Chapter 48: Letters
Zoey wiped her eyes and held in a sob as she walked down the hall. She had just finished helping Madam Pomfrey with the potion and she was dismissed to take a few hours rest before returning to the Hospital Wing to treat the patient. Zoey hiccuped. The patient. The patient was none other than her Uncle Moony. The man who took her in when her mother died. The man who did selfless things to be able to support Zoey until she had to be given to the Emeraudes. The man, who seemed like he could do nothing wrong was a werewolf. A very dangerous beast that could kill you at the spot. A beast that can transform you into one of them. A beast that was greatly shunned by the muggle and wizarding community. Zoey felt a lump in her throat. Her Uncle could not be that beast, he just couldn't.
"Uncle Moony, it's okay to be afraid of them"
Zoey heard her voice echo in her head and she held in another sob. She wiped her flowing tears and tried to get herself together.
"What about you Zoey? Are you afraid of werewolves?"
She heard her uncle's voice. He was trying to tell her something. He wanted to know if she would accept him for who he was. How could she not realize that? She had said that it depended. Her fear on werewolves depended on how they act, if they were nice or not. Zoey's eyes widened. Her Uncle was one of the nicest people she knew. Was she afraid of him?
"Werewolves are monsters. Monsters are never nice"
Zoey heard her uncle's voice in her head. Was he trying to tell her that he wasn't nice?
"But they're still people aren't they? They only become monsters once a month."
She remembered reasoning with him; unconsciously trying to let him see that Werewolves were people more than half of the time.
"Werewolves are dangerous creatures. You do not want to encounter one"
Zoey stopped dead in her tracks. She had already encountered one. Not in wolf form but in human form. He did nothing to her. He only loved her. Zoey bit her lip and rubbed her eyes. Tears were no longer flowing. It had seemed that she had run out of tears to shed. Her eyes felt raw. Zoey looked up at the moon. She wished that the sun would take its place, to end her Uncle's suffering. To change her Uncle back to the man she knew.
"Werewolves are shunned. They are not accepted anywhere. If you associated with one, then you'll be shunned as well,"
Did Zoey care about being shunned? Did she care that her Uncle was a werewolf? She had told him that if someone close to her were a werewolf she wouldn't do anything. She said that she would treat them the same way she always treated them when they were human. Was she going to be true to her word? Zoey wondered if her care about being accepted by people would harm her love for her uncle. Would she abandon her uncle if given the chance to be loved by society? Zoey furrowed her eyebrows and glared at the ground. Of course not. Right now, she couldn't care less about how people thought of her. All she cared about at the moment was her uncle.
Zoey swiftly turned her back at the sight of the moon and went up the moving stairs. She did not care that it was way past her curfew and she did not care that Madam Pomfrey can't save her now since their training was over at the moment. All Zoey cared about was getting to her Uncle. Madam Pomfrey had said that her Uncle has been drinking Wolfsbane Potion and stayed in his office every transformation. That's what the cauldron was for…, Zoey vaguely thought to herself when she remembered the cauldron in his office.
Snoozing painting after snoozing painting Zoey passed until she reached the door to his office. She placed her hand on the handle and caught her breath. Did she really want to be in the same room as a transformed werewolf? That was when they were most dangerous. Zoey bit her lip. Madam Pomfrey did say that if her uncle took the Wolfsbane Potion his body would be the only one that would change. His mind would still be intact and he would still have control over his actions. He would not harm her… right?
Zoey gulped and twisted the handle. He would not harm her and even if he did she had her wand in her robes' pocket. Her only problem was that she did not know any spells that could be used against a werewolf. The spells she thought that could be affective were the ones she had been struggling with. Zoey sucked in a gasp when she pushed the door open. It was too late to turn her back now. It was now or never.
"Uncle Moony?" Zoey asked in a soft voice when she peered through the door. She expected to see her Uncle in werewolf form inching farther away from her into a dark corner. She expected to see a werewolf in the room either sleeping or looking curiously at her. All her expectations involved a werewolf but she was left in utter confusion. The office was the same as before only that there was no werewolf in sight. Where was her Uncle?
