," O'Bannon warned as he extricated himself from his British friends.
"If you worry any more you're going to turn into our mum," George said.
"Be glad we do care enough to worry about your worthless ass." Rosa, with her newly straightened brown hair, sidled up to him, smiling.
George turned to her, his features softening as they locked eyes. O'Bannon noticed the twin sucking on his lower lip momentarily. "Actually, I'm more worried about the aurors than anyone else."
"What?" Astonishment flared across her face.
"It's true. I'm worried what you might do to them. I bet it won't be very pleasant."
Rosa chuckled. "Good luck, you big goofball."
They hugged. That led to a big round of hugs and handshakes between the Brits and the quartet.
"All right, folks," Fred addressed the room. "Let's put in an appearance at breakfast. Umbridge is bound to get suspicious if we all miss it completely." He turned to O'Bannon and his friends. "Remember. Five minutes before first bell. That's when all hell will break loose."
"We'll be ready," O'Bannon nodded.
Fred smiled and started to turn when O'Bannon called out, "By the way. You owe me."
"Come again?" Fred's brow furrowed.
"This is my second trip to Britain. You guys gotta repay me by coming to Boston. I'll take you to a Bruins game."
The Weasley twins looked at one another and smiled.
"It's a date," said George, his eyes darting briefly to Rosa.
"Soon as we're through stomping You-Know-Who and his scumbag Death Eaters into the ground, we'll be showing up on your doorstep, mate." Fred pointed to him and winked.
O'Bannon grinned, trying to picture the twins clad in Boston Bruins jerseys and cheering their heads off in the new Boston Garden.
The D.A. filed out of the Room of Requirement. Dennis Creevey was the last one out and shut the door behind him.
Jared emitted a long sigh. "Well. I guess nothing to do now but wait."
"Mm-hmm." O'Bannon nodded. He glanced over at Tonks and chewed the inside of his cheek. Should he say it? The woman was an auror. She knew how to take care of herself. But after last night . . .
"You sure about your part in this?"
Tonks whipped her head to him. Her face tightened. Was she mad? O'Bannon half-expected an angry retort about him doubting her because of her gender.
Instead a smile creased her lips. "Aww, how sweet. You do care." She patted him on the cheek. "Don't worry. With all the chaos going on I should be able to sneak up on some of the aurors and stun them. It'll help add to all the confusion. Not only that, but when we fly out of here, it'll mean less aurors to chase after us."
Dread knotted his stomach. As much faith as he had in Tonks, he didn't like the idea of her doing this by herself. He certainly didn't want to think what would happen if the aurors caught her. For all his worry, he couldn't bring himself to say anything. As with Angelina, Tonks wouldn't back down either.
"All right. Just meet us at the Quidditch pitch. We're not leaving here without you."
"Like hell. The longer you wait, the greater your chances of being caught. I figure getting past the security to Umbridge's office, Flooing the Order, and getting out of the castle should take you twenty, twenty-five minutes, at best. Once you reach the pitch, if I'm not there, you can wait five minutes for me. After that, just get yourselves out of here and don't worry about me. I'll be fine."
"Yeah. Okay." O'Bannon had no intention of leaving her behind. He glanced at Jared, Rosa and Artimus. From the looks on their faces, he knew all four of them were on the same page in this regard.
"Once we're clear of the school and the Anti-Apparation barrier," Tonks continued, "I'll Apparate back to Order HQ. You lot head to my parents' home. It's a gray-brick cottage with a white thatched roof a mile west of Melton Mowbray. You can hide out there until we figure a way to get you out of the country."
"But we don't know your parents," Jared pointed out. "What makes you think they'll believe us when we tell them you told us to go to their place?"
Tonks gazed at the floor in thought for a few moments. "All right. When you get to my parents' house, give them the name they used to call me when I was little. The three of us are the only ones who know it."
"So what did they call you?" asked Artimus.
Tonks snorted, her mouth twisting.
"Well don't keep us in suspense," O'Bannon urged.
Shoulders slumping, Tonks muttered, "Niffy Diffy Dora."
O'Bannon's left cheek twitched. Niffy Diffy Dora? He stared at Tonks, her face scrunched in annoyance. He felt laughter building up in him. No, he couldn't laugh, not after they'd made love last night. Tonks was a friend. Much more than a friend now. He cared about her, respected her. He . . .
