Cool, you've made the post count for this thread reach 100. Yay!!!!!!!!!!! _________________ If you miss Harry Potter, read "I Will" over in Flourish & Blotts.
I've posted parts 7 and 8 within a day apart, so make sure you read part 7 or you'll miss some important clues. Here's part 8. Let me know what you think...do you know what's going to happen? Let me know your guesses.
Molly Weasley sat at the kitchen table reading The Daily Prophet and was astounded by the lead article that Death Eaters were destroying wizarding property in southern England. She wondered if Arthur knew about this and whether he would be recruited to help catch the Death Eaters.
As Molly picked up her hot cup of tea for a sip, she heard a soft pecking sound coming from the kitchen window. Who would be sending her an owl this time of day Molly wondered. She hoped that it was from Arthur with news from the Ministry.
She set her tea cup on the table, rose from her comfortable chair and walked to the window. She opened it and in flew a plump snowy owl with a letter tied to its leg. She reached in her pocket and pulled out a couple of knuts, and put the money in the leather pouch on one of the owl’s legs and untied the letter from the other. Molly saw that the letter was from Ginny, not Arthur. As Molly read Ginny’s letter, she knew at once that she would go to Grimmauld Place.
She laid the letter on the table, showed the owl to the window, then apparated upstairs to pack for her trip. She returned downstairs just a few minutes later (you do know that witches can pack very fast), walked with her satchel to the fireplace, grabbed a handful of floo powder, stepped into the grate and said as she threw down the powder, “Ministry of Magic.”
Immediately she felt as if she were in a wind tunnel, swirling round and round. At last she felt the bricks at her feet and proceeded to walk from a fireplace in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic. She looked for and found the guest registry sign and walked towards the welcoming desk. After she informed the watchman that she was there to see her husband, the watchman asked her for her wand to examine, returned it to Molly and told her to have a nice day.
Molly walked from the welcoming desk to the elevators then went to Arthur’s office.
Arthur, who was looking very important and handsome, sat behind a large new desk, wearing his best robes and was busying himself with a tall stack of paper. He didn’t hear Molly as she slightly rapped on the open door.
“Arthur,” she whispered and he raised his head.
“Molly dear,” he said with a look of surprise. “What a pleasant surprise.” Arthur stood up from his desk and approached Molly with his arms opened wide. He gave her a hug and kissed her on her cheek.
“Oh Arthur,” Molly said as she released herself from his embrace. With a slight blush to her cheeks, “What will people think, you kissing me at work.”
“They’d know how much I love you,” was Arthur’s reply. “Now what has brought you to see me. Have you heard about the Death Eaters?”
“Yes, I saw The Daily Prophet. Isn’t it awful,” said Molly. “I got a letter from Ginny and she wants us to stay with her and Hermione at Grimmauld Place while this is going on. Hermione’s parents need some help moving back into their house so I’ll help them.”
“That’s very nice of you Molly,” said Arthur.
“Ginny figured you would want to be close to work so you’re to stay with us, too. I don’t think the girls want to be alone at Grimmauld Place while there are Death Eaters destroying wizard’s property,” said Molly.
“I’ve heard they haven’t attacked anywhere in London, so we’re relatively safe for now,” answered Arthur.
“Will you join us then dear for dinner? I’m going to go now so I won’t keep you from your work,” said Molly as she started to leave.
Arthur ran around her and shut his office door. “Not just yet Mollywobbles,” he said sweetly to his blushing wife.
“Oh Arthur,” she purred and dropped her satchel.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Grimmauld Place seemed strangely empty without Ron and Harry, but Hermione and Ginny tried to make the best of the situation by reheating the left-overs from The Leaky Cauldron. Ginny lit the old cast-iron stove, found a pot to heat the stew, and set it on the burner.
“I guess we should let Kreacher know what’s happening,” said Hermione as she magically summoned a couple of plates, goblets and utensils from a cupboard and led them to the table.
“Kreacher,” yelled Ginny as she watched the plates float through the air. Kreacher appeared with a pop in front of the girls.
“You asked to see me Miss Weasley?” After looking back and forth between Hermione and Ginny, Kreacher asked, “I thought Master Harry said it would be Mr. Weasley returning with you Miss, not Miss Weasley.”
“There are Death Eaters on the loose and Ron and Harry are helping the Ministry of Magic capture them,” answered Ginny. “I’m going to be helping Hermione for a few days then were going to Tee’s home. My parents are probably going to be joining us, too, and Harry wanted to let you know the change in plan.”
“Thank you Miss,” said Kreacher. He turned his head and sniffed the air. “Is that Irish stew, I smell?”
“Yes it is,” said Hermione. “Would you like to join us for dinner?”
