𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊
After Ginny and the Weasleys were sent to the hospital wing, Dumbledore stopped Harry, Ron, and Crystal.
“I seem to remember telling you three that I would have to expel you if you broke any more school rules,” said Dumbledore.
"But it'll be the school's loss if you expel such brilliant students like us, sir," said Crystal sincerely.
There was a moment of silence as they all looked at her. Harry blinked a few times blankly and thought she actually said it. Ron opened his mouth in horror but he became even more horrified when he heard Dumbledore chuckle.
"It certainly will be," Dumbledore went on, smiling. “You three will receive Special Awards for Services to the School and — let me see — yes, I think two hundred points apiece for Gryffindor.”
Ron went as brightly pink as Lockhart’s valentine flowers and closed his mouth again. Crystal held a small smile.
“But one of us seems to be keeping mightily quiet about his part in this dangerous adventure,” Dumbledore added. “Why so modest, Gilderoy?”
Harry gave a start. He had completely forgotten about Lockhart. He turned and saw that Lockhart was standing in a corner of the room, still wearing his vague smile.
When Dumbledore addressed him, Lockhart looked over his shoulder to see who he was talking to.
“Professor Dumbledore,” Ron said quickly, “there was an accident down in the Chamber of Secrets. Professor Lockhart—”
“Am I a professor?” said Lockhart in mild surprise. “Goodness. I expect I was hopeless, was I?”
“He tried to do a Memory Charm and the wand backfired,” Ron explained quietly to Dumbledore.
“Dear me,” said Dumbledore, shaking his head, his long silver mustache quivering. “Impaled upon your own sword, Gilderoy!”
“Sword?” said Lockhart dimly. “Haven’t got a sword. That girl has, though.” He pointed at Crystal. “She’ll lend you one.”
“Would you mind taking Professor Lockhart up to the infirmary, too?” Dumbledore said to Ron. “I’d like a few more words with Crystal and Harry . . .”
Lockhart ambled out. Ron cast a curious look back at Dumbledore, Harry and Crystal as he closed the door.
Dumbledore crossed to one of the chairs by the fire.
“Sit down, Harry,” he said, and Harry sat, feeling unaccountably nervous. Crystal was already sitting.
“First of all, Crystal, and Harry, I want to thank you both,” said Dumbledore, eyes twinkling again. “You both must have shown me real loyalty down in the Chamber. Nothing but that could have called Fawkes to you.”
He stroked the phoenix, which had fluttered down onto his knee. Harry grinned awkwardly as Dumbledore watched him.
“And so you both met Tom Riddle,” said Dumbledore thoughtfully. “I imagine he was most interested in you both . . .”
Suddenly, something that was nagging at Harry came tumbling out of his mouth.
“Professor Dumbledore . . . Riddle said we're like him. Strange likenesses, he said. . . .”
“Did he, now?” said Dumbledore, looking thoughtfully at Harry from under his thick silver eyebrows. “And what do you think, Harry?”
“I don’t think I’m like him!” said Harry, more loudly than he’d intended. “I mean, I’m — I’m in Gryffindor, I’m . . .”
But he fell silent, a lurking doubt resurfacing in his mind.
“Professor,” he started again after a moment. “The Sorting Hat told me I’d — I’d have done well in Slytherin. Everyone thought I was Slytherin’s heir for a while . . . because I can speak Parseltongue . . .”
“Indeed, Harry,” said Dumbledore calmly, “because Lord Voldemort — who is the last remaining descendant of Salazar Slytherin — can speak Parseltongue. Unless I’m much mistaken, he transferred some of his own powers to you the night he gave you that scar. Not something he intended to do, I’m sure. . . .”
“Voldemort put a bit of himself in me?” Harry said, thunderstruck. “It certainly seems so. Do my parents know of this?”
"Yes, they do,"
“So I should be in Slytherin,” Harry said, looking desperately into Dumbledore’s face. “The Sorting Hat could see Slytherin’s power in me, and it —”
“Put you in Gryffindor,” said Dumbledore calmly. “Listen to me, Harry. You happen to have many qualities Salazar Slytherin prized in his hand-picked students. His own very rare gift, Parseltongue — resourcefulness — determination — a certain disregard for rules,” he added, his mustache quivering again. “Yet the Sorting Hat placed you in Gryffindor. You know why that was. Think.”
