Informing the Masses
�Paige, get your ass down here!�
�What�� Paige stopped, her eyes widening in disbelief. Her sisters, Piper and Phoebe, were backed up against the wall, Piper clutching her baby in her arms. Across the room, a man was drifting forward. A man who looked an awful lot like�
�Barbas?� Paige said in disbelief. It couldn�t be! They�d vanquished him last year. He couldn�t possibly be back�could he?
�Paige, get over here, we need you!� Phoebe yelled as Barbas, the fear demon, advanced on them. Paige�s shock wore off immediately and she orbed to join her sisters.
�We conquered our fears,� Paige said, standing in front of her sisters. �You can�t hurt us any more.�
�Are you sure?� Barbas asked, giving that cruel smile that made Paige shiver involuntarily. He turned to Piper and moved his hand slowly in front of his face, which Paige knew to be the way he uncovered a person�s fears. �Just as I suspected. Your worst fear is losing your son.�
Paige grabbed Phoebe and Piper�s arms, orbing them all out. She didn�t really know exactly where to go, so she brought them to an alley outside P-3, Piper�s club. It wasn�t the safest place in the world, but at least it was deserted.
�What the hell was that?� Phoebe asked. �We vanquished his sorry ass a year ago!�
�Phoebe, calm down�� Paige started.
�Calm down?� Phoebe said faintly. �How the hell am I supposed to calm down? Don�t you understand? If Barbas is back, who�s to say Cole isn�t next?�
�Phoebe, stop shouting,� Piper hissed. �You�re upsetting Wyatt. Shh, honey it�s okay.� She slowly rocked the crying Wyatt until he quieted and fell asleep.
�Okay, so what do we do now?� Paige asked. Before the others could answer though, there was a strange noise from down the alley that made them all jump. A slight burning smell made Paige cough and she saw an eerie, dark blue smoke rising from behind a dumpster.
�Don�t come over here,� a heavily accented voice warned as they took a step forward.
�Why not?� Paige called. �Who are you?�
�Wagner, Kurt Wagner, but in the Munich Circus, I was known as the Amazing Nightcrawler,� the voice answered.
�That intro means nothing to us,� Phoebe said. �And you didn�t answer Paige�s first question.�
�My appearance might prove somewhat disturbing,� the voice said. �I was told that you wouldn�t trust me. And it�s important that you trust me.�
�Why?� Piper asked. �Why is it so important?�
�I�� the voice faltered for a moment. �I don�t know. That was not revealed to me. All I know is that I came a long way with direct orders to bring you back with me.�
�How far away?� Piper asked suspiciously.
�Westchester, New York,� the voice answered.
�Why don�t you come out?� Paige asked. �We�ve seen a lot of disturbing things. I�m sure you couldn�t be any worse than them.�
There was a pause and then the source of the voice sighed. �All right, but don�t say I didn�t warn you.� There was another sound similar to that they�d heard earlier and, another cloud of dark blue smoke appeared in front of them. As it cleared, the source of the voice was revealed.
A creature of some kind crouched down on all fours in front of them. He was covered in indigo fur, had pointed ears, a three foot, demon-like tail, and yellow eyes with no pupils. He was wearing a black and red, skintight outfit with a belt whose buckle had the letter �X� on it. As he straightened up, the Halliwell sisters collectively took a step backwards.
The creature smiled sadly, revealing pointed fangs that just seemed to scream �vampire� in Paige�s mind. �I get that reaction a lot,� he said.
�Wait a minute, that�s a German accent,� Paige gasped, backing up even more.
�Paige what does that have to do�� Piper began, but Paige continued, not even hearing her.
�I read about you!� Paige said, her voice rising in a mix of fear and disgust. �You�re that demon who murdered all those children in Germany! I thought you were a legend, but I supposed I should�ve learned by now that the worst demons are usually the real ones.�
�No, it�s not what you think,� the creature said.
�You�re a murderer!� Paige said. She was glad to see that her Piper and Phoebe had finally come to their senses and had backed away too.