“That’s not customary, Miss. But I would like some for later. Please just leave me a bit,” answered Kreacher.
“Umm, okay, but you are welcome to join us,” Hermione said, but Kreacher had already walked from the room.
“Someday,” Hermione said to Ginny, “I’m going to make changes to the way things are done in this wizarding world.” Ginny smiled at Hermione, brought the warm stew to the table and the girls began to dig in.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The wind was picking up and the sky was darkening as Arthur and Molly Weasley apparated on the step just outside Grimmauld Place. The wind was making the tender inside-out leaves dance and the trees were bowing to an audience of benches in the park across the street from where Molly and Arthur stood. A neighbor’s wind chime was serenading the air.
“Looks like rain,” said Arthur matter-of-factly as he knocked on the door and squinted to keep the floating dust from his eyes.
“Sure does. Smells like it, too,” said Molly as she watched several pieces of trash paper roll over themselves on the sidewalk past her feet.
“Who’s there,” they both heard Ginny ask from behind the locked, closed door.
“It’s Mum and Dad,” Molly said into the keyhole. “Let us in, it’s starting to rain.”
Ginny opened the door, let her parents in and gave them big hugs. She was so happy to see them. “You’re looking great, Ginny,” Molly said, “traveling agrees with you.”
“Thanks Mum, you look great, too. I’ve missed you two so much,” said Ginny and she grabbed her parents arms.
“Hermione and I were just sitting down to some Irish stew. There’s plenty, but we promised to save some for Kreacher. Want to join us or have you already eaten?”
“We’d love some. I’m half-starved,” answered Arthur feeling unusually hungry.
They followed Ginny through the long dark hallway of Grimmauld Place and into the brightly lit kitchen. Hermione rose from her chair and ran to hug the Weasleys.
“It’s so good to see you,” she said.
“You dear girl,” said Molly as she returned Hermione’s hug and patted her shoulder. “It’s good to see you, too.”
“You girls doing all right then, staying here by yourselves? Like some company,” teased Arthur. Seeing the relief in Hermione and Ginny’s eyes gave him the answer he had expected.
Hermione called out more dinnerware from the cupboards, floated them to the table, and the four sat down for the delicious stew and scones.
As Molly chewed her scone, she said, “Now tell us all the news and leave nothing out.”
Ginny and Hermione took turns telling all the facts about their trip to Australia, the state of Hermione’s parents, and ended with the facts about the Death Eater fiasco and the plans Kingsley had made. Ginny mentioned that they were heading for Tewannee Rose’s estate and Arthur interrupted, “Rose did you say?”
“Yes, she was Sirius Black’s . . .” Ginny started to say but was quickly interrupted by her father.
“I know who she is,” said Arthur as he shot a meaningful look towards Molly, “and so does your Mother.”
Hermione and Ginny looked at each other then back to the Weasleys. They saw that Molly was looking a little sad, and Arthur had a look of curiosity across his brow.
“How do you know her,” asked Hermione.
“Molly, you want to go first,” said Arthur as he took another spoonful of stew.
“Well, I met Tee lots and lots of years ago at a couple of Order meetings,” began Molly, “she came to the meetings a few times with Sirius. He couldn’t pull himself away from her.”
“She was a looker, that one,” said Arthur before thinking. As he continued to lick his spoon, Molly gave him a sharp look then continued her story.
“Yes Arthur, all the men thought she was pretty. Anyway, I talked to her about her photography at the meetings because she didn’t want anything to do with the Order or the fight against Voldemort. That basically was my friendship with her until . . . until . . . well you know the story about Sirius and his taking the blame for what Peter Pettigrew did. Sirius was ripped off to prison and of course we all thought he was guilty.
Tee came to me at the Burrow late one evening in tears and completely beside herself with grief. The Ministry of Magic would not allow anyone to visit with Sirius because he was such a danger to the wizarding world.
She had lost her parents just a couple of years before that, I believe. They used to work for the Ministry, didn’t they Arthur, but that was no use to Tee with the Ministry either. She was a wreck and needed a friend. I don’t know why she chose me,” continued Molly, “maybe because I befriended her at the Order meetings.”
“We let her stay with us for a few days until her nerves calmed down,” added Arthur.
“But after she left us, we never heard another word from her. I’ve followed her career and even gave Sirius a book of hers as a peace offering after I had treated him so badly for wanting to share Order business with Harry,” said Molly.
“It’s by that book, Mum, that Harry found Tee in the first place. It’s a good thing that you did give it to Sirius,” said Ginny
“ Did you say Tee’s parents worked for the Ministry,” asked Hermione. “But Kingsley said Tee didn’t want anything to do with the Ministry. That doesn’t make sense.”
“Her parents were unspeakables,” said Arthur. “They worked in the Department of Mysteries. Quite an odd couple.”