“It only put me in Gryffindor,” said Harry in a defeated voice, “because I asked not to go in Slytherin . . . ”
“Exactly,” said Dumbledore, beaming once more. “Which makes you very different from Tom Riddle. It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” Harry sat motionless in his chair, stunned. “If you want proof, Harry, that you belong in Gryffindor, I suggest you look more closely at this.”
Dumbledore reached across to Professor McGonagall’s desk, picked up the blood-stained silver sword, and handed it to Harry.
Dully, Harry turned it over, the rubies blazing in the firelight. And then he saw the name engraved just below the hilt.
Godric Gryffindor.
“Only a true Gryffindor could have pulled that out of the hat, Harry,” said Dumbledore simply.
For a minute, neither of them spoke. Harry broke the silence again.
"But what about Crystal? Does she belong to Slythe—"
"Now, don't start about me, Harry. We all know the sorting hat just threw me anywhere because it was confusing. Voldemort, though, was trying to distract us," said Crystal quietly, "He was trying to lure me to his side maybe for my so-called mysterious powers, a mystery for myself which almost got me killed. Anyway, the conditions were if I don't comply with him then killing is always an open option. That's how it works for Voldemort, my mum is an example of that and I need to investigate my grandpa's death."
Harry finally understood and there was silence again. Then Dumbledore pulled open one of the drawers in Professor McGonagall’s desk and took out a quill and a bottle of ink.
"Professor, I want to talk to you about — you know . . ." said Crystal.
Dumbledore nodded and turned to Harry.
“What you need, Harry is some food and sleep. I suggest you go down to the feast, while I write to Azkaban — we need our gamekeeper back. And I must draft an advertisement for the Daily Prophet, too,” he added thoughtfully. “We’ll be needing a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher . . . Dear me, we do seem to run through them, don’t we?”
Harry got up and looked at Crystal, who remained seated.
"It won't take long," she said.
Harry nodded and crossed to the door. He had just reached for the handle, however, when the door burst open so violently that it bounced back off the wall.
Crystal rolled her eyes at the sight of the unpleasant guest.
Lucius Malfoy stood there, fury on his face. And cowering behind his legs, heavily wrapped in bandages, was Dobby.
“Good evening, Lucius,” said Dumbledore pleasantly.
Mr. Malfoy almost knocked Harry over as he swept into the room. Dobby went scurrying in after him, crouching at the hem of his cloak, a look of abject terror on his face.
The elf was carrying a stained rag with which he was attempting to finish cleaning Mr. Malfoy’s shoes. Ignoring the elf bobbing apologetically around his ankles, he fixed his cold eyes upon Dumbledore.
“So!” he said “You’ve come back. The governors suspended you, but you still saw fit to return to Hogwarts.”
“Well, you see, Lucius,” said Dumbledore, smiling serenely, “the other eleven governors contacted me today. It was something like being caught in a hailstorm of owls, to tell the truth. They’d heard that Arthur Weasley’s daughter had been killed and wanted me back here at once. They seemed to think I was the best man for the job after all. Very strange tales they told me, too . . . Several of them seemed to think that you had threatened to curse their families if they didn’t agree to suspend me in the first place.”
Mr. Malfoy went even paler than usual, but his eyes were still slits of fury.
“So — have you stopped the attacks yet?” he sneered. “Have you caught the culprit?”
“We have,” said Dumbledore, with a smile.
“Well?” said Mr. Malfoy sharply. “Who is it?”
“The same person as last time, Lucius,” said Dumbledore. “But this time, Lord Voldemort was acting through somebody else. By means of this diary.”
He held up the small black book with the large hole through the center, watching Mr. Malfoy closely. Harry, however, was watching Dobby.
The elf was doing something very odd. His great eyes fixed meaningfully on Harry, he kept pointing at the diary, then at Mr. Malfoy, and then hitting himself hard on the head with his fist.
“I see . . .” said Mr. Malfoy slowly to Dumbledore.
