A/N: Sorry for the delay guys but I've got a surprise this week: a two-part chapter! And no, I didn't split it up this time - two different POVs, one chapter. And so I give you the biggest chapter I've ever posted in my life... 17 pages, 8k words worth.
As soon as Sirius and Mia stepped foot on Diagon Alley, they were amazed by how much it had changed since the last time they'd been there, three or four weeks before. While one might have thought that it could only get worse with more shops getting closed, abandoned or vandalized and even less people walking around, it had actually gotten better.
It seemed the absence of Death Eater attacks in the past few months had brought a little bit of its life back to the Wizarding area of London: there were people – several hundreds of them – walking around window-shopping or simply strolling and a few shops and pubs that had been closed seemed to be open again and ready to receive the celebrations that would take place after that night's Quidditch League finals. Some pubs were already full of noisy Quidditch supporters, ready to hear the wireless commentary of the game in groups.
Witnessing those dynamics suddenly made Sirius thoughtful. It was bittersweet watching life return to Diagon Alley: in a way, it showed people weren't letting themselves be crushed by the war and giving up on their little indulgences such as watching the most important Quidditch game of the year in a pub with their friends; in another way, it felt just like the calm before a storm had come by to turn everything back to shambles – and that storm had a very well-known name: Lord Voldemort. He liked to play that game more than anyone: letting people think that maybe everything was going to be okay for a while, allow themselves to put their guard down… and then one day out of nowhere show back up and break the illusion like it was made out of a thin layer of glass. And the worst part was that so many people fell into that scheme over and over again.
Of one thing Sirius Black was sure: he wouldn't believe everything was okay and let his guard down until his godson had sent the snake-faced bastard back to the place where he belonged, which was nowhere other than hell.
"You look awfully serious," Mia observed, bringing him back from his thought as they walked along the pavement of Diagon Alley together. "Don't tell me you're still crabby about having given up your lazy afternoon."
He shook his head. "Nope, it's none of that. I was just thoughtful – I didn't expect to find this place so… alive. At least not until the Harpies won the game and came here to celebrate."
Mia looked sideways and raised an eyebrow at her husband. "How can you possibly know the Harpies are going to win? Not that I really care about who wins but I was under the impression that Quidditch game hadn't started yet."
"Honey, first rule for Quidditch's common sense: with Gwenog Jones on the lead, the Harpies always win," Sirius told her like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "It's as inevitable as Snape's hair having enough grease in it for him to sell by the pound."
His wife gave him a doubtful look. "Oh, I was under the impression the first rule for Quidditch was 'watch out for the bludgers'. You know, you the whole risk of ending up with a cracked skull or, worse, a missing head…"
"No, love, that's the first rule for Quidditch safety, not the first rule for Quiddich's Common sense. It's completely different," he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
Mia gave her husband a sceptical look as they walked. "Completely different how? That just doesn't make any sense…" She huffed and shook her head. "Oh, never mind. I'm perfectly happy with not understanding Quidditch at all."
Sirius sighed dramatically. "Well, that's just sad. Of all the women I could have fallen for, the one that I ended up marrying had to be completely clueless when it comes to my favourite sport."
Once again, she raised her eyebrows at him. "Is that a complaint, Mr. Black?" she asked, forcing an all-too-sweet tone into her voice. "Because do you know who is a really good listener for complaints? The living room couch, which is where you'll be sleeping tonight and possibly for the next two to three nights if you keep it up." She was bluffing, of course, but hopefully he's swallow the threat and be done with it…
"No complaining here," he assured her immediately, reaching closer to her to place a kiss on her cheek as a way of asking her for a truce. "I happen to be very fond of your other qualities, not to mention pitifully in love with you. It's almost embarrassing, really."
She smiled. "Slick as a weasel, aren't you, Sirius? That was a good save."
He grinned in return, wrapping one arm around her waist as they walked – it occurred to him that coming to Diagon Alley that day might have not been such a bad idea after all. He didn't reckon he might have the chance to so shamelessly flirt with his wife at home with the kids to worry about. "You know I am. And by the way, it had been a while since you'd last threatened me with a night on the sofa."
"Clearly too long," she agreed.
"Can't say I agree. Though I should probably remind you that our house has about half a dozen unoccupied rooms with perfectly comfortable beds that would spare me from sleeping on the living room couch."
She gave him a defying look in return. "I should probably remind you that we have a house-elf that is not your biggest fan and would jump at the opportunity of keeping you locked out of those half a dozen unoccupied rooms with perfectly comfortable beds so you'd really have to sleep on the living room couch."
Sirius narrowed his eyes at his wife. "You're a devious little thing, aren't you, willing to set Kreacher on me like a wild dog?"
She looked quite proud. "Well, I had to inherit something from Lulu's genes, hadn't I? Oh, look, there's Elizabeth," Mia said just as she spotted her friend at a distance, walking out of a shop called 'Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment', followed by her children. She tried to wave at her but Elizabeth didn't seem to react at all.