Ginny and Hermione looked at Arthur begging with their eyes for more information. But Molly continued, not Arthur.
“Yes. Tee told me she hated her parents because they were never there for her, they were always at work. Work this and work that Tee would say throwing her arms in the air. She spent her time between Hogwarts and with an Uncle in America,” added Molly.
“Her parents died at the Ministry,” interrupted Arthur. “It was a big scandal and one that I believe is still being investigated to this day.”
“They died at the Ministry,” asked Hermione for clarification.
“Yes,” was all that Arthur replied.
“What exactly do unspeakables do Dad,” asked Ginny.
“I’ve heard rumors that they study love and death and many of the other mysteries of life,” Arthur answered as he helped himself to another garlic scone and a drink of pumpkin juice. “No one really knows for sure what they do all day long, and it’s rarely every discussed by anyone at work. We all just ignore them and go along our own way, as do they.”
“That’s weird,” said Hermione and the others agreed.
“Do we know when we’ll be hearing from the boys,” asked Molly after a few minutes of silence.
“I think we’ll just have to wait and see,” said Hermione. _________________ If you miss Harry Potter, read "I Will" over in Flourish & Blotts.
Last edited by Jayfer on August 25, 2008 10:30 am; edited 3 times in total
wow. really awesome. do u have any original works of fictions posted on other sites. if so, i would really like to read them. _________________ sig made by Kino
No I currently do not have any other works of fiction out there in cyber world. If I ever do, I'll let you know. _________________ If you miss Harry Potter, read "I Will" over in Flourish & Blotts.
Thank you for all your kind comments. I am really happy you are enjoying my work. Here is Part 9:
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Part 9
The elderly couple who was taking their daily stroll on the sidewalk at Banbury and Woodstock Roads were quite perplexed when they heard what they thought was a car backfiring. Not once, but six times - and in rapid succession. Especially perplexing was there were no cars on the roads.
“It must be someone trying to blow up the moles in that empty lot again,” the elderly gentleman told the woman at his arm who smiled at him as they walked away. Even though they had not seen a single soul on the empty lot at the start of their walk, they had heard the same strange muffled noise three times just a quarter of an hour ago.
Kingsley, Harry, Ron, Neville, Evgeny and Alexei magically appeared at the front door of Rose Manor and Kingsley rapped on the heavy wood door with the large gold rose shaped knocker. His hands fidgeted as he stood and anxiously waited for an answer.
Evgeny and Alexei began to pace on the stone drive in front of the manor and checked the perimeter for intruders and for potential hiding places for anyone who should not be on the premises. Ron, Neville and Harry looked at each other, nodded, noted the aurors had done this and wanted to remember to do the same on any missions they would be called to assist on in the future. That is if there was time to do so, and the situation was not yet pressing.
They all heard a metal click and the door slowly opened. Benny peeked around the door first looking at the floor. The first thing he saw were four sets of big feet. He slowly looked up at their knees. Then as he looked straight up, he saw four wizards staring down at him. Two more wizards quickly approached the door, Benny was taken aback and started to close the door.
“Benny, is that you? It’s me, Kingsley Shackelbolt.”
Benny reopened the door and bowed slightly. His gaze then moved to the man next to Kingsley. It was . . .
“Harry Potter, too,” squeaked Benny with a small gasp. “You is not expected until next week Sir.”
“Benny, is that what you said your name is,” asked Harry rather hurriedly.
“Yes Sir.”
“Is Tee at home,” asked Harry, “it’s extremely urgent that we talk to her.”
“My Mistress is indisposed, she’s . . .”
“Benny, who is at the door,” the wizards heard a woman’s voice drift out to them from inside the Manor.
“Mistress, it is the Minister of Magic and other gentlemen,” Benny replied and backed away from the group. They all heard a ‘pop’ and knew the elf had disappeared as Tewannee Rose stepped into the doorway and tried to eye her visitors.
All six men were stunned - not by her beauty, but her appearance. The sleeves of her gray blouse were torn, there were burn marks on her leather pants, her hair was straight and matted, and the cut above her eye bled freely onto her cheek. She dabbed at the cut with some gauze that she held in her wand hand.
They began to push their way towards her and question her at once until she held up a singed hand for them to cease.
“Kings,” said Tee rather bluntly, “you’re better than I remember. Come in, come in.”
Tee backed away from the door and allowed the six men to enter into the foyer. She slammed the door shut.
“And how do you figure that,” asked Kingsley as he effortlessly took the gauze and wand from her other hand. He began to attend the cut above her eye.
“I was just about to send you a . . . Ouch! Not so rough,” Tee said as she jerked her head away from Kingsley and tried to grab her wand from his hand, “and here you show up out of nowhere.”