�Just hear me out,� the creature said. �I didn�t kill those children. It�s a long story, but you just have to believe me. I�m not a demon.�
�Okay, let�s pretend for a moment that we do believe you,� Phoebe said. �If you�re not a demon, then what are you? And who sent you? Also, what was your name again?�
�My name�s Kurt,� the creature said. �I was sent by Professor Charles Xavier, the founder of the Xavier Institute, a school for mutants, such as myself. In fact, that�s how I got here. Part of my mutation is my power to teleport, though it does have its limits. I cannot teleport much more than two miles at one time, and it takes quite a bit of energy to travel great distances, so it has taken me quite some time to get here. I was told that one of you has the power to teleport great distances while carrying many passengers, something I hope to be able to do someday.�
�That�s me,� Paige said suddenly. �I can orb, which I suppose is a lot like teleporting.�
�Please just come with me to the Institute,� Kurt said. �I�m sure Professor Xavier will explain everything when we get there.�
�Excuse us,� Paige said and gestured for Piper and Phoebe to follow her down the alley. When she was sure they were out of earshot, Paige stopped. �Okay, what do we do?�
�We can�t trust him,� Phoebe said. �For all we know, he could be working with Barbas.�
�I say we go with him,� Piper said.
�What?� Paige asked. �You can�t be serious. We don�t even really know who he is.�
�Which is why we shouldn�t judge him just by his appearance,� Piper said. �He seems honest enough, and we have no reason not to believe him. Besides, if we stick around here any longer, Barbas is bound to find us. We have to get Wyatt somewhere safe, and this Xavier Institute seems like our best bet.�
Phoebe sighed and nodded. �I suppose you�re right,� she turned to look at Paige, waiting for her to speak.
�I still don�t trust him,� Paige muttered, �but I guess I have no choice.�
So, they walked back to where Kurt was waiting. He was crouched down in the middle of alley, speaking quietly in German.
�What are you doing?� Phoebe asked.
Kurt looked up, not in surprise, but almost as though he�d known they were there. �I was praying for an end to the war,� he said, �and that when it is over, we will all have learned the lesson we were meant to have learned.�
�The war?� Paige asked. �What war?�
��Tis not so much a war as a crusade,� Kurt answered, straightening up. �Some mutants have chosen to hate those who would persecute them for what they are. But I do not hate them. I pity them, for most will never know anything beyond what they see with their own two eyes. Have you made your decision?�
�Yes,� Piper said immediately before Paige or Phoebe could answer, �but let me make one thing perfectly clear. You harm so much as a hair on my baby�s head and�� She brought up her hand quickly, using her power to blow the dumpster that Kurt had hidden behind earlier up into the air.
Kurt winced as the dumpster hit the ground again and burst into flames. �I understand,� he said.
�Okay, everyone join hands,� Phoebe said, grabbing Piper�s shoulder, as her hands were full. �Paige, do you know where Westchester, New York is?�
�Yeah,� Paige said as she took Phoebe�s hand, �amazingly, I went there once with my parents.� She hesitated before reaching a hand out toward Kurt. She fought the urge to pull her arm away when he closed a three-fingered hand over hers.
�When we get there I will lead you to the Institute,� Kurt said. �It�s the middle of the night, so no one should see us if we keep in the shadows.�
Paige nodded, closed her eyes, and tried to form a picture of a place she had been to in Westchester, New York. When she had a clear image in her mind, she took a deep breath and orbed.
~~~~~~~~~~
�Bobby, wait up!� Rogue yelled, hurrying to catch up.
�Hell no,� Bobby called over his shoulder as he ran, grinning. �We�re supposed to be training. Can you imagine what Professor Xavier would say if we started slacking off?�
�Bobby, look out!� Rogue shouted, but it was too late. Bobby ran right smack into a tree, grimaced, and fell over backwards. Rogue ran up to him, tugging at her gloves to make sure they were on securely.
�Oh God, are you all right?� Rogue asked, taking Bobby�s hand and looking at his closed eyes. �Speak to me.�
�Ugh, did you do that to me?� Bobby groaned, sitting up.
�I�d love to take the credit, but no,� Rogue answered, doing her best to look offended, �and I find it insulting that you compare the effect of my power to that of almost bowling over a tree.�
�Hmm�well, why don�t you kiss me and we�ll see which is more powerful?� he asked, grinning slyly.
�Bobby, you know I won�t do that,� Rogue said. �Last time you got knocked out for three days.�
�And it was worth it,� Bobby added. �Come on Rogue, just a really quick kiss. I promise, you won�t hurt me.�
�Sorry to have to cut in,� a voice said, making Rogue whirl around. It was Logan. �But I figured I should interrupt before one of you ends up in a coma,� he continued. �Xavier would like to speak to you two in the library. He says it�s important.� He walked away before they could respond.
