Chapter 3: Hospitals, Fawkes and foreshadowing


Later on that night, when the Weasley family and friends were back in the tent; everyone let loose. Ginny and Hermione were cleaning up after dinner, Riley was vs. George in a game of Wizard's chess; mind you she was sitting on Fred's lap and was winning.

"There's no one like Krum. He's like a bird the way he rides the wind. He's more than an athlete, he's an artist." Ron said, standing up on a seat. Fred and George looked at each other, Riley stood and allowed Fred to get up. The twins started are bumbling about in a comical way muttering 'KRUMMMM'. Riley giggled as she sat back down, her wand on the table.

"Think you're in love Ron?" Ginny asked as she picked up a plate and went back to the sink.

"God this place has everything, it's like a home away from." Riley said as she picked up her wand and gave it a small flick, the dishes started to dry themselves as she placed her wand back on the table.

"Viktor, I love you! Viktor, I do!" The twins started to sing, Harry joined in rather quickly.

"When we're apart my heart beats only for youuu!"

Everyone laughed, Ron was glaring at everyone but eventually joined in the laughter. Fred had wrapped his arm around his girlfriend as he listened to the commotion outside.

"Sounds like the Irish have got their pride on." Fred said as he kissed Riley's temple.

"Stop! Stop it. It's not the Irish. We've gotta get out of here. Now." Arthur said, Riley flicked her wrist and suddenly everyone's bags were packed.

Riley poked her outside the tent, looking at what was going on.

"Death Eaters." She said venomously as she caught sight of the hooded figures that were holding onto flaming torches. She grabbed her wand off the table before walking back to the opening of the tent. Arthur wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back inside. Fred wasn't normally a violent person but when he felt the anger radiating off his girlfriend's form, he wanted to kill those people.

Once they were all outside and Harry had a firm grip on her, Arthur gave his instructions.

Get back to the portkey everybody, and stick together. Fred, George... Ginny is your responsibility!" Arthur gave Ron a slight shove in the direction of the portkey.

The crowd around them was panicking, people scrambling here and there. Harry held onto Riley's hand as she tried to pull away and avenge her family.

"Come on Riley!" Harry pulled her extremely hard, someone knocked him and unbalanced him. Riley fell on him, they both grunted at the impact but were both knocked out as someone's feet came in contact with their heads.

The crowds had all gone, they all ran away to safety. A lone man walked through the rubble, kicking at burnt things. He cast a spell which caused a bright flash, a large ghostly skull formed in the sky with a snake crawling from its mouth. The man grinned evilly, clearly demented. Harry and Riley began to stir and witnessed the man standing there. Harry pulled Riley up, she was gripping her head and was moaning in pain. Together they ran, hearing the familiar voices of Ron and Hermione calling for them.

"Harry, my head is..." She pulled to a stop, making Harry stop with her; she was so pale. He wrapped his arms quickly around her as she fainted; he noticed a dark sticky liquid on her clothing. Blood.

"Been looking for you for ages. Thought we lost you. What happened to Riley?"

"We tripped and got kicked in the head, she's loosing blood quickly. What is THAT?" Harry said as the trio looked at the monstrous skull in the sky. Harry dropped Riley quickly as he held his forehead in pain, out of nowhere people fired curses at them.

"Stop! That's my son." Arthur yelled as he approached the four teenagers, Ron and Hermione were helping a very confused Riley, stand.

"Ron, Harry, Hermione, Riley are you alright?" Question Arthur as he did a once over of the kids, he noticed Riley's injury and cast a quick charm to stop the bleeding; for now.

"Which of you conjured this?" Cried Barty, pointing his wand at each of the teens. He singled out Riley whose wand was still in her pocket, the others had left theirs in the tent.

Arthur's eyes widened in shock.

"You can't possibly think Riley did this..." He questioned, Barty was questioning her.

"Do not lie! You have been discovered at the scene of the crime!" He flicked Riley with his wand, she whimpered in pain.

"Crime? What crime? She's injured and all you can think about is who caused that!?" Harry was becoming hysterical, his friend needed urgent medical help.

