The walls of Twelve Grimmauld Place were worn and torn into time, wallpapers were peeling from the home and with every step Aine took, there was a loud hissing noise. It was dimmed and since everything was pretty much black, it would be no time that she would find herself falling and tripping over the furniture. Just like Nymphadora Tonks, the female Auror with the bright pink hair that she had just met earlier. The voices from the kitchen dining area were getting fainter but she could still hear them muttering in a hushed voice, as if careful not to wake a sleeping infant.
It was an unfamiliar place Aine had stumbled upon and definitely not one that she expected it to be. The threshold was giving similar vibes as the shrieking shack, except for this one, it was much eerier and gloomy. As Aine strode to the stairs with the serpent handles, there were quite a few snake motifs around this place too, on lamps, handles, and frames. It reminded Aine quite a bit of her Slytherin friend's house she had come back from earlier. Although this place was far more intense than Draco's manor.
She passed by a couple of disturbing skeletons of what seemed to be elves, encased in glass. It almost looked like whoever lived here was showcasing the pitiful elves as decoration. She didn't even want to know what they did to those creatures. This is horrible... she said in her head, feeling even more creeped out.
There was minimal to no light here besides the flickering insubstantial old-fashion lamps. Even the chandelier gracing the ceiling had serpents on them and they offer little sense of comfort to the sombre corridors. Aine's hand wanted to hold onto the handles but they were all covered in layers of dust that she decided it would be wise not to. There were strings of cobwebs hung above her head when she turned to the next floor. This place was both mysterious and ghostly, but more importantly.
It was in dire need of a cleaning makeover.
When she walked up to the next floor, her eyes caught sight of the massive age-blackened portraits. It was so old that one couldn't even recognize who was the person in it, except for the fact that it was a woman. Aine was prudent and anxious at the same time, she tore her eyes away from the painting, not wanting to look at it too long otherwise she'll start to hallucinate the eyes of the woman gazing right at her soul as she walked by. Whoever lived here must be ancient... The place was looking like a house of a dying person and with each step, Aine could feel the odd foreboding atmosphere.
It wasn't until a small creature appeared from the shadows that Aine nearly caught a fright. She pauses, startled but continues walking on. Her eyes looked at the bloodshot eyes that dared to glare back at her, though still keeping a timid gaze. She recognizes the familiar figure of it, snout-like nose, bat-like ears and a disdainful look. It was an Elf, but not just any regular Elf. It was a House Elf.
She overhears him mumbling under his frowning lips, cleaning the portrait Aine had seen earlier with an old rag that looked like what he was wearing, "Mudblood... Werewolves... Traitors... Thieves... Reaper... Oh... If my poor mistress knew the scum they let into her house... What would she say to old Kreacher?"
Kreacher. That was the name of the House Elf that lived here.
Aine eyes at him and he flinches before her eyes soften, "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," she softly apologizes. Kreacher's eyes grew wide before they narrow at her, snarling like a stray dog that hasn't been loved by humans. He turns away from Aine and continues scrubbing on the ebony frame.
"Oh, the shame. Freaks... There, there, mistress... Scum of the earth. Not like it was in the days of my fathers. Kreacher is here," he comforted the picture and Aine decides to shake the feeling away from her. Every hair was standing on her body and she didn't like it at all. She wanted to go home but perhaps it would be better if she had seen her friends.
Speaking of them, where were they?
Climbing to the third floor, Aine started to hear a hint of life beyond the corridors, delighted. She quickly picks up her pace, eager to see them all again. When she had arrived, a long train of darkness greeted her and she couldn't even see the doors of the rooms as she did on the previous floors.
She decided to continue walking, sneakily looking around like prey watching for its hunters. Then all of the sudden, she felt something creeping behind her shoulders, looming over her body, towering over her little frame. She clenches her teeth and swallows, One... Two...
Three!
"BOO!"
Slap!
"OWW! GODRIC'S BEARD! WHAT THE HELL—"
Aine had turned her heels and shuts her eyes tight before her hand smacks across the shadow. She peeks open with one eye to see a familiar red-head wincing that she let out a shriek.
"Jeez, Aine! What the bloody heck was that for?"
"Fred..?" she called out with a tremble in her voice, catching a glimpse of one of the Weasley twins.
"Yeah? Freddie over here!" he shouted with sarcasm, rubbing his cheek which was getting redder by the second. She didn't mean to hit him that hard, it was just the shock that took over her nerves that she accidentally threw a bigger slap.
"Oh my god, Freddie. What the hell! You scared me!" she sighs with relief and the whole gang started to appear from the darkness.