"I don't think she's seen you, love," Sirius pointed out, noting that the blonde seemed to be busy enough paying attention to what her daughter, Evie, was saying at the same time she got a hold of her son's arm before he had a chance to sneak his way into the Quidditch supplies shop, so amazed he seemed to be with the broomsticks exposed behind its windows. "Wonder if it will be like that with our kids in a few years."
Mia snorted. "Knowing their father, I'd say keeping them under control will be even more challenging. And you still insist you want a couple more…"
"Sirius Black doesn't back-out on any challenge," he happily informed his wife, who sighed and shook her head in disbelief.
"Come on," she said, urging him to follow her as she approached their friend, moving through the groups of people walking along the path.
"…Mummy? Please? Can we go get my wand now?" Evie Bagman seemed to be begging her mother when Sirius and Mia reached them. "It's almost time for me to go to Hogwarts!"
Elizabeth huffed. "Evie, you won't be starting there until September. That's almost three months from now and you know you're not allowed by the ministry to use a wand outside of Hogwarts before you turn seventeen," she told her daughter, exasperated at her excitement and very aware that with Ollivander's trashed, there was no other wand-maker in Wizarding London.
"Aw Mummy…"
"The ministry really knows how to take the fun out of things, don't they?" Sirius asked the young girl, who turned to face him immediately, recognizing her mother's friends. "Look at the bright side – at least you can still use a broom."
The young girl smiled. "Daddy took me flying when we visited him last month."
"And me! And me!" her younger brother, six-year-old Harper Bagman, insisted, unwilling to be left out of the conversation.
"Yeah, Harper went too," she declared. "He let us ride on his camel and took us flying afterwards. Then, he said I might make it to my house's team in a few years."
Camel? Sirius thought to himself – it was no secret Ludo Bagman was overseas still on the run from the goblins for owing them money. Was the bloke now covering as a Bedouin somewhere in Arabia or something? Never mind, he told himself. "Well, we'll see how good a flyer you are next September since I'll be the one giving you flying lessons," Sirius told her. "Mia here will be teaching you too. I bet if you ask her nicely she'll tell you all about Hogwarts later."
Evie smiled at the prospect and Elizabeth gave Sirius a thankful smile, glad he'd distracted her daughter from her near-tantrum.
As Elizabeth and Mia started chatting, Sirius took a moment to observe his surroundings, searching for Auror presences among the people. He spotted a few serious yet nervous-looking young men standing by the entrance of Gringotts that were easy to identify as fresh-out-of-training aurors. Soon, he also saw more experienced ones such as the always unlucky Dawlish and other two who he recalled being named Savage and Williamson and had gotten into the Auror training one year after James had. They all seemed to be ready for any trouble and Sirius deemed it safe for him to leave. "Well, ladies," he said, before lowering his gaze to Harper, "and gentleman, it appears I have to go."
Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "You're not sticking around?"
"Not until dinner time," he told her. "There's no way I'm letting you all use me as your personal shopping cart, Harper. I meant your Mom," he added, seeing the youngest Bagman's confused face at the use of his name. "So," he said, reaching to place a kiss on wife's cheek, "if you need me I'll be the one annoying the life out of Remus in his own workplace. Shameful, isn't it?"
"Awfully shameful," Mia agreed.
"Tell him bring Tonks and join us for dinner too," Elizabeth said. "I don't think I've seen him since Mary was born. That was over five months ago."
Sirius nodded. "I'll be sure to bring them along, dragged if I have to." And then he walked away, leaving Mia and their old friend behind to do their catching up on their own.
When he arrived at the joke shop, seeing it clattered with people was definitely no news – Fred and George ought to be millionaires by the end of the year with the amount of clients they had… that was, if they weren't already. That day, Lee Jordan seemed to be in charge of the sales along with the pretty blonde girl the twins had hired, Varity, who, as soon as she saw Sirius, signalled to the door behind the counter, telling him he could go right upstairs. It was like he was already an honorary part of the staff, Sirius thought as he climbed up the stairs – it sure helped he was the godfather of the twin's main investor and silent partner, Harry.
As he stepped into Remus's office, Sirius was surprised to note that his friend was nowhere to be found. Instead, though, he was greeted by the sight of someone lounging on his friend's sofa, seemingly busy reading a magazine. Someone whose pink hair – with bright red highlights that day, it seemed – was peaking from behind the magazine-barrier covering her face.
When she spoke, Tonks didn't take her eyes away from the magazine she'd been reading. "Hey, there's a Weird Sisters concert in Cardiff next month. I've been thinking that it's a shame that we've been together for practically a year and I still haven't taken you to a concert of my favourite band – what do you say the two of us pack a bag, head to Cardiff for a little romantic weekend then and go see that concert since we're already there?"