“Vhat has happened here,” asked Alexei.
“All in good time Alexei,” said Kingsley as he pulled her wand further from reach and searched her face for any clues as to what she had done.
“I have a present, well actually two presents for you,” mocked Tee. Then she laughed and said, “They’re all tied up in nice little bows in the North drawing room.”
Kingsley pointed to Alexei, Neville and Evgeny to go to the drawing room.
“Where is the drawing room, Madam,” asked Evgeny.
Tee’s eyes narrowed and she shot a look towards Evgeny. If he had not handled crazed witches and wizards before in dyer situations, her look would have melted his resolve.
“Young man, do not presume to call me Madam,” she hissed, “please.” She jerked her hand up and deliberately pointed to the hallway that led to the drawing room. Evgeny, Neville and Alexei walked in the direction she had pointed. At which point she hung her head towards her chest and began to cry.
“All right settle down, calm down,” Kingsley calmly directed at Tee. “It’s all right. It’s over Tee.” Kingsley grabbed her arms and pulled her into a hug. Tee nearly collapsed as she put her hands and head on his chest and began to sob.
Harry would never have thought in a million years that he would have seen this beautiful woman, whom he had only met yesterday, in such a state. It was like . . . like . . . she was a frightened child.
“You knew, didn’t you,” asked Harry quietly. “You knew Death Eaters were coming.”
Tee shuddered, breathed deep and coughed. Kingsley let her go so that she could catch her breath and he returned her wand to her. She turned towards to the wizard who asked the question. She saw Harry.
“When did you get here,” she asked.
Then she turned her gaze towards Ron. “And who is this,” she asked as wiped her nose with the side of her hand, grabbed the gauze from Kingsley and dabbed at her own eye.
“This is my best friend Ron Weasley. We’re training with Kingsley.”
Harry noticed a wave of recognition in Tee’s eyes as she continued to stare at Ron.
“Weasley huh?”
“Yes Mad . . . erhm, I mean Tee,” stammered Ron. “Harry told me about you and well, it is a pleasure, even like this.”
“Yes,” was all Tee replied. She looked closer at Ron. Could this young man really be the toddler she remembered running around the Burrow, playing hard to get, and trying to make her laugh when she had stayed with Arthur and Molly after Sirius . . . after . . . she didn’t want to think about it anymore.
Instead she asked, “Are you Arthur and Molly’s son?”
“I am. You know my parents?”
“There will be time for this later,” interrupted Kingsley. “Tee, we need to know what has happened.”
“Oh . . . yes, of course, ” she shook her head and turned to walk to the drawing room. Kingsley, Harry and Ron followed.
The North drawing room was Rose Manor’s ornate reception room and had been used for entertaining when Tee’s parents had been alive. As Harry, Kingsley, Tee and Ron entered the room, Harry first noticed the shiny dark wood floor with a carved rose at its center. He looked up at the cream colored artificial marble walls. One had a collection of what must have been Tee’s photographs as they were reminiscent of the scenery photos Harry had seen in Tee’s book. The opposite wall held two enormous mirrors with richly molded golden frames. They reflected her photos and Harry felt he was outside rather than inside a large manor house.
At an adjacent wall were two ceiling to floor windows richly dressed with heavy cranberry colored curtains and inner cream lace draperies. The windows were eyes to Tee’s sunny flower garden that beckoned a visit from anyone who stepped into the room. The wall opposite the windows, Harry saw, was covered with a tapestry similar to the tapestry at Grimmauld Place, only this was the Rose family tree, not the Blacks’.
A pair of marble topped walnut side tables sat at both sides of two sofas that faced each other in front of the room’s fireplace. Other chairs dotted the room, some in groups, and some in pairs obviously well placed for intimate conversations. In the center of the room hung a beautiful clear crystal chandelier that held many unlit candles.
The only things out of place in the drawing room were the two men lying on the floor that were obviously being held under a binding curse. They were still wearing their death masks and Evgeny, Neville and Alexei were standing guard in the room, wands raised, looking alert as Tee, Kingsley, Ron and Harry made their way towards the sofas and sat down.
Kingsley looked at Evgeny, Neville and Alexei and asked them to take the Death Eaters back to the Ministry of Magic.
“Sir, I would like to know how she caught them,” said Evgeny.
Kingsley shot him a look and knowing the meaning of his answer, Evgeny, Neville and Alexei stood the Death Eaters on their feet and disapparated with them to the Ministry.
“Now, Tee, when you’re ready, tell me what happened,” said Kingsley very calmly and business-like.
“Well it wasn’t easy,” Tee said as she started to sit down. Instead she reached in her back pocket and pulled out two wands and handed them to Kingsley.
“You’ll be wanting these,” she said as Kingsley reached for the wands and put them in his pocket.