"Barty? She's just a 14 year old girl with a head injury!" Arthur tried to reason with Barty.

"What crime?" Harry demanded, not getting any attention from the adults.

" Harry, it's his mark." Hermione whispered, soothing Riley who had started to cry.

"Those people tonight, in the masks... they're his too aren't they? They're his followers." Harry started, looking between the people surrounding him.

"Follow me." Barty said as he started to walk off.

"There was a man. Before. There. Riley saw him to before I made her run." Harry said, pointing to the spot.

"All of you, this way." Barty said as he eyed Harry, him and his crew went in the direction Harry pointed.

"Harry, who?" Asked Arthur, now holding Riley in his arms.

"I dunno. I didn't see his face." Harry replied as they hurried towards the closest Medical facility.

Riley was sleeping in the hospital bed as her head injury healed, normally St Mungo's would've taken her in but they were full. The closest hospital was a muggle one.

"How long is this going to take?" Fred fretted as he paced the hospital corridor. Hermione was sleeping on Ron's lap and Ginny on Harry's, George was getting coffee.

Out of nowhere, Professor Dumbledore appeared. He was wearing muggle clothes, a worried look upon his face. Fred's mouth dropped open but stayed quiet, he pointed to Riley's room. He nodded slightly and went in.

"Arthur, Molly. Thank you so much for keeping an eye on her." Dumbledore closed the door and cast a silencing spell.

"When will she be sent home?" He questioned, placing a hand on his grand-daughter's forehead.

"Whenever she wakes up, Professor." Molly replied, Arthur was too interested in the muggle contraptions.

"I think it will be in a few minutes." Dumbledore whispered gently, taking his hand off her forehead.

Riley's eyes fluttered, the light was too bright. Dumbledore turned off the lights and closed the curtains, Riley made more of an effort to open her eyes this time.

"Grandpa?" She questioned, her vision was slightly blurry.

"Over here," Dumbledore whispered gently as she turned her head to his voice.

"Grandpa, I saw them! I wanted to kill them!" Riley whimpered, referring to the Death Eaters.

"I know you did but it's good you didn't, I still want to...ahem...jinx off a couple of them myself." He chuckled, a small smile appeared on everyone's face.

Riley turned her head to the Weasley parents.

"Thank you, for everything." She whispered, it had been more than a few days since she last talked.

"It's ok, anytime dear." Mrs Weasley said as she held onto Riley's hand, the machine started to beep faster.

"Where's everyone? Is everyone ok?" She started to fret, like her boyfriend out in the corridor.

"Settle down, everyone is just fine. See for yourself." Arthur said as he opened up the door.

"You lot can come in now, she's awake but keep it down."

Arthur stepped to the side and let the gang of teenagers bounce into the room, the adults moved away so there was enough space.

"Don't ever do that to me again!" Fred whispered fiercly as he kissed Riley's forehead.

"Likewise Weasley, likewise." Riley whispered, smiling up at him; he returned the smile. She spoke to Ginny and Hermione, Ron and George throwing in the odd conversational topic. Riley noticed her grandfather was speaking to Harry in hushed tones.

She figured she'd get told later on.

After a few days, Riley was released from the muggle hospital; Fred refused to leave her side. This was quite annoying since I needed to speak to Riley on her own. I was back on the train to Hogwarts with Ron and Hermione, Riley had gone back to the castle with Dumbledore in order to prepare a few things, what it was I don't know.

We warned her about the influence of the Malfoy's at the school, she promised to unleash hell when she saw Draco. Oh this year was going to be interesting with her around.

I heard the trolley lady coming up the corridor, I pulled out my money and waited.

"Anything from the trolley? Anything from the trolley?"

The trolley lady poked her head into the compartment once she reached theirs.

"Anything from the trolley dears?" she asked, Ron stood up and went over to the cart.

" Packet of drewbals and a liquorice wand." He asked, checking his money.

"On second thought, just the drewbals thanks." Ron said as he paid for it.

"It's alright I'll get it." I offered as I paid for my chocolate frogs, Ron looked at me oddly.

