"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." - William Congreve.
"Maxson as in... the family Maxson? Of Maxson Corp?" Ben asked on their way to Hogsmeade.
"Yeah." Jacob answered very quietly. Ethan could tell there was a lot of twitching that his older brother was doing. "They're... a very influential and powerful family in the Muggle World. They have 5 kids. 4 Boys and 1 Girl. And that 1 Girl is Elizabeth Maxson. Called her Lizzie for short." He explained.
"That must've been a tough secret for the family to keep." Tonks thought out loud.
"Not really." Jacob replied. "Lizzie was never one for the spotlight. All that went to her parents and grandparents. Her Grandfather started the company and Lizzie's parents became part of the board. Her brothers also followed suit."
"And what about Lizzie?" Tonks asked.
"She started her own Witches Boutique store in Hogsmeade after graduating. Her family supported her." Ryder answered for them.
Everyone looked at Ryder like how could he possibly know that? "What? I did my research."
"And how could she help us?" Ben asked like, how was it that a store owner was able to know about Runestones? She was a store owner.
"Because Lizzie knows about Runestones." Jacob answered. "If anyone can decipher this... it's... her." He admitted.
"Okay, what's up with you?" Ethan asked.
"Uh... Lizzie and I." Jacob answered.
"Lizzie and you what?" Ethan asked. "Didn't you speak to her at all?"
"Not since..." Jacob swallowed hard. "I got expelled from Hogwarts." He admitted. "She probably thinks I'm dead and if I show myself in front of her... she is going to kill me, and I will tell you this now. It will not be done with mercy."
Ethan smacked his own head. "Oh, geez. Jacob!" He grabbed his brother by the scruff. "You gotta get in there, and ask for help. You're the one who suggested we go to her." He pointed out.
"And do you know what she'll do when she finds out what happened to me?" Jacob asked. "She'll say: I told you so. Because she told me so! She said: Don't trust Rakepick! And she was right!"
Ethan remembered that Lizzie loved to rub it in to Jacob when she was right about everything. He also remembered that Lizzie seemed to have a soft spot for Ethan. He remembered the first time Jacob brought Lizzie to his house. And Lizzie commented that Ethan looked as cute as a button. He sighed. "Jacob. You messed up. You gotta make things right."
"Not with her." Jacob replied through his closed mouth. "This is not going to end well." He muttered preparing for the potential whopping he was about to recieve from his old flame.
The Group noticed the shop. Lizzie had a good thing going for her. "I'll go in first." Ethan decided.
"We're right behind you." Ryder replied. He looked at Jacob. "Well... most of us are anyway."
Ethan opened the door. It looked like a slow business day. Lizzie was at the front desk barking orders at a witch. "Get those new robes in stock! They should've been put out an hour ago!"
That was when Jacob took a good look at Lizzie. She looked surprisingly good. Her Short Brown hair, her brown eyes. And her Hogsmeade attire like a villager. That was when Lizzie saw Ethan.
"Ethan Bauer!" She shrieked in delight.
Ethan laughed. "Hello, Lizzie."
That was when Lizzie went up to hug Ethan. "I haven't seen you in years!" She still had that soft spot for Ethan after all this time.
"What are you doing here?" Lizzie asked.
"Well... we need your help with something." Ethan answered.
"Is it a clothing favor?" Lizzie asked.
"No. It's about this." Ethan held out the Runestone. "I was told you could read Runestones. And since I really don't know how to read. I was wondering if you could?"
"And who's we?" Lizzie asked looking at the group that Ethan was with.
"Wotcher, Ms. Maxson." Tonks greeted.
Jacob had his back turned until Ryder turned him around to give Lizzie a perfect view of her former boyfriend.
And Lizzie's expression turned cold and distant at the sight of Jacob.
"Hey, Lizzie." Jacob said with a nervous smile.