“A clever plan,” said Dumbledore in a level voice, still staring Mr. Malfoy straight in the eye. “Because of Crystal and Harry here” — Mr. Malfoy shot them a swift, sharp look, which Crystal returned— “and their friend Ron hadn’t discovered this book, why — Ginny Weasley might have taken all the blame. No one would ever have been able to prove she hadn’t acted of her own free will. . . .”
Mr. Malfoy said nothing. His face was suddenly masklike.
“And imagine,” Dumbledore went on, “what might have happened then . . . The Weasleys are one of our most prominent pure-blood families. Imagine the effect on Arthur Weasley and his Muggle Protection Act, if his own daughter was discovered attacking and killing Muggle-borns . . . Very fortunate the diary was discovered, and Riddle’s memories wiped from it. Who knows what the consequences might have been otherwise . . .”
Mr. Malfoy forced himself to speak. “Very fortunate,” he said stiffly.
Behind his back, Dobby was pointing, first to the diary, then to Lucius Malfoy, then punching himself in the head.
Harry nodded at Dobby and the house-elf backed into a corner, now twisting his ears in punishment.
“Don’t you want to know how Ginny got hold of that diary, Mr. Malfoy?” said Harry.
Lucius Malfoy rounded on him.
“How should I know how the stupid little girl got hold of it?” he said.
"Why yes, indeed he wants to know. I do wonder how the diary appeared among Ginny's books," said Crystal in mockery.
“Because he gave it to her, Crys,” said Harry. “In Flourish and Blotts. You picked up her old Transfiguration book and slipped the diary inside it, didn’t you, Mr. Malfoy?”
He saw Mr. Malfoy’s white hands clench and unclench.
“Prove it,” he hissed.
"Do you really want the proof?" said Crystal, with a business smile, "Trust me, you're going to hate me even more."
Mr. Malfoy went pale and sweat formed on his forehead.
“Oh, Crystal, Your sense of humor is just getting better!” exclaimed Dumbledore, smiling at Crystal and Harry. “Not now that Riddle has vanished from the book. On the other hand, I would advise you, Lucius, not to go giving out any more of Lord Voldemort’s old-school things. If any more of them find their way into innocent hands, I think Arthur Weasley, for one, will make sure they are traced back to you. . . .”
Lucius Malfoy stood for a moment, and Crystal distinctly saw his right-hand twitch as though he was longing to reach for his wand. Instead, he turned to his house-elf.
“We’re going, Dobby!”
He wrenched open the door and as the elf came hurrying up to him, he kicked him right through it. They could hear Dobby squealing with pain all the way along the corridor. Harry stood for a moment, thinking hard. Then it came to him —
“Professor Dumbledore,” he said hurriedly. “Can I give that diary back to Mr. Malfoy, please?”
“Certainly, Harry,” said Dumbledore calmly. “But hurry. The feast, remember... ”
"I'll wait for you, Crystal," Harry said dashing out of the office.
"I wonder what happened . . . " Crystal muttered and turned to Dumbledore, "So the thing I wanted to ask. . . "
✰✰✰✰✰✰
Crystal left Dumbledore's office shortly but not far from the adjoining passage, she saw Lucius Malfoy standing frozen, staring at the elf. Then he suddenly lunged at Harry. Crystal hadn't expected him to do that.
“You’ve lost me my servant, boy!”
"Be within your limits, Mr. Malfoy!" Crystal shouted as she ran towards them.
But Dobby shouted, “You shall not harm Harry Potter!”
There was a loud bang, and Mr. Malfoy was thrown backward. He crashed down the stairs, three at a time, landing in a crumpled heap on the landing below.
He got up, his face livid, and pulled out his wand, but Dobby raised a long, threatening finger.
“You shall go now,” he said fiercely, pointing down at Mr. Malfoy. “You shall not touch Harry Potter. You shall go now.”
Lucius Malfoy had no choice. With a last, intense stare from Harry to Crystal then Dobby he swung his cloak around him and hurried out of sight.
"What did you do, Harry?" Crystal raised a brow.
“Harry Potter freed Dobby!” said the elf shrilly, gazing up at Harry, moonlight from the nearest window reflected in his orb-like eyes. “Harry Potter set Dobby free!”