Tee sat down on the sofa with Harry and leaned back against the pillow he had just fluffed and placed behind her. Ron and Kingsley watched from the sofa across from them and saw she was getting comfortable.
“I was organizing the library,” she began, “getting ready for guests,” she smiled at Harry, “and I felt a chill at the back of my neck. You know the one, Kings.”
He nodded.
“It traveled down my spine. I knew something bad was going to happen. I knew someone was coming for me, then I knew it was two men. I called for my wand and left the Manor.
I knew exactly where to go, where the men were hiding. I went to Radcliffe Camera, there in Oxford.”
“Hang on,” interrupted Harry, “Radcliffe what?”
“Radcliffe Camera, it’s a round building used as a reading room by the Bodleian Library. It used to house a science library,” answered Tee.
“The Death Eaters were what, hiding in a library. I thought they were too thick for reading,” added Ron.
Tee laughed. Kingsley snickered too and asked Tee to continue her story.
“No, they weren’t reading, they were hiding in a maze of bushes in the park across the street from the library. I could feel their presence as I walked by the park. I could also feel a muggle repelling charm vibrating from the bushes. Like the one here at the Manor.
I heard them talking and planning to raid my home. They planned to do it after dark this evening. They were laughing about the other witches and wizards’ home that had already raided and how other Death Eaters were following their lead.
Kings, I was so angry and I don’t know where it all came from. I was pacing outside the maze. Back and forth, back and forth, planning what I should do. I walked through the repelling charm and rushed them. They were sitting on the ground eating apples of all things, and didn’t hear me at first. I looked at them. I looked at them hard. Kingsley, the hatred and anger that I felt was so intense that I wanted to AK them.”
“What,” Harry exclaimed, “you wanted to use the killing curse?”
“Yes,” she looked questioningly at Harry. “Obviously I didn’t Harry. They are okay, in fact they did more damage to me than I to them.”
“What stopped you,” asked Kingsley.
“Flashes of memories, and most importantly I didn’t want to spend any time in Azkaban like . . .” but she didn’t finish. They knew who she meant and no one mentioned Sirius to her.
Kingsley asked her, “Then what happened?”
“We dueled. One spell hit me in the chest, I stupidly tried to block it with my hand, but the force flipped and threw me face first into a tree,” she said pointing to her eye. “Somehow, must have been instinct or survival mode or something, I stupefied one Death Eater but the other came at me ripping my blouse with his hands. I kicked him in the . . . well you know where. He doubled over, I got both their wands and bound them. I brought them here. It all happened so fast, I don’t really remember every little thing that happened.”
“Wicked,” Ron said as he looked in awe at Tee.
“Yes. Well Tee, I’m not really sure what I think at this point. You were very brave I’ll give you that. But why go after them alone,” asked Kingsley.
“I don’t want to lose anything else in my life, Kings. When I chilled, I just knew I had to go after them and stop them before they got to me.”
“We could use that kind of help with the rest of the Death Eaters,” Kingsley began but she interrupted him.
“No Kingsley, you know my thoughts on that.”
“But its not the same now,” Harry said, “the Ministry I mean. I would have agreed with you if it was Fudge or Scrimgeour, but it’s different with Kingsley. Kingsley even helped protect Sirius.”
Tee looked sharply between Harry and Kingsley, “Is that true?”
“Yes it’s true, Kingsley diverted any attempts by the aurors when they were getting closer to catching Sirius when he went into hiding. He sent them in the opposite direction,” said Harry.
“You know my thoughts on this Kingsley,” Tee said answering again to the request he made just seconds before.
“You still haven’t forgiven your parents then,” Kingsley said and in a split second wished he hadn’t said anything. Tee stood up and was ready to yell at him, but Kingsley stood up as well and said, “I’m sorry Tee, I shouldn’t have said that.”
She calmed down enough not to retort, but did not return to the sofa. Harry and Ron looked at each other and shrugged as Kingsley returned to his seat. Tee saw them shrug and decided to let them know her reasons for not wanting to help the Ministry.
“My parents,” she began as she started to pace from the fireplace to the ends of the sofas and back, “worked for the Ministry. Worked, ha! Let me rephrase that. They lived for the Ministry. They were unspeakables. Do you know what unspeakables are?”
“Yes,” said Harry without a doubt because Dumbledore had told him what it was that unspeakables worked on and studied in the Department of Mysteries at the Ministry of Magic.
She quickly looked at Harry, searched his eyes and asked. “Do you know how weird some of them become?”
“Well no, I’ve never known anyone really who was,” Harry said.
Ron interrupted, “Hang on Harry, wasn’t Bode an unspeakable?”
“Yes,” said Kingsley.