Zoey bit her lip and lit her wand with a soft "Lumos" she quickly scanned the room and the place behind her. She looked under the tables and behind the drawers. She even looked at small gaps that obviously could not hide a werewolf but to no avail. He uncle was not in the room. Zoey's breathing quickened. Where could he have possibly gone? She knew her Uncle was smart and that he still had his mind intact, he wouldn't have left the room. Heck, he couldn't even leave the door unless he broke it down. Zoey quickly looked back at the door. Nope, it was still intact. She looked at the windows. They were still fixed. It was no use thinking he was still in the office. Zoey came to the obvious conclusion that her Uncle left the office before his transformation. The only question was: "Where did he go?"
Zoey was about to turn and leave but something caught her eye. She held her wand tighter in her hand as she approached the table. She peered down at it and her eyes widened. It was the Marauder's Map. Zoey need not say the correct incantation for the map was already open and she could see several people walking around. She saw Filch and Mrs. Norris patrolling the seventh floor and she saw several ghosts moving about down the halls. She saw Peeves loitering around on the third floor but none of those surprised her. What surprised her were the names located in and near the Forbidden Forest. She saw Bridgit and Echo's names standing far apart from each other and she saw her Uncle's name running around in the Forbidden Forest. "That's where he is…," Zoey said in a shaky whisper before once again scanning the map. She was sure her uncle would do no harm to any of the students since he was so far away and Bridgit and Echo were already several feet away from the castle.
"It can't be," Zoey gasped when she caught sight of her dad's name in the castle. He was in one of the classroom, which classroom it was she did not bother to check for she was focused on the names that were floating near her father's. Harry, Hermione and Buckbeak were with her father and in a matter of second her father's name joined them. Zoey let out a pained gasp. It was happening again. Mist began to surround her out of her own will. Her eyes shot wide open and she grabbed hold of the desk, gripping on it tightly as she felt the wings beginning to sprout out from her back. She bit back a scream when she felt them spread wide, enjoying their freedom.
Without thinking, Zoey went towards the window and opened it. She shivered slightly when a cool breeze passed by but she did not linger. In less than a second she jumped out of the window and flew towards the West Tower. She did not know why she was going there but her instincts told her that that was the place where she got to be. She squinted her eyes to keep the wind from harming them and she tried her best to keep a straight face as she fought the wind. She was flying faster than she ever flown before. Before it even reached two minutes Zoey landed on the West Tower and felt her wings retreat back into her body. She winced a bit but then licked her lips when she saw Buckbeak arrive with Harry, Hermione and Sirius on his back. Zoey watched Harry and Hermione jump off Buckbeak and Sirius thanking them. Zoey decided to reveal herself.
"And when you see Zoey tell her –" Sirius stopped and looked up when he heard footsteps. Harry and Hermione turned around at the source of the sound, panic and fright written on their faces.
"Tell me what, dad?" Zoey asked in a soft voice as she walked closer to her father; a small smile on her face. "That you're free? That you can now go out and live your life?"
"In a way yes. I am now free from Azkaban but I am still a wanted man," Sirius said, readjusting himself on Buckbeak's back.
"I guess you can't have everything, huh?" Zoey bit her lip, "Where are you going to go?"
Sirius looked at everything except for Zoey. "Somewhere far away from here. Where that place is… I don't know yet"
Zoey slowly nodded her head.
"We'll see each other again," Sirius said reassuringly, "How did you get here anyway?"
Zoey gave a small smirk and let out her hand showing her palm. On it was a single white feather. Hermione looked at it curiously while Harry and Sirius nodded their heads. The feather blew away in the breeze.
"Sirius, we're running out of time," Hermione said with slight panic.