“Least I could do, Dobby,” said Harry, grinning and bouncing his eyebrows at Crystal then he looked back at Dobby again. “Just promise never to try and save my life again. Or Crystals.”
"And speak freely from now on, it's your right," said Crystal smiling.
The elf’s ugly brown face split suddenly into a wide, toothy smile.
“Yes, Dobby,” said Harry as Dobby pulled on Harry’s sock with shaking hands. “You told me all this had nothing to do with He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, remember? Well —”
“It was a clue, sir,” said Dobby, his eyes widening, as though this was obvious. “Was giving you a clue. The Dark Lord, before he changed his name, could be freely named, you see?”
"Nice clue, dobby" Crystal deadpanned.
“Well, we’d better go, there’s a feast. We need to wash up first, and my friend Hermione should be awake by now . . .” said Harry weakly.
Dobby threw his arms around Crystal's and Harry’s middle and hugged them.
“Crystal Calisto and Harry Potter are greater by far than Dobby knew!” he sobbed. “Farewell, Crystal Calisto, Harry Potter!”
And with a final loud crack, Dobby disappeared.
"But I didn't even do anything?" said Crystal bewildered by the hug.
"Oh, you did everything!" said Harry wrapping an arm around her shoulder and chucked.
"I'm still confused, how you freed him with your socks?" Crystal inquired. Harry explained to her as they started to walk.
"No, really, but that was a great idea, Harry!"
The heat seemed to raise in Harry's cheeks as it tainted red.
"Thanks, I guess. . . " he said awkwardly, stepping a bit away from her and scratching his cheek.
"What's there to guess?" Crystal muttered and looked down at herself, "anyway, I can't handle this filthiness anymore or I'll seriously become a Germophobe."
"Right, I can't take it anymore too, let's freshen up and meet at back common room and we'll go to feast together," said Harry but noticed something, "by the way, Crystal?"
"Hmm?"
"Your jacket?"
They stopped for a moment as Crystal looked at herself and continued their walk again.
"What about it?"
"You had something like a can with you that you threw on Tom Riddle and knocked off my wand"
"Oh, that was a pepper spray," Crystal said perplexed.
"What did you have pepper spray for?" He asked confused.
"Oh, don't laugh at me, when I say this," Crystal looked at her surroundings and then back at him, he was already laughing. "Hey! I didn't even say anything! What the hell are you laughing at?"
"Sorry sorry— no not sorry, I know it must be one of your crazy ideas which always turns out to be hilarious," —Crystal looked at him with narrowed eyes— "Okay, sorry, go ahead I won't laugh,"
"Never mind,"
"Oh, come on, please, tell me? I won't laugh and won't even breathe a word to anyone," he whispered the last part in her ear cupping his mouth. He was really enjoying this, it was one of those rare moments he gets to tease Crystal when she had no awareness of her silly ideas. He wouldn't let it slip away from him at any cost.
"Really?" Crystal looked at him with uncertainty. "Promise?"
"Of course, I promise,"
Crystal placed one hand on his shoulder and leaned into to whisper in his ear so that no one overhears them if anyone passed by. Harry's hand naturally went on her back leaning closer eagerly waiting to hear.
"I thought I could blind the Basilisk with it, but surely it wouldn't have worked, its eyes were huge. So it was a stupid plan."
Harry stepped away so suddenly and turned his back to her that Crystal thought she said something wrong.
She raised her hand to tap him on the shoulder but noticed that his shoulders were shaking up and down slightly. Harry controlled not to laugh but how could he not this side of Crystal was hilarious and cute at the same time. He could never imagine Crystal could think even think that.
"Oh my god! You promised!" Crystal huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest.
"I- I'm n-not l-l-laughi–" He said trying hard to control. "Y-You went down to slay the basilisk with p-pepper spray? Really?"
"Hey, you're laughing!" she jabbed a finger on his shoulder and started walking with a smile on her face, "fine! Go ahead, laugh all you want!"
The words just left her mouth and Harry burst out into a fit of laughter. He ran after her and slung his arm around her shoulder again but instead of being mad, Crystal laughed looking at his contagious laughter.
