Time meandered around, giving Harry, Ron, Hermoine, and Ginny