"Right," Sirius said and Buckbeak moved a bit, "You are truly your father's son, Harry," he looked at Harry and then at Zoey, "What I was going to tell them to tell you was that I love you"
Zoey gave a large smile, "I love you too, dad"
Sirius gave a grin before squeezing Buckbeak's sides with his heels causing Buckbeak's wings to rise. The hippogriff took off into the air. In a matter of seconds both Buckbeak and Sirius were getting smaller and smaller until they were out of sight. A cloud covered the moon.
Zoey turned around and faced Harry and Hermione. She blushed. She took a step back and looked down. "Well, I best be going now. It's after curfew and all and I have to wake up to go –"
But she was cut off when the air was knocked out of her by the strength of Harry's hug. Her eyes widened the same time Harry's hug tightened around her. Zoey looked down at Harry and then at Hermione who wore a tired smile on her lips. Zoey bit her lips and wrapped her arms around Harry as well. They stayed like that for a few moments before Harry loosened his grip slightly.
"Sorry," he said, "About everything I said and did"
"It's fine… all's forgiven," Zoey said in a quiet tone before running her hand through his hair. The kind of gesture and older sister does to a younger brother.
Harry smiled.
Zoey furrowed her eyebrows and pouted her lips childishly. She was once again in her Uncle's office and she threw quite a childish tantrum. She continued to glare at the ground as her Uncle moved around the room waving his wand at various objects in order to fix and pack them into his several suitcases. It was the day after her father had once again escaped and her Uncle was up and ready to go since he had already taken the potion Zoey and Madam Pomfrey had made him. Zoey immaturely stomped her foot on the ground.
Remus sighed and dropped his wand to his side. "Zoey," he said patiently, "We've been over this."
"But you can't resign! I won't let you!" Zoey said with a childish tone. She was being a brat but she couldn't help it.
"The parents won't be happy knowing a werewolf will be teaching their children," Remus ran a hand through his hair, looking around his office trying to see if he forgot anything.
"Then they're being potato heads! You've been teaching the students of Hogwarts for a year now. Obviously, you didn't do anything wrong to them! Why would you harm them now?" Zoey said stomping her foot to emphasize each important word.
"But there's nothing I can do about it. If they don't like the teacher's in Hogwarts then they would not send their students here. That would be a problem," Remus said
"How did they find out anyway?" Zoey asked curiously.
"Err – Severus accidentally let it slip that I am a werewolf this morning at breakfast," Remus said awkwardly before returning to waving his wand around sending shoes back into shoe boxes and books and papers into folders and bags.
Zoey raised an eyebrow, "Accidentally, huh?" she then dropped the subject and went towards Remus' table. The map was once again open and she looked at the moving names. She spotted Harry's name approaching Remus' office. "Harry's coming," Zoey said.
"I see," Remus said from behind her. He had stopped packing just to peer over her shoulder.
Zoey pulled out her wand and pointed it at the door. She muttered a spell causing the door to open on its own. She then pocketed her wand and faced her uncle. He was looking at her curiously. "It's so Harry wouldn't waste any time knocking. He can just walk right it," Remus gave her a look, "What? It's called consideration"
Remus didn't believe her but a smile broke on his lips and pulled her into a hug. Zoey returned it. "I'm going to miss you so much," Zoey whispered. A few seconds later they heard footsteps. Zoey let go of her Uncle and smiled when she saw Harry walking into the office.
"Well," Zoey said taking one last good look at her uncle, "I'll be going now," she gave him a hug, "I'll see you whenever"
Zoey then passed by Harry and sent him a smile before leaving the office, shutting the door close when on her way. She then ran a hand through her hair and went on her way to her dormitories. She had so see if she got everything packed and ready to go.
"I'll see you, Cedric!" Zoey waved and watched Cedric being brought away by both his parents. She had had the pleasure of meeting the family when the train stopped at platform's nine and three-quarters. Amos Diggory was a friendly man and Zoey had a pleasant conversation with him. Sure, he bragged about Cedric winning the Quidditch math against Harry, something Cedric modestly said that he only won because Harry fell of his broom, but Zoey could not help but feel Amos pride radiating from him.