"Now that I think about it," Crystal said snorting, "Why did I even do that?"
"That was epic, I'll remember that forever," said Harry, wiping the corner of his eyes and putting his glasses back on, "The best one this year so far,"
"Hey! You promised you won't tell anyone!"
"Okay okay, I'm sorry I laughed about it, but at least I'll keep that one, bunny,"
"B-Bunny?" Crystal repeated blankly, a bit taken aback.
"Yes, my favorite nickname for you!" He said quickly and ran away shouting, "If you remember last year's Christmas!"
"Hey! Come back!" Crystal ran after him yelling to stop. "That was just a picture!"
No one knew what would happen in the future but to live in the moment happily and meaningfully is to live life.
✰✰✰✰✰✰
Crystal had been to several Hogwarts feasts, but never one quite like this. Everybody was in their pajamas, and the celebration lasted all night.
Crystal didn’t know whether the best bit was Hermione running toward them, screaming “You solved it! You solved it!”, or Hagrid turning up at half past three, giving a pat on Crystal's head and cuffing Harry and Ron so hard on the shoulders that they were knocked into their plates of trifle, or Professor McGonagall standing up to tell them all that the exams had been canceled as a school treat (“Oh, no!” said Hermione), or Dumbledore announcing that, unfortunately, Professor Lockhart would be unable to return next year, owing to the fact that he needed to go away and get his memory back. Quite a few of the teachers joined in the cheering that greeted this news.
“Shame,” said Ron, helping himself to a jam doughnut. “He was starting to grow on me.”
But the freedom of childhood doesn't last forever. Crystal enjoyed every moment of celebration knowing the next day everything was going to change for her. Forever.
Crystal decided to go back to Hudson's for the remaining of the term since there were no exams. Dumbledore had made it quite mandatory to live there even for a short period.
The next month, during the summer vacations, Crystal has to take over Calisto as their only heiress and leader, so she decided to make Samantha the CEO of 'THE POLARIS' to relieve her workload and be there as a founder in the shadows.
Crystal's new Tech business in the Muggle World had been well established over the year under Samantha and Darcy, who worked hard and made it possible. She just had to make sure the second phase of this whole business is well executed and establish a private intelligence service.
✰✰✰✰✰✰
The next morning, Crystal was packing her luggage in hurry. Hermione was helping her.
"Crysie. . . You're going so early. . . I'm already missing you. . ." said Hermione.
"I'm sorry, Hermione, but there's a lot of things to do this summer and these remaining days are the perfect cushion of time for me,"
"I know," said Hermione as pulled her into a hug, smiling. "Just don't forget to keep writing to me!"
Crystal chuckled and hugged her back and pulled away saying. "I'll try,"
They finished packing and went to Professor McGonagall's office where James and Lily Potter have arrived waiting for them along with Harry and Ron.
James and Lily were owled about the incident in the morning about Harry and Crystal and without delay, they appeared in the school through Professor McGonagall's Floo network. Crystal talked into them to drop her off at Hudson's and they had to reluctantly agree but on certain conditions.
Crystal knocked on the door and entered with Hermione.
"Packed up everything, sweetie?" said Lily, and Crystal nodded.
"I'll ask you this again, do you really want to go back there, Crysie?" asked James intently.
"I want to," Crystal said simply, "and I've to because Dumbledore said so,"
James and Lily sighed and looked at each other and mouthing, "Dumbledore", they understood it was all because of him.
"But that's not all you're going back for, aren't you?" said Harry, as he stood tapping a feat and crossed arm, looked at her suspiciously. He didn't like the idea of her either going back early or to the Hudsons.
"Smart, Harry. I've to be there although for a short period," said Crystal with her signature smile.
"What do you mean?" said Lily looking back and forth between them.
"Nothing, he just likes to nag me all the time," said Crystal shrugging her shoulder.
"Excuse me, did I ever nag you?" Harry scoffed, "Please, you're such a danger magnet for yourself!"
"Wow. . . Me, a danger magnet? You talk like you're any better, Harry!"