Sirius barely managed to hold his laughter before responding. "Why, Tonks, dear, I'd just love to but I have a feeling our respective spouses would have one thing or two to say about us having a romantic weekend together…"
Tonks suddenly looked over the magazine, closed it before putting it aside, and raised her eyebrows at her cousin, who shot her a grin. "I thought you were Remus," she told him, stating the obvious. Then, her face became amused. "I hope you realize that offer doesn't apply to you."
He gave a dramatic sigh. "Aw, well, one can hope… Anyway, speaking of Remus, why isn't he sitting at that lovely desk elbow deep in paperwork or something?"
"He needed to go upstairs to the twins' flat to get their signature for something. Apparently they've been up there all day doing experiments and blowing up stuff," she declared. "There was black smoke coming out of their window when I arrived – Remus said it was normal."
"Sounds like they're having plenty of fun," Sirius replied in amusement, taking a seat on one of the chairs in front of his friend's desk, resting his feet on the other one. "So, Tonks, I was under the impression you worked on Saturdays too. You know, as a way to keep your mind occupied and away from the sorrow of being unable to spend the first day of the weekend with your beloved husband."
The metamorphagus chuckled. "Seems impossible to handle the heartbreak. I'll have you know I only work on some Saturdays, though – always in Diagon Alley patrol duty, by the way. Today I'm not on full-duty but I'm supposed to be ready to step in if there's trouble with the Quidditch finals festivities and they need reinforcements here or at the stadium."
"What? It's been getting that bad lately?"
"You have no idea. Last year I had to drag a naked bloke to the auror department because he'd seen it fitting to thank the Harpies for winning the game by flashing them. Believe me, by the looks of him, if anything he was getting back at them for the other team. It gets mad out there."
"You don't need to say that twice," Sirius mumbled, shuddering at the thought. "Anyway, how did you manage to get assigned to Diagon Alley patrol every Saturday you work? Coincidently so close to where your better half works… What sort of twisted pact did you make with your boss to get such an arrangement? Sold him a kidney? A lung? Maybe your soul?"
She snorted. "What use would Kingsley have for a spare organ or a human soul? He's not much into creepy keepsakes the way some people – sadly some of them related to us – are…" The metamorphagus shivered and for a moment her hair showed a hue of green before turning back to the initial pink and red colour. "Maybe I have some dirt on him and am using it for blackmail."
"Yeah, right, you're too nice to blackmail anyone," her cousin told her without a doubt.
Tonks sighed. "Alright, I'm not using it for blackmail. Let's just say it's been months since Head Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt has filled at least half of the paperwork he should be filling, leaving that task for his favourite former trainee: me. I can actually fake his signature perfectly now."
"Ah, so Kingsley gets his paperwork filled and you get an arrangement that is just perfect for booty calls," Sirius concluded with a grin.
"Perfect for what?" The two of them turned to the source of the voice by the door and came face to face with a wide-eyed Remus staring at them in disbelief. "What on Earth are you two talking about?"
"Booty calls, mate," Sirius repeated, grinning. "Or, you know, Tonks here dropping by 'casually' leading you two to… you know." He shook his head. "Shame on you, mate. Right in the middle of a work day…"
"Says the bloke who happens to work in the same place as his wife," Tonks pointed out. "How many times have you dropped by her classroom for said purposes?"
Sirius casually grabbed a paper from his friend's desk and pretended to be paying it every bit of attention he had to spare. "A gentleman doesn't shag and tell, Nymphadora."
Tonks narrowed her eyes at him. "Don't call me Nymphadora!"
Her husband cleared his throat. "I think the main question here is this: since when have you been a 'gentleman', Sirius?" Remus asked in return, sitting at his desk.
"Oh, I resent that," Sirius said, faking offence. "A bloke comes by to pay a visit and all he gets is bashing and not even a greeting word. That's sad, mate."
Remus shook his head and chuckled. "Well, fancy seeing you here, Sirius. How can I help you?"
"See? That's better. Now, let's get to business, mate: it's seems you are in debt to me."
Remus raised his left eyebrow. "Am I? I don't recall borrowing money from you lately. Or ever, for that matter."
"Oh, not that sort of debt, Moony. I'm not talking about money – I'm talking about a godchild," Sirius informed him.
Remus's right eyebrow joined its left neighbour, slightly above its usual level. "A godchild?"
"A godchild," Sirius confirmed. "See mate, since I've already given you two of those, Alex and Mary, it's only fair you give me at least one godchild. No, not just any godchild – a goddaughter. With Harry, that would give me one of each. I enjoy variety."
"You want a goddaughter?"
"That's right, Moony. Now, if you have a boy first, I won't mind another godson too… as long as you eventually get me a goddaughter to add to the team." He grinned and turned to Tonks, who seemed to be amused enough watching the show. "Back me up here, Tonks."
"Oh, I think I'll sit this one out. It's funnier watching it from out here. But go on, really," she urged them.
Sirius mumbled something that sounded a lot like 'traitor' under his breath before turning back to his friend. "Well, when am I getting my godkid, then?"
