Chapter 28

They ran through Malfoy Manor, navigating their ways through the twisting corridors and numerous rooms. Genny knew the way better than anyone else so she took the lead. Her effort seemed to be futile. The house just went on and on.

"No wonder Draco's such a prat," Ron whispered to Hermione at one point. "With a house as big as this, who wouldn't be? I could fit fifteen of my house in this house! It's crazy! I…"

"Ron," Harry said suddenly, interrupting, "please shut up." Ron rolled his eyes and stopped talking.

"I think…" hesitated Genny as she ran around a corner. She stopped, half the group crashing into her from behind. "Bingo," she whispered.

"What's a bingo?" Ron asked Ryan.

In front of them was a long hall; at the end of that, a door. They all made a mad dash for the door. It swung open and they all ran through. Once they reached a forest on the boundary of the Malfoys' land, they stopped to catch their breaths.

But something seemed wrong to Emily. She just couldn't realize what it was. She looked at the group. 15 Order members and the nine students…WAIT! There weren't nine students. There were only 7.

"Where are Luciana and Gabrielle!" Emily barked.

Jon looked around and turned back to her looking pale. "They're not here."

Ryan smacked his forehead, "I know what must've happened to them. I saw Luciana trip, and Gabrielle slowed down to help her. I though they were still right behind me though. They must have gotten left behind."

Without another word, Harry tried to run back towards the manor. Lupin grabbed his arm and shook his head. Emily understood why. It was too dangerous. If they went back now they'd all be killed.

"We can't just leave them!" protested Genny. "They came to save us, now we have to save them. It's better to do it now then make another trip. Voldemort won't have a use for them like he did us. He'll kill them both."

Tonks cursed. "Okay, the Order will go back. Shacklebolt, you stay with the kids. Protect them. If we're not back my midnight then gets help."

The Order ran off, leaving them almost alone.

Shacklebolt shook his head, "I know what you're all thinking, but you can't do it."

"Why not?" objected Genny. "We'll be fine."

Harry was about to say something when a curse burst through the bushes and hit Shacklebolt square in the chest. Another came a second later throwing Harry bright on top of Shacklebolt. They were both thrown backwards into other bushes. The whole group gasped and turned to see who the curses had come from.

Seamus leered menacingly from the dark shadows. "You guys forget to invite me along, eh?"

Nobody responded.

"What? Speechless? Yeah, so I'm here. Whatcha gonna do now?"

Harry lifted himself out of the bushes, wearily. Panting, he asked, "What…what do you want, Seamus?"

Seamus sneered. "Still calling me Seamus? When you've already figured out that I have the Imperius curse on me? There's no use pretending anymore," he leaned on the tree beside him and winked at Genny. "I'm not Seamus. Seamus was barely at school at all this year."

"I can't believe you!" shouted Genny suddenly. She ran at Seamus. Harry and Ryan had to grab her, but she kept on struggling violently and screeching as if trying to break free and scratch Seamus's eyes out. "I'm gonna get you for what you did to me! You tricked me! You used Seamus! I'm gonna hurt you so bad you'll wish you had never been born!"

Seamus shrugged. "Seamus won't feel it. The death-eater controlling Seamus won't feel it. Only you will feel it."

Genny screamed one last time and by kicking Ryan managed to break free of the boys. She ran at Seamus and tried to punch him. He grabbed her wrist and twisted her arm behind her back.

He grinned. "Anyone else wanna try?"

Simpering in pain, Genny cursed at him. He threw Genny to the ground. Emily pulled her away before she tried anything else stupid.

Jon and Emily exchanged worried looks. "We'll have to fight him," Emily whispered to Jon.

Jon shook his head slowly so Seamus wouldn't see. "There are ways other than fighting. Leave it to me." He turned to Seamus. "So, hey Seamus, I was just thinking. If we're going to die anyway, or something, you might as well quench our curiosity. I've been wondering who's been Imperiusing you."

When Seamus turned to face Jon, Harry and Hermione took it as their chance to get help. They ran the other direction without Seamus noticing. Ron took the chance to see if Shacklebolt, who was still lying motionless in the bushes, was okay.

Seamus shrugged. "Can't hurt, but in the end it won't matter if you're still curious. You'll be dead." He laughed. "Can't ask many questions if you're not alive, but I'll tell you anyway. It was that new transfiguration Professor, Professor Hite."

"Eww, that old guy was making you say all those romantic things to me, and tell me how hot I was. Ewwww!" Genny shuddered.

Seamus smirked at her, but it soon fell. "Where are the others?" he roared after he realized it was just him, Jon, Ron, Ryan, Emily, Genny, and an unconscious Shacklebolt in the clearing.

"They can apparate, Seamus, can't you?" asked Jon innocently.

Snarling, Seamus held his wand up to Jon's throat. Any second he felt like it he could kill him and there was no chance of him missing his target. "You CAN'T apparate on these grounds. The Dark Lord would never have it. Where did they run off to, really? Answer or you're dead."

"With your plans for us I'm as good as dead anyway," Jon retorted.

"STUPEFY!" shouted Seamus. Emily cried out as the spell hit him and his unconscious body dropped to the ground. Her eyes wide with fear, she looked up. There was nothing human in the gaze she received back. Seamus was possessed by some demon of a Death-Eater. Emily broke the stare.

"What a way to spend my birthday," she whispered, with tears in her eyes.

"Today's your birthday?" asked Genny. "You should have told us."

"It's been a stressful month. I sort of forgot…until now. Which means, it must be a full moon." Emily looked to the sky. "Yeah, I remember my mom mentioning that before she left. She found it amusing somehow."

"Full moon?" Emily looked up to find Seamus looking frightened. He backed away from her, trembling.

"Seamus?" she asked. Why would a possessed Seamus be afraid of her?

"Yeah, Emily. Where are we?" he asked, shaking.

Emily stood up and walked towards him.

"No!" he hollered, recoiling from her.

"Seamus, what the heck? It's Emily? Now are you yourself or that stupid Death-Eater?" Genny spat.

"I'm Seamus," Seamus trembled, "But while the Death-Eater possessed me, the last few seconds, I saw into part of his mind."

"You read his mind?" asked Emily amazed, taking a step closer to him.

He yelped and scurried backwards. "Get away, werewolf!"

Everyone froze.

"W…werewolf?" asked Ron, unbelieving.

Emily just stood while they all stared at her. Suddenly she burst out laughing. The others exchanged looks as if Emily had gone mental.

"Emily?" asked Genny.

"Sorry," apologized Emily as she calmed herself down, still shaking her head with laughter. "But guys, I'm not a werewolf! That's just ridiculous! Look," she pointed to the moon. "Full moon. I'm not all big, scary, and hairy, am I? I'm no werewolf, guys. Why the hell would the Death-Eater think I was?"

"Your dad is," pointed out Ryan. "I never thought of it until now. It would be weird having a werewolf as a girlfriend." He didn't notice Jon's dirty look.

"My dad's not a werewolf," Emily rolled her eyes. 'He would tell me something like THAT,' she thought to herself. 'Or would he? He never got to telling me much. Maybe he never told me.' She laughed at herself. Lupin wasn't a werewolf. That would be ridiculous. What kind of school would let a werewolf teach Defense against the Dark Arts?

"Yeah, he is," shrugged Ron. "I've seen him change. But you're not so whatever. Let's go get help since Seamus is himself again."

"Hey, Genny. Sorry for what the Death-Eater made me do. I really do like you," Seamus said, shyly.

"Oh, Seamus!" cried Genny, hugging him around the neck.

Emily smiled. "So what'll we do? Go get help from the rest of the Order or follow them?"

"We don't know the way out of the forest," Ryan pointed out.

"Well, let's just call our magical, little fairy friends to help us find our way to Neverland then," joked Emily cheerfully.

Ryan was lost. "Where's Neverland?"

"You really need to watch some muggle movies, man," chuckled Jon, patting Ryan on the shoulder and walking past him to Emily.

"Emily, sorry I was so jealous over Ryan. You can still date him if you like," Jon said, not looking Emily in the eye.

"You approve?" asked Emily, with a wild, mischievous gleam in her eyes.

Jon nodded sadly.

"Well, no matter. I'm over him anyway," said Emily, unable to contain her huge grin.

Jon looked up confused. Emily tackled him to the ground and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.

Behind them, Genny coughed. Embarrassed, Emily stood up with her blushing face and shrugged with a guilty grin.

She looked to Ryan. He shrugged. "It's cool. We weren't really going anywhere anyway. I still wanna be your friend though, Em."

Emily grinned, "That's great! Now, we might as well get going."

"How?" asked Ron.

Genny bit her lip and finally her eyes lit up, "Well, I didn't just live with Weasley's when I grew up."

"You mean…?" asked Ron.

"Yup," she grinned. "Just give me a minute to call them."

"Call who?" asked Jon, confused.

"You'll see," winked Genny.

Minutes later a piercing whistle rang throughout the forest.

"There they are!" Ron called, pointing to the sky.

"Who?" asked Ryan, squinting at the dark sky, illuminated only by the full moon.

"Well, I grew up with more than a bunch of muggles and mad-men, didn't you know?" she smiled wryly.

"Brilliant," whispered Seamus.

Landing in front of them were five absolutely beautiful griffins. They cawed, stretching out their long elegant, feathered necks. Ruffling their wings, they peered at the group, one tilting its head sharply like a curious pigeon.

"Knoma!" Genny cried, running towards one of the smaller griffins and wrapping it in a big hug. The griffin shook her off as if surprised or angry. For a minute it stood looking at Genny. Suddenly the griffin took off towards Genny and soon the two were in a wrestling frenzy.

Emily screeched as one of the griffins hobbled over to her. It tilted its head curiously.

"Emily, don't be afraid! That's the mom, Gjetis. She raised me for a bit after my real parents left me outside. A few years later I met my muggle Weasley relations and they took me in," Genny was grinning madly. She even looked mad the way she was half sitting on, half head-locking the griffin she had called Knoma. Emily said as much and Genny just laughed. "Knoma's my sister. We always play when we get together."

Shaking his head as his girlfriend returned to shrieking and play with her foster-sister, Seamus asked Emily, "Have you ever seen such a strange sight."

Emily smirked, "Well, if you count the time at Hogwarts when I Ron and Hermione climbing behind a curtain to do some serious snogging…"

Seamus held up a hand, "I really didn't need to know that." But he was grinning, and so was Jon.

"C'mon guys, we have our ride," shouted Genny to the others.

"What? You can't ride a griffin!" shouted Ryan in amazement.

"Yeah, aren't they dangerous…or something…I think," added Ron, oblivious as ever.

Genny just waved her arm, inviting them to come over. "This is my family. They said they'd be glad to help us."

"You mean you can talk to them?" asked Jon, amazed.

Genny made a face. "Duh."

It was at that point that Emily doubted she would ever be surprised again.