"Really?" Harry turned to his parents, "Let me tell you what she hid from everyone! Tom Riddle stabbed her with the basilisk fang and she was dying!" James and Lily's eyes widened in shock and Professor McGonagall gasped, "and you know the first thing she said after everything was over?" —Harry put on a small voice— "Scrotch marks, from the venom. Told you." —then changed back to his voice— "That's what you have got to say after coming back from almost dead?" James and Lily looked at Crystal, who was shocked to see Harry babble.
"Oh my God! Leave me alone!" Crystal closed her ears and said, "What are you so bitter about today?"
"He'd been grumbling about you leaving so early since the morning," said Ron, "ate my ears out—" Harry glared at him and started at Crystal again.
"I've got nothing to do here anymore!"
"Of course you got!"
James and Lily blinked a few times stunned.
"Are they always like this?" Lily whispered to Hermione who was beside her.
"You don't know how bad they are, Lily, but after a few minutes they'll be back to normal like nothing happened," Hermione whispered back.
Crystal and Harry were still going on about something, though their voices were normal not the tone, Ron covered his ears annoyed, Lily was worried they would start grabbing each other's hair and whispering something to James, which made him snicker looking back at them.
"OKAY ENOUGH! STOP! STOP!" said Hermione raising her voice, stopping the argument.
"I told you both not to do anything dangerous this year and yet! You can't be quiet and stay normal for a year?" Lily said sternly. "Why do you both have to be so chaotic all the time!"
"I'm sorry!" Harry and Crystal quickly said together.
"But you saved someone's life, I'm very proud of both of you for that." Lily smiled proudly at them.
Crystal and Harry smiled. Professor McGonagall nodded with a smile.
"So, Crysie, write to us every day, if possible," said Lily.
"And tell us if they bother you, we'll kick their —" Lily jabbed her elbow in his side.
"Arses!" Harry exclaimed. But Lily was staring down at James.
"—ahem— teach them a lesson, son." James completed and muttered under his breath, "He is going to kill me one day. . . "
"I will! Thank you, Uncle James and Aunt Lily," said Crystal, a little embarrassed.
"Always," said Lily hugging her.
"Well, thanks for being there with me and I l-l-like you both very much... " said Crystal embarrassed, her cheeks tainted a soft pink. "And thank you for writing me letters every week."
"Oh, Crystal!" James exclaimed in joy, ruffling her hair.
"What about me? You don't like me?" said Harry eagerly looking at her with big, sparkling eyes.
Crystal cringed at his acting again.
"Talk less, and you'll become likable," Crystal stated simply.
Everyone laughed. James thumped Harry's disappointed and embarrassed back laughing.
"What she's saying is not wrong, Lily, James," said Professor McGonagall with a small smile of mischief, "I've to tell Harry again and again to call me Professor at school but he doesn't listen. And now he calls me Professor Minnie! James, I know you taught him that!"
Lily looked at Harry with a stern face who suddenly found the cupboard nearby interesting.
"But your name is Minnie so we'll call you Minnie, right Minnie?" James said back with his old mischief of youth flickering in his eyes. Professor McGonagall sighed but her lips formed a thin line of smile remembering the old days as she sat back on her chair.
Lily now looked at James incredulously for encouraging Harry. James suddenly found the birds outside the window interesting.
"Why do you call Professor McGonagall that?" asked Crystal innocently, slightly tilting her head.
Harry smiled to himself at her innocent question. He didn't know why but it was cute.
"Please don't ask, Miss Calisto. I can only handle a few of those students at the moment," said Professor McGonagall, "I would like it if your name will not be added to the list of special attention students, you too, Harry, though he's well-behaved most of the time, and good at studies nothing much to worry about, but careful."
"Special Attention students?" Hermione asked curiously.
"It's not for special classes, Miss Granger. It's for some trouble-making students who teachers need to keep an extra watch on sometimes . . ." said Professor McGonagall.
"Oh," said Hermione disappointed.
"Come on, bet you're thinking how nice it would be to attend an extra class," said Ron, rolling his eyes. Hermione rolled her eyes back at him.
"Then, shall we get going?" said James as he stood up and Lily followed. "We're getting late, visit us next time, Minnie."
"Sure, thank you, James," said Professor McGonagall with a smile, "but you don't need to visit the school. Your son is enough for Hogwarts at the moment. One Potter at a time is my limit."