“He got killed by that plant thing at St. Mungos,” Ron mentioned quietly.
“Yea, I remember him,” said Harry. Harry remembered that Voldemort had possessed Bode and tried to use him to get to the prophecy.
“I didn’t know him,” said Tee, “but I knew my parents and they ignored me. Shuffling me off to Hogwarts then to my Uncle’s in America. I never saw my parents, it was always work this and work that. They never even answered any letters I wrote to them.
And the Ministry, when I needed their help Kingsley, when I needed to see Sirius, even knowing that my ‘precious’ parents had worked and died at the Ministry, they wouldn’t help me see him. They laughed in my face and said I couldn’t see Sirius because he was too dangerous. They pushed me aside and said that my parents would not have wanted me to see him.”
“I’m sorry Tee, I didn’t know. And I’m sorry that you don’t want to help us now,” Kingsley said as he stood again. He approached Tee and pecked her cheek with a friendly kiss.
“It’s always good to see you,” Kingsley told her.
“And you Kings.”
“It’s time for me to leave Tee. I need to get back to the Ministry. Ron, Harry are you coming. Thanks again Tee for helping us, even though that’s not what you think you did.”
Harry said, “Kingsley, I’m going to stay here for a bit until Tee is cleaned up and make sure she’s okay. Ron, too.”
“Uhm . . . sure, if that’s all right,” Ron asked.
Kingsley nodded approval, told Harry and Ron he would be in contact with them soon, then disappeared.
“Harry, I’ll be all right you know, but I’m glad you’re here. Let me go get cleaned up and I’ll be right back down. Why don’t you both go to the library for a look around. My parents have some original Charles Dickens’ books you might find interesting. Help yourself,” Tee said with a smile as she started to leave the room. “Oh, the library is just down this hall and to the left.”
Tee walked out of the room, Harry and Ron followed her part way and watched her walk up the grand staircase.
“Charles Dickens,” asked Ron as soon as she was out of earshot, “why’d we want to read a bunch of muggle classics.”
“I don’t know,” said Harry, “but there’s more to this woman than meets the eye, and obviously she wants us to see them. Maybe she’s just proud of them.”
Harry and Ron walked to the library and Harry wondered how Ron knew anything about muggle classics. It must have come from Hermione.
To be continued . . . _________________ If you miss Harry Potter, read "I Will" over in Flourish & Blotts.
Last edited by Jayfer on August 25, 2008 10:31 am; edited 2 times in total
I entered this story in a Valentine's Day contest on another site, but I want to share it with you all. This story in part two has been elivated to PG Let me know what you think by posting below. Thanks -- and enjoy.
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I Will
Part 1
Many suns rose and fell following the battle at Hogwarts that culminated with the triumph over Voldemort. The utter relief that so many felt after Voldemort died was overshadowed with the unspeakable sadness of many lost loved ones. This sadness was not lost on the Burrow.
The Weasley family was adjusting to the shock that Fred was really gone. Mr. Weasley returned to work, George returned to his shop, Bill and Fleur to their cottage, and Charlie to Romania. Mrs. Weasley missed Ron and Ginny who had left the Burrow after Fred’s funeral to travel with Hermione Granger to bring her parents back to England.
Ron, Hermione and Ginny planned to meet Harry Potter at Grimmauld Place following their return to England.
Harry arrived at Grimmauld Place late one evening and was met by Kreacher who exclaimed, “Oh Master Harry so nice to see you again Sir!”
“Hello Kreacher!” said Harry. “Kreacher, three of my friends are going to meet me here later this week and will stay for a few days. Do you need some help to get the bedrooms in order?”
“No Sir I have cleaned all the rooms in the house. I have found some items belonging to Master Sirius in some of the other rooms, Sir, and I put them in his room. I made up his bedroom especially for you,” beamed Kreacher, “or should I be calling it your bedroom now Sir?”
“No that’s okay, it’s still Sirius’ room,” replied Harry sadly.
Harry felt sleepy, excused himself and retired to bed. He was caught off guard when he entered Sirius’ bedroom because more of Sirius’ things had been added. Harry walked around the room and looked at the curtains, posters on the walls and he noticed a wood box on a bureau. He couldn’t remember seeing it the last time he was at Grimmauld Place. He didn't give it anymore thought, put on his pajamas, took off his glasses, crawled into bed and slept.
The next morning Harry put on his glasses and saw that the curtains had not been completely closed. A beam of sunlight had stretched across the room and landed directly on the box he had noticed the previous night. With his interest peaked, Harry got out of bed, walked to the bureau and opened the box. Inside was a gold velvet cloth covering a silver picture frame that had been laid upside down. He picked up the frame and turned it over. A beautiful girl with long, dark brown curly hair, violet eyes, and a smile that could get no bigger looked up at him. Harry stared back for a few moments, how could he not, she was stunning.
