| Jarvey
Join Date: May 2008 Location: Leicester, UK
Posts: 567
Hogwarts RPG Name:
Krysta Hedwig
Sixth Year | 
Here you go: as promised.
Chapter 16, part 2
“Where is Sirius?” he watched her face for sign of reaction. She merely sighed.
“Sirius.” She seemed distracted but looked back at Harry with a gentle smile. “Sirius is safe, Harry. He is well, and most importantly he is close.” That was all she offered, but all the same he felt relief flooding through him.
“Can I see him?” she nodded gently but Harry was disappointed by her answer.
“I thought you may ask that. Soon, Harry. Very soon. He misses you y’know.” He returned her smile.
“I miss him too.” She nodded slowly in response. They were both silent for a while.
“Harry?” he looked up to find her watching him. “You saw me last night. With Professor Snape.” It was a statement, not a question but he nodded anyway.
“It may have confused you a little.” He nodded again. “And you saw me talking to Lucius Malfoy.” That Harry wasn’t expecting and his eyes grew wide in panic. She held her hands up defensively. “It’s ok. I knew you were there. Not straight away. But when Lucius was leaving, I saw you hiding. I knew he’d find you so I called him back. I dread to think what would have happened if he’d found you.” Harry shivered at the thought and swallowed hard.
“I think you deserve a lot of explanations.” He breathed deeply and she looked a little sad, even a little guilty.
“I’m not working with Lucius Malfoy, Harry.” he looked at her a little patronizingly. He knew what he’d heard. “I know it looked like, what it sounded like. Especially considering what you overheard on the roof.” He folded his arms across his chest. “Lucius Malfoy and I have unfinished business, like I said. The only reason I haven’t killed him is because I need him.” Harry sat up straight, his eyes wide. Professor Hedwig’s face became hard and cold, her eyes narrowing. “I can’t tell you the details. It’s so complicated…but…to be brutally honest with you, Harry, I’m using him to get to Voldemort.” Harry’s jaw dropped and she fixed him with an expression that chilled him.
“It’s not been easy, believe me. But I owe them both. Getting him to trust me hasn’t been a simple task. Luckily for me, Voldemort himself dealt me a joker.” Harry was getting confused now. She was talking in riddles that made his head swim.
“I saved Draco’s life, and now Lucius owes me.” Harry overwhelmed by what he was hearing. This last piece of information had bowled him over. “My advantage is that Lucius is now under some bizarre impression that I trust him.” She sniggered in such a way that Harry was calling the woman’s sanity into question.
“Right now, he’s telling his master how foolish Krysta Hedwig has fallen for his lies and trusts him. He’s telling him that at the first opportunity he has, he’s going to kill me, you, Severus and anyone else to gets in his way.” Harry felt dizzy. He knew things had been kept from him, but now he felt like he had been happier not knowing what they were.
“Unfortunately for him, I’ve never trusted a word that leaves his treacherous lips. And whilst he’s making plans to destroy and betray me, he’s playing straight into my trap.” She laughed a little and Harry shifted uncomfortably on his boulder.
“Poor Lucius. See his master never really forgave him for his dwindling loyalty in the Dark Lord’s absence. And Lucius had been trying to make it up ever since.” Harry nodded slowly. He’d said something similar to Malfoy when Voldemort had first risen again before the summer.
“You think Voldemort’s going to kill Lucius, don’t you.” She regarded the boy with a curious expression.
“You’re just as astute as your Father ever was. Yes, I think Lucius has let his master down one too many times. Letting you get away was only the second to last mistake he made.” She looked at him and smiled sheepishly.
“He let me go? I thought… you saved me.”
“Technically I did.” She said then seemed to become distant. “I just hope he gives Lucius another chance.” Harry raised an eyebrow.
“Why? If you hate him so much?”
“Because I’m not done with him yet. I have…a few plans for Mister Malfoy. I’m counting on him.”
“But you’re not going to tell me why, are you?” he smiled a little and she returned it.
