I'm back!
Sorry for the long wait - I had to rethink and rewrite a little, but here's chapter 41, and chapter 42 is on its way as well
So, enjoy reading folks =)
41 December 5 1997
"I don't give a fuck about the secrecy! Where the hell is my guys?!"
It was impressive, noted Molly, how Jennie made an entire room stay silent as she glared them down.
"We don't know, as we have told you but –" began Albus calmly and Molly fought the urge to roll her eyes; even she knew that it was not wise to be calm with the blond muggle right now.
"No! Don't use that tone with me, old man! You're a wizard, a damn good one, and as much as I think you are wickedly manipulating, you are also one of few who can help now, so do something, or I swear I'll rip your beard off, do you hear me Albus?!"
Molly did snort at that, and she caught her husband's eye and he chuckled with her.
"Perhaps we could send out someone to look around carefully and –"
"Oh for the love of Morgana! Do you care so little of your own soldiers, and the boy that can possibly be the savior of your society? You disgust me! You're as bad as him if you do nothing, don't you see that Albus?!" snarled Jennie, and Molly found herself agreeing a little with the younger woman's words.
Turning to look at Minerva, Molly saw that the witch seemed disappointed in the headmaster of Hogwarts.
"Jennie, I do care, of course I do. But we must proceed carefully here, or else we might cause unfortunate deaths."
"… THEY WILL FUCKING DIE IF WE DON'T DO ANYTHING!"
Molly saw something snap within Jennie, felt a wisp of something in the room and then blinked as small green dots began dancing around in the air before the muggle. One of the dots grew larger, formed a circle and showed them a face that was familiar: Harry Potter.
Molly almost sunk to the floor at the sight; the boy man covered in blood, his clothes where torn and he seemed to have a broken leg. But he was not alone; Sirius and Remus where beside him looking even worse. But, Molly thanked the heavens, they were all alive.
####
Harry felt like he was five years old and being reprimanded for sneaking a cookie from the cupboard in the kitchen.
"Do you think we can break this stupid bubble if we try something else?" he suggested as Sirius tended to the wounds on his arm where his Reducto had stricken him after bouncing of the bubble's wall.
"Perhaps kid, I haven't seen this kind of magic before, so I don't know… Remus, anything?"
"No ideas Sirius… this seems to be nature made… fascinating really, I wonder what it is."
"Ah well, fascinating or not, we're being held here, which is not good", drawled his godfather and Harry snorted.
They had been on this little trip for a week; what had at first been planned to take two or three days had fanned out into seven, and soon would be eight. That made it four days of being trapped inside a giant bubble. Not one of Harry's favorite things.
The only good things about the bubble was that it was large; it encircled a little lake, some trees and grass, big enough for himself, Sirius and Remus to survive on, for which he was grateful. But it was still annoying since no spell they had tried, not even the Patronus charm, could slip through the bubble.
"This is annoying."
His godfather chuckled.
"Life is annoying nowadays kid, but I get your point. This is bloody awful…"
"I'm sure that if I could just get some sort if whiff on the bubble itself, we can figure out how to get free", said Remus as he paced back and forth.
Harry understood why the man was so eager to get out and back home; it was three days to full moon.
####
Jennie threw another useless book on the no-pile she had made on the floor, swirled around and picked up another book, sat down and began flicking the pages one by one, hoping to find some sort of spell that her magical finds could have us of it their search for the three lost wizards.
Searching through crystal balls… location spells with larger range than the usual one… how to invoke a Trace on an adult magical being… searching with plants…
"Molly!"
"Yes dear?"
Jennie waved the witch over and pointed to the book.
"Look here, this is something about how to invoke the Trace on an adult… would this work?"
The witch looked unsure.
"I have honestly no idea; this kind of magic is unfamiliar to me… Minerva might know. Or Severus."
"Oh great, I'll ask them!"
Jennie skipped downstairs and found the other adults she was looking for in the kitchen.
"Hello! I need magical assistance", she told them without fuss, and Minerva looked curious while Severus si ply raised an eyebrow.