"I am not even going to consider answering that question," Remus told him dryly.
"Say all you want, mate, but I won't rest until I get it. I managed to get you married, didn't I?"
"Shut up, Padfoot."
"Just warning you, Moony," Sirius told him casually, leaning back against his chair
On his own chair, Remus let out a deep breath and shook his head, telling himself his friend was mad for even considering the thought of him being a father. "So, why is Mia not here to keep your madness under control?"
"Oh, she's busy outside catching up with Elizabeth and her kids," Sirius told him, going along with the break from the goddaughter matter. "We're supposed to be having dinner later at the Leaky Cauldron, though my money is on us switching to somewhere else in Muggle London because it will be too cluttered with people wanting to celebrate the game by then. Oh, and by the way, you two are coming too."
Remus sighed. "Are we?"
"I promised Harper I'd drag you if I had to, Moony, so yeah, you are coming either you want it or not," Sirius informed him matter-of-factly before turning to Tonks. "I expect I won't have to drag you too, do I?"
"Are you kidding? I'm all for going out with you guys," she replied just as the sound of a loud explosion came from the flat upstairs, making all three look up as dust fell from the ceiling.
"I'm assuming that is normal," Sirius mumbled
Remus huffed and headed to the door. "Boys?" he yelled to the corridor.
"We're still in one piece!" one of them yelled back from upstairs, proving no major harm had been caused
The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs filled their ears, then, and the two redheads came into the room, their faces darkened by what seemed to be ash covering them everywhere except from around their eyes, likely die to them wearing protective glasses.
"No need to go running to Mom telling her we blew ourselves up. I think we're done experimenting today, anyway," one of the twins said as he brushed the ash away from the battered Muggle jeans he was wearing before noticing Sirius's and Tonks's presences. "Oh, hey guys!"
"Hey. Seems like you've been busy upstairs," Sirius told them. "What are you up to?"
"Classified order from the auror department," the other replied, winking conspiringly at Tonks. "For all intents and purposes, we are trying to find a formula that will make Pigmy Puffs glow in the dark."
"Fred, George, listen," Remus requested. "If you show up for Sunday dinner with another scar, your mother will have my hide for not keeping an eye on you. I don't need to remind you how loud she yelled when you got that scar over your eyebrow, Fred."
"She shouldn't be complaining," Fred said, rubbing his eyebrow absently – Sirius did notice a half-inch long scar marring the skin over the redhead's right eyebrow. "Now it takes her just one look to tell us apart. Besides, Angie says it's sexy. Girls love a bloke with battle scars, don't they?" he asked Tonks.
"Most definitely," she assured them, smiling back and winking at her husband, who looked away in embarrassment.
Sirius snorted at his friend's reaction. "Oh, isn't he just adorab…"He paused, feeling something warming up in his pocket, which he immediately reached for – it was the two-way mirror. "Hold that thought – I've got to take this. It's probably Harry saying Snape got him in trouble again," he mumbled, still half-grinning while tapping his wand on the mirror to activate it. To his surprise, it wasn't Harry's face on the mirror but Izzy's – and she looked far from calm.
"Iz?" he asked her, feeling himself goingtense. He knew it was something bad.
"Death Eaters have just infiltrated in the school, Daddy. You've got to send the Order now!" she said
And just like that Sirius was proven right: all the life bursting in Diagon Alley had been nothing more than the calm before the storm. A storm that was about to spill its rage.
Hogwarts – One hour earlier
"This isn't enough for all six of us to take a dose that will last long," Hermione said, observing the little vial of Felix Felicis as she held it in her hand before placing it down on the library table in front of her.
It hadn't been more than five minutes since Ginny and Izzy had burst into the library – sending the stiff-necked librarian, Madam Pince, in a rampage over it – looking for her and Ron s, followed by Neville and Luna who they'd found on their way there and found fitting to bring along, looks of alarm all over their face. After casting several imperturbable and repelling charms around themselves to evade being interrupted or eavesdropped, the news Izzy and Ginny brought along were even more unsettling than their facial expressions: Harry had just left to chase a Horcrux along with the headmaster and now, with the school left without Dumbledore's physical protection, they had reasons to believe that whatever Malfoy had been planning all year would take place that evening. Of one thing they were sure: given the events of that year, it couldn't be good, whatever it was.
"So Harry was right. We have to steal some more potions," Ginny concluded as they all sat around the library table.
"That's easier said than done," Hermione stated. "If there's anything Slughorn is careful about, it's about not leaving potions laying around for students to grab when they fancy." She sighed. "Do you really think we'll all need the Felix Felicis?"
"Are you willing to risk finding out?" Ron asked in return. "Maybe I'm only speaking for myself but if I know I have the chance to get really lucky when trouble is coming, I take it without a doubt."
"How… how do we do it then?" Neville inquired.
"Well, maybe we could all split the Felix in that little vial among ourselves now. It wouldn't last long but we could always drink a bigger dose we get Slughorn's," Izzy suggested
Hermione shook her head immediately. "No! No way."
