Chapter Thirteen

Maximus, Pascal and the Glue


"So you guys wanna hear something super cool before you give me all the juicy details?"

"Not really," the first man, Maximus, muttered while Pascal punched his arm and exclaimed,

"Yes! Dumbledore told us you had some exciting news for us."

"Well, feast your eyes on this, lads." I drew my wand out of the inner pocket on my jacket and watched their faces as they looked at it.

"You stole some poor bloke's wand?" Maximus asked, raising an eyebrow at me. "That's low, even for you." But I could see the gears turning in his brain and even he looked surprised and amazed.

"YOU GOT MAGIC?" Pascal squeaked, a huge smile already breaking out on his face.

"Dude, you've got to start acting like a man and stop getting so excited and worked up over things," Maximus grunted as he rolled his eyes at Pascal. Even though Maximus acted like Pascal and I were big nuisances, he truly did love us.

"I'll have you know I'm manly enough where it counts, mate. Besides, women like when men share their enthusiasm."

"GUYS. Hello? Yes, Pascal was right! With both statements, actually," I grinned, slipping the wand back into my jacket.

"How the hell did a squib end up with magic?" Maximus demanded. "No offense, Eridani, but even if your family hadn't disowned you not even they would be able to fix a squib."

"Not that you need fixing," Pascal interjected.

"I didn't say she needed fixing. She knows what I mean."

"Eh I'm not offended. But it was Dumbledore." I held out my hand for them to take a look at the ring. "He somehow found a way to make his magic flow through this ring, which allows me to use it. BUT—" I cut both of them off, holding up my finger, "—it'll be awhile before I can be of any help magic-wise to you guys. Just because Dumbledore's a magical genius doesn't mean I'll automatically be, or will ever be. I have to start learning from the beginning."

"So—"

"That's right Maxi! You're looking at a bonafide first year!"

"That's really cool Eridani! I'm so happy for you. We both are."

"Thanks guys! So. I'll shut up now. What's going on?" As Maximus began to explain the mission, I couldn't help but once again compare the two men who seemed like polar opposites to an outside eye. Maximus was tall and muscular with almost porcelain white skin, short dark blonde hair, and dark brown eyes. He was gruff and had the demeanor of a commander of an army, while Pascal on the other hand…oh Pascal. He was a little shorter than I was and didn't look much more muscular than me. His skin was darkened by the sun and his personality shone just as bright as the sun. Even though he was on the smaller end of the scale for a male, he was just as dangerous as Maximus and had almost more tricks up his sleeve than even the Marauders.

"Hello? Anybody in there?" Maximus' voice cut through my haze. "Did you even hear a word I just said?"

"'Course I did. Small gathering of Death Eaters, the Big V won't be attending. Job is to observe, not attack unless provoked. Get in and out in one piece. Find out intel, blah blah blah. Seems kinda like a laid-back mission for us, don't you guys think?"

Maximus once again rolled his eyes while Pascal just laughed. "Well even we get the crap jobs when there are no other jobs to be had."

"I guess you're right, Pascal." I looked at each of their faces in turn. "So! Whose turn is it to take me this time?"

"Unfortunately mine," Maximus muttered. "But not until you drink up."

I took the small vial he handed to me and popped the top, sniffing it. My face scrunched up at the awful, foul smell. "You know, I don't think I'll ever get used to the smell of Polyjuice."

"No one ever does," Pascal agreed sympathetically as I tossed my head back and downed the rancid liquid.

"Who am I going to look like today?" I coughed as I began to feel the tingly sensation of the potion kicking in.

"Oh, just another random Ministry official, female this time. I don't know her name, only that she annoys me," Maximus said airily. "She wasn't using the hair, so I took it. She'll never know."

"Unless they see me and they go after her! Guys, what have I told you? I don't want to appear as anybody who hasn't agreed to let me use their face. It's not right."

"But—"

"No, Maximus. Next time get somebody's consent first. Or I'll go as myself."

"You know that's a really bad idea, Eridani," Pascal said solemnly.

"Yeah, well so is using some innocent person who could potentially end up tortured or dead if I screw up while using their face."

"This woman's not innocent. She's a royal bitch."

"Maximus, I'm serious."

"Fine. I'll do it your way next time," Maximus grumbled as he offered me his arm. "Now let's go. We're wasting time." As soon as I took it the world went dark and started to spin. Within seconds we were on solid ground, the only thing left spinning was my head.

"You know, I miss the days where Apparating used to make you piss yourself."

"I never once pissed myself," I growled, punching his arm.

"No, but the first time you did screetch a little," Pascal said.

"Well not everyone is used to all this magical shit you know. And who says screetch? Why couldn't you just say scream like a normal person?"

"Because you didn't scream. You screetched. You know, like a wounded bird," Maximus agreed.