"You hit me!" Fred retorts and she winces, apologetic.
"Sorry..."
"Told you, she'll hate that," his other twin commented, looking over to Aine who shot a glare at him. George immediately puts his both hands up, surrendering before she could utter another word, "It was Ron's idea, Ai! I did nothing!"
"HEY! I DID NOT DO THAT!" Ron yells back.
"Ah. Ah! Ronald, no screaming in the corridors," George retorted with a mischievous grin on his face, he continues to tease his little brother until Ginny arrives.
She rushes to Aine's side and protected her from her brothers. "You lot are childish," she said, earning two tongues out from her older brothers.
"Are you alright, Aine?" a brunette asks, her expression cringed up. She didn't understand why they had to scare her like that. Apparently, Harry and Ron replied that it was simply just 'fun' to do it.
"I'm fine, thanks Hermione," she replies and the girls smile.
"Boys. Boys!" Ginny shook her head, used to the pranks that they had played. "I'm out. Come on, Aine, let's go~" She sang, coiling her hand around Aine's arm and pulling her away from her brothers and Harry, Hermione tagging along and they went to the room next to the boys. However, just when they thought they could have some time alone to chat. The boys invaded the rooms and wouldn't stop messing around even though Hermione told them to leave politely. She ended up giving in to them, there was no stopping the two playful older boys.
"Come on, the more the merrier, no?" Fred gleefully chuckles, still massaging his cheeks.
"You deserve that," Ginny tells him and he rolls his eyes.
"Whatever," he scoffs, not feeling one tad bit guilty about it. It was brilliant watching Aine's reaction when he scared her. It almost reminded him of a raven that got scared away before slapping its wings to flutter away, hitting anything or anyone in its way.
"Don't you dare scare me like that, Fred! I'll be dead the next time if you do that," Aine warns, the second shock she has gotten today. The first was Mad-eye Moody's appearance and the second with Fred scaring the crap out of her. Oh, her poor, little heart.
"Well, don't die on me, Ai. I want you to live longer than me so I can scare you again in the future!" he grins and she pokes his sides as an act of revenge.
"George, protect me!" his twin whines, leaning over to George who sighs, patting his arm to calm him down.
"Now, now, Fred," Georges cooed and Fred pretended to let out a cry, making them all laugh.
This. It was this that Aine had absolutely loved. Her friends would never fail to make her laugh and bring up her spirits, even after mischief. It was the companionship she had with them that she had completely forgotten about the whole creepy building and Harry's expulsion. It was with them, that she could finally be herself and be surrounded by such wonderful, bright energy from her friends. Her heartfelt full but light and almost ticklish spread across it and she didn't mind it. Not one bit at all.
Aine sat by the bed with Ginny and Ron while Fred and George stood next to it, Hermione and Harry were both pacing about in the rooms. Studying the mood when it finally came to a calm, Aine brought up, "So... Could anyone enlighten me why Harry's getting expelled?"
The boy immediately gulped and she raises an eyebrow at him, "It's complicated."
"Well, we have time, don't we?" George said, shrugging. Molly Weasley had told them all that they could only come down if someone fetches them. Other than that, no one was to be allowed in the kitchen's dining room, for now.
"Never mind me for now," Harry tries to evade the question, "What did you hear downstairs earlier when you came? We keep trying to listen but Hermione's cat got in the way!" he said, giving his friend a side-eye.
"Mione, your stupid bloody cat is annoying. I hate him," Ron added and the brunette glares at them both.
"Crookshanks is here? Really? I can't wait to see Mr Shanks soon!" Aine beams, she has always had a soft spot for Hermione's cat, even though it tends to snap on her fingers or dig its claws into her skin, but it never left a wound. But he's a cat, a kneazel. So it's completely normal to Aine.
Her friends looked to her, desperate for some sort of answer to their burning questions etched into their minds. They leaned closer to her and she sighs, "It's complicated," she tells them and they exhale, letting out the breath they were holding in to hear from her.
"Fred already said that we have time, so come on. Spill the beans for us, will you?" Ron pleaded.
"Fine... I only heard a few words here and there. They were arguing when we arrived and I remember hearing them say— Something about how Voldemort is looking for something he didn't have before, and that they would do anything to protect you and..." Aine trails off, she didn't get to hear what comes next since they were all bantering around.
"And..?" George asks and Aine shook her head.
"I didn't get to hear who it was besides Harry. I'm sorry..." she mutters apologetically.
"Don't sweat it, Aine. At least we know what they're talking about. Though not much," Ginny comforted her, and her friend smiles at her, thankful.