Lizzie walked right up to Jacob. "Jacob?" And then she proceeded to slap him right across the face really hard. "Sorry. Had to make sure that was you." She explained.
Jacob felt the sting of the slap. "Yeah. I'd hate to be a..." His sentence was cut short as he was sucker punched right in the nose.
"WHERE WERE YOU?!" Lizzie shrieked sending everyone else back. "8 YEARS AND YOU SHOW UP NOW AND HIDING BEHIND YOUR OWN BROTHER!!" She looked back at Ethan. "Course I don't blame you Ethan." She said softly to Ethan. She then went back to yelling at Jacob.
"Well... you haven't changed a bit Lizzie." Jacob struggled to get back at his feet. "Lizzie... listen-"
"I don't want to talk to you!" Lizzie yelled. 8 YEARS, JACOB?!"
"Lizzie listen... I got trapped in a portrait for 5 years. I got out a couple of years ago by Ethan. There was chaos. R was on the loose, Rowan Khanna was dead, Trotsky's risen back to power. I had to do something, or more lives were going to be lost." Jacob quickly explained. And he could see Ethan nodding his head in agreement.
Lizzie's nostrils stopped flaring. "As far as... excuses go it's not... terrible." She admitted. "And how did you get stuck in a portrait anyway? I would think that you would have some sense of a brain not to do that."
"Well..." Jacob stuttered.
Lizzie smacked her head. "Please tell me you did not get involved with that woman Rakepick."
"Technically he got trapped with a Hungarian Horntail." Ethan interrupted.
"And we rescued him." Ben added. "Me, Merula Snyde, Ethan, Penny Haywood, Charlie Weasley, Bill Weasley. And that was when Rakepick-" That was all Lizzie needed to draw a conclusion.
"OH MY GOD!" Lizzie shrieked.
"Now hold on, Lizzie." Jacob before she blew a gasket. Too late though.
"Jacob! I warned you not to get in Cahoots with that woman. And what did you do? Get in Cahoots with that woman!" Lizzie blew a gasket.
"Well how was I to know that Rakepick would betray me, let alone do the same thing to my brother?" Jacob asked.
"Use your brain." Lizzie suggested like it was common sense. "Now what are you doing here?"
"Same as Ethan." Jacob answered. "And believe me, I didn't want to come back here, but I need your help."
Jacob didn't choose his words carefully at all. "YOU DIDN'T WANT TO COME BACK HERE?!" Lizzie asked in disbelief and grabbing Jacob by the ear.
"Let me rephrase that..." Jacob said between groans of pain.
"Look, Ms. Maxson. We need your help with this Runestone. Look it's not overstating it to say that the fate of the world is at stake." Ryder decided to speak and get down to business.
Lizzie sighed. "Sorry. That part of my life is over." She admitted.
"Part of your life is over?" Mad Eye asked confused. "Whatever happened to the kid who got spunk? Who would never back down from any challenge?"
"Ask him." Lizzie pointed to Jacob. "The guy I loved so much that I threw my whole life for. And then he just left."
"Lizzie, I got trapped IN A PORTRAIT!" Jacob repeated.
"We've already established that, Jacob." Lizzie shot back.
"Doesn't look like she's going to help us now." Ben whispered to Ethan.
Jacob sighed. This was going nowhere fast. "Lizzie..." He started to say. "I get that you're mad at me. I wanted to come back to you."
"But you didn't." Lizzie replied.
"Yeah, I didn't. And I was trapped in a portrait for 5 years. I thought I was a goner. I got expelled, I was responsible for what happened to Duncan. I blame myself for that. I left my own little brother." Jacob admitted.
"That's not why I hate you." Lizzie muttered.
Jacob raised his eyebrow. "It's not?"
"When you disappeared for those 5 years, what do you think happened to me?" Lizzie asked.
"Lizzie-"
"Huh? Duncan was gone. You were expelled. And I was alone." Lizzie snapped.