O'Bannon doubled over and belted out a laugh. Jared joined in the hysterics.
"Niffy . . . Diffy . . . Dora?" O'Bannon convulsed in laughter. His sides began to hurt.
"Keep laughing." Tonks scowled. "Let's see if you two think it's funny when I give you frog feet and an oxen's arse for a face!"
Both O'Bannon and Jared shut up instantly.
"Um, you know I do respect you." O'Bannon smiled at her.
Tonks snorted and turned away from him.
No one spoke much after that. They mainly checked their watches. O'Bannon alternated between wanting time to speed up and wanting it to stop all together. He also prayed, a lot. Prayed for success. Prayed his friends wouldn't get caught, or worse. His mind bombarded him with what ifs. What if Fred, George and Lee couldn't release their creatures for some reason? What if they couldn't get past the aurors and trolls guarding Umbridge's office? What if Angelina, Katie and Alicia couldn't get the brooms for them? What if they alerted the Order of the Phoenix and they still couldn't stop those dark creatures emerging from the Longathian Tunnel?
You gotta stop thinking like that. He thought back to his Third Year and the captain for the Blazenrowe Hall hockey team, Darcy Dunleavy, and his words of wisdom. "Negative thoughts breed negative actions."
He tried to think positive. Everything would work. They would succeed.
Fear of failure continued to besiege him.
Ten minutes to go. O'Bannon shifted his weight from one foot to the other. His stomach twisted painfully. He was glad he hadn't eaten anything. No way would he be able to keep it down.
Five minutes left. Sweat built up under his arms and on his brow. He could hear Artimus breathing heavily.
"Your knee okay?" Rosa asked him.
"Yeah." Artimus nodded. "Lavender cast a good Numbing Spell. I'll . . . I'll be fine."
One minute to go. O'Bannon couldn't keep his eyes off his watch. He clenched his teeth tighter with each tick of the second hand. He held his breath at ten seconds left.
Nine, eight, seven, six.
His heartbeat became deafening.
Five, four, three, two, one.
"Let's go." He had to force the words through his throat. After a deep inhale, he grabbed the brass handle, paused and pulled the door open. He checked left and right. All clear. He waved the others forward and headed into the hallway.
They reached the stairway, wands extended. O'Bannon concentrated, trying to tune out his rapid heartbeat and quicker-than-normal breathing. He strained to hear screams, pounding feet, any hint of commotion. He checked his watch. A minute had passed since they left the Room of Requirement.
C'mon, c'mon.
Another minute went by. All remained quiet.
Tremors went up and down his legs. Did Fred, George and Lee fail? Were they all right? What would they do if . . .
"Hey!" Jared's head snapped up. "Did you hear that?"
O'Bannon looked at him, then stood still, listening.
Faint screams echoed through the corridors. They grew louder with each passing second.
"Way to go, guys." He grinned, thinking of the twins and Lee.
"C'mon!" O'Bannon took off down the stairs, followed by the others.
They reached the sixth floor without incident. The fifth floor was another story. A herd of students rushed past them. Two small blue-skinned creatures with pointy faces and ear-piercing wails buzzed over the human stampede.
Cornish pixies. One chucked textbooks at the mob while the other pulled the robes over the heads of several students. Boys and girls ran, flailing their arms or covering their heads from flying books.
The quartet and Tonks hugged the wall, trying not to get caught up in the surge of humanity.
"Got one!" Tonks announced.
O'Bannon turned. An auror tried to work his way through the throng, aiming his wand at the pixies. Every time he tried for a shot, he got bumped into.
"Stupefy!"
A Stunning Spell leapt from Tonks' wand. It caught the auror in the face. He vanished in the wave of teens and pre-teens.
"All right." Tonks looked to them. "I'm off. I'll try to stun as many aurors as I can."
"Good luck," both Rosa and Jared said.
"You too."
"Hey." O'Bannon clutched Tonks' elbow. "Watch your ass out there."
"You watch your arse, too." Tonks gave him a wry grin. "It'd be a shame if something happened to an arse as cute as yours."
O'Bannon nearly choked on his own breath. He felt himself blush.
Tonks leaned in and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. With a parting wink, she headed off with the crowd.
He watched her go, his lips tingling with her kiss. Please be careful. Please be careful.