�I wonder what he wants to see us about,� Bobby said as he stood up.
�I don�t know,� Rogue said. They started for the Institute. Neither of them, however, was quite ready for what awaited them.
~~~~~~~~~~
Professor Xavier turned his wheelchair to face the three women who now stood before him and smiled. �First of all,� he said, �I would like to thank you all for coming. And Kurt, thank you for bringing them. I know traveling great distances is hard on you, but you did good.�
�Thank you Professor,� Kurt said, bowing his head in respect. �Would you like me to leave?�
�No, that�s quite all right,� Xavier said. �You may stay if you wish.�
�So, why exactly are we here?� one of the women asked, crossing her arms.
�Now, now, be patient Paige,� Xavier said. �You will know in time. First, we must wait for the others who must also hear this.�
�But�wait a minute,� Paige said, narrowing her eyes. �How did you know my name?�
�It�s one of my powers,� Xavier said simply. He pointed to them each one at a time. �You�re Paige, you�re Phoebe, and you�re Piper. And I see you brought Wyatt, that is good. I am Charles Xavier.�
�I don�t�� Paige started but was interrupted as the doors of the library burst open. Two teenagers, a boy and a girl entered, breathing heavily as though they�d run the whole way.
�Ah, Rogue, Bobby,� Xavier greeted them, �come on in, don�t be shy. These are the Halliwells.� He pointed to each as he referred to them. �Paige, Phoebe, Piper, and Piper�s son, Wyatt.�
�Hello,� Rogue said, holding out her hand to Paige, who was closest to her, �I�m Rogue, and this is Bobby.�
�Nice to meet you,� Paige said hesitantly, looking confused.
�I suppose it is time to explain why I have called you all here,� Xavier said. �I sensed the attack and was glad Kurt had been able to arrive soon after. I have been watching San Francisco for some time now, though it was only a few weeks ago that I sent Kurt after you.�
�But why?� Phoebe asked. �And how did you know we were attacked?�
�It is one of my powers that I can see what is happening in other places,� Xavier said. �I might have foreseen the attack, but I�m afraid I didn�t know enough to be able to pinpoint it until it was too late. I have been tracking a mutant by the name of Mystique, who has been eluding capture for quite some time. She has been single-handedly responsible for the deaths of countless non-mutants and is in league with Magneto, the man who started this crusade against non-mutants.�
�But what does that have to do with us?� Piper asked. �We�re witches, not mutants.�
�It seems that Magneto and Mystique somehow resurrected this fear demon that you vanquished,� Xavier said, �along with another demon who�s identity I have not been able to get a sure lock on. I do not know what they are planning, but it must be something big that they would go this far.�
�What do you know about this other demon?� Phoebe demanded.
�He seems�confused,� Xavier said, closing his eyes to focus on this evasive image. �I cannot see who he is, because he does not seem to know himself. But he is very powerful, that much is certain.�
�Oh my God,� Phoebe said suddenly, becoming very pale and clutching Paige�s arm to steady herself, �Cole.�
�Phoebe, we don�t know that,� Paige said. �It could be any demon.�
�Whoever it may be,� Xavier continued, �we must work together if we hope to find out. I have been able to probe their minds enough to know where they are going, though I do not know why. Will you help us?�
�Of course,� Phoebe said. �We can�t let those demons get away again.�
�Wait a minute,� Piper spoke up. �What about Wyatt? We can�t bring him with us and I won�t leave him with Chris.� She turned quickly to Xavier to explain. �Chris is��
�Your Whitelighter,� Xavier said, nodding. �I am aware of the situation. If you would like, he may stay here. Our own Ororo Munroe, also called Storm, is great with children and will gladly watch over him until you return.�
�And how do we know we can trust you?� Paige asked. �It sounds awfully suspicious to me.�
�As it should,� Xavier said, �but it is all true. I know enough about you to know that my power is no match for the Power of Three. If anything happens to your son rest assured, you will have no problem getting your revenge.�
Piper contemplated this for a while before nodding. �Okay, but if anything happens to him, I swear I will��
�Yes, I am aware of the consequences,� Xavier said quickly, holding up his hand. �No need for a demonstration.�
�Okay, that�s getting a little creepy,� Phoebe said.