"Alright, since I've said my share. What about you, Harry Potter? Why're you expelled?" Aine questions, her growing anxiety increasing with the silence. "What did you do? Don't tell me you used underage magic to attack your aggravating cousin, now did you?" she wondered. She knew Harry hated his cousin since they were always taunting and abusing him. They shared a toxic relationship with the chosen one, and it was never pretty or nice hearing Harry rant to them about it.
The quietness stretched and Aine's lips parted, "No way! Did I get it right?"
"Attack him? I saved his arse!" Harry retorts back, fuming with rage. "I was close to doing the first option though," he added in a soft voice.
"Save him? From what?"
There was a scoff from Harry and his friends started fidgeting, uncomfortable with how much Harry has been bottling up. Now it seems like he's just erupting with hatred and anger. "Dudley was taunting my mother, along with you guys and Cedric..."
A sharp pang shot right through Aine's chest when she heard the Hufflepuff's boy's name. It was still hard to move on knowing how his death was so wronged. Word of the Dark Lord's return unfurled across the Wizarding World. Yet, it wasn't taken seriously because why and how could he return only now? An image of Cedric's broad smile flashed through Aine's mind for a split second and she clenches her eyes closed, feeling even sorrier than ever all over again.
"The skies suddenly got darker and it almost looked like it was going to rain, so we ran back home only to find a Dementor sneaking up and attacking us both," Harry reveals and Aine shot her eyes open, wide.
"A Dementor? Those guards from Azkaban? The ones we tackled before in the Forbidden Forest?" Aine questions, sceptical.
Harry nodded and her mouth gaped open, "How... Wha— What? Why? How did they even get out and why would they attack your annoying cousin? I mean... Muggles can't see Dementors, can they?" It felt too absurd and she couldn't believe her ears.
"Yeah..." Harry replies sadly, "So, Mrs Figg, the neighbour next to my home found us and brought Dudley back. My uncle and aunt weren't pleased with the sight and the next thing I knew, a Howler came to me and said I was expelled for using under-aged magic. But honestly, I was just trying to save him and help. All I got in return, was a locked bedroom until Moody and the others found me."
Aine was lost for words after hearing her friend speak, she thought the Dursleys were mean, but they were also ungrateful. Even after saving their precious son, they repaid Harry by grounding him in his room. How could they be so mean and spiteful? Just hearing about them made Aine annoyed again.
"So what now..?" she asks carefully, not wanting to fuel Harry's fury any much than it already is.
"I've got a Ministry hearing tomorrow, Mr Weasley offered to go as my guardian so... Yeah, fingers crossed I'll get to continue school with you lot," he replies, disheartened. His lips flattened together and he started to overthink the outcomes that could happen tomorrow. Either he'll be thrown in Azkaban, expelled or he would be pardoned and be allowed to go back to Hogwarts.
The raven-haired girl clasps his hands and gave them a gentle squeeze, making Harry look at her. She smiled at him and reassures him, "Don't worry, you'll be alright. No matter what happens tomorrow, we are all on your side, Harry."
Harry returns the smile, thankful. He glanced around him, everyone's gaze was filled with fire as if they'll do anything to stop Harry's expulsion, it was true. "Thanks."
"If they ever expel you, I'll storm in the Ministry with them and wreak havoc on the whole place," she smirks and he chuckles, feeling a little bit better now.
"Like as if they would allow you, Ai!" Fred counters back.
"Oh, you have no idea what I have in mind," Aine tells him and Ron gulps at her menacing smile.
"I believe you, girlfriend!" Ginny winks.
"We could help! We have been creating some products for our joke store too. It would be cool to test it if we ever do infiltrate the ministry! Don't you think it's going to be great, Freddie?" George hypes and his twin brother's eyes twinkle with excitement.
"Absolutely bloody amazing!" cheers Fred back.
"Oh, this is getting a little out of hand..." Hermione mutters, yet even she too was willing to do anything to help Harry from his wrongful expulsion.
"You guys are the best," Harry smiles gratefully.
Later that evening, the meeting with the Order of the Phoenix finally ended with Molly Weasley yelling for the kids to come down. Aine passed by the corridors and stairs she walked by earlier, this time, she felt much better knowing that her friends were by her side. Aion, unfortunately, hasn't come up to meet her and she could only wonder why.
The Weasley twins patted the younger lads on their shoulders before proudly waving their wands out with mocking grins. "God, I hate you two," Ron rolls his eyes. Now that they were of age, they were free to use their magic whenever they want and it was becoming such a hassle for both Ron and Ginny since they would taunt them with it.
