Chapter 23

Confused and befuddled over Jon's disappearance, Emily made her way towards the school. She was thinking about what had happened. Ryan had been so nice to her. They were kissing because they liked each other. How could Emily have known that Jon liked her also? What could she have done about it anyway? Emily felt really guilty, but she knew that it was too late.

"Damnit, Jon, you could've told me," she muttered to herself. But then she realized something: what would she have done if Jon had told her? Freaked out and slapped him? No, it was probably for the better that Jon hadn't told her before.

Emily felt like the world was falling in around her. She knew she would have boy troubles at some point in her life- every girl did- but she never knew it would feel this extreme.

Miserable, and upset, Emily almost neglected to see the strange, green mark that was overshadowing the school. But of course…that was an almost.

Emily screamed when she finally saw the Dark Mark hovering in the sky. She may have been raised away from the wizarding world, but that was something she knew of! Despite her mother's warnings never to enter a building with the Dark Mark above it, Emily ran towards the school, thinking only of Jon and how she'd never get to apologize, Ryan and how she'd never be able to see him again, and her friends.

The faces of her classmates and teachers flew through her mind as she raced down the deserted halls. "Genny! Jon! Ryan! Anybody!" she cried, poking her head into the classrooms only to be disappointed. Where was everyone?

Emily almost missed the library, she was running so fast, but she glimpsed some movement in there and backtracked to check it out.

She ran in, shouting for a reply. Something long and skinny was suddenly held up against the back of her neck. She froze. It was a wand.

"You'll pay for telling everyone about the curse," hissed a voice behind her.

Her heart sunk. Seamus. He was already under the Imperius curse again. Either that or he really was evil. "Hand over your wand," he whispered, "Or I'll kill you."

Emily reached in her pocket for her wand, slowly. Seamus tensed behind her, ready for sudden movement from her. She slowly turned and placed her hand over his as if to drop her wand into his hand. She began to loosen her fingers…

"Bibliopandeus!" she shouted suddenly, grabbing her wand just before she dropped it. Books flew from the library shelves and began to attack Seamus. He covered his head as the charms book whacked his head, and kneeled in pain when a particularly heavy Herbology book rampaged into his stomach.

Emily smirked and tucked her wand inside of her cloak again. Turning to leave, she saw Lupin, Genny, and McGonagall watching with shock from the doorway.

Emily shrugged. "I had to do something to keep him from cursing me."

McGonagall's Office a Few Minutes Later

"My goodness, this is just ridiculous beyond belief," huffed Professor McGonagall. Emily and Seamus hung their heads in shame. Seamus had been anti-cursed just minutes before and kept apologizing to Emily for what had happened.

"I was walking by the lake and I just…I can't remember anything after that," he had explained. Emily had forgiven him, but still felt a bit guarded around him without meaning to. After all the times he had tried to hurt her, it was hard for her to forgive. The real Seamus seemed like a completely different person from the old Seamus. This one was much less stealthy-acting and would never have flirted as outrageous and obnoxiously as he had when Emily had first met him. Most importantly, this Seamus would never try to kill anyone. He was a good person really. Emily could see why Genny had used to like him, although why she never had realized his big change was a mystery. Maybe she didn't want to believe that he was different, so she had turned a blank eye to it.

"Headmistress, may I interrupt," asked Lupin. "After all, Emily is my daughter. I have the right to question her alone, don't I?"

McGonagall nodded. "That you do. You two may go, but I want Seamus to stay. It is necessary to find out who's been cursing him and how to protect him for further curses. I am astounded that a Death-Eater managed to find a way to curse a Hogwarts student within Hogwarts grounds. It was in the beginning of the school year so perhaps it was before Filch had the chance to block all the secret passage ways into the school."

"Umm, Professor," said Harry, guiltily, stepping into the room with Hermione sternly at his back. "There's another secret passage way underneath the Whomping Willow that Filch doesn't know about."

"Oh, really?" asked McGonagall, looking down her glasses at Harry.

Lupin chuckled as he led Emily into the hallway. "I had forgotten that Harry knew about that passageway, but it won't do any good. I already told Filch about it and he blocked it off."

"You mean, there's another way that Death-Eaters have managed to get into Hogwarts?"

Lupin, the bags under his eyes looking deeper than ever, nodded.

They reached Lupin's office without talking very much. When Emily walked in, the first person she saw was a lady about 20 years old with bubble-gum pink hair. Emily's first impression of her was a punk flamingo.

"Emily, this is Nymphadora Tonks," introduced Lupin.

Emily gaped. This was her dad's girlfriend? She was barely older than Emily, and was much too young for Lupin.

"Hi, Emily. Just call me Tonks. I hate being called Nymphadora. It sounds like a cheesy name for a clown," said Tonks with a big foolish grin, holding out her hand. She shook Emily's hand with a firm sureness. Emily liked this lady, even though she had replaced her mother in her dad's life. "So, Remus has told me all about you. It's nice to finally meet you."

Emily nodded, not sure what to say to this. Lupin hadn't said that much about Tonks, so it was an odd situation.

"I came as soon as I could when the Order of the Phoenix heard that the dark mark was over Hogwarts again," Tonks said to Lupin. "Flitwick met us at the door to tell us everything was all under control. We checked out the school just in case he was under the Imperius curse of course. We had heard that there was a problem with that at Hogwarts earlier this year."

"Who made the dark mark?" asked Emily, suddenly curious.

"Probably Seamus. He was trying to get you back to Hogwarts from the sound of it. We used a bit of veritaserum on him right after we took the curse off. You were talking to McGonagall then, Emily," Lupin explained. "Apparently Voldemort was furious when he heard that you were at Hogwarts, and your mother gone. He's after both of you, as well as anybody else close to the Potters or Dumbledore. We live in dangerous times."

Everybody in the room looked sadly away at that. Emily had grown up not knowing her father due to You-Know-Who. Tonks had seen people killed by Death-Eaters right in front of her.

"Tonks, is it okay if I speak to Emily alone for a minute. You can wait in the classroom and we'll be out in a minute."

Tonks nodded and left.

"You wanted to question me about the Seamus-thing?" asked Emily.

Lupin shook his head and sat next to her. "It's more important," he said somberly. "I heard you almost kissed a boy today. Are you sure he's good? I won't have you dating someone who will be bad for you."

Emily almost laughed. She had been expecting something far more serious. "He's nice. It's fine. There's nothing to worry about."

Lupin nodded. "I just wanted to be sure. You mother would murder me if I let you go out with a bad person." Emily saw his eyes begin to tear, and patted him on the back.

"I miss her too. I really want to know where she is and what she's doing right know. She must be worried sick about me. I know I'm worried about her," sighed Emily.

"Where did she say she was going again?" asked Lupin out of the blue.

"Well, she got a letter and said she had to visit some friends."

"Did she say which friends?"

Emily shook her head, thinking back. "No, she just said, 'I have to see one of my old friends about something. I'll be back soon enough.' But then she didn't come back or she would have gotten the letter first. Or at least she would have come to Hogwarts looking for help. I wonder if she even knows I left home," Emily said, sadly.

Lupin gave her a pat. "I'm sure she's fine."

It was at that point that Emily realized something: the main thing that was keeping Emily and Lupin caring for each other was worry for Leila.

'Please, find us soon, Mom! We need you,' prayed Emily desperately.