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Posted 8-2-2024

Chapter Twelve

The Kidnapping

The euphoria of winning the Cup lasted at least a week, before it dissolved in favour of frantic exam prep. The Third-Year study group restarted and replaced Quidditch practice four times a week, with everyone gathering in an empty classroom and whomever was best at the subject at hand tutoring the others. A disproportionate number of topics fell to Aludra to explain, as she was top of the year.

Even Fred and George were seen working for once, as Sirius had demanded they receive six Es each at minimum if they wanted him to sponsor them in setting up their joke shop after they graduated. Percy, meanwhile, was doing his Nastily Exhausting Wixen Tests, and handed out harsh detentions to anyone who dared to disturbe the peace of the common room. Aludra discreetly took notes of everything the Fifth and Seventh Years were studying, to study in advance for her own Ministry exams.

She was pleasantly surprised to learn from Luna and Iris that their years had both copied Aludra's own and were studying together. It wasn't as big a group as the Third-Year group, but it was still good to see barriers between Houses being chipped away at, the way her granddad always tried to encourage.

To Aludra's relief, the exams weren't half as bad as she had feared.

Ancient Runes involved translating several types of runes and figuring out what type of rituals they were used in (a ritual for purification for the Greek runes, household protection for the Egyptian symbols and fertility for the Roman ones, as it turned out), while Arithmancy was a test that focused on breaking down the different properties of the number 49 (seven by seven). In COMC they had to show they could look after a niffler, a salamander, a kneazle and a hippogriff, while in Transfiguration they had to turn a teapot into a tortoise. They were tested on Cheering Charms in Charms, and Professor Slughorn had them reverse engineer two different potions for his class. Their (save Ron and Evan, who still had Divination to attend) final exam was DADA, on Thursday morning, was Defence Against the Dark Arts and Aludra found it incredibly enjoyable. Remus had created a sort of obstacle course outside in the sun, where they had to wade across a deep paddling pool containing a grindylow, cross a series of potholes full of Red Caps, squish their way across a patch of marsh while ignoring misleading directions from a hinkypunk, then climb into an old trunk and battle with a new boggart.

"Excellent, Ally," Remus muttered to her as Aludra climbed out of the trunk, grinning. "Full marks."

Seeing as she had nothing left to study for, Aludra hung around with Neville, who'd gone before her, to watch the others. Neville had had problems with the grindylow but managed to fix his mistake, while Evan, who went after Aludra, also got full marks. Ron did very well until he reached the hinkypunk, which successfully confused him into sinking waist-high into the quagmire. Susan did everything almost perfectly until she reached the trunk with the boggart in it. After about a minute inside it, she burst out again, gasping for breath with burns on her hands.

"Susan! What happened?" Remus asked in concern.

"F-fire!" She gasped, voice hoarse. "I c-couldn't b-breathe to ca-ast the spell. Oh, Uncle Remus it hurts." Remus cast a numbing charm on her hands then sent them to escort her to the infirmary, where Madam Pomfrey forced down a Calming Draught and put some horrid-smelling paste on her hands and promised she'd be fine in time for dinner.

Ron and Evan had to run off to Divination, but promised to come back as soon as they finished. While they waited for Susan's hands to heal, Aludra read 'Babbity Rabbity' and 'The Fountain of Fair Fortune' (Susan had always loved and been soothed by the Tales of Beedle the Bard), eventually resulting in her best (female) friend falling asleep.

After that, she and Neville discussed their exams quietly until Ron came back and woke Susan, which he half-heartedly apologized for before badgering Neville into a chess game. He had just put Neville in check for the second time when Evan came running in, pale and wide-eyed.

"Evan!" They all cried. Thankfully, the Hospital Wing was empty save for them, and Madam Pomfrey was in her office and so couldn't scold them for disturbing anybody.

"What happened?" Neville asked concernedly.

"Professor Trelawney," Evan gasped, looking at Aludra. "I think she made a prophecy! A real one, not her usual fakes."