�Kurt,� Xavier waved him forward, �go find Storm and bring her here. Tell her it�s important.�
�Yes Professor,� Kurt said. He glanced back at the Halliwells before teleporting out in a cloud of blue smoke.
�Professor Xavier,� Bobby spoke up, making everyone except Xavier jump. He was the only one who hadn�t forgotten that Bobby and Rogue were there. �If I may ask, what does this have to do with us?�
�I was wondering if you two would be willing to help them,� Xavier said. �They will need all the help they can get, since they do not know Mystique and Magneto as well as we do.�
�But why us?� Rogue asked. �Surely it would be better to send someone else.�
�I�m afraid there is no one else,� Xavier said, shaking his head. �Logan and Scott are still recovering from the loss of Jean, Storm has to stay here to take care of Wyatt, and the other students are too young. Since you too have been involved in the war, however, I am sure you can handle it.�
�What about Nightcrawler?� Rogue persisted.
�I have reasons for not sending Kurt in,� Xavier said quietly, �reasons which I will not disclose at the moment.�
The silence that followed was broken as Kurt appeared in the room, holding the arm of a dark-skinned woman with long, white hair. �What is it, Professor?� the woman asked.
�Ah, Storm, these are the Halliwell sisters,� Xavier said, introducing them much the same way he had when Bobby and Rogue had come in. �They are here to help us with the issue I spoke to you about. They have agreed, but they need someone to watch Wyatt while they�re gone.�
�I would be honored,� Storm said. Piper hesitated before stepping forward and carefully placing Wyatt in Storm�s arms.
�I�ll be back soon,� Piper whispered to Wyatt. Then, she looked up at Storm. �Be careful. If he feels threatened, he�s liable to put up a force field.�
�I�ll keep that in mind,� Storm said. Then, she smiled warmly. �Don�t worry, I�ll take good care of him.�
�So, when are we leaving?� Paige asked, eager to get this over with.
�Tonight,� Xavier answered. �First I have to contact an old friend in Scotland.�
�Scotland?� Piper asked, confused. �Why?�
�It seems that Mystique has been in contact with someone over there too,� Xavier said. �I�m afraid we�re going to need all the help we can get.�
~~~~~~~~~~
Albus Dumbledore leaned his elbows against his desk, rubbing his temples. He had a migraine. He was just considering getting the Pensive out when he heard a voice from near the fireplace.
�Hello old friend,� the familiar voice said. �It�s been a while.�
�Indeed it has, Charles,� Albus responded, standing and walking over to the fireplace where the image of Charles Xavier was suspended in the flames. �To what do I owe this unexpected visit.�
�I�m afraid it�s purely business,� Charles said, looking nervous, which was a rare occurrence. �Voldemort seems to have contacted some of his old associates.�
�You don�t mean��
�Yes Albus,� Charles nodded solemnly, �Mystique has returned to his side. Whether or not Magneto is with them, I do not know. But that�s not the worst of it. They seem to have found a way to resurrect the dead. They�ve brought back at least two demons that were defeated by the infamous Charmed ones. I can only identify one of those demons.�
Albus sighed. �How did this happen?� he asked.
�I�m not certain,� Charles said, �but I intend to find out. I have contacted the Halliwells and have enlisted the help of two of my own students. I was hoping you might send someone to help us.�
�I�ll see what I can do,� Albus said. �If all goes well, I should be able to send four people.�
�Thank you,� Charles said. �I will await your reply and shall give you the location at that time.�
Albus thought for a moment before speaking again. �You never could hide anything from me Charles,� he said, narrowing his eyes. �There�s something else that�s bothering you.�
Charles shook his head, smiling sadly. �You�re right, as usual. Something does prey on my mind. There is another who has joined Voldemort�s side. I am ashamed to say that he was a student of mine. I didn�t tell the ones who are going because I knew they wouldn�t want to fight one of their old friends.�
�I understand,� Dumbledore said. �I will speak to the four and send word tomorrow.�
�Thank you Albus,� Charles bowed his head briefly. �The others are leaving tonight. I will inform them to lay low until those you send arrive. Goodbye Albus.� He faded back into the flames.