Then he noticed the signature on the photo. It read . . .
“Only you, Sirius!
February 14.
Love, Tee”
Harry nearly dropped the frame. His mind swirled and he asked himself if it could be true that Sirius had been in love and he wondered what had happened to this girl.
Harry instinctively took off the back of the frame to see if anything was printed on the back of the picture. An aged piece of paper fell to the floor. Harry picked it up and opened it. He saw a poem, not just an ordinary poem, it was a poem about a couple that had been separated and it sounded like they would be reunited in the end. The last verse of the poem read:
“Together again . . .
I will remember,
I will laugh,
I will love.
Will you?”
Scratched at the end of the poem was, “I will too, Tee.”
Harry was thunderstruck. He reasoned that if this ‘Tee’ had been Sirius’ girlfriend, then quite possibly it had been Sirius who had scratched the answer on the poem.
Harry looked into the box again. Inside lay a photography book entitled Still Life. Harry pulled out the book and flipped through its pages. He saw beautiful landscapes, seascapes and cityscapes from all over the world. However, these were not magical pictures because none of the people in the scenes moved. Harry wondered why Sirius would have a muggle book tucked away with these other treasures.
He then noticed that some of the pictures had poems written on them. He turned the page to a photograph of an English seaside, could not believe his eyes, blinked a couple of times, realized he was not mistaken and literally reread the love poem that he had just discovered minutes ago. Harry immediately turned to the back of the book and to his amazement there was the photographer, a beautiful woman with violet eyes and dark brown hair. Below her photo was typed, ‘Tewannee Rose, renowned international photographer specializing in still and moving photographs.’ The address for Ms. Rose’s photography studio was listed and Harry saw that it was located on the other side of London.
Harry decided that he was going to find this ‘Ms. Rose.’
Harry placed the picture, poem and book back into the wood box and carried it with him to Ms. Rose’s studio. He was apprehensive when he entered the studio – it was very crowded. He wondered if he would be able to see Ms. Rose or even have a chance to speak with her. He approached the receptionist and asked, “May I please speak to Ms. Rose regarding an old photograph I have recently discovered. My name is...”
“I know who you are,” said the pretty receptionist, “you’re Harry Potter.”
“Yes . . . I am,” he replied as the receptionist stared dreamily at him. “Is Ms. Rose available?” The receptionist blinked back to reality and left to find Ms. Rose.
At that moment, a woman asked from behind, “Has anyone helped you Sir?”
“Umm . . . yes,” said Harry as he spun around. “I would like to talk to Ms...” but before he could finish he saw her violet eyes grow large.
“Harry Potter. . . no way!” Ms. Rose gasped. Then she laughed, composed herself and asked, “How may I help you, Harry?”
“I found an old photograph that I would like to talk to you about. Is there somewhere we can talk privately?”
Ms. Rose nodded and motioned towards the back of the studio. They entered a small room filled with leather furniture, dark lighting and a cozy fireplace. Tee said, “Ah, my home away from home when I am in London. Please make yourself comfortable in a chair by the fire. I’ll join you in a minute. Would you like something to drink? I have pumpkin juice or butterbeer. It’s a little too early for brandy.”
Harry asked for pumpkin juice and Ms. Rose said, “Accio pumpkin juice.” She sat down across from Harry in a high backed leather chair. “You said you have an old photograph?”
“Yes,” replied Harry as he handed the photograph to Ms. Rose.
“Where . . . how . . . where did you get this?” demanded Ms. Rose as tears formed in her eyes.
“Madam, I did not intend to distress you. . . . I mean I found this at . . .”
But Ms. Rose interrupted, “No, I am not distressed Harry, just surprised. You caught me off guard with this picture, and did you just call me Madam? Sirius used to tease me by calling me Madam. Please call me Tee.”
“Then you did know him, Tee?” asked Harry.
“Oh yes I knew him. I knew him well. I knew your parents, too. Where did you say you found this picture?”
After Harry told Ms. Rose how he had found the picture, she explained to him that the picture had been taken on her first Valentine’s Day with Sirius.
Harry felt this was the perfect time to ask, “How did you meet Sirius?”
“Ah, that’s kind of a silly story,” she answered but clearly it was a story she wanted to tell. “We met on the last day of our sixth year at Hogwarts. I was pulling my trunk to the carriages and as I approached the front doors I saw your father, Harry, peak around one of the doors. Then he jumped back and said to someone, 'Here she comes, here she comes.’ I thought to myself that it was probably James up to a prank, which he was known for, but I walked through the doors anyway. Sirius jumped in front of me and just stared. He opened his mouth but he didn’t say anything. I think he couldn’t say anything. It was really quite pathetic so I said, ‘well good-bye then,’ and walked around him towards the carriages. Your father started ribbing Sirius and said, ‘Oh you blew that one Black.’ I turned around and looked into Sirius’ gray eyes. He looked so disappointed so I said, ‘No you didn’t,’ and he smiled. We waved goodbye and I didn’t see him again until the beginning of our seventh year.”