"Why not?" Ron asked in confusion. "It would be perfect."
"No, it wouldn't! Didn't you read what it said in your book about the potion?" she asked the redhead, indignated.
"Only that it would make you lucky. Not all us read a textbooks as if it were a novel,."
"Guys, quit picking on each other and get to the point," Ginny reminded them, exasperated. "For all we know, we don't have time for this."
Hermione nodded. "Drinking multiple doses of Felix Felicis within a three day long interval of time severely brings up the risk of the potion's effects being inverted. It means…"
"If we take Felix Felicis more than once in a three-day period, it can make us very unlucky instead of very lucky," Luna finished for her in her usual dreamy voice. "It does make sense. Recent studies Daddy has ordered proved the same happens with the Drought to Repel Magical Creatures – we were thinking of using it next year to attract Crumple-Horned…"
Izzy cleared her throat, trying to stop her friend's ramble. "I don't think we can risk getting unlucky under the circumstances."
"So, what do we do, then? For how many people is there enough potion?" Neville asked.
Hermione grabbed the vial and studied for a long moment. "I'd say there's about thirty millilitres in here. It should be enough for two people at the most, lasting for about three to four hours after they take it. Maybe a little longer if Slughorn brew it with freshly-caught ingredients," Hermione told them. "They're said to enhance the potion's effectivity."
There was a moment of silence then, when they all thought the same. Ginny was the first of them to speak it out loud. "So… who'll take it?"
"Well," Hermione started, "Harry gave the vial to you, Ginny… he'd want you to take it."
"What? Beacause I'm his girlfriend? Don't even think of it. Izzy is his sister, you and Ron are like his family too, Neville and Luna are his friends… I'm not taking it over that logic, Hermione."
"Alright, alright," the older girl said. "But if you don't take it over that logic, at least take it over this one: whoever goes into Slughorn's classroom to steal more potion should already have a dose of this one to make sure the odds of getting caught are smaller. It's been clear from the beginning that you want to be there to do it. So, you should take the potion."
Nobody countered Hermione's logic and not even Ginny was able to do it. "Fine. I'll take it, then," she gave in. "But we still have to decide who else takes it."
Luna cleared her throat. "I think Hermione should be the one to do it," she told them softly.
"Me? Why me?" the brunette asked in surprise.
"Because you're the smartest person we know," Luna told her. "A bit sceptic when it comes to Naturalism but still smart."
"I may be smart but I'm certainly not sneaky enough!"
Ron shook his head. "Not sneaky wnough? You were the brains behind the DA. Practically ran half of it with Harry last year! And don't make me mention how many times you saved the day for me and Harry."
Izzy nodded in agreement. "Your brains and the Felix Felicis are exactly what we need. And if you're still not convinced you're sneaky, Ginny can be sneaky for both of you."
"Looks like, you're outnumbered," Neville told her.
Before she had the chance to bring up another argument, Ginny was already handing her the open vial of Felix Felicis. "You first," she declared.
"But…" she faintly tried to argue.
"Hermione, we don't have the time to discuss this further," the redhead told her.
Hermione sighed in defeat and accepted the bottle. She drank the liquid almost as if she was measuring and when she stopped, there didn't seem to be a bit more or a bit less than half the initial quantity. After the older girl was done, Ginny drank her share and waited to feel some sort of effect.
"Well?" Ron asked.
"Nothing," she mumbled.
"Nothing? It's not working?"
"No, it's working," Hermione said. "I think someone should go keep a watch on the Room of Requirement to see if something happens in there. I think something will happen."
"You think?" Ron asked sceptically.
"It's a feeling," she said.
"I can go there, then," Luna offered.
"Me two. Leave the Room of Requirement to Luna and I."
One less thing for them to worry about, Ginny thought. Snape, a voice sounded in her head. "And Snape. We can't forget him. Harry seemed to be convinced he was in on this…"
"I can watch him," Izzy offered.
"No," Ginny told her. "You're coming with Hermione and me."
"Why?"
The redhead shrugged. "I dunno. I just have a feeling we'll need you nearby," she said, turning to her brother. "Ron, you can keep a watch on Snape, can't you?"
"Sure. Harry left you the Marauders Map, didn't he?" he asked in return. "'Cause I have no idea where he may be right now."
Ginny nodded and reached for her pocket, removing the Marauders Map and spreading it over the table's top. After mumbling the words to reveal the drawings in it, all six of them quickly started searching for the former Potions Master, who was found by Hermione in the teachers' lounge a few seconds later.
"Oh, crap," Izzy said suddenly, pointing at a specific dot on the map's surface. "Slughorn is in his classroom. How can we do this with him in his classroom? We're doomed."
"No, we're not. We'll have to get the potion while he's in there," Hermione told them in tone that sounded way too clam to have come out of her mouth at all.
"Are you insane, Hermione?" Neville asked.