Albus stood for a moment, trying to organize his thoughts. This must have been why Voldemort hadn�t attacked in six years. He was just biding his time, raising as many forces as he could.
But something didn�t make sense. If he was trying to build an army of some kind, why did he only resurrect two demons? Even if they were powerful demons, it would make more sense to bring back many weak demons so that it wouldn�t be a big loss if they became casualties. And what did Mystique, Magneto, and Charles� old student have to do with it?
And there was still the matter of the second demon. Who was this demon for whom even Charles Xavier couldn�t pinpoint an identity. The only thing that was certain was that if the forces of evil were joining together, the forces of good would need to do the same if they hoped to survive.
~~~~~~~~~~
Harry stretched out his legs and a sharp pain in his left knee reminded him of how pathetic his life had become. He was twenty-three years old and already a failure.
Less than a year earlier everything had been great. He was recruited as a Seeker for the Tutshill Tornados and had led them to many victories, never losing a game. They were in line to play for the World Cup in 2002.
But just before the match, disaster struck. During practice, Harry was severely injured by a Bludger and spent the next few months in St. Mungo�s Hospital. His knee never fully healed and he was forced to leave the team so he wouldn�t injure it further.
After that, Harry�s life had gone downhill. He tried to find work in the wizarding world, but this was near impossible at times like this. Everyone was so afraid about the Dark Lord�s return that they weren�t hiring anyone. Even the Boy Who Lived was turned away.
In the end, he�d been forced to take a job at a local Muggle store. Since Muggle money didn�t go far in the wizarding world, he hadn�t been to Diagon Alley for months. He was also afraid that someone would recognize him. He couldn�t stand the sympathetic looks that people gave him, and he didn�t know what he�d do if he ran into someone he knew from Hogwarts.
Harry stood and walked over to the window, trying to loosen the muscles in his leg. He had barely spoken to anyone from Hogwarts since graduation, and even then he hadn�t seen much of Ron and Hermione. Their friendship had broken up in sixth year when Ron and Hermione split up. Of course, after what happened, it was amazing Hermione didn�t strangle Ron.
A tap at the window made Harry jump, sending a jolt of pain through his knee. A tawny owl was perched on the windowsill, a letter clutched in its beak. Just seeing the owl was enough to make Harry feel guilty. He�d been forced to give Hedwig up when he moved into a Muggle town because he didn�t want people to see her and suspect something or worse, turn him in for animal cruelty. The last thing he needed was to be thrown into Muggle prison.
Harry shook his head and opened the window for the owl. It zoomed around the room several times before finally coming to a stop on the desk. Harry sighed and took the letter from the owl, snatching his hand back quickly as it snapped at him.
�Touchy,� he muttered, opening the letter and scanning it.
Harry,
I know this is unexpected, but this is an emergency. My sources have informed me that Voldemort is collecting his forces together, though I do not know what his plans are at the moment. He has called upon at least one of his old associates and they have resurrected at least two very powerful demons to join their side. I was informed of this from an old friend in the United States. He has already contacted those who defeated the demons before and is sending a couple of his own in to fight, but they need help. I am sending this same letter and three others to ask for you to join them. If you will, please send a reply and I will inform you of what you should do next. Until then, try to lay low. There has been a recent increase in Deatheater activities, and we can�t afford to lose any of you.
Albus Dumbledore
Harry blinked a couple times and looked the letter over again slowly, wondering if he�d read wrong. The Dark Lord hadn�t attacked him in years. He�d thought that his part in the war was over, and he�d been happy assuming that, or at least as happy as he could be in his current living state.
Harry�s first thought was to say no. This wasn�t his fight anymore. He lived in the Muggle world now. He hadn�t used magic in a long time. As far as he was concerned, the magical world might as well not even exist.
But then he remembered that it did exist, whether he liked it or not. He�d spent the best years of his life in the magical world, in Hogwarts. If Voldemort won, all of that would be gone. Besides, the Muggle world was in danger too. The choices seemed to be either to stay here and get trampled like a common Muggle, or to go back and try to help in anyway he could. The latter was his choice, no matter what the consequences.
�Damn the consequences,� he muttered to himself in a vain attempt to reinforce his decision. He grabbed a pen off his desk and wrote on the back of the letter:
I�ll do what I can.
