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chapter forty eight | flying south
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"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?"
Jaeden was the first to speak, once Umbridge had left alongside Harry and Hermione. Kaya crossed her arms and her eyes flicked between people, her expression clearly asking the same thing.
"Well we can't explain it with these prats around, can we?"
"What do you mean, you can't explain it?" Malfoy sneered, appearing to still be bitter about not being able to see what Harry and Hermione had planned. "The mudblo-"
Diana kicked him and he winced.
"-Granger already told Umbridge everything, the wimp was so scared of getting scolded, she backstabbed you all and told her the truth. I daresay that might actually be one of her best decisions-"
"Oh, for fucks sake, will you shut your hole?" Maddie interrupted, giving the bleach haired boy a dirty look before switching her gaze to everyone else held hostage. "Are we getting out of here, or not?"
The Inquisitoral Squad seemed rather baffled by her bluntness.
"Of course you aren't," Millicent Bulstrode said. "There's nothing you can do for us to even consider letting you out - so just give up,"
"Well, then, in that case-" Ron began, but a huge crash sounded, and he flinched.
Every one Umbridge's lights that had been scattered around her office had fully exploded, glass shattered and sent flying all around the room.
Kaya covered her face with her arm, as did everyone else in the room, meaning the Inquisitorial Squad let go of their captives in shock and to protect themselves from the shards of glass. Nobody took this opportunity for granted - Diana dived forward, seizing the wands Malfoy had previously held tightly in his hands.
Kaya used a few Stunning Spells, once retrieving her own wand, and Jaeden disarmed almost everyone that could prevent their escape. The Ravenclaw girl next to Luna even pulled off some perfect Confundus Charms, leaving many of the Inquisitorial Squad firing spells in the complete wrong direction or even saying the words wrong. Neville Longbottom fired an impressive Impediment Jinx.
And then one of Kaya's highlights was Ginny Weasley's Bat Bogey Hex, aimed straight at Malfoy, which left him swarmed. Maddie had definitely made sure he could hear her great, obnoxious cackle at the state of him, before her friend Jess discovered from looking out the window that Harry and Hermione were bringing Umbridge into the Forbidden Forest.
With that, those who had been captured left swiftly, all with the same intention of following the two Gryffindors.
"Okay, who broke the lights?" the Ravenclaw boy asked the group, with a tone of both satisfaction and awe.
"I don't know why you're even asking," Maddie said. "May I remind you we were in the room with the granddaughter of the greatest Auror of all time?"
"Diana!" Jaeden sang, and the white haired girl didn't bother hiding her smug expression.
"I might have had a little part in it," she said, her lips curving into a grin.
It then clicked in Kaya's head that that was why she'd been staring at the lights for so long. Some kind of Silverstone shit.
Almost everyone looked a little the worse for wear - there were several long scratches running the length of Ginny's cheek, most likely from the shattered glass. A large purple lump was swelling above Neville's right eye - Ron's lip was bleeding worse than ever and Maddie had a cut on the middle of her nose. Jess and Jake both had a black eye. Kaya had a slit on her cheekbone from where a bit of glass had come into contact. Jaeden had a bleeding nose but it didn't seem to be broken - it must've just been hit hard. In fact, the only person that didn't look injured was Diana, somehow.
The Ravenclaw girl had a red mark on her face as if she'd been slapped, and a cut lip. The boy also had a mark from one of the shards of glass. In fact, speaking of the two - Kaya decided she probably ought to find out who exactly they were.
"I don't think we've properly met?" she said, slowing down so she could walk alongside them.
"We did, once," the blonde said with a smile. "I crashed into you at the Yule Ball, almost sent you straight to the floor,"
Kaya, slightly taken aback by the Irish accent, paused for a moment, until the memory immediately sprang to mind. She knew that face looked familiar.
"Oh, yeah!" she said. "You're completely right, I do remember now - well, I'm Kaya,"
"Sadie," the girl nodded, before gesturing to the dark skinned boy next to her. "And this is Chad. He's not really my friend, he just follows me around sometimes,"
"Oh, shut up, leprechaun," Chad said, giving the blonde a playful shove, before turning back to Kaya. "I know you," he said, brightly. "You beat up Andrew Edwards - that was a smashing day,"
"You know him?" Kaya asked.
"Yeah he's a knob - he used to get scared to go near me just because I'm gay, he thought just because I like men I suddenly had a crush on him. As if anyone would ever like that monstrosity of a male,"
Kaya raised her eyebrows in disbelief, before sighing. "Everyday I seem to get more and more justification for beating that twat to a pulp,"
"Well I'm glad you did," said Chad. "He had it coming,"
Eventually, Ron explained to Kaya and Jaeden what was going on - and, long story short, Voldemort currently had Sirius held hostage in the Ministry, and Harry was planning to go and save him. Of course.