"I have found something here about invoking a Trace on adult magical beings… can it help?" Jennie went on and showed them the book.
"Severus, I think it might, but I'm afraid I'm not up for the magical strength required here… in fact, Jennie darling, I think it would take at least five of us to get this spell in work", Minerva told her and Jennie felt annoyed.
"What if one of you could borrow energy from someone then? Would it work that way?"
"It would", said Severus severely.
Jennie looked up at the dark man.
"If I were to lend you energy, would you help?"
"I would."
####
Sirius dived into the lake, stark naked and annoyed as hell, came up for air and then floated on his back, thinking about all and nothing.
On the bright side: they had gotten what they had set out to get. On the negative: they could very well die any minute if something happened with the bubble, and their magic was not working as usual; the only spells they could cast where minor offensive ones, and those weren't helpful.
"Jennie… what should I do that I haven't already done? Any ideas?"
He knew it was silly, bordering on madness, but talking aloud and imagining her reply kept him somewhat sane; he couldn't stand being trapped, even if he had room to move.
You should think of something different for a while, silly…
He would almost hear her laughing at him, that special little laugh she only seemed to give him alone, and he felt lighter.
"Miss you", his whispered into the night and hoped that she was alright and that somehow she – or someone else – would think of something, for he was beginning to run out if ideas.
####
Jennie sat down on the floor as Severus has instructed; legs crossed and hands resting in her lap.
"Try to relax as much as possible, but maintain your focus", he told her once more, and she closed her eyes and nodded.
"Whenever you are ready", she mumbled and closed out everything but her thought on Sirius, Harry and Remus. She heard Severus chant, but the words where blurry; she closed him out as well, focused more and actually felt when he began pulling her focus into him; making her energy his own.
####
"Black, for the love of Merlin, put some clothes on!"
Sirius scoffed.
"Great work, Sirius, you're already losing it…" he muttered as he pulled himself up on the grass and shook his head to get more water from his hair.
"I mean it, Black. Put. Some. Damn. Clothes. On."
Sirius chuckled and reached for his shirt.
"Alright Mr Madness, I'll play along. Severus Snape is hear, invisible, and checking me out; that's one I've never seen coming."
The air before him shimmered, and then just for a heartbeat, he saw the Potions Master sneering at him.
"Idiot! You're shielding by something. I can see you mighty fine, unfortunately… where the hell are you?"
Sirius blinked.
"Well fuck… how did you… shit… Remus! Harry!"
His companions flew up from the ground where they had been sleeping.
"What?!"
"Please tell me you're hearing this as well… alright Snape, speak."
His godson looked at him with concern.
"You're feeling trapped, right Sirius? It's okay, we'll figure this out."
"No no, I'm not! Or well, I am but that's not it-"
"Potter, Lupin, Black, really… you amaze me… now, where are you?"
"Holy fuck!" blurted Harry as they all three saw Severus Snape shimmering into view and disappearing again.
"I do not know how long this connection will stay; I'm working with Jennie to find you, can you tell us anything about your location?"
"Sweden, everything was as Albus suspected, we have it, and we're trapped in some sort of bubble; we have water and nature food, but we're running out of it and we can't break free", Sirius spoke quickly.
"Blast."
"I agree with you there Snape… but we're fine, really, not counting the trapped part."
"I see. I fear I must be going; Jennie is passing out. We'll send someone, just stay put."
Sirius snorted.
"Nothing else to do. Convey a message for me, please?"
"Nothing lovey dovey, Black."
"Don't be silly you jerk, that's just wrong. No, I just want you all to take care; there might be more of these bubbles here… so be careful."
"We'll be. Stay put."
####
"Did you… are they… fuck my head… are you okay… what happe-"
"For Merlin's sake woman, be silent and rest! Did black teach you nothing at all about draining?"
"Oh stop it… did it work or did I dream it?"
"Of course it worked! I'm taking Kingsley, Vance and Moody with me."
And with that, Jennie watched in a daze as Severus left the building.