"No, I have an idea, actually. Keep the map, will you?" she said, smiling as she got up and reached for her wand in order to remove the charms surrounding them that had been keeping eavesdroppers away. "Izzy, Ginny, let's go."
Isabelle Black wasn't sure how to describe the effects that the Felix Felicis was causing on her friends. All she knew was that they most definitely freaked her out – it was like they knew how things would turn out before even doing them! She damn well hoped their 'feelings' were leading to something or they might very well end up expelled… Hogwarts didn't look kindly on students who were caught stealing potions from teachers.
When they reached Slughorn't classroom, initially Izzy had thought Hermione would somehow find a way to use a spell that would make the teacher oblivious to them at all as they sneaked into his stash but as soon as she'd seen the older girl advance to the door of the teacher's classroom and bluntly knock while telling her and Ginny to hide, she knew she was wrong.
"What is she doing?" she asked Ginny as they hid behind the same statue.
Ginny shrugged, not seeming bothered at all by the lack of information. "I don't know."
"Then how do you know what you're supposed to do?"
She shrugged again. "I'll just know."
A couple of yards away, Slughorn opened the door to Hermione, pleasantly greeting her. "To what do I owe the honour of your visit, Miss Granger?"
"Professor, I believe I have come upon a revolutionizing discovery about the Elixir to Induce Euphoria. I was hoping I could share it with you, Professor, so you could give me some advice," Hermione lied confidently, to Izzy's surprise. Did Felix Felicis go that far in terms of confidence or was she just possessed?
"Why, of course, Miss Granger," he said, moving out of the way and letting her in. When the older teacher moved away from the door it was surprisingly left fully open.
"Just look at our luck," Ginny said, grinning, walking from behind the statue in order to move closer to the door.
Izzy followed her there and saw that, inside the teacher's classroom, Hermione was suggesting she brewed the Elixir in front of him for the older man to note the changes, which the he accepted, seemingly curious about Hermione's 'discoveries. Where she was going with that, Izzy had no idea at all…
And then, Hermione started explaining her 'discovery': how stirring the potion counter-clockwise after every seven turns clockwise would reduce the four hours the potion had to spend stewing to simply two, how reducing the dose of castor beans by one would soften the taste. "And if you add a sprig of peppermint to it, it will counter the excessive singing and nose-tweaking side-effects!"
Listening to every word, both of their jaws dropped and they stared at each other – Hermione was quoting the prince's notes! She, the person who'd so widely criticized the book, was actually using it to do whatever she was planning! The irony of it!
They still weren't sure how Hermione's story would get them into the still- locked stash until she suddenly declared in a very sorrowful tone she'd completely forgotten her ingredients in her dorm. "If you give me a moment, I'll just run to get them."
"Oh, nonsense, my girl. You can borrow some of mine, for the sake of progress," Slughorn told her happily. "Let me just get my ingredient suitcase…" And then, he headed straight to his the closet where stash was located to fetch the suitcase. That was it!
This time, they weren't even surprised when the older man forgot to close the door of closet, leaving it half-open as he brought the large compartmented suitcase on top of the working table Hermione was using. It was the Felix Felicis in its best. And as Hermione started to get the ingredients ready to start brewing the potion, the Professor settled himself by her side, his back conveniently turned to their direction. Pretending to be fetching a piece of parchment from her bag, Hermione turned back and gave Izzy and Ginny a signal, silently telling them start putting the plan into practice.
"Come on," Ginny whispered.
"Me too?" Izzy asked in disbelief. "But I didn't take the Felix!"
"I know," her friend told her. "But I think you'll be needed in there. Trust me."
Izzy didn't really have another choice… Ginny was the first to walk in, taking each step very softly to make sure she wouldn't be heard. Her friend made an effort to do the same just as she followed her and the two managed to slip right through the half-open door without making a single bit noise.
The stash was enormous. There were at least four lines of shelves on each wall and each shelf full of aligned queues of potions. They had no idea where to start. And that wasn't the worst. As they browsed the vials of various sizes filled with potions, they realized something alarming: they were not labelled with the names of the potions. Instead, there were codes, all starting with a letter and followed by six numbers. J091354, M121910, A030910… The codes might be organized by order of letter and number but they still had no idea what they meant. It seemed pretty clear Slughorn did that to avoid having his potions stolen and consumed as they intended to do
"Ginny…" Izzy mumbled.
"I know," the redhead said – this time, she had no idea what to do. The Felix was supposed to give her luck. That wasn't luck, that was doom. Had she made a mistake by bringing along someone who hadn't taken the potion too?
Suddenly, her eyes landed on a pile of parchment. "Maybe there's a list of the codes and their names," she suggested in a whisper, approaching it. But there was still no sign of the Felix Felicis's doing and no mentions to the codes in any of the pieces of parchment in the pile. They really were so doomed…
It was in the midst of the desperation that Izzy noticed something. Another piece of parchment was hanging from under a flask on the edge of one of the shelves, right by a quill and ink. The ink on the flask's label was still fresh and she concluded Hermione had interrupted the teacher in the midst of labelling some potion. She carefully lifted the flask and pulled the piece of parchment from under it. It was the copy of a book's page, which she quickly browsed through.