Aine shakes her head, chuckling.
And just as the girls expected it, a loud shriek came from downstairs the next second the twins had disappeared. "JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW— DOES NOT MEAN YOU CAN WHIP YOUR WANDS FOR EVERYTHING!" Molly screams at them, tired of their pranks to scare her. She smacks their arms as Arthur Weasley pops out from the kitchen, wondering what the ruckus was.
Hermione, Ginny and Aine simply giggle amongst themselves while Harry and Ron complain behind them. They passed the twins, Ginny muttering a small 'Hi' to her mother. Hermione smiles at the Weasley parents and Aine walks into Mrs Weasley's reaching arms for a short hug. "You all must be hungry! Come inside and grab a serving of food, Aine. You too, Ginny, Hermione!" the mother said, turning a complete hundred-and-eighty and urging them to the dining room before approaching the boys behind them.
Aine met her father's eyes first before he shifted over to her brother who scooted to let her sit. She tilted her head in confusion, "Got pulled up with class?" she questions him and he purses his lips and nodded. "You'll see later," he replied to her. He didn't want to keep any secrets from her and thought she ought to know of this one. After all, he would be leaving home with his father sometimes for business now.
Ginny took the other seat next to her and they watch as Tonks sat around the youngsters, entertaining them with her multiple talents such as her Metamorphic skill. The girls tittered as the pink-headed lady morphed her face from a pig's snout to a duck's beak, her expression changing along and it made them burst out laughing.
"How do you do that?" Ginny asks, peering over at her with bright twinkly eyes.
"I just did. I got high marks for it during Auror training without any study. It was great!" Nymphadora Tonks replies, shrugging proudly as she watches the girls stare at her with amazement.
"What else could you change? Could you change your hair colour too?" Aine questions curiously, leaning over the table to catch a better view.
"Of course, I can, darling! Here, watch this!" she replies, grinning. With a shake of her head, her bubblegum pink coloured hair transitioned into a blazing orange before a lilac purple.
"That's so cool!" Aine claps with awe. "Do you reckon we could do that too?"
"Yeah! I heard all of ya were really bright witches! There is no questioning you'll be able to do it like me! I'm sure of it!" Nymphadora gives a thumbs up to them, a smile creeping onto their faces.
"This is all so chummy!" Moody interrupts from behind and Aine tenses up again, still unable to trust him fully to let her guard down. The one-eyed Auror seems to notice her stare as he went by, smirking as he hobbles to the front. "Alright, eyes up! Nymphadora!" he snaps to the group.
"How many times do I have to say... Don't call me— Nymphadora!" the Metamorphagus seethes, her hair glowing orange with her matching tone of anger.
"Yeah, yeah. Well, whatever. I don't care. Just listen up!" Moody ignores and turns to Aine and her friends.
"You guys can just call me Tonks or big sister— darling, honey, or whatever you feel like," Nymphadora winks to them. "We don't talk about Nymphadora here, only Tonks," she added with a whisper as her eyes and lips curl up.
"Right... Tonks..?" Aine mutters and the older female nods proudly.
"Tonks," she repeated.
"I don't understand. What has the Ministry of Magic got against me?" Harry asks and Aine and the rest of her friends glanced up at the boy, confusion plastered all over his face.
"Show him. He'll find out soon enough," instructed Moody as the adults were all a little reluctant, Aine looks over to her brother and father who both held dour looks on their faces. Silently wishing that the younger ones weren't here to listen to all this, but part of them felt it was necessary. After all, this is the Dark Lord that they're talking about.
The rest of the Order of the Phoenix members looked down onto the table and everyone waited as Kingsley Shacklebolt handed him the Daily Prophet newspaper. The boy slowly reads every single word of the article, with the header: The Boy Who Lies?
"He's been attacking Dumbledore as well. Fudge is using all his power, including his influence at the Daily Prophet... To smear anyone who claims the Dark Lord has returned," Sirius announced, and the atmosphere grew colder and tightened.
"Which includes Harry and... Aine," Remus added and all eyes turned from Harry to the girl who sat upright, awkward with the sudden attention drawn to her.
"Me..? Why..? What did I do?" she stutters, confused. She felt the need to protest but Aion simply patted her hand below the table, calming her down and she swallowed back the words.
"I supposed this has something to do during the final task of the Triwizard Tournament, doll," Sirius answered, his gaze softening. He has heard about her odd behaviour during the event and since there were public eyes there, word has gotten out very quickly.