Mrs. Diggory was a very beautiful and pleasant woman. Zoey could see that Cedric got most of his traits from her. Zoey gave another wave when they looked back and smiled happily when they were out of sight. It was good to finally have a friend in her own house. Zoey swiftly turned around to see Fred glaring at a distance while George and Echo were having a pleasant conversation.
"Fred? What's wrong?" Zoey asked as she touched his arm.
Fred blinked a couple of times before realizing that Zoey had spoken to him. He looked down at her, she had grown a few inches but he was still way taller, and grinned. He brought his hand up and ruffled her hair. "Nothing," he said with a laugh before pocketing both his hands. Zoey scrunched up her nose and tried to fix her hair, though it made no difference.
"You just had to say so. No need in messing up my hair," Zoey said as she gave up and blew her bangs away from her face.
"I messed it up?" Fred asked, "I was only improving it"
"Uhuh," Zoey raised an eyebrow before sticking her tongue out at him. Fred returned the gesture.
"Zwei, I'm going to go with you to your house to help you pack up. Even though the Bermuda Triangle is near the equator, it can be as cold as the arctic there," Echo spoke in a very high sing-song voice.
"But we have all our things with us now," Zoey asked, turning away from Fred, "What else is there to pack?"
"I don't know," Echo rolled her eyes, "maybe your scuba diving suit or swimwear"
Zoey raised her eyebrow, "I don't swim," she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"What' this we hear about the Bermuda Triangle?" George said leaning on Fred's shoulder.
"And what's this about going to Zoe's house to pack her swimwear?" Fred leaned towards Echo and Zoey while wiggling his eyebrows.
"We're going to the Bermuda Islands and stay put there for two weeks," Echo merely raised her eyebrow at the twins before closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose, "Keep your bloody heads out off the damn bloody gutter; we're not bringing any boys, unless, of course, you use the portkey we use that takes place of a really truly burnt Christmas Tree," Echo paused, "Please don't tell me I just blurted those things"
"Alright," Fred began
"We won't tell you," George continued
"But you did blurt out those things," they ended in unison.
Zoey laughed, "Mrs. Weasley won't even let you go."
"Oh well," Echo allowed a grin on her face. "I guess that we have to miss Fred and George over two weeks and maybe pretend that they're in a coma," Echo then pouted.
Fred and George placed their hands on their hearts and feigned hurt. "That hurts Echo," George said.
"What if we really were in a coma?" Fred asked.
"Easy. You'd be in a coma, of course," Echo stuck out her tongue. The twins did the same.
Zoey smiled, rolled her eyes and shook her head. She then looked around the platform trying to catch sight of the Golden Trio, Bridgit or the Weasley Family. No less than ten seconds she caught sight of Bridgit walking away with her luggage in tow while Shinji was walking behind her. Zoey was just about to call out to her but was stopped when Echo grabbed hold of her arm and placed a hand over Zoey's mouth making her words muffled. Zoey's eyes widened with confusion.
"Bridgit's in a bad mood. You better not disturb her, she says she needs time to be alone for quite a while," Echo spoke in a deep sullen tone while she looked somewhere else, refusing to look at Bridgit.
Zoey pried Echo's hand of her mouth and knitted her eyes in worry.
"Bad mood?" Fred asked with a snigger, "Is it that time of month for her?"
"Obviously not, Fred," Echo looked at him with no expression dancing on her eyes unlike the childish disposition it held just before Zoey had noticed Bridgit.
George tugged his twin's sleeve, "Now she's in a mood. Better not add fuel to the fire unless we want to get back home alive, mate"
"Where's the fuel, George?" Echo raised an eyebrow, "I'm not angry or filled with the brim with hatred, but we all know it's somewhere under there." Echo smiled a small smile.