James laughed heartily.
"Umm — I like the happy faces, but aren't you guys getting late?" said Crystal looking at James and Lily.
"Oh yes, I dumped some work on my junior and left the office," said James, snickering. Lily rolled her eyes.
"No surprise," Crystal shrugged and turned to her friends.
"I'm already missing you!" said Hermione as they hugged each other.
"Take care, 'Mione," said Crystal and pulled away.
Ron gave her a side hug and said, "if they bully you, tell them you're gonna send the Weasleys after them."
"Sure, they would be terrified," said Crystal as they chuckled. Finally, she turned to Harry, who had his arms crossed, still sulking.
"Bye, Harry," said Crystal awkwardly standing in front of him.
"Yeah, see you," he said coldly to her and moved forward only to fling his arms around his parents. Crystal was sure he was upset with her as he'd been chanting since morning for her to stay.
Crystal bade farewell to Professor McGonagall. She had visited Ginny early in the morning during breakfast and Dumbledore after that. It was now time to leave.
With a final smile and last wave at her friends, Crystal walked out the door with James and Lily.
✰✰✰✰✰✰
The rest of the final term passed in a haze of blazing sunshine. Hogwarts was back to normal with only a few, small differences.
Defense Against the Dark Arts classes were canceled (“but we’ve had plenty of practice at that anyway,” Ron told a disgruntled Hermione) and Lucius Malfoy had been sacked as a school governor.
Draco was no longer strutting around the school as though he owned the place. On the contrary, he looked resentful and sulky. On the other hand, Ginny Weasley was perfectly happy again and Crystal sent her a letter every alternate day more than the trio who got once a week.
Too soon, it was time for the journey home on the Hogwarts Express. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, and Ginny got a compartment to themselves.
They were making the most of the last few hours in which they were allowed to do magic before the holidays when the door of the compartment suddenly opened and there stood the person everyone had least expected.
"What do you want, Nott?" said Harry coolly, walking to the door and standing in front of him.
Theodore Nott looked inside as he stood in the doorway and back at Harry.
"Do you know where Crystal is? I haven't seen her for days," said Nott.
"Crystal? When did you start to be with her on a first-name basis?" said Harry, his arms crossed.
"Everyone calls her that, Potter. What's it to you? I believe I asked where she —"
Hermione sensing the clash which might happen answered first. "She had gone back home early this term. You didn't know?"
"No, I didn't."
"Why are you looking for her?" Harry asked scornfully.
"Never mind, I'll leave," said Nott and left, closing the door in Harry's face. Harry blinked a few times with shock.
"Prick!" said Harry and went back to his seat.
"When did Crystal make friends with Nott?" asked Fred.
"She's not! They just met in the dueling club and he was quite rude to her!" exclaimed Harry.
"I bet he's the sidelines bloke who sent Crystal that Valentine's song or why'd he be looking for her for days?" said George amusingly and looked at Fred who smirked then they looked back at Harry.
"I don't care," said Harry huffing, "I just know Crystal won't be friends with the likes of him,"
"He doesn't care, Freddie," George said to his twin.
"Absolutely not, Georgie,"
They were almost at King’s Cross when Harry remembered something.
“Ginny — what did you see Percy doing, that he didn’t want you to tell anyone?”
“Oh, that,” said Ginny, giggling. “Well — Percy’s got a girlfriend.”
Fred dropped a stack of books on George’s head.
“What?”
“It’s that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater,” said Ginny. “That’s who he was writing to all last summer. He’s been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day and maybe Crystal saw them too. He was so upset when she was — you know — attacked. You won’t tease him, will you?” she added anxiously.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” said Fred, who was looking like his birthday had come early.
“Definitely not,” said George, sniggering.
"Told you!" Harry said to the twins, chuckling.
The Hogwarts Express slowed and finally stopped.
Harry pulled out his quill and a bit of parchment and turned to Ron and Hermione.
“This is called a telephone number,” he told Ron, scribbling it twice, tearing the parchment in two, and handing it to them. “I told your dad how to use a telephone last summer — he’ll know. Call me you guys, okay?"