"You didn't have any friends?" Jacob asked. Seemed hard for a rich girl like Lizzie to do that.
"I didn't socialize with anyone else. Just you and Duncan." Lizzie admitted. "I may have been rich, but I wasn't pureblood. And everyone else just wanted to interact with me for the money. Alone for 8 years. Without something or someone to actually talk to."
"I didn't want to see you expelled for something I did on my own." Jacob shot back. "And if you hate me, why didn't you move on?" He asked.
Lizzie just stared at him cold. "I don't know." She answered. "And if you were trapped for just 5 years, why didn't you come by sooner?"
This time it was Jacob's turn to stare cold. "I don't know." He answered. "I didn't want to put you in danger like I did, Duncan."
"So, the Cursed Vault wasn't dangerous at all?" Lizzie asked. "I warned you what would happen if we persisted with the Cursed Vault. Not to mention, Trotsky." She scolded.
"I needed that treasure." Jacob shot back. "We didn't have much after Dad died. I did what I had to do to survive and protect my mother and little brother."
"We didn't need the treasure. I could've helped you with your financial problems." Lizzie pointed out.
Jacob threw his hands in surrender. "I knew this was a bad idea." He admitted.
"So, why did you come back?" Lizzie asked.
"Because of my little brother." Jacob answered. "We need this Runestone, and we need it translated. Look I'm sorry I left you, and I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner." He admitted. "But if you don't help us now, then Trotsky is going to launch an entire global massacre against Muggles, including your family."
"Please Lizzie?" Ethan begged. "For old time sakes?" He asked.
That was when Ryder got an Owl message. When he read it, he looked with eyes wide at Ethan. "We've got a problem."
"What happened?" Ethan asked.
Ryder showed the message: "Bath attacked by Dark Wizards. Complete Massacre of the town. Muggles are told it's a Terrorist Attack. But now the Dark Wizards are at large."
"Trotsky." Ethan realized.
That was when the Radio started up. "Once again. The Town of Bath, England was destroyed in a Dark Wizard attack. All hands... lost. Experts believe this to be the work of Iosef Trotsky. After the slaughter, Cornelius Fudge has just issued a Marshal Law in effect for all Witches and Wizards. Anyone who does not comply with this law, will be seen as a conspirator and taken to Azkaban. No Miranda Rights, No habeas corpus, no right to legal council. Until further notice."
"No habeas corpus?" Ryder asked Mad Eye in confusion. "I've never heard of that. You?"
Mad Eye shook his head.
"An entire town. Killed." Ethan said in silence. This is the consequences that Trotsky warned him what would happen if he achieved any sort of victory. And that's exactly what happened when Ethan broke the Cursed Windows curse at the Ministry. Ethan looked down.
Lizzie hated to see Ethan heartbroken like that. She sighed and turned to Jacob. "I... can't forgive you."
Jacob opened his mouth to speak, but Lizzie cut him off. "But I can help you. Hand me the Rune."
Ethan handed over the Runestone. And Lizzie took a look at it. "It looks... Ancient. But, let's see."
"Can you read it?" Ben asked.
"I can try. But it'll take time." Lizzie answered who had never seen anything so complex before.
"Let us know the moment you find something." Ethan requested.
"You got it." Lizzie replied.
"Well that wasn't so bad was it?" Ethan asked Jacob.
Jacob had a heavy sigh. Jacob was often good with talking to girls. Lizzie on the other hand was the only one who could make him feel vulnerable. "I'd rather have dealt with the Hungarian Horntail." He then looked at Mad Eye. "And how come you didn't say anything?"
"Jacob, you were talking to an angry Ex. You're not going to win that argument. No matter how constantly vigilant you get." Mad Eye answered.
"So you're an Auror and relationship expert now." Jacob sarcastically replied.
"I call it like I see it." Mad Eye shot back pointing to his magic eye.
"Jacob, she just needs time." Ethan said.