Zoey was just about to back up the twins but was interrupted when she heard the hooting of an owl. She and the rest looked up to see a black and white owl flying their way. It was a few sizes smaller than a regular owl but was still big enough to carry packages as big as a box. Zoey raised an eyebrow at it and winced slightly when it landed on her shoulder. She stiffened at the added weight and slowly held up her arm and let the owl hop to it so she had room to move her head. Zoey gulped and studied the owl a bit. Its eyes were a bright honey brown and its head and boy were of white color while its wings were black with white spots. The beak was a light orange and held a letter with her name scrawled on the envelope.
"Who's it from?" Echo asked Zoey.
Zoey reached towards the owl and took the letter from it. She flinched slightly when it affectionately rubbed against her hand. She then let the owl hop to her shoulder as she opened the letter. She quickly scanned the message and a small smile played on her lips. She then pocketed the letter and let the owl nibble on her finger.
"So who's it from," Fred asked.
"Never you mind," Zoey said and looked towards them, "So what's a nice name for this little girl?"
"You're keeping her?" George asked
Zoey nodded, "The letter does say she's officially mine."
"How about 'Eos'?" Echo smiled.
"I was thinking about something like 'Eva' since it means life and all," Zoey paused, "But that sounds rather egotistical since my name means the same. What does 'Eos' mean?"
"Means 'dawn'," Echo spoke.
Zoey nodded her head and looked back at the owl, "Dawn… Eos… I like it," she then smiled at her friends, "Well, it will be easier to Owl you guys now"
"Damn straight," Fred grinned, "And you better send us letters everyday"
"Seeing as you're going to leave us for two weeks and you have no excuse not to send us letters. You do have your own owl now," George added
"Shut up, both of you," Echo said and stuck her tongue out once more, "Don't make me send Iolanthe just to peck your heads"
Fred and George took a step back. "Don't have to be so violent," they said before looking around.
"I think I see mum," George said.
"Well, then, we'll be seeing you before the Quidditch World Cup?" Fred asked as he grabbed hold of his luggage cart. George did the same.
"Yeah," Zoey smiled and Fred blushed a bit. He covered it with his hand and pretended to cough into it.
"Bye, George. Good Luck, Fred. Don't be messing with the stuff I left," Echo sternly spoke but the twins already turned their back to her and waved not really taking her warning seriously.
Zoey quietly watched them leave until they were out of sight. She felt Eos fly away from her shoulder and landed on her luggage cart. Zoey looked at her fondly before looking at Echo. "Why'd you wish Fred good luck?"
"That he might survive through the coma," Echo shrugged and grinned.
Zoey didn't question any further. She rather not know what Echo really meant. She then looked back at Eos and watched as the owl looked at her questioningly. "Now… let's find you a cage and see if I can keep you alive through the summer"
Eos gave a frightened hoot.
"Hey, this is the first time I've ever had a pet besides a rock," Zoey then began to push her cart, "Now… where can I find owl food…"
"Easy. Find rats," Echo chirped.
And that's the end of their 5th year!
Yey!
Oh, and I finally graduated! Toga and diploma and everything!
I celebrated on April 1 so that means... HAPPY BIRTHDAY FRED AND GEORGE!
Stay tuned for an extra/bonus chapter dedicated to those lovable twins :P
I love April one but there are time where I completely hate it. I hate it when people pull pranks that go to far and are not even funny.
I don't want to go into details.
Special thanks to HayleyParadox for helping me out.
Thank you all for supporting me and reviewing and the like. I couldn't have gone this far without you all!
Oh, and sorry if this is shorter than the other chappies. I was slightly on Writers Block here but at least I finished it!
I hope it was/is good!
Hopefully the bonus/extra chapter would be up and running tomorrow so once again... stay tuned :D
Oh and for chapter 49 (which is not the extra/bonus chapter) will be about Echo and Zoey's summer so stay tuned for that too!
I feel like a radio :P
Well, that's all I got to say in this author's note.
Don't forget to review and the like! :D
I only own what I own
