Holmes away from Home

Meanders with the dark side

-----------------Izzy's PoV----------------

Just as I registered what had happened we were whisked into another scene. Apparently, John had had his memories erased and was being relocated to live with his muggle parents in London.
The scene changed again.
Sherlock was pacing his dorm.
The scene changed again.
As each scene flashed by, Sherlock became more and more emotionless, and the scenes became shorter and shorter, until they finally fizzled out and we were returned to our dorm. We just sort of sat on Cecilia's bed in a stunned sort of silence.

"That was horrible."
I decided to break the silence.
"It was like watching someone gradually die inside."

"I know. The name Sherlock Holmes rings a bell though."

We sat in a contemplative silence until a house elf (who'd proudly introduced herself as Hudders) tootled through the door, telling us that it was time for lights out, so get into bed. I didn't feel like sleeping, so instead I visited my mind fortress.
I walked through my entrance hall and took the third door on the left for the memory corridor. I filed most of the day's events under 'school', 'names+faces' and 'everyday', but saved the diary as 'important'. Then something caught my eye. Hannah's note.

---------------Cecilia's PoV--------------

"So, she wants to see you tonight, for your sake? And you want me to come along?" I asked, incredulously.

Izzy just nodded her head. I had read the note she had handed to me at breakfast this morning, about Hannah wanting to see her by the lake that very night for her sake. Slightly daunting, for a mere thirteen year old. But you couldn't exactly refuse an invitation of that variety could you? I sighed and nodded my head.

"I'm coming."

            :::time skip to that night:::

We walked down to the black lake, the air still warm from the day's sunshine. We could see Hannah waiting for us, flanked by a tall, dark haired boy who was leaning against a tree. He straightened up when he saw us, but Hannah betrayed no emotion, save for a small smirk of triumph.

"Izzy! So nice of you to join us. And I see you brought your friend too! That's helpful, saves me from writing another note. Anyway, this is Phoenix Malfoy" Hannah gestured to the boy beside her, who nodded at us, staying silent. I quickly deduced him: Slytherin, Hannah's right-hand man, he likes her, she doesn't. Hannah continued.
"I've brought you here to recruit you."

-----------------Izzy's PoV----------------

I looked at Cecilia, not quite believing what I was hearing. This was a very different Hannah, to the one we met on the train. Hannah appeared to ignore our surprise and carried on speaking.

"I run a...criminal web of sorts in Hogwarts. I have operatives in every year and house. But one brain amongst so much brawn can be tiring. I want you two as my back-up brains. So, are you in?"

I had no idea what to do. I knew that if we accepted, we might never live with ourselves again, but if we declined, I'm pretty sure that this 'Phoenix Malfoy' would give us some serious scars, physical and mental. I had a plan, but I had to run it past Cecilia. I made up my mind.

"Give us a week to discuss Pros and Cons. Then we'll give you our answer."

Next to me, Cecilia nodded once. Hannah smiled. But this wasn't a genuine smile, this was a killer's smile, a 'we all know your answer already' kind of smile. But instead of stopping us and demanding an answer now, she nodded, slowly.

"One week. Then your answer."

We shook hands and parted ways.

---------------Cecilia's PoV--------------

As I walked back to school, Izzy by my side, there was no chit-chat. The situation didn't call for it. There were just thoughts, which were almost louder than the words they represented. Izzy had dropped the façade, and all her emotions were pouring out onto her face, confusion, anger, exhaustion, until finally the steely assuredness of a plan formed in her eyes.

As we walked through the door, she pulled a gun out of her pocket and threw it onto her bed. Wait...a gun?

"Is that a gun?" I couldn't help but ask.

"My father worked in the military and my mother is an ex-Russian assassin of course it's a gun." She did not appear to be in a talking mood.

"Night then."

:::time skip:::

I was still awake, even after three hours had passed. My mind library held no answers, even in the archives. And I could find pretty much anything in the archives. Then it hit me.

"Izzy?"

"Hmm?"

"What if we joined Hannah's gang, then brought it down from the inside?" I inquired, carefully.

Her laughter filled the dorm, and I just couldn't help but laugh along with her.

"I thought you'd never ask."