"Just the drewbals, thanks." I weakly nodded when a girl with straight black hair walked up to the trolley.

"Two pumpkin pasties please." She asked in her clear British accent, I felt a wave of warmth go through my body as she smiled at me; I smiled back.

"Thank you." Said the girl, smiling at me again before she left. I watched her walk away.

"Anything else for you dear?" The trolley lady asked, bringing me out of my girl trance.

"Oh no thank you, thanks though." I said as I retook my seat opposite Ron and Hermione, Hermione was reading the Daily Prophet.

" This is horrible, how can the ministry not know who conjured it. Isn't there any security or something?" Hermione asked myself and Ron, we looked at each other and shrugged.

"Loads according to Dad, that's what worried them so much. Happened right under their noses." I heard Ron say, I was rubbing my head; the bruise still hadn't gone down and was still a bit sore.

Riley's head appeared in my head, I couldn't get rid of it.

Some people aren't what they seem Harry, which is why the Death Eaters appeared. It was people we least expected. Someone said, Enjoy it; while you can. There was a lot of foreshadowing right in those 5 words.

As quickly as it came, her image vanished.

"It's hurting again isn't it, your scar?" Hermione asked me, her hazel eyes boring into mine; I felt my cheeks turn up about 50 degrees. Why was I so influenced by girls!?

"No, the bruise is what's sore and Riley just appeared in my head. Remember how she said she can talk to people using her thoughts? I think she just did it. She mentioned something along the lines of people aren't always what they seem Harry, it is what we all least expected. Enjoy it while you can, those 5 words are foreshadowing a lot." I paused, thinking.

"You know Sirius will want to hear about this. What you saw at the world cup, the dream and Riley." Hermione mentioned softly, taking my hand in her's. Oh man, not again. I mentally thought and shifted positions as not to show anything off.

I wrote a three page letter and gave it to an owl to give to Sirius, I was going to be in for a very long year with the way things were turning out.

Hermione went off to find a few of her other friends and Ron went to find Neville, leaving me all alone. I watched as the scenery went past, thinking about what Riley said earlier.

Enjoy it, while you can. Her voice echoed in my head, I instantly thought of the show down between the Malfoy's and Riley. If I knew Draco well enough, Riley presented a challenge to him and Draco had always wanted what he couldn't have.

I sighed and rubbed the bruise on my head, why was those 5 words so important; what did she know that I didn't?

The hours passed as I tried to figure out the little riddle, I got changed into my robes when Ron and Hermione got back.

We were all hungry and couldn't wait to get back to the school.

"Riley, why aren't you wearing your robes?" Albus Dumbledore asked as he sat at his desk, Riley was playing with Fawkes.

"Because I have exactly 4 hours until they arrive." She replied, looking at her watch; she went back to scratching Fawke's favourite place under his wing.

"Do you know which house you are going to be sorted into?" Albus asked, his eyes skimming over the sorting hat on the shelf.

"Slytherin and Gryffindor, to promote house unity and to settle old grudges." She shrugged as Professor Snape waltzed into the room.

"Ah Severus, welcome. What can I do for you?" Dumbledore asked, taking a sip of his lemon tea; Riley looked between her Grandfather and the greasy haired man.

"Professor Dumbledore, I would like to know why you are putting Riley into both Slytherin and Griffindore at the same time. It has never happened in Hogwart's history." Riley looked up suddenly, of course, he was head of house. Eh and Draco Malfoy was in Slytherin.

"On second thoughts can I just stay in Griffindore?" Riley pleaded as she looked at her Grandfather, he gave her a stern look.

"She is in both houses because it will be promoting house unity. I have had enough of Slytherin and Gryffindore fighting all the time. Besides, it will be good. If she is in Slytherin and she hangs out and talks with Harry, she can deal with the slime people throw at her. Along with any hexes or jinxes thrown her way. You know how advanced she is with her magic, Severus." Dumbledore's old blue eyes sparkled, Snape raised his eyebrow in curiosity but let it drop.

"I am still expecting that essay on the deeper magical properties of the Mandrake root, Riley." Snape turned to her, she paused before standing; going over to a pile of papers.