One particular sentence caught her attention. "The Dreamless Sleep potion was invented by Charles Hawthorne in June 1645…" The letter H from Hawthorn was underlined and the numbers 0 and 6 were written over the word June. And, Izzy noted, the vial of potion was labelled H061645. She smiled triumphantly to herself. "I got it. The letter is the surname of the creator, the numbers are the date. Hawthorne June 1645." She turned to Ginny, who was still rummaging through the shelves. "Do you have any idea who invented Felix Felicis and when?"
"No," Ginny replied, turning around and showing her the copy of Advanced Potion-Making – that one Harry had switched for the Prince's – she had just found. "But I bet this does." If it wasn't for the Felix, she might have been surprised that the first page she opened was the one concerning the potion in question. "Let me see… Felix Felicis, a highly awarded miraculous potion, that is documented to have been first brewed by the Italian Lord Paolo Felix Duomo in Rimini in the first day of November 1755. That would make it… D111755."
"D111755… D111755…" Izzy mumbled to herself to make sure she wouldn't forget the code as she started looking through the shelves.
She located D soon enough and a few seconds later the slightly golden liquid inside a bottle labelled D111755 right at the very end of the shelf. There was at least a pint of it, certainly enough to give to a few people, though not all of them. She reached across the shelf with her hand to reach the bottle but as she started pulling it out, her elbow accidentally knocked over one of the bottles near the edge – for a fraction of a second, she could swear her heart stopped and she cursed herself for not leaving the job of getting the bottle to Ginny, to whom nothing could possibly go wrong.
But before the glass hit the floor, Ginny reached for her wand and pointed it at the bottle, whispering the word Silencio, causing it to break without a single sound. She and Ginny looked at each other, then, half disbelieving that had actually worked, and breathed in relief.
"That was a close one," Izzy whispered as her friend repaired the broken bottle with her wand, returning it to its shelf before she banished the liquid from the floor – Slughorn would have to live without it…
"I have a feeling we should get out of here right now," Ginny told her.
Izzy nodded and handed her the vial of potion, fearing she might break it too. The two peaked through the opening of the door and saw Slughorn was still entertained with seeing Hermione brewing the potion. The older girl spotted them and gave them an inquisitive look, which Ginny replied to by showing her the bottle. She gave a nod and turned her attention back to the potion.
So, very carefully, Ginny and then Izzy made their way back through the opening of the door and walked towards the door without making a single sound. As soon as they saw themselves out of the classroom and in the empty corridor instead, there was relief.
"It worked," Izzy mumbled, staring at the vial in Ginny's hands. "I can't believe it worked!"
"Well, drink the potion, then," Ginny urged her, shoving the bottle into her hand.
"Let's hope there's wasn't another bloke with a last name starting in D creating a potion in November 1755," she mumbled before uncovering the bottle and bringing it to her lips and drinking one single gulp of it.
Hermione was just leaving the classroom by the time Izzy was closing the bottle back. "Let me see it," she requested immediately, reaching for the bottle with her hand. She frowned. "D111755?"
"Long story," Ginny told her. "We're pretty sure it's the Felix, though. Izzy has already taken it and everything. How did you escape Slughorn so fast?"
"Oh… I… I obliviated him," she admitted guiltily, to her friends' shock. "I know, it's awful but something told me we'd still get in trouble if I didn't… I only deleted a few minutes from his mind, I think. When I left, he thought I had just come by to say hello…"
"Using the Half-Blood Prince's notes, lying like a pro, obliviating a teacher… who are you?" Ginny asked her.
Hermione sighed, looking down. "I do feel awful about it…"
"Let's just move on, guys, there's no time to feel guilty now," Izzy said. "We should go give the potion to the others." No, just Ron for now, a little voice – that Felix Felicis feeling – told her. Going to Neville and Luna right now is not a good idea. She couldn't do that, though. Neville and Luna were her friends. What could she do? "Ginny, do you still have Harry's vial with you?"
The redhead nodded, removing it from her pocket. "It's empty, though…"
"It's perfect," she countered, reaching for her wand and pointing it to the little vial and muttering the engorging charm, making it several times bigger that it had been just seconds before. "Can you open them?" She asked Ginny, nodding at both containers.
"You're going to split the potion?" her friend asked as she complied.
Izzy nodded. "Yeah," she said, pouring about half the liquid into the now bigger vial before handing it to Ginny so she could close it back. "You and Hermione… you guys should take that one and go find Ron. Share it with whoever you see fitting," she told them. "I'll go to Neville and Luna instead."
"Izzy, that's…" Hermione started, looking apprehensive.
"I know, I felt it too," Izzy said – she knew she was risking her luck by not listening to the Felix. "But they're still our friends. I've got to go to them anyway, especially if they may be in trouble."