He folded the parchment back up and gave it back to the owl, which snapped at him again and flew out the open window with a loud screech. As Harry watched it fly away, he couldn�t help but wonder if he�d just made a terrible mistake.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hermione sighed and shook her head slowly. �Helen, you need to learn to pick up after yourself,� she said as patiently as she could.
�Sorry,� the little six-year-old girl said, pronouncing her r�s as w�s and pouting.
Hermione�s resolve immediately weakened and she nodded. �It�s almost time for bed. Why don�t you go to your room and get your pajamas on?�
Helen�s face brightened. �Okay Mommy,� she said and skipped off to her room.
Hermione shook her head again and waved her wand so the toys that littered the floor moved back to where they belonged. Then, she went to tuck Helen in for the night.
�Would you like me to read you a story?� Hermione asked quietly as she pulled the covers up over Helen.
Helen nodded her head rapidly, and Hermione got up to get a book. She had only gotten through the first few lines of The Daring Dragon however when there was a tap at the window.
�Owl!� Helen announced, grinning and reaching her hands out toward the owl that perched outside the window.
�Helen, stay in bed,� Hermione warned. Owls could sometimes get temperamental, especially around young children. She stood and slowly opened the window for the owl. Luckily it simply flew in and landed lightly on Helen�s dresser, dropping a letter into Hermione�s outstretched hand. Hermione opened it immediately and read it.
�What is it Mommy?� Helen asked as Hermione slowly lowered the letter.
�It�s nothing you need to worry about,� Hermione said. �Just go to sleep.� She stood and left the room, followed by the owl. She went to sit on the couch and read the letter over again.
Dumbledore was asking for her help? She�d barely had any contact with him at all, other than through her job. She worked at the Ministry of Magic as the manager of the Muggle affairs branch of the Ministry. They had been really busy lately trying to solve the recent murders, both of wizards and Muggles, they believed to be the work of a select group of Deatheaters. At least, that�s what she believed. Fudge, on the other hand, tried to convince everyone that it was just Sirius Black again and that he would be captured and dealt with accordingly. Of course, even Fudge couldn�t explain why the victims were found with pure white hair and seemed to have been literally scared to death.
As Hermione thought about it more, she realized that she hadn�t had much contact with anyone outside of the Ministry lately. She�d heard from someone in the Aurors� branch that Harry was a Quidditch player a few years ago, which didn�t surprise her. She hadn�t heard anything of Ron, but she wasn�t unhappy about this. He could rot in hell for all she cared.
It was Ron who�d gotten her into this mess in the first place. It was he who had convinced her to give herself to him, even though she knew she wasn�t ready. It was his fault she�d become pregnant and had a baby in her sixth year. She�d broken up with him that year and her friendship with Harry had all but collapsed as she�d been forced to spend all of her extra time with her baby while Madam Pomfrey watched her during Hermione�s classes. She loved her daughter with all her heart, but she couldn�t help hating Ron for taking her life away from her. It had taken her all this time to build herself back up, having to settle for a low paying job at the Ministry because her grades had dropped in the later part of sixth year and seventh year.
Hermione shook her head. She couldn�t be thinking about the past at a time like this. She grabbed a quill off the table and scribbled a quick note on the back of the letter.
I�ll agree on one condition. I need someone to take care of Helen while I�m gone.
�Here,� Hermione gave the letter to the owl and went to open the window to let it out. The owl hooted softly and flew away, leaving Hermione to stare after it, feeling several emotions at once as she remembered her time at Hogwarts. She wondered if she would come to regret this.
~~~~~~~~~~
Ron didn�t remember what he�d ordered when he�d first come here or how many he�d had, but it didn�t seem to matter anymore. The bartender set a glass down in front of him. He picked it up and drank it all in one gulp, setting the glass back down with so much force that the table shook.
�I�ll have another,� Ron grumbled, his words slurring together as he looked up at the bartender. His vision had blurred so much that he couldn�t even tell if it was a man or a woman.
�I think you�ve had enough,� the bartender, now confirmed to be a man, said. �I suggest you get out of here real quick. The dementors check this street in an hour and they don�t take kindly to drunkards.�
Ron flipped the bartender off under the table, but stood to leave anyway. He stumbled to the door, fumbling for the doorknob and going out into the streets of Hogsmeade. It was pitch dark outside except for a few streetlights that were spaced out along the road.