"No, that's for herbology." She flipped through a few more pages.

"Hey! That's where my recipe for mum's famous choc chip cookies went. I don't think you'd want that."

She paused again and flipped through a few folders.

"AHA!" She screamed, pulling a 30 page book from the pile.

"No wait, that's charms." She put it back and kept flipping through.

"Got a lot of assessment Riley?" Dumbledore asked as he eyed the still growing pile of work.

"More than Hermione Granger, that's for sure." Riley muttered as she still searched, Snape pulled a face. Stupid little no-it-all.

"Snape, Hermione is one of my best friends. Call her a stupid little know it all again and I'll hex you. Teacher or not." Riley said without looking up.

Dumbledore was trying not to laugh, Snape had a shocked look on his face.

Riley was sending her grandfather images of Snape with fluro pink hair and ducky pyjamas, Riley was still searching. The corner of her lips twitched.

"Ok, Fawkes. Whaddya do with it?" Riley turned to the bird, her hands on her hips and a questioning eyebrow rose. The bird loved to hide just her things, it came with being a Phoenix.

The bird seemingly kicked at the nonexistent dirt and flew to his pedestal where he pulled out a large pile of papers. Riley walked up to it, removing one of his feathers and scanned through it.

"Yup this is it, no marks on it what so ever." Riley held up the large tail feather that Fawkes had dropped. She handed the paper to Snape and smirked when he read one paragraph, he was in for a lot of reading.

"Where did you get all this information?" Snape asked, looking between Dumbledore and Riley.

"Oh here and there, got permission from the headmaster to go into the restricted section for certain teachers, I stumbled upon a whole stack of books related to the Mandrake." Riley looked innocently up to the roof of her Grandfather's office, the Dumbledore sparkle in her eye.

"I see, well since you've had all that information you should get an O on the report." Snape smirked this time.

"Well I best be off, Riley come with me down to the kitchens." Dumbledore said as he stood, there was going to be a jinxing battle between Snape and Riley if he wasn't careful.

Twenty minutes later, Riley had stocked up on apples and carrots when she made her way down to Hagrid's hut. Viper was somewhere but she wanted to talk to Hagrid about the up coming Pegasus races.

She knocked on the door and waited, the big man opened the door with a smile on his face.

"Ah, it's you Riley. I was expectin' you sometime today. Viper jus' landed bout 10 minutes ago. Are you ready for ya lesson?" Hagrid asked, taking some of the apples from her hands and placed them on the table.

"Yeah, am I riding with just the bridle today? The flying saddle still needs a few of the leathers repaired." Riley said as she pulled on her chaps and boots that were kept in a small part of Hagrid's hut.

"I was thinking some ground work today, so you will need your muggle tack. Oh did I mention that McGonagall is coming down to watch?" Hagrid asked, picking up the Pegasus' tack and walking outside. Riley poked her head outside the door in surprise.

"You failed to mention it." Riley grumbled, great. Just what she wanted. An audience to watch her fail epically.

Riley walked out of the hut and walked up the hill, calling Viper's name loudly. The black Pegasus appeared out of the dark forest, grass hanging from his lips. He cantered up the hill towards her, his wings invisible and hidden, he looked like a normal black horse.

Small run in with a tree, it jumped into my landing space suddenly; don't worry its just slightly bruised. Viper mentally chuckled at the look on Riley's face, she climbed onto his back and they went down the hill to where Hagrid was waiting.

"Hagrid, with the races coming up. Am I allowed to enter them because I have experience?" Riley sat on Viper as he grazed.

"I don't see why not. The goblet selects whoever it feels is up to the challenge, there aren't any age restrictions." He said as he sat comfortable down on a log.

"I heard that Barty Crouch was going to be announcing a new rule, I have a feeling it's going to be age restrictions." Riley said worriedly, Viper threw his head up and snorted.

Even if he does do that, under the decree of Australia's racing regulations; we are allowed to enter. All we need to do is send them a letter of what we are doing, they will send a representative up here that will watch out over us and help when necessary. You are not a British witch so the rules don't apply to you. We are Australian and we are under a completely different ministry.