It wasn't long after the group caught sight of two figures in the trees heading the opposite direction - they didn't even have to hear their voices to know who it was, yet they both seemed to be in a heated conversation.
"By the time we've done that, Sirius'll probably be dead!" said Harry, kicking a nearby tree in temper.
"Well, we can't do anything without wands," said Hermione. "Anyway, Harry, how exactly were you planning to get all the way to London?"
"Yeah, we were just wondering that." said Ron.
Harry and Hermione moved together instinctively and peered through the trees, until they realised which group of students were currently heading towards them.
"So," Ron said, pushing aside a low-hanging branch and holding out Harry's wand, "had any ideas?"
"How did you get away?" asked Harry in amazement, taking his wand from Ron.
"Couple of Stunners, a Disarming Charm, Neville brought off a really nice little Impediment Jinx," said Ron airily, now handing back Hermione's wand, too. "Maddie kicked Malfoy in the groin," he added with a smirk.
"Really?" said Kaya, turning to the curly haired girl. "Fuck! I must've missed it."
"But Ginny was best, she got Malfoy with a Bat Bogey Hex - it was superb, his whole face was covered in the great flapping things," said Jess, looking towards Ginny with an expression of awe. "Anyway, we saw you out of the window heading into the Forest and followed. What've you done with Umbridge?"
"She got carried away," said Harry. "By a herd of centaurs."
Kaya raised an eyebrow.
"And they left you behind?" asked Sadie, looking astonished.
"No, they got chased off by Grawp," said Harry.
"Who's Grawp?" Luna asked interestedly.
"Hagrid's little brother," said Ron promptly. "Anyway, never mind that now. Harry, what did you find out in the fire? Has You-Know-Who got Sirius or-"
"Yes," said Harry. "And I'm sure Sirius is still alive, but I can't see how we're going to get there to help him."
They all fell silent, looking rather scared; the problem facing them seemed insurmountable.
"Well, we'll have to fly, won't we?" said Luna.
"Oh, yeah, great," Maddie said sardonically. "Let me just grow some fucking wings, and we're sorted,"
"OK," said Harry irritably, rounding on Luna. "First of all, we aren't doing anything if you're including yourself in that, and second of all, Ron's the only one with a broomstick that isn't being guarded by a security troll, so-"
"I've got a broom!" said Ginny.
"And we do," Kaya and Jaeden added.
"Same," said Maddie.
"Yeah, but you're not coming," said Ron angrily, mainly at his younger sister.
'Excuse me, but I care what happens to Sirius as much as you do!' said Ginny. Kaya couldn't help but notice how her jaw was set so that her resemblance to Fred and George was suddenly ever so striking. Fuck, she really missed those boys.
"Yeah, and we're not backup," Kaya said. "We're babysitting,"
"Babysitting?" Harry said, even more frustrated now.
"Yeah, we're of age. You're not. As if we're gonna happily wave you off as you go on a dangerous rescue mission - we're coming," Jaeden said.
"Well, Ginny's too-" Harry began, but Ginny interrupted fiercely,
"I'm three years older than you were when you fought You-Know-Who over the Philosophers Stone, and it's because of me that Malfoy's stuck back in Umbridge's office with giant flying bogies attacking him-"
"Yeah, but-"
"We were all in the DA together," said Neville quietly. "It was all supposed to be about fighting You-Know-Who, wasn't it? And this is the first chance we've had to do something real - or was that all just a game or something?"
"No - of course it wasn't-" said Harry impatiently.
"Then we should come too," said Neville simply. "We want to help."
"That's right," said Luna, smiling happily.
"Well, I'm not asking permission, we all know I'm coming whether you like it or not," said Diana, in a relaxed tone.
Harry opened his mouth, but Maddie spoke first.
"Harry if you're about to tell Diana not to come you're one of the most stupidest twats I've ever met. She's a Silverstone,"
"She's a fifteen-year-old Silverstone,"
"Yeah, and she managed to smash every light in Umbridge's classroom without her wand. Rejecting her help would be like rejecting ten Aurors,"
Diana gave Maddie an appreciative smile.
"Well, it doesn't matter, anyway," said Harry through gritted teeth, "because we still don't know how to get there-"
"I thought we'd settled that," said Luna maddeningly. "We're flying!"
"Look," said Ron, barely containing his anger, "you might be able to fly without a broomstick but the rest of us can't sprout wings whenever we-"
"There are ways of flying other than with broomsticks," said Luna serenely.