"What?" Aludra said incredulously.

"Trelawney couldn't predict tomorrow's weather, mate," Ron scoffed. "She was probably trying to freak you out."

Evan shook his head. "No, she didn't remember afterwards. But Ally, she was talking about Voldemort!" Aludra leaned forward.

"Tell me what she said," she ordered.

"She said, uhm, something about how tonight, Voldemort's servant would escape and return to him, and how Voldemort would rise 'greater and more powerful than before'."

Aludra exchanged worried looks with Susan and Neville before turning back to Evan. "Did she give a timeframe?" she asked tightly.

"Uhm, before midnight," Evan replied.

Aludra rose to her feet. "I'm going to find the Auror in charge today and warn them."

They nodded solemnly. Given Trelawney's 'skills' (or lack thereof) it was likely a false prophecy, but one couldn't be too careful when dealing with a warning about the worst Dark Lord since Herpo the Foul rising from the grave.

Unfortunately, the first Auror Aludra found was Lord Potter. She bit back a groan but hurried forward. "Auror Potter!" She called to his back, making him quickly turn. He looked surprised to see her approaching him, but then smiled warmly.

"Aludra, please call me James," he asked with a strange amount of eagerness. Really, the Potters' interest in her was so weird. Lady Potter was the worst, but like his wife, Lord Potter also had a weird habit of asking how she was and (according to Evan and Iris) asking the two of them about her. "Is everything okay? Can I do something for you?"

"Evan says Professor Trelawney made a prophecy during his exam," she explained quickly. "Saying that 'Voldemort's servant' would escape before midnight tonight and help him return."

Lord Potter's face went extremely pale and he jerked. "Dear Lady Magic," he breathed in horror. Then he set his jaw determinedly. "Alright, thank you for warning me, Aludra. Come on, I'll take you to dinner and then go alert Sirius and Scrimgeour."

"I can get there myself," Aludra protested, "Warning Daddy is more important." He almost seemed to flinch when she mentioned her father, but it was so slight that she thought she might have imagined it.

"No, Aludra, it's too dangerous," Lord Potter said firmly. "As far as we know Pettigrew is still on the grounds somewhere. You would be a very valuable hostage for him. No arguing."

She pursed her lips but gave in and let him escort her to the Great Hall where her friends were waiting for her. Lord Potter hurried up and whispered to her grandparents and Lady Potter, who hastily rose and hurried out of the Hall with several other professors.

"Do you really think it was a real prophecy?" Susan asked worriedly as Aludra sat down beside her friends.

"I don't know, but can we afford to take the risk?" Aludra pointed out. "Professor Trelawney is descended from Cassandra Trelawney herself, after all. She has the blood. And supposedly the less powerful Seers can't remember what happened in their trances."

Neville began to speak, but Iris' friends came up to them, looking worried. Aludra felt a tingle of dread when there was no sign of Iris with them.

"Yes?" She asked, remaining composed. "Is everything okay?"

"Where's Iris?" Evan asked worriedly.

"I don't know," Maisy said, wringing her hands as her American accent thickened. "She went to get something from our room and never came back."

The Third-Years exchanged anxious glances, quickly rising to their feet. "Thank you for telling us, you four," Aludra said to the foursome. "Go and have dinner. Don't worry, I'm sure Iris is fine."

They reluctantly left to sit at the Hufflepuff table (students were only confined to their House table during feasts, and Iris and her friends had made a habit of sitting at a different table each meal), but Aludra could tell that they were still anxious, and no wonder. With Iris now apparently missing, and Professor Trelawney's prediction, only her Occlumency training kept Aludra from panicking as she and her friends rushed to Gryffindor Tower as quickly as they could.

Aludra and Susan hurried up to the First-Year girls' dormitory, but there was no sign of Iris, or even a struggle. They checked each room out of pure desperation, becoming increasingly alarmed at the lack of any sign of their young friend. After checking all the dorms they ran downstairs, not bothering to be ladylike as they rushed to the Common Room.

