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The Rabbit's Hole Option
I felt the knot in my stomach as soon as I heard her tone, too casual, too light. Even though I couldn't see his face, I felt Fred's grip tighten, his wand raised higher. Harry and the others had stopped walking. I looked at Melinda, she had to notice the tone too. Sure enough she looked surprised, as well as unsure. I tried to relax, maybe she did expect to see George strolling about this evening.
"Are the others with you as well?" Professor Madison asked. The warning bells were so loud they hurt.
"Shit, it's a trap, she set us up" Matt hissed, breaking rank and running over to join George's side. I started to call for him but Fred grabbed me, covering my mouth just as I open it.
"Knacks, it's so good to see you, I heard your sister is doing quite better" she said. Her tone was still oddly casual.
"What are you doing out here?" I heard Matt ask.
"Oh, you know" she replied. There was pause and then a sharp pain shot through my mind, I was glad Fred's hands were still over my mouth. I closed my eyes, not just because of the pain but because I was seeing something. The image from not even half an hour ago, the book, Ron picking it out, the image scanned down the row of the other books, I could only make out two titles: Learning from the Past: The Trouble with America (A Guide), Surviving: Without Magic, Lessons to Teach: Women and Other Beings. The book, me absently flipping the pages but slower, perfectly clear writing instead of the scribble I saw: "…close eye on them but they'll be overjoyed to know…" "Dumbledore sent their letters…" "…Weasley and Malfoy, Malfoy and a Hennings, it was bound to happen" "In case I have to write their homes…" "…of those days I miss home." The map again, only closer, a trail from my house to the school, Melinda's house from the school, more scribbling on the top; addresses.
I fought the pain that was trying to send me into unconsciousness as the images disappeared, everything making sense. I looked at Melinda, pulling Fred's hand away from my mouth. George, Matt and Professor Madison were still talking. "Melinda, she's not going home, she's set us up!" I hissed, pulling her closer.
"What?" Melinda hissed back, her eyes growing bigger. "But that notebook, we saw our houses, we saw the addresses."
"No, those weren't hers, Professor Barrass left them there. He was feeling homesick, those were the wizarding books on muggle studies, remember what you said last year?" I said trying to tune out the talkers. Melinda sank back, she indeed remembered, some library sections were devoted to muggle studies, they carried books in all subjects, history and science of medicine were the most popular. Professor Madison must have saw everything in his cluttered messy office. All she had to do was leave a few out of place and let us fall into the trap.
I heard Hermione scream before I saw the flash of yellow light. George had fallen backwards, Matt to the side, neither looked hurt. Professor Madison fully Professor Burnner now, was in full view of all of us, her smile made her look insane. She was off, running pass us, out toward the forest. Part of me wanted to let her run; at least she'd be out of our lives. But I knew that wasn't true, she wasn't planning on leaving us alone. Ever. Still, I didn't want to go after her. Instead I ran after Melinda who was running after Draco. The others were behind me, but I didn't bother to look. Matt ran ahead to catch up with Draco. George and Fred on either side of me and Harry, Ron and Hermione were still behind.
I heard the breaking of a tree, I stopped to look but Fred grabbed my arm and dragged me along, pointing his wand toward the sound. I pulled out my wand as did the others, I only knew that because various spells were flying in the air. Some to protect the trees from falling on us, others to light up our path and still others to keep any of us from getting hurt. I looked ahead, Draco had slowed down stopped actually, Melinda breathlessly stopping beside him. Matt a few feet away from them. For a moment I thought Burnner had disappeared, Fred pulled me close as we approached.
Burnner hadn't disappeared, not only was she still there, but she stopped. Her back to us. We all raised our wands; the moonlight showed all our determined faces, but none of us moved. Just then Burnner started laughing. Not one of those insane laughs, but a genuine laugh, as if someone had told a very funny joke. She turned around, her wand lowered. Now was our chance, someone could stun her, but not of us moved. My wand was still pointed at her but nothing happened.
"You lot are tougher than I thought" she said looking around. I didn't respond, none of us did. "You know what I want, it would be quite easy, a lot less messy if you just, stopped defending them" she continued.
"We have proof of what you are" Harry exclaimed. She smiled at him.
"I would hope so, otherwise why else would we be here?" she replied. "Anyway, Allen, Hennings, c'mon, let's end this neatly, don't bring your friends in with you. They don't deserve to die too." As if Fred could read my mind he pushed me behind him, pointing his wand directly at Burnner's face, Draco's wand was aimed at her heart, his hand tight around Melinda's wrist.
"Why are you doing this? You're alive, Barrass left, you didn't have to come back" I shouted at her peeking around Fred. Her face hardened, her body tensed, her expression looked on the verge of murder. Seconds later she relaxed, a smile creeping on her face as if I said something merry.
"I'm doing this because you're stupid children who need to be taught a lesson" she said as casual as she would address a class. "Now, obviously I can kill you outright, I honestly don't care who dies tonight. But I'm sure one of you will live" she added looking around at us, smiling a bit. "However, as your Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor I do think a practice practical for the O. is in order." I moved next to Fred who tried to push me back, but I wasn't going to let him, he couldn't get hurt because of me. "Oh, poor Freddie—"
"Don't call him that!" I said.
"Shut up hag!" George said at the same time.
"As a Seer, or rather, Alternate Seer…" she said this part glancing over at Melinda and Hermione, they already knew that part about her. "Which means…not only can I change my appearance to fit the situation, I can also change the situation to fit you, or in this case harm you." She looked around at us, no one us said a word, for some reason we were all still listening. "Who knows what a Location Point in Wizarding Network is?" I shot a look at Hermione, I knew she'd want to answer but we weren't in class, we were about to get murdered. "It's when a Wizard, probably an Alternate Seer projects an image from their mind around you. They can alter the image however they want, they plan it through. It's like a game. You're probably now wondering what image could I possibly conjure up that fit all of you in it?" Matt shot a spell at her, but it bounced off, hit a nearby tree, leaving a large black whole. Well, at least that answered why we couldn't attack. I wouldn't have doubted if she put up some sort of field to keep us in and people out.
"Leave them alone" Matt shouted at her, his voice loud but slightly strained. I never heard him use that tone before, it didn't sound comforting.
"Oh Matthew, you poor bloke. Anyway, we're going have a little fun. I'll let you figure out what happens. Any questions?" I looked around, I had a thousand questions, but mostly I wanted to stop her from what she was doing.
"What do you mean harm?" Hermione asked.
"Our fears harm us, even the simplest of them. I'll give you all one chance to come face to face with a fear. You beat it, I'll leave you alone. You don't beat it; I'll leave the fear in your mind forever, driving you to insanity and eventually early death. However…" she held up a finger. "If all of you successful overcome your fears which leaves me to face the school and the Ministry, if you all succeed I'll leave quietly with the Ministry. Mess up and I'll be back for them" she pointed at me and then Melinda.
"And if we turn ourselves over to you willing?" I asked pulling out of Fred's grip. She laughed a loud normal laugh.
"It's too late for that dear, I offered it up once and you didn't take it, so that deal is now off the table. What remains is letting me go or taking a gamble with, well, your sanity, your relationships, your life..." I looked at her with complete hatred; she merely smiled at me and turned to everyone else.
"You're not leaving" Draco said his voice so concrete and firm I felt moved at his desire to get rid of her.
"So be it…" we raised our wands, as she raised her. " Cuget Tranca Inel Impreunacu" she didn't speak quickly, she didn't raise her voice. She only smiled. Even as I drifted into nothingness I thought I could hear say "Good luck."