"I s'pose we're going to ride on the back of the Kacky Snorgle or whatever it is?' Ron demanded.
"The Crumple-Horned Snorkack can't fly," said Luna in a dignified voice, "but they can, and Hagrid says they're very good at finding places their riders are looking for."
Everyone whirled round and Kaya's face flashed with confusion - all she could see were the trees. She looked up at Jaeden to exchange a baffled glance but his eyes seemed to be fixated on something. Kaya huffed. What was she missing?
"Yes!" Harry whispered, moving towards... nothing. He stretched out his hand eagerly and patted the air.
Has this boy lost it?
"Is it those mad horse things?" said Ron uncertainly. "Those ones you can't see unless you've watched someone snuff it?"
"Oh," Kaya said, stupidly. She was a bit slow today, apparently.
"Yeah," said Harry.
"How many?"
"Just two."
"Well, we need three," said Hermione, who was still looking a little shaken, but determined just the same.
"We need a lot more than fucking three, Hermione,"
"Can't me and K apparate?" said Jae.
"You can't apparate out of Hogwarts,"
"Oh, yeah... shit,"
"Don't be stupid, we can't all go!" said Harry angrily. "Look, you lot-" he pointed at everyone that wasn't Hermione or Ron, "you're not involved in this, you're not-"
They burst into more protests. Diana stayed quiet, though it seemed she'd made up her mind that she was coming - and it looked as though her decision was always final.
"OK, fine, it's your choice," Harry said curtly, "but unless we can find more Thestrals you're not going to be able-"
"Oh, more of them will come," said Jaeden confidently.
"What makes you think that?"
"Because, you and Hermione are both covered in blood," he shrugged, "And we know Hagrid lures Thestrals with raw meat. That's probably why these two turned up in the first place."
"Okay, Newt Scamander-" Kaya joked, before her smug look immediately vanished as she felt something brush past her - she jumped back with a fright.
"Chill out, lunatic," Jaeden said. "It's just a Thestral,"
"You can see them?" Harry asked the boy with surprise. Jaeden nodded, as if it were nothing.
Kaya knew exactly why Jaeden could see them.
She could remember it all so vividly - her best friend coming back to school after Christmas in their third year stating how he'd been sat next to his ill grandad right until the moment he'd passed away. It was an awful couple of weeks, and she'd never even met his grandad. But having Jaeden so... not-Jaeden was awful.
Kaya supposed it must've been the same for him when she lost Cedric.
"OK, then," Harry said. "Ron and I will take these two and go ahead, and Hermione can stay here with you lot and she'll attract more Thestrals-"
"I'm not staying behind!" said Hermione furiously.
"There's no need," said Luna, smiling. "Look, here come more now... you two must really smell..."
Jaeden turned and his face seemed to light up. More thestrals must've appeared.
"How many are there now?" Kaya asked.
"About nine... or more, I'm not too sure,"
"Still not enough for all of us," Harry said. "And we don't have time, so-"
"That's alright," Sadie said with a sweet smile, clearly unbothered by Harry's visible anger. "They're big enough for us to have at least two on one Thestral. We'll just have to share,"
Harry sighed. He had no excuse, now.
"All right," he said angrily, "pick one and get on, then."
Jaeden wound his hand tightly into what must have been the mane of the nearest Thestral, before placing a foot on a stump nearby and scrambling clumsily on to the horse's silken back. Kaya watched, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion as she wondered how on earth she was going to do the same when she can't even see the bloody thing.
Everyone apart from Harry, Neville, Luna and Jaeden seemed to be thinking the same.
"What?" said Harry.
"How're we supposed to get on?" said Ron faintly. "When we can't see the things?"
"Oh, it's easy," said Luna, sliding obligingly from her Thestral and marching over to the group. "Come here..."
She pulled them over to what must have been the other Thestrals standing around and one by one managed to help them on to the back of their mount. Kaya ended up sharing with Jaeden, much to her dismay. Maddie had ended up on the back of Ron's, and Jake with Hermione. Sadie and Chad were on another, next to them were Jess and Ginny on their own. Harry, Diana, Luna and Neville seemed to be the lucky ones that managed to claim one of their own.
Everyone looked extremely nervous as Luna wound their hands into their horses mane and told them to grip tightly before she got back on to her own steed.
"This is mad," Ron murmured, moving his free hand gingerly up and down his horse's neck. "Mad... if I could just see it-"
"You'd better hope it stays invisible," said Harry darkly.