“I haven’t even told Severus.” Harry’s features hardened.
“Have you told Sirius?” he asked sharply. He didn’t like the way she was friendly with the two men who hated each other with a vengeance. She watched him with a bemused curiosity.
“Yes. I have.” She finally answered and Harry relaxed a little.
“You said you saved Draco’s life.” She nodded. “Well, how? Is it connected to his disappearance?” she nodded again.
“I told you that Voldemort isn’t too happy with Lucius.” Harry nodded slightly to prompt her. “Well there are several reasons. Lucius was given a task: to retrieve something very important for his master. He failed. But Voldemort gave him an ultimatum. He gave Lucius a month to find the item he had somehow lost.” A glint appeared in her eye. “But if he failed, he would kill Draco.” Harry’s jaw dropped again in horror.
“He had Draco?” Harry felt mildly sick as Professor Hedwig slowly nodded.
“Bloody hell.” He whispered, not caring about his language. “No wonder he isn’t exactly himself right now.” Images of the overly pale Draco flashed through his mind. “But how do you know all of this?” he asked and Professor Hedwig lowered her head, gazing into the babbling stream. She drew her legs up so knees touched her chin.
“I make it my business to know what that monster is up to.” Her features hardened again and Harry noticed the distinct look of bitterness in her expression.
“Lucius? Or Voldemort?” he asked carefully and she remained silent for a few seconds.
“Both.” She finally answered and Harry nodded and studied her carefully. Suddenly she seemed so small, curled up on the huge round rock, hugging her legs to her body.
“Lucius spared you y’know. We already had a deal.” Harry frowned. What was she talking about? “ When…when I arrived Sirius was barely alive. Lucius was waiting for me. I would have killed him there and then but…he asked me for help. Begged me to save Draco. He told me everything. He seemed to think that Draco knew where the item was. The one Voldemort needed. He said he couldn’t find it without his son, and if he didn’t find it Draco would be killed.” Harry listened in disbelief. The more the woman talked, the more things began to make sense.
“And you agreed? To help him, why?”
“Draco may not be a pleasant person, Harry but he’s an innocent.” Harry snorted.
“I wouldn’t say that. He’d join Voldemort in a flash.”
“Maybe he would…but the truth is I realised I could use it to my advantage. We made a deal. I would rescue Draco, making it look as though Lucius had nothing to do with it.”
“And what was his end of the deal?” Harry asked. Wondering how much more information he could absorb right now.
“One was that he would spare Severus. As you know, Voldemort would very much like to see him dead.” Harry nodded. “The second was to spare you. I knew the Death Eaters had read your letter. Hedwig was lying in the corner. Poor thing was shivering in shock.” Harry felt a lump in his throat at the thought of his beloved pet in such pain. “I knew they’d be going after you. They knew exactly where you’d be that night, and that you’d be helpless. We made a deal to allow you to escape then fix it so no one would remember a thing. Three death Eaters were captured that night. Voldemort is not a very happy viper.” Harry swallowed hard.
“So it was a memory altering spell.”
“Yes it was. It was a very complicated, very potent spell. It’s extremely selective, as you’ve probably worked out. It’s almost a kind of hypnosis.”
“But…” he frowned.
“What?”
“Well if you were working together, and if you were going to alter everyone’s memory, why did you…you two were at each other’s throats that night. Why put on an act if you’re going to make everyone forget it afterwards?” she looked at him with a slight grin.
“That was no act, Harry. Do you think I enjoyed working with him, Harry? I hate the man with a burning passion. After what he…” she trailed off and looked away. “Besides it was damn good fun, he’s so funny when he’s angry.” She giggled and Harry raised an eyebrow. He wasn’t so sure about her last comment. “So you went to the Weasley’s and I got Draco back home safely. The rest I’m afraid is a waiting game.”
“Waiting for what?”
“Waiting for Lucius Malfoy to betray me.” She smiled secretly to herself. She noticed Harry’s confused expression and smiled.