"She's had plenty of that. 8 years." Jacob replied.
"I meant with you." Ethan corrected. "You being back... it's probably a bombshell with Lizzie. She just needs time to let this all settle in."
"Well, she said she won't forgive me." Jacob pointed out.
"But she can help us." Ethan replied. "Maybe once we all start working together, she'll have calmed down." He suggested.
"Ugh." Jacob grunted. "You giving me relationship advice, little brother."
"We are through the Looking Glass now." Ethan joked. But there was another part of Ethan that felt a sense of sadness.
"What is it?" Jacob asked.
"Trotsky... Even if I manage the simplest of a victory, someone gets killed." Ethan admitted.
"All the more reason we've got to stop him." Jacob replied. He put a hand on his brother. "Before this gets worse."
"So what do we do now?" Ethan asked.
"We be patient." Ryder answered.
"And trust that Lizzie knows how to read that Runestone." Jacob added. With a little bit of a smirk in his voice when he talked about Lizzie.
"You still love her." Ethan taunted.
Jacob's eyes widened in embarrassment.
Meanwhile Lizzie was looking at the Runestone. Jacob was back, hip hip hooray. And of all times, it was around the time that Trotsky was going to launch his genocide on the world. And Lizzie was Muggleborn. Which meant that her family wasn't going to spared from the Genocide either.
"Why am I even doing this?" She asked herself. "All for a guy who abandoned me for years... even thought it wasn't his fault." Lizzie slapped herself. "What are you talking about, Lizzie? He's not good, and yet... the way he gets when he's serious. That was when she opened up a cabinet drawer. It had a small necklace inside. The same little necklace that was a gift from Jacob years and years ago.
9 years Earlier.
Lizzie spent that whole night at the Celestial Ball dancing with her friend Jacob. The long red dress she wore seemed to match Jacob's dress robes.
"I didn't know you could dance, Lizzie." Jacob commented.
"6 years of dancing lessons." Lizzie replied. "My Mom said one day they would come in handy. I doubt she had a magic school in mind."
They were both listening as Dumbledore made his speech about the Celestial Ball as usual.
"You want to get out of here?" Jacob whispered into Lizzie's ear.
Lizzie nodded.
They both journeyed to the Front Courtyard to see older students then them, trying to make out or otherwise find more attempts to break School Rules in one night.
"You know Snape will probably find us." Lizzie warned.
"Well let's make this quick." Jacob replied laughing.
Lizzie giggled back. She could tell that Jacob had a crush on her, even though they had been best friends for years. And a part of her was developing feelings for Jacob.
"I... wanted to give you something." Jacob started.
Lizzie's eye opened. "Is it another Niffler Egg?" She asked. She remembered the one time in their Care of Magical Creatures and Jacob saw that Lizzie loved it and tried to smuggle a Niffler Egg into their common room. The Egg, unfortunately hatched and had a baby Niffler inside. And then immediately the Mother Niffler came in and attacked Jacob until he gave her the baby back.
"I've got something better." Jacob held out a little silver necklace in the shape of what looked like a star inside of a globe.
Lizzie loved it. "It's beautiful."
"Sorry it took so long. It was a lot of holes to go through." Jacob smiled. "I got this because I thought... well..."
His words were interrupted by a kiss on the lips from Lizzie. "I love it." Lizzie said.
"Me or the necklace?" Jacob asked.
"Maybe a little of both." Lizzie answered. And they both kissed again.
"Duncan is going to be jealous." Jacob joked.
"Duncan is going to be fine." Lizzie assured.
"You'll hold on to this necklace?" Jacob asked.
Lizzie's eyes smiled again. "Always."
Back to the Present.
"What a crazy stubborn guy." The voice in Lizzie's head was saying. "Yes... yes he is." Lizzie replied.
She then looked at the Runestone. And examining it more closely. "Okay, Runestone. Tell me all your secrets."