Hermione sighed and nodded understandingly just as Ginny handed her the vial of potion.
"I'm going with you," the redhead told Izzy. "If they're in trouble I want to help too."
"Ginny…"
The redhead looked determined. "And that's final."
That left no room for arguments. Hermione sighed once more. "Be careful, alright?" she advised them.
"We will," Izzy replied, right before the other brunette turned around and headed to the nearest flight of stairs.
Seconds later, Izzy and Ginny left too, taking a secret passage that they knew would lead straight to the seventh floor, only a few corridors away from the Room of Requirement. The secret passage consisted of a very long ladder inside what seemed to be one of the castle's tunnel-like air conducts, which made it very cramped and uncomfortable to climb up. A few minutes later, they saw themselves coming out of a hole on the floor inside a little compartment hidden behind a tapestry and knew they had reached the upmost floor of the castle.
"Were people that much thinner a millennium ago when they build this castle? 'Cause there barely was space for us to breathe in there," Ginny mumbled, coming out from behind the tapestry as Izzy checked on the bottle of Felix Felicis, making sure it hadn't been smashed on the way up.
"Look at the bright side at least Crabbe and Goyle will never be able to use this passage," Izzy mumbled, following her friend as they started to head to where they believed their friends were.
They found Neville and Luna a couple of minutes later and were surprised to discover Dean Thomas, Seamus Finnigan and Terry Boot with them, all five of them hiding behind a statue located on the opposite side of the corridor that led to the always-changing room.
"Hope you don't mind," Neville told them when he saw them. "But they wanted to help."
"Are you kidding? The more, the better," Ginny told him, glad to see at least some members of the DA were still active, after all. "Have you guys seen anything yet?"
He shook his head. "Nobody has been in or out since we've been here." He reached for his pocket, handing her back the blank parchment that was the Marauders Map. "Ron said that if we can't find Malfoy in there, it means he's still in there. We've already checked a dozen times…"
Ginny nodded. "He'll come out – can't stay in there forever, can he?" she told him just as Izzy was handing the Felix to Luna.
"One gulp each," Izzy instructed. "That's all we can afford right now."
"What's that?" Seamus asked her sceptically, looking at the liquid.
She gave him a small smile. "Liquid luck."
"No kidding…" Terry Boot mumbled in wonder. "Where did you get that from? Did you brew it yourselves?"
"No, we didn't," Ginny told him. "And where we got it is just for us to know, Terry. Sorry to desap…"
She wasn't able to finish what she was saying though, as Neville elbowed her, pointing to the large doors that had appeared at the end of the hallway. Someone was coming out now of the room of requirement. But before they had the chance to see what Malfoy was up to, the boy with platinum blonde hair threw a handful of some sort of dark powder to the air, making the whole room become completely black.
"Oh my…" Izzy heard Luna mumble in the midst of the darkness surrounding them.
Dean was the next to speak. "What the…"
"Shh!" Ginny's voice demanded. "It has to be Peruvian Darkness Powder. My brothers sell it in their shop. Now be quiet!"
They did as she said and several seconds of complete silence followed, during which they could practically hear their own heartbeats. Footsteps started to sound then. Many of them. And suddenly, they heard a voice speaking somewhere nearby – not more than twienty feet away. A familiar, chilling voice. "Well done, Draco, well done. I knew you wouldn't disappoint the Dark Lord," it said in an almost silky tone with s hint of instability in it.
"Be quiet, Bella!" an unfamiliar voice said sternly.
Each and every one of them felt cold at that moment. Bellatrix Lestrange was there… at Hogwarts. Somehow, Malfoy had let her in. And Merlin knew she'd brought her friends along. Hogwarts had been infiltrated by Death Eaters – maybe even Voldemort himself and right now, none of them could react because of the thick darkness that was surrounding them. The footsteps kept sounding and sounding, becoming more and more distant by the second. By the time the darkness started to dissipate, seconds later, no Death Eater was present. Who knew where they might be hiding…
"That was…" Neville started, his voice shaking at hearing the voice of his parents' attacker.
"We know," Ginny finished for him, placing a supportive hand on his shoulder.
"What do we do?" Dean Thomas asked.
"We summon the Order of the Phoenix," Izzy replied, already reaching for the two-way mirror that Harry had given her earlier, remembering what he had told her then. She called her father's name and waited. Seconds later, her face reflected in the mirror was replaced his half-smiling one – it took a fraction of a second for him to see something was wrong with her expression and to the smile to disappear.
"Iz?"
"Death Eaters have just infiltrated in the school, Daddy. You've got to send the Order now!"
A/N: To be continued...
I hope you liked the chapter guys - don't get used to the size by the way. I just kept writing and writing and writing... it wouldn't let go of me! Thus the delay... So, I hope you enjoyed the extra-large chapter :D Only one more week of internship and then I have my deserved well-vacation... Feedback is welcome! Review!