“You see, there was a third part to the bargain. The ‘item’ Voldemort is so desperate to get his hands on would never be handed over to him. That was the promise Lucius made.” Harry frowned.
“What is this ‘item’ anyway?” he asked, and she smiled.
“Oh it’s not so important now, Harry. But…if he were to ever have its power…it wouldn’t be good, Harry.” Harry felt nervous. He didn’t like this at all.
“Then why doesn’t someone just destroy it? If it’s so dangerous…”
”But it isn’t!” she interrupted looking excited and her eyes danced with wonderment. Harry was astonished by this change in her. “He is the dangerous one. This item…it was meant for good things, Harry. And it’s my job to make sure of that.”
“And you really think that Lucius will stick to the deal? If Voldemort wants it so badly…”
“Harry I have every confidence that Lucius will hand it straight over to Voldemort the moment he gets his hands on it.” She grinned and Harry felt nervous again.
“I don’t understand.” She smiled gently.
“You will, Harry. It’s like I said to Severus last night: I know something he doesn’t.” she grinned and for some reason Harry felt the nervous feeling leave and realised he was smiling back.
“Snape was right…you’re a sly one.” They both laughed.
“So…are you happy that I’m a good guy? Or do you still think I’m in league with the Dark Lord?” she asked and he smiled and nodded.
“I’m happy.” He shivered all of a sudden and realised how cold it had become. He looked up to see that the pale sun was well on the way to setting. He looked up towards the ledge on which he had left his friends, realising exactly how far away it was. He hadn’t realised how far he and Professor Hedwig had walked.
“Come on, it’ll be dinner time soon, and there’s quite a walk back to the castle.” Ordered Professor Hedwig jumping off her boulder. Harry joined her as they re-entered the cover of the trees.
They walked in peace for a few moments before she spoke again.”
“Harry can I ask you something?”
“Yeah sure.”
“Your Mother’s necklace…you gave it to Hermione?” he nodded a little surprised she knew about that.
“Good.” She fell silent for a few seconds. “How is she since the nightwraith attack?” he looked directly at her as they walked slowly up the sloping path.
“She’s fine.” She nodded thoughtfully.
“Have you noticed any…changes in her at all?” Harry looked at her with a little surprise. He had noticed changes in Hermione. But they were just…changes. Natural, and she had been eating a lot of chocolate recently, he thought. He grinned to himself. But almost immediately the grin faded. He had noticed some changes. Hermione had suddenly started talking to dolphins. He didn’t want to mention that right now, however. He was a little curious as to why Professor Hedwig would be so interested in his friend. Instead he shrugged and shook his head. She regarded him a little strangely but didn’t say anything. Harry decided it time to change the subject.
“Professor…”
“Oh call me Krysta.”
“Krysta…why did you have my Mother’s pendant? You sent it to me, didn’t you? In your letter you said she left it with you.” Krysta remained silent for a while and studied the plants and trees around them. The silence seemed to last for ever.
“She was the best friend I ever had.” She finally said and he looked at her questioningly.
“Your Mother.” Harry felt a cool sensation pass through him.
“So you did know her.” He said to himself more than to her.
“Know her? We were inseparable…until the day they died.” Krysta’s voice had become weak and grated. “She gave me the necklace the very same day she died. She knew, Harry I’m sure of it. I guess we all did in a way. We couldn’t risk Voldemort…she wanted it safe.”
Harry nodded, a large lump forming in his throat.
“She was the most loyal of friends, Harry. She loved James so much…and you. I think you know how much.” She smiled sadly, watching him for a few moments. She stopped and he stopped with her. She gently parted his fringe with her fingers. The pain was obvious in her eyes as she saw the scar.
“I was going to go after them.” She said quietly. She held eye contact with him for a moment before she began slowly making her way up the path once more. He joined her, his emotion levels rocketing. This woman had been there. She had known his parents, had known Sirius. She knew the truth.