Ron felt a sudden cramp in his stomach and took a few steps down an alley before falling to his knees and throwing up on the side of the street. He wiped his mouth and tried to stand, but he didn�t have the energy. Instead, he crawled a little bit further down the alley and curled up in a ball with his back against a building. He closed his eyes and was just about to fall asleep.
A loud hoot sent a jolt of pain through his head and he groaned, forcing his eyes open. The blurry form of an owl dropped a letter in front of his nose and stood there, looking at him expectantly.
�Go away,� Ron muttered, waving his hand in a feeble attempt to chase the owl away. All this got him, however, was a bite on the hand.
�Ow, oh all right, I�ll read it,� Ron picked up the letter and forced his eyes to focus on it. His mind wasn�t even processing what it was saying so he finally just pulled a quill from his pocket and wrote:
Yeah sure, whatever, I�ll do it.
�Happy?� he growled at the owl, giving the letter back. The owl hooted again and took off. Ron closed his eyes again and instantly fell asleep. When he woke up the next morning with a terrible hangover and walked back to his awful apartment, he didn�t remember the letter.
~~~~~~~~~~
�Ginny, I brought you some dinner.�
�I�m not hungry,� Ginny said quietly, turning over on her side so she was facing away from her brother.
�Come on Ginny,� George said, coming around to the other side of the bed and placing the tray on her table. �You�ve barely eaten anything in days. Mum�s worried about you.�
�Tell her I�m fine,� Ginny said, rolling over onto her back again to stare up at the ceiling.
�But it�s obvious that you�re not,� George persisted, sitting down next to her. �That�s why Mum called all of us. That�s why we all put our jobs on hold, to come here and try to help you through this.�
�Ron didn�t come back,� Ginny pointed out dryly.
�Well, Ron�s having some problems of his own right now,� George said, looking uncomfortable.
�So why aren�t you bothering him?� Ginny asked.
�But we have been,� George said, shaking his head. �I suppose it�s no secret that he�s been having some drinking problems. He just won�t listen to us, and since he�s moved out, we can�t really tell him what to do with his life.�
�I knew it,� Ginny turned to face him, her eyes filling with angry tears. �It was only a matter of time before that came up again. Just because I�m the youngest and I moved back, everyone thinks I can�t take care of myself.�
�Now, Ginny, that�s not true, and you know it,� George said. �We understand, and we don�t blame you for coming back. I mean, after Seamus��
�Don�t say it,� Ginny interrupted, fighting to keep the emotion out of her voice. �It was hard enough hearing it from someone I didn�t even know, I don�t need hear it from you.�
George sighed and shook his head. �You can�t keep lying to yourself Ginny. It�ll only make it worse when you realize the truth, that Seamus��
�No,� Ginny shook her head, but George kept going.
"...is..."
�George, please��
��gone,� he finished, and Ginny broke down. She turned over onto her stomach and buried her face in her pillow, her shoulders shaking with long suppressed grief.
�I�m sorry,� George said, placing a hand on her shoulder, �but it�s important that you face the truth, rather than hide from it. We all want you to get better.�
Ginny knew he was right, but she didn�t say a word. She felt him pat her shoulder before getting up and walking to the door.
�I�ll be up in an hour to check on you again and to get the tray,� he said. �Please eat something, if not for yourself, than for Mum�s sake. She can�t stand to see you like this. None of us can.� He stepped out of the room and closed the door softly, leaving Ginny alone once again.
Ginny stood up immediately and went to lock the door. Then, she turned around and leaned her back against it, sliding down to sit on the floor. She buried her face in her hands, crying until she had no tears left to cry.
Everything had been going so great. She and Seamus were happily married, living in a small apartment just outside Hogsmeade. Back then, her worst problem had been Ron�s problem. He didn�t live far from them, and almost every night she watched him stumble home in the dark, often with a bottle of something clutched in his hand. Sometimes he didn�t come back until morning, and on many occasions had to stay with them because he couldn�t make it back to his own apartment.
But everything had changed five days ago. Ginny was on the way home from the doctor, wanting to get there quick to tell Seamus the wonderful news. When she got there, it was to find a Ministry car parked outside the building. At first, she thought nothing of it, as the Ministry had been doing mandatory checks to make sure no one was hiding anything illegal in their homes.