"Jesus, Harold," said Maddie, slightly taken aback, before turning to the red head she was sharing her Thestral with. "Ron, I won't lie, I'll be clinging onto you for dear life, so if it comes to a point where you can't breathe because I'm holding on so tight, you'll just have to deal with it,"
"I don't think Ron'll be complaining," Kaya muttered, so only Jaeden could hear. He snorted.
"We all ready, then?"
They all nodded and he saw live pairs of knees tighten beneath their robes.
"OK..."
Kaya wrapped her arms around Jaeden and gulped.
"Ministry of Magic, visitors' entrance, London, then," Harry said uncertainly. "Er... if you know... where to go..."
For a moment, his Thestral did nothing at all.
"Nice one," Chad said.
But then, with a sweeping movement that nearly unseated the dark haired boy, the wings on either side extended and the horse crouched slowly. It suddenly rocketed upwards so fast and so steeply that Harry had to clench his arms and legs tightly around the horse to avoid sliding backwards over its bony rump.
Everyone did the same, and soon Kaya found herself speeding with her neck pressed into Jaeden's back to avoid the sharp wind pummelling towards her and slapping her cheeks, astonished she was flying at such a height with no visible means of support.
And then Jaeden got cocky and started swerving the Thestral in a zigzag motion, having way too much fun for Kaya's liking.
"Jaeden!" she yelled. "Stop pissing around! I'm gonna fall off!"
The boy let out a laugh, and started making even more sharp turns.
"Jae!" Kaya screamed, angrily. "For fucks sake!"
She could hear Maddie's laugh from her shared Thestral with Ron as the two seventh years soared in front of them, and Jaeden didn't seem to want to stop playing with Kaya anytime soon.
They were over the Hogwarts grounds, they had passed Hogsmeade. Kaya could see mountains and gullies below them. As the daylight began to fail, she saw small collections of lights as they passed over more villages, then a winding road on which a single car was beetling its way home through the hills.
"Jaeden, if I fall off this thing because of you and I die and you survive, give this message to my mum: Jaeden killed me,"
"Don't be such a drama queen," Jaeden scoffed.
On they flew through the gathering darkness. Kaya's face felt stiff and cold, and her legs numb from gripping the Thestral's sides so tightly. However, she did not dare shift her position, frightened of slipping. She'd lost all sense of how far they had come, all her faith was in the beast beneath her, still streaking purposefully through the night, barely flapping its wings as it sped ever onwards.
She'd ended up forcing Jaeden to sing some of the Grease soundtrack with her to take her mind of the fact that she was riding something invisible, much to the delight of Sadie who'd overheard alongside them and happily joined in. Nobody else seemed to know the songs they were singing, though. It wasn't the best time to be singing either, really - the air speeding towards her left her mouth dry and her voice hoarse. But it was something to do.
It was then Kaya wondered what Maisie and Milo might be up to, and whether or not they'd be wondering where their best friends had gone. The last they'd heard of them was that they were off to Umbridge's office - and now both them and Umbridge are missing. What would they be thinking?
Kaya let out a shriek of surprise. The Thestral's head was suddenly pointing towards the ground and she and Jaeden actually slid forwards a few inches along its neck. They were descending at last. Harry must've heard her shriek behind him and twisted around dangerously, but was relieved to see everyone was okay.
Harry was the first to land, followed by Diana, followed by Ron and Maddie. Kaya and Jaeden were next, toppling immediately from their Thestral onto the pavement. Everyone else landed shortly after.
'Where do we go from here, then?' Luna asked Harry in a politely interested voice, as though this was all a rather interesting day-trip.
"Over here," he said. He gave his Thestral a quick, grateful pat, then led the way quickly to a battered telephone box and opened the door. "Come on!" he urged the others, as they hesitated.
"We can't all fit in there!" Sadie said, as Ron, Ginny and Maddie marched in obediently. Neville, Jess and Luna squashed themselves in afterwards.
"She's right," said Diana. "We'll just have to split into two, I'll go with the second group,"
"...Do you know how to get in?" Harry asked.
Diana looked at him as if he were an idiot. That seemed to convince him.
"Okay, okay, we'll go first,"
Kaya and Jaeden exchanged glances. What exactly had they gotten themselves into?
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A/N: Hi! I just wanted to say I'm very sorry for the lack of updates, I've been really busy at the moment, as I'm focusing a lot on getting good grades since I need them for college when I leave this year & they'll be all based on evidence from school work and what my teachers give me since my exams are cancelled.
I also went through quite a bad breakup these past couple months so it was a bit hard finding motivation to write, however I'm all good now and it's not long until I leave school so I'll be able to write a lot more! Thanks for baring with <3
Thank you for reading! Let me know what you thought! x