“Sirius wouldn’t let me. He went after Peter by himself and there was nothing I could do to stop him, he was so…damned stubborn.” The bitterness had returned to her voice.
“You knew Wormtail was the secret keeper.” He said, almost accusingly. She looked at him a little disorientated. She looked away again, almost immediately. “Why didn’t you say anything? Sirius…” she interrupted his angry words immediately.
“I did, Harry!” he stopped dead, the expression on her face silencing him. Her face was a mixture of pain, anger and frustration. “I told them everything. I told them they’d made a mistake and that Peter was the secret keeper. They said I was lying to protect my…to protect Sirius.”
“Wait, are you saying Crouch knew the whole time? You told them about Wormtail, and they did nothing?” She visibly swallowed and nodded her head. “I don’t believe it.” He gasped, and she snorted slightly.
“Don’t you? The Ministry back then…well let’s just say half of them supported Voldemort, and the other half didn’t want to know, didn’t want to accept what was going on. They needed a scapegoat. The Muggle authorities needed someone to blame for what happened. Wormtail was nowhere to be found. They didn’t want to listen to me.” Harry shook his head in disbelief. “I knew Peter was still alive. I could feel it as clearly as I could feel that Voldemort himself was still alive somewhere.” He looked at her a little apprehensively.
“You knew he was alive?” she nodded.
“Something that dark…to someone like me it sticks out like a Muggle in Gringotts.” Harry couldn’t help but smile at her analogy.
“To someone like you?” he asked, curious to know what she meant. She just smiled.
“Another story, for another time, Harry.” he nodded and smiled back.
“So what happened? What did you do?”
“Well, in not so many words, I was told to get the hell out of the country. Mister Crouch didn’t want me hanging around stirring up trouble and bad memories I think.” Harry shook his head again. He couldn’t believe the Ministry was so corrupt. But the image of Fudge came into his head. A man in denial, who never wanted to hear bad news. He had refused to accept that Sirius was innocent or that Voldemort had risen again.
“But still, I can’t believe they’d just dismiss you like that.” He insisted, only half believing his words. Fudge had done exactly the same thing to him.
“Well…they didn’t want to listen to me. They had their reasons. I upset a few people once. Important people. Grudges last in the Ministry.” He frowned but knew better than to ask questions. Maybe Sirius would tell him.
“So you went to Romania?” he asked and she nodded.
“I had some business to deal with first, but basically yeah.” She seemed distant again and began playing with a chain, which was just visible around the neck of her robes. She sighed deeply and they both walked in silence for a while. Soon the sound of voices and laughter was audible and Harry realised they were close to the ridge on which they’d left the others. A loud snorting rumble told him Norbert was still with them.
“Why is Norbert here?” she snapped out of her trance and looked at him as though she’d only just noticed he was there. She smiled but was serious when she spoke.
“He’s er, part of a project I’m preparing for.” Harry somehow knew not to probe any further. He was beginning to realise that some things were better off unknown until you were ready for them.
“Harry, I know you have many more questions.” He voice made him jump. He’d been completely lost in thought. He nodded in answer. He certainly did.
“You’ve been having strange dreams, haven’t you?” he looked up shocked.
“Yes! How did you know about that?” she winked.
“Oh I know a lot of things.” He regarded her with a little alarm. “Don’t be scared of them. Soon they will begin to make sense. All the pieces will begin to fit into place.” He nodded and she smiled again. Her smile was so infectious. “I know you have questions. Things that are bothering you and I understand that. Can I give you some advice?” Harry nodded gently, watching her carefully.
“Go to your lessons, do your homework. Play Quidditch and spend time with your friends. You don’t need to go searching for answers. Believe me, soon enough the answers will come and find you. All of you. No doubt when you’re least expecting it.” Harry thought about her words carefully and eventually nodded. She smiled once more.
“Good. Besides, my lessons are gonna be so fascinating you won’t care about anything else!” they both laughed together as the trees parted to reveal the end of the path and six friends and a dragon sitting in a circle on the rocky ledge.
__________________  |