Aine breathes deeply, this was probably that time when I had a vision of seeing Voldemort's rebirth and his battle with Harry in the graveyard, she thought to herself, silently nodding. She knew people would not believe that the Dark Lord has returned, but what's the harm in taking precautions?
"He thinks Dumbledore's after his job," Remus said and Harry immediately retorted.
"But that's insane! No one in their right mind could believe that!"
Remus snapped his fingers, noting Harry's words, "Exactly the point! Fudge isn't in his right mind. It's been twisted and warped by fear." He looks to Aine and the other students, "Now, fear makes people do terrible things, Harry."
"The last time Voldemort gained power... He nearly destroyed everything we hold most dear," he gazes at his friends and everyone casts a sullen look. Everyone has lost something to the Dark Lord, something that they loved. "Now that he's returned, I'm afraid the minister will do almost anything to avoid facing that— Terrifying truth."
Coward. Aine said in her mind, momentarily closing her eyes to absorb what her former teacher had just told them.
"We think Voldemort wants to build up his army again," Sirius proclaimed and everyone prepared themselves mentally, it was never difficult to speak of something like war so easily, especially since many lives will be at stake.
He went on, "Fourteen years ago, he had huge numbers at his command. And... Not just witches and wizards, but all manner of dark creatures."
"Dementors, Werewolves, Vampires..." Kingsley chimed and Aine shivered, she has heard of all of them but letting that sink was still harder than she thought. Especially since they were stressing how big Voldemort's army was even with just wizards and witches.
"He's been recruiting heavily, and we've been attempting to do the same. But gathering followers isn't the only thing he's interested in."
Moody suddenly cleared his throat and Aine glanced up at him. He eyes Sirius charily, and the man brushes it off. "We believe— Voldemort may be after something."
"Sirius," Moody warns.
"Something he didn't have last time," he hinted.
"You mean like... A weapon?" Harry questions and Aine pondered.
What could he want now..? An artefact of some sort? It had to be something unthinkable and special that even the Dark Lord wants it. Or maybe it could be a person? Perhaps the Dark Lord wanted Harry since the boy did slip out of his grasp before when he murdered Harry's parents. Was it what he wanted, revenge? To kill the boy again because he didn't manage to?
Definitely.
"No, that's enough!" Mrs Weasley stops, her organised chopping of the vegetables comes to a halt as she drops the knife back down and walks over to Harry. She snatched the newspaper and glared at Sirius who sigs, throwing his body back to the chair. "He's just a boy! You say more and you might as well induct him into the Order straight away!" she scolds.
"Good! I want to join. If Voldemort's raising an army, then I want to fight!" Harry exclaims straight away and the red-headed mother gasps at him.
"I agree," Aine chimes, breaking the silence even more. "Now that he is back, it's not just our lives that we are fighting for, but also to protect our dear ones. For others, so that he wouldn't rule with fear as he did before. And for our future. That is... With a plan of course."
Elliot and Aion smile proudly at her and her lips twitch.
"We do... Have a plan, right?" she questions.
Moody smirks, "I was right about you. Your daughter is a warrior, Estoileon. You should be proud."
"Already am," Elliot replies, looking over his daughter.
"We're working on it... The plan," Sirius added and Aine clasps her hands.
"Great! So are we done with this meeting because I'm actually really hungry right now," she mutters sheepishly, her stomach growling at the perfect time, making her go red.
Mrs Weasley sighs and nodded to her, "It's almost ready, dear."
Everyone stood up, preparing to help her until Sirius held everyone back, "Ah. Actually, we do have one more announcement," he says, putting a finger up. He grins at Aion and stretches his arm as Aine's brother walked toward him. He exchanged looks with the rest of the members of the Order of the Phoenix and patted Aion's shoulders.
"Shall we welcome the newest member of the Order?" he asks and Aine raises a brow.
"Aion Estoileon!" Sirius presented and Aine's jaw dropped and Aion could merely smile with the applause he has received.
"What?! That's not fair!" Aine mumbles, frowning.
"You'll get there, sweetheart. You'll get there..." Elliot reassures, stroking her head as she pouted.
─── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───── ⋆⋅☀⋅⋆ ───
Holy cow! This is by far the longest chapter I've written for this book! I hope you guys enjoyed it! How is everyone been doing? I'm so sorry for the late updates these days. Work has definitely got me feeling more exhausted by the time I'm home and hence, this chapter has been delayed... I hope you guys understand! Anyways, what do you guys think of this book so far?
Feel free to leave some comments and upvote!
Love you lots!
- Zeneria