"I'm not making fun of you, I'll leave that to Maxi here." Pascal grinned. "Besides. The first time I Apparated? I puked. The first time Maximus here Apparated? Well, he pissed himself."

"I did not you little rat!"

"That's not what I've heard, mate."

"Okay ladies, chill out," I interrupted, rolling my eyes. "There'll be time for bickering later. We need to get a move on before we either miss our opportunity or you two alert them that we're here."

Silence fell among us after Maximus cast a silencing charm on all of us so we wouldn't accidently make even the slightest noise. We began to quietly make our way towards where this supposed small gathering of Death Eaters was supposed to be a couple miles east of us. And sure enough, as we drew closer, we could indeed tell there was some sort of gathering. A fire blazed hot and tall, and gathered around it in a tightly packed circle were dark cloaked figures. There were at least twenty of them, maybe thirty.

We came to a stop where we were just close enough to hear what was being said and to see what was going on, but still far enough away that they shouldn't notice our presence.

"I believe everyone's here, Malfoy," a small Death Eater man said to a taller, lankier man who stood inside the circle, his outline framed by the flames.

"Good. Now everyone listen up. I'd like to make this short and sweet so we can get out of here before the world awakens." The slight chatter among the group fell silent as all eyes turned to the man in the center, who, of course, was none other than a Malfoy.

"The Dark Lord is growing impatient and getting restless. He wants to know why not a single one of us has come up with any of the information that he needs." He paused, looking several of the surrounding Death Eaters in the eye. "We all know what happens when he grows too impatient, and I have a feeling all of us don't want to witness that again."

"We're trying," one of the Death Eaters spoke up. "But it's as if this legend is exactly that…a legend. Other than the stories the Dark Lord has told us…there's nothing to be found."

"There has to be!" Malfoy spat. "For all of our sakes, there has to be."

"I thought Rider was taking care of this," another Death Eater piped up, and several others muttered their agreements.

"Rider had another pressing task come up that he had to take a detour to go and take care of. Which leaves the rest of us to try and either find more information for him to use when he can take control of this task again, or to find it ourselves and boost ourselves up in the Dark Lord's eyes."

"What could possibly be more important than this to the Dark Lord?"

"I have no idea," Malfoy admitted, "but it's not our place to ask."

"That's all fine and dandy," somebody else drawled, "but how the hell are we supposed to find anything when there's nothing to find?"

"Yeah, how come we haven't been told the information that Rider had supposedly already gathered on this thing? Wouldn't that be considered need-to-know? I mean, these Iasi people—"

"It would, except that information was stolen from Rider. And now the only ones who know that information are the thief and Rider himself." I felt feel my blood run cold, the hair on the back of my neck standing on end. I would've preferred for somebody to have punched rather than this... Iasi people? No, no this couldn't be happening… My hands followed by my whole body began to shake. Maximus placed a strong hand on my arm, concern etched on his face.

What's wrong? he mouthed, but all I could do was shake my head and mouth,

Get me out of here.

I was vaguely aware of a look passing between him and Pascal, but all I could really focus on was trying to keep the panic from taking over. Without any questions, I felt Maximus take ahold of my arm and the world went black and started spinning.

Voldemort was after me? And he'd sent Rider to find out more about my people and therefore me? This couldn't be happening…Merlin tell me it wasn't happening…

"What the hell's going on?" Maximus demanded as soon as we touched down in Hogsmeade.

Pascal grabbed one of my hands, trying to steady it. "Eridani, what's wrong?"

"I…guys, I need a favor from you. I need you to take me somewhere before I go back to school."

They exchanged a look before turning their eyes back to me. "Where do you need to go?" Pascal asked.

"My house." He nodded, and seconds later the three of us were standing on my doorsteps. I grabbed my hidden key, unlocked the door, and all but ran to my staircase.

"Please tell us what's going on," Pascal said, both him and Maximus lingering just inside the doorway.

"Close the door and come here," I said instead. Like the good little soldiers they were, they followed my orders. "I need one of you to remove that board. I had Remus charm it so nobody could get into it without the right spell." I pointed to the third step up from the bottom.

Maximus, being the better at this sort of stuff of the two, took out his wand and worked his magic. The board slowly moved, revealing what lay underneath.

"What the hell is that?" Maximus demanded.

Instead of answering, I removed Rider's satchel and, for the first time, opened it and removed what was inside. And I had to admit, I wasn't exactly prepared for what I found.

Pascal sucked in a breath and I felt Maximus grow rigid.

"What the fuck!" Maximus growled.

What the fuck indeed, I thought to myself as I examined what I had in front of me.

"Eridani…" Pascall muttered, "if this is what I think it is, this isn't good. At all."

"It's a bloody disaster," I agreed as a recent picture of me stared unblinkingly back, smack dab in the middle of dozens of papers that held what I could only assume was information about me.