As soon as she got to her apartment though, she knew something was wrong. The door was gone, blown off its hinges and lying on the floor across the living room. There was broken glass all over the place, and there, in the center of the room, was a Ministry official muttering to himself and writing on a notepad. He spotted Ginny and came over, flipping his notepad closed and putting it in his pocket.
�Are you Mrs. Finnegan?� he asked.
�Yes,� Ginny said, a sudden feeling of dread filling her, �what happened? Where�s Seamus?�
Her worst fears were confirmed before the man even spoke by the way he shifted his feet nervously and couldn�t quite meet her eyes. �This is always the hardest part,� he said more to himself than to Ginny. �We received a call from one of your neighbors who said she heard strange voices inside the apartment and someone yelling. By the time we got here, it was too late.�
�No,� Ginny said in disbelief. She tried to walk past the man, but he reached out an arm to stop her.
�I�m afraid I can�t let you in,� he said. �This is a crime scene and we don�t want anything tampered with.�
The man then proceeded to ask her several questions, ranging from where Ginny had been to whether or not Seamus had any enemies. To the latter, Ginny had replied simply by shaking her head and saying none that she knew of. The man had finally nodded and asked her if she would like him to contact someone for her. She�d nodded and ten minutes later her parents had come to pick her up and bring her home.
Two days later, she�d received a letter from Seamus� parents. It seemed that the Ministry had no leads on who had murdered Seamus, but they knew that he had indeed been murdered. All they knew was that when they found him, his hair was pure white and he looked as if he�d been literally scared to death. It seemed that this had been a growing trend around Europe in recent weeks, as this murderer moved steadily toward the west coast. It seemed that Seamus had been in his path of random killings.
The funeral had been yesterday, but Ginny didn�t go. She had enough problems dealing with the looks of sympathy she received at home that she didn�t need complete strangers coming up and telling her how sorry they were.
Ginny shook her head, and slowly came back to the present. She was still sitting on the floor, her face in her hands. She now stood up and walked over to her dresser to look into the mirror.
The woman who looked back at her might as well have been a stranger. In less than a week, she seemed to have aged at least ten years. There were bags under her eyes, accented by blue-black bruises that came from a lack of sleep and stood out even more than usual against her pale, ghostly white skin. Her eyes had always been like windows into her soul. Once bright, striking blue, it was as if a light had been switched off behind them, leaving them dull gray and lifeless.
Ginny sighed and turned away from the mirror, unable to look at her reflection anymore. Instead, she placed a hand on her stomach, where rested all that she had left of Seamus. This was a secret, something she couldn�t bring herself to tell anyone, though she knew she would have to eventually. She wasn�t showing yet, but she supposed it was only a matter of time.
Ginny tried to think of something else, but couldn�t seem to bring herself to. Even though she was only a couple months along, it was as if she could feel the baby in her, like a knot in her stomach she just couldn�t seem to untie. The greatest miracle had also become the greatest curse. She�d wanted this baby more than anything in the world, and she still did, but it just wouldn�t be the same without Seamus. How could she raise the baby without a father?
A sharp tapping sound made Ginny look up in surprise. There was an owl perched outside, tapping its beak on the window. She went to the open the window, wondering who would be sending her a letter. It was probably another sympathy note from the Finnegans.
Except it wasn�t from the Finnegans. Ginny slowly read over the letter from Dumbledore, not knowing exactly how to react to its contents. She�d never in a million years imagined that she would be recruited for something like this.
Her first instinct was to say no. She was in no condition to go, and she would only get in the way.
But then again, George was right. She wasn�t doing herself, or her baby any good by lying in bed all day, trying to deny the truth. She needed to face the fact that Seamus wasn�t coming back and move on with her life. This seemed like a good way to get started.
Ginny went to her desk with the letter, her mind made up. She turned the parchment over and wrote on the back:
Okay, I�ll do it.
She folded it back up and handed it to the owl. The owl hooted softly and flew out into the night. Ginny went to watch it fly away, shivering as the cold wind blew through the open window, stinging her tear-soaked cheeks. It was a long time, however, before she turned away.
________________________________________________________
Author's note: Please don't kill me for what I did to the characters. If there is/are a specific character/specific characters from X-men or Charmed (or Harry Potter, but that's probably not an issue) that you would like to know more about, just send me an e-mail. I'd like my readers to know what I'm talking about.
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