"Sure!" said Hermione and Ron together smiling.
"We don't have Crystal's fellytone number," said Ron.
"Telephone, Ron," said Hermione.
"Oh, don't even think of calling her, she's already going through hell," said Harry.
"You have her fellyphone number?" said Ron.
"Yes, my mum has it—"
"I'll fellytone you and ask for it, my mum wanted to check on Crystal!"
"Fine," Harry sighed as he wasn't listening and together they walked back through the gateway to the Muggle world.
✰✰✰✰✰✰
Crystal came back to the very unwelcoming Hudsons who were very unhappy she came back too early. Despite that, she didn't expect this but the few days after returning to the Hudsons it was quite peaceful. It was possible all thanks to James Potter and Lily Potter's threats.
As a result, no one bothered her until and unless it was something related to work or cooking, or a little cleaning.
She had plenty of time after chores to go out and meet with Samantha and no one asked where she went, not even Jeremy and Jeanette bothered.
The Hudson siblings would run away at the sight of her which Crystal found so amusing that she purposely sometimes ran into them for entertainment.
Crystal completed the summer homework and started to mentally prepare herself for the inheritance.
As for her business in Muggles, the establishment of the soon-to-be in operation, newly established Secret Private Intelligence Services was almost done which Darcy was handling in parallel while Samantha worked mostly for the main branch The Polaris.
At first, Crystal was doubtful as she almost emptied her mother's money in the Muggle bank account but she was surprised to see the year-end profit and the revenues when she returned. It was going so well that she'd recover the money back in a year.
Days flew by with the same routine. The Hudsons had no idea what was going on with Crystal.
C.A.C became a new emerging mysterious investor, the talk in all the news channels, and the newspaper. Everyone was trying to figure out who C.A.C. was and each person had a different theory which kept her amused. The first taste of success gave her more confidence in her future as the Head of the Calisto.
Uncle Jared had his opinion about C.A.C too.
"He must be some gold spoon old bloke, made enough money and going around the business, maybe I should find him for me. It's not as difficult to find as these news makes him!"
Crystal rolled her eyes and went back to her room, as if anyone wanted to invest in his company, especially her.
Then, one day while sorting out the things from her trunk, Crystal found the box in which she kept all the letters and documents she got from Dumbledore on Christmas in her first year.
"The ring of the vow, father gave to mother . . . " She mumbled, opening the ornate jewel box in which the ring was neatly placed, sparkling in the sunlight.
"Perfect! The first task for the Intelligence Services will be to find out about my father. It can be a test mission to see if the team and everything is working fine, let's see what can we find with just a ring."
The next few days went by and this time no one restricted her letters, but Harry sent her only a single letter after their not-so-happy parting.
One day before the summer holidays officially started Uncle Jared dropped a bomb-like news that she wouldn't be able to escape, however much she wanted to.
But Crystal had to anyhow stay two more weeks according to Dumbledore which she didn't understand why. Nonetheless, she knew the hell days were going to start and her happy times were coming to an end.
This is the balance of life either you suffer first and be happy later or be happy first and suffer later. But neither could be called an ideal happy life as the word ideal itself is illusory, Crystal thought.
"But this is just the start of my life, be it ideal or not," Crystal said, looking out of her window at Cash becoming smaller and smaller as he flew away to her friends with the letters.
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𝙀𝙉𝘿 𝙊𝙁 𝙔𝙀𝘼𝙍 2
[𝙅𝙖𝙣 01, 2023]
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𝘼/𝙉:
Important:
Aim On The Mystery will be back with Year 3 in the month of March, with some awesome aesthetics✨ and a few new OCs.
The real game is about to start in third year, stay tuned for that!
And, I'd like appreciate all the readers who vote and comment. I really like to read the comments and the votes encourage me to write more!
Extending my special thanks to all the ghost readers who are reading this book. The views are almost 6k , so I guess you guys also like it but don't forget to atleast vote if you do! ☺
My plans for two months hiatus:
— I need to seriously draft 4th and 5th year and proofread 3rd year!
— Busy with life somewhat.
I hope you all will stick around with me when I'm back! Until then— goodbye! Love you all! 💕
Signing off,
~Cia🍸
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