Harry reached into the box again, grabbed the poem and handed it to Tee. She opened it.
“I believe that Sirius answered this . . .” Harry started to say.
Tee yelled, “It’s the poem I sent to him after they took him away to Azkaban. I wrote to him a few times after that but my letters were all returned unopened. This poem was the only thing that wasn’t returned.”
Tee started to cry. Harry rose from his chair and reached for Tee’s hand. He said, “Honestly Tee I didn’t come here to make you unhappy. I’m really sorry.”
She stopped sobbing, “No, please, I am glad you have come. I heard that Sirius had escaped from Azkaban, I mean who didn't. Then the day after all that trouble with Voldemort at the Ministry I heard from a group of the Malfoy's friends in Diagon Alley that Sirius had died at the hand of his cousin. So I'm glad you have come because I didn’t know if I would ever see anyone who would want to talk to me about him.”
“Then you never stopped dating Sirius?” asked Harry.
Tee answered, “We dated all seventh year and after Hogwarts when I went to a muggle university to study photography and Sirius became active with the Order of the Phoenix. In fact, we were supposed to dine out that Halloween evening when your parents, Harry, were . . . ”
“You saw him that night?”
“Yes. When Sirius got to my place he was really worried about your Mum and Dad, and Peter. So I suggested that he go check on them, I’d cook dinner instead of dining out and it’d be ready for him when he got back. I watched him drive his motorcycle down the street and off into the night. I never saw him again.”
Harry returned the conversation to the poem and said, “Tee, if Sirius received this poem at Azkaban, he must have kept it with him all these years because I found it in the back of your photograph.”
“He must have . . .” smiled Tee. Not ready to change the subject Tee said, “I read and heard all kinds of stories about Sirius. I never believed any of it but your Mum, Dad, and Peter were all killed.”
“Not Peter!” interrupted Harry. He tried to tell Tee about Peter being his parent’s secret keeper and betrayer as delicately as he could and added, “Peter framed Sirius. Sirius didn’t kill him or the muggles on that street. Peter used his wand behind his back and then escaped.” Harry continued the story as Sirius had told him several years ago in the Shrieking Shack.
Tee was very quiet when Harry finished. Then she said, “Sirius spent all that time in Azkaban and he was innocent.”
“Yes.”
“Has Sirius’ name been cleared then?” Tee asked.
“Many people knew the truth but most of them are no longer with us,” Harry said.
An idea erupted in Harry’s mind. He suggested, “Tee, if I were to write or have someone write my story including Sirius’ story, his name would be cleared.”
“Yes and I have hundreds of pictures that I took years ago of Sirius, you as a baby, and James and Lily. You are welcome to use them to illustrate that book,” offered Tee.
“Let’s do it.”
They made plans to meet again, said their good-byes and Harry returned to Grimmauld Place. He couldn’t wait to tell Ginny, Hermione and Ron this news when they returned to England.
* * * * * * * *
Tewannee Rose poured herself a snifter of brandy, returned to her leather high-backed chair, swirled the dark amber liquid that smelled as warm as she wanted it to make her feel, swallowed a sip, felt it trickle down her body and felt it warm her inside.
She reached into her pocket and pulled out a letter, something she had done many times before, and touched its frayed corners. She opened it slowly, tenderly . . . the letter only she would read . . . Sirius’ letter . . . the letter that came too late.
“My dearest Madam,"
Tee smiled..... and continued to read...
"A friend of mine gave me your book Still Life that was published not long after I made my break to freedom. I not only see your incredible photographs, but more importantly I see the poem you sent to me. Are you still in England?
I would like to see you again, but only if that is something that you would also want. There is so much I need to tell you, to explain to you. I am hoping with all the hope I have left that we have not been apart too many years. How much I feel as I did that day at Hogwarts, wanting to say just the right thing. Please tell me again that I have not blown it.
The owl that will find you and deliver this letter will know how to reach me.
There’s only been you, Tee. Only you.
P.S. Remus has just arrived and he has received an urgent message from Hogwarts. My godson and his friends have left for the Ministry, right into an ambush I’m afraid, and he needs my help.”
Tee gently brushed the words “only you” with her fingertips and closed her eyes as a tear slipped down her cheek. She whispered, “Sirius, I’ll see you again someday. I will.”
To be continued...
didn't really had time to read all of them.. just the first part.. looks great. _________________
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