"Jimmy!" Rosa slapped him on the shoulder.
He closed his eyes, trying to force all his worries and desire for Tonks out of his head. He was successful, for the most part.
They kept along the walls, doing their best to avoid the hordes of panicked students. Pixies darted through the air, chucking books and quills and moving portraits.
"Cowardly dogs!" A knight in one portrait screamed and waved his sword wildly as he was tossed among a pair of hovering pixies. "How dare you lay your hands on Sir Cadogan! Have at thee!"
They finally reached the corridor leading to Umbridge's office. Thankfully it was clear, though considering all the screaming and footfalls filtering through the corridors, O'Bannon doubted that would last long.
Just as they reached the intersection, the air shimmered in front of them. O'Bannon audibly gasped and brought up his wand.
He relaxed when Harry, Ron and Hermione appeared.
"Jeez, man!" Jared threw out his hands. "Give us a heart attack why don't you?"
"Sorry about that," Harry replied, holding the invisibility cloak in front of him.
"The guards still there?" Rosa nodded around the corner.
"Yeah," Ron answered. "But it's just one auror now. The other one has to be with Toadface. The two security trolls are still there."
"Then let's take care of them and contact the Order," O'Bannon said.
Harry handed him the invisibility cloak. Rosa took off her sneakers and transfigured them from black to canary yellow. She stood next to O'Bannon as he whipped the cloak around, covering them both.
"Don't get any ideas under here, Mister O'Bannon." Rosa pressed her shoulder against his and gave him a sly grin.
O'Bannon looked to her. Through all his anxiety, he somehow managed a soft chuckle. "Too late for that."
Rosa shot him an expression of feigned shock. "My, my. What would your Niffy Diffy Dora say to that?"
"Shut up." He smiled and shook his head. Moments later his face tightened in a mask of seriousness. "You ready to do this?"
"Born ready."
They tip-toed around the corner, peering through the semi-transparent cloak. O'Bannon swallowed at the sight before him.
It wasn't the first time he'd seen trolls. Rosa and Jared had taken him to explore some of the troll caves near their homes outside Millers Falls, Massachusetts. Still the huge creatures never failed to scare him. Twelve feet tall, lumpy bodies, legs the size of tree trunks and holding a huge friggin' club.
We gotta be insane to take these things on.
O'Bannon took quick breaths, forcing his feet to move, to bring him closer to these ugly, smelly, violent behemoths.
The trolls moaned, swaying from side-to-side, looking like hunting dogs ready to be set free and chase foxes or pheasants.
"Settle! Settle!" The auror stood in front of them, arms up. "Stay here! Stay here!"
Realization burned through O'Bannon's fear. Realization that the auror had his back to them, his attention completely focused on controlling the security trolls.
"Let's get a little closer," he whispered to Rosa. "I want a sure shot at that auror."
Rosa nodded. They quietly stepped forward. When they got within ten feet of the auror, they halted. He turned to Rosa, and she to him. They both nodded.
O'Bannon threw the cloak off them. One of the trolls let out a surprised wail, its eyes locked on them.
The auror still didn't turn around.
"Stupefy!"
Two Stunning Spells nailed the auror in the back. The man flew off the floor, slammed into the wall and crumpled to the floor.
The trolls stared at the unconscious form, grunted and turned to O'Bannon and Rosa.
"Okay, Rosa. You're on."
Rosa swung her bright yellow shoes over her head. With her free hand she pointed at the trolls, her voice deep and ominous.
"Duwar! Duwar! Hecka lecka pecka! Caerbannog! Caerbannog!"
The trolls turned to one another, confused.
"Ptang! Ptang! Lupa lupa! Hooplah hooplah!"
The trolls grunted and lowered their heads, eyeballing Rosa.
"Bin bin! Chim Chim!" She swung her shoes faster and spoke quicker. "Roley-Poley!"
An icy shiver went through O'Bannon. His eyes flickered between the trolls and Rosa. Why isn't this working?
"BORKO RUKO!" Rosa screamed, jabbing her finger at the trolls.
The lead troll scowled. It opened its maw, releasing a deep roar. It took a step toward them, the footfall shaking the floor and O'Bannon's body. His mouth fell open as the troll roared again and raised its club.
TO BE CONTINUED