"She's not there!" Aludra cried to the boys. "Not in her room or any of the others. We can't find any sign of her!"

Evan rushed up the stairs to the boys' dormitory, and they quickly followed, desperately hoping she might be in there for some reason, perhaps looking for something in Evan's trunk. They nearly crashed into each other as each of them came to an abrupt halt when they reached the Third-Year boys' dorm. It was ransacked, especially Evan's section, with what looked like blood leaking down the walls. Aludra hesitantly touched the liquid and sighed in relief when she couldn't feel the thickness of blood. She cast a spell she saw her father use in prank wars and it turned clear before vanishing.

"It was just coloured water," she said in relief.

"It must be Pettigrew," Susan said worriedly. "We have to tell Professor McGonagall, or even better the Headmaster."

"No!" Evan exclaimed. "We can't tell anyone!"

They all turned to him and found him clutching a piece of parchment, swaying slightly as if about to collapse.

"What does it say?" Aludra asked lowly. He held it out, and she took it, her own face paling as she read, the others peering over her shoulders. Written on the torn page in shaky, jagged handwriting (as if the quill tip was broken) was the most terrifying words she'd ever read, even beyond the announcement of the opening of the Chamber of Secrets two years ago.

I have your sister. She's alive and well, and will remain so as long as you obey my instructions.

You and Black are to come to the Whomping Willow at sunset. Come ALONE!

NO ADULTS!

If you tell or bring anyone else, I'll kill her. If you don't come, I'll kill her.

I'm watching you.

Wormtail

Aludra met Evan's eyes. She knew they had no choice. Pettigrew had already taken one sister from Evan. He'd never risk the only sibling he had left.

"We'll get her back, Evan, I promise," she vowed, putting down the note.

"You're playing right into his hands," Susan said anxiously, wringing her hands.

"We have no choice!" Evan snapped, expression tight with worry. "He has my baby sister!"

"I know that, Evan," Susan soothed him. "I'm just saying, we need a plan."

"Evan and I will go and get Iris back, no matter what it takes," Aludra said. "You three stay here. That's our plan." She spoke to Evan, but kept her eyes locked on Susan's. "Evan, do you have your cloak? It might be cold outside."

"Who cares?" He snapped, looking anxiously at the window, probably trying to figure out how long it was until sunset. Aludra didn't let his harsh tone bother her. She understood, because she shared his fear for Iris. But someone had to keep a clear head and that was her. She turned fully to the others.

"You three, remember Evan and I are being watched," she said, emphasizing the last few words. "We can't tell anyone."

Susan and Neville's eyes widened in comprehension, understanding what she meant. The benefits of being best friends for ten years, Aludra supposed. You eventually learned to read each other's minds. Susan gave a firm nod.

"We'll make sure nobody notices you're gone," Neville assured her.

"Evan, leave your bag here," Aludra added. The bag they all knew held his Invisibility Cloak. "We don't want Pettigrew to think we're trying to trick him."

Understanding finally dawned on him and he nodded, handing his rucksack to Ron, who still looked confused.

"Take care," Susan begged them as they hurried to the portraithole. "Pettigrew's dangerous and insane. He could do anything."

Aludra shot her friends a grim, thin-lipped smile, then she and Evan rushed away.

She cast a Disillusionment Charm over them both and they stuck to the shadows as they hurried to the Whomping Willow, where she removed the charm so Pettigrew could see them. The sun was just starting to set when they arrived at the designated meet-up area.

They huddled together in the shadows of the tree, just out of reach of its branches, waiting anxiously for Pettigrew's appearance. Finally, as the sky turned more purple than blue, a rat scurried past them and through the branches until it reached the tree trunk, where it pressed a knot at the base, freezing the tree.

"This is it," Aludra breathed to Evan as they rose from their crouch. "Ready?"

"Beyond ready," he answered darkly, clutching his wand in a grip that looked tight enough to hurt.

They entered the tunnel together.