If you so wish to enter, then you can and I doubt your Grandfather will stop you from doing something you've wanted to enter for the past few years. You are a strong and powerful witch, besides, you have me as a partner. Together we can win any race we want!

"I think Viper is right, I doubt Dumbledore will stop you and you cannot get in trouble here for racing. You are representing another school. You are just staying at this school as a guest, you are hardly a student and even though you are learning things, you are doing it in your own time." Hagrid agreed, patting Viper's sleek black neck.

"It's still fishy though, even if I do get singled out. I will enter."

"Will enter what?" A female's voice came from behind the trio, Riley jumped and fell off Viper. She landed on the ground with a thud.

"Ouch!" She muttered, standing up and brushing the dirt off her clothes.

"The races, professor McGonagall. No matter what happens I am entering whether people like it or not." Riley repeated, looking at the old professor.

"I'd be careful if I were you, Barty Crouch has power and if he sees a challenge in his way; he will most likely get rid of it. If your Grandfather doesn't want you racing, then he will make sure of it; he is very powerful, Riley. Never underestimate that." Professor McGonagall gave Riley a stern look, Riley nodded gently and grabbed her tack. Once the professor thought that the conversation was well over, she continued.

"I expect this to be an excellent performance, Riley. I've heard so much and I wanted to see with my own eyes." The professor smiled gently, for some reason it seemed familiar; like it was from her childhood. She shrugged it off as she gathered her reins and walked into the arena Hagrid had made specifically for when Viper was in muggle horse form.

"Hagrid, I don't want you giving her anymore dreams about the race. Dumbledore doesn't want her entering and he will make sure she doesn't." She eyed Hagrid with a warning look in her eyes.

"She won't hear nothin'more from me professor, I swear." Hagrid said gently as Riley rode past them.

"Barty is putting age restrictions on it, they don't want to deal with people under the age of 17 entering." McGonagall whispered, eyeing Riley as she cantered her animal around the arena.

"She ain't going to be too happy about tha'." Hagrid whispered, stating a fact more than the truth.

McGonagall nodded and dreaded later that evening.

"WHAT!?" Riley screeched, all the teachers were gathered in Dumbledore's office, he just told them what's going on with the races.

"That's impossible!" She screamed, standing and chucking a tantrum.

"Riley, dear sit down; please." McGonagall tried to reason with the upset teenager.

"I will not sit down. This is insane! I have wanted to enter this race for years now! Dad told me lots of things about it! I want to enter! Screw Barty, since when did you follow every single rule? Didn't you teach me to find the loop holes?" Riley growled as she walked up to her Grandfather, her hair had red streaks in it. She never had red streaks.

"Oh no." Dumbledore whispered, noticing the streaks.

"It's starting." He looked at Riley in the eyes.

"You are starting to get your new powers, Riley I need you to calm down." Dumbledore reasoned, everyone in the room knew what that meant; they stood behind a Snape, he was preparing a shield just in case things got out of hand.

"Grand-daddy say what?" Riley looked rather shocked, she pulled a clump of hair in front of her face. Red visibly all the way through it.

"Oh sh- sherbet lemon." Riley grumbled as she sat down on her seat, Dumbledore looked at her with an intense gaze.

"It will be ok, just handle the anger and all will be ok." He promised before continuing.

Riley had blocked it all out, it was just normal teacher stuff. She'd find a way to enter that race whether everyone liked it or not. She had been training heavily for it, she knew she was ready. Viper was keen to be her partner and she was skilled in combat.

"Whatever you are thinking Riley, it's not going to happen." Dumbledore pulled her out of her thoughts, she glared at him gently and stood.

"Well I need to go and get changed, I'll see you at dinner." Riley said politely and walked out of the office.

"Well I think that went well." Sprout said happily, everyone looked at her.

"It went well because Professor Dumbledore can calm her down." Snape sneered.

"Well, tonight's feast is going to be interesting to say the least." Dumbledore said as he looked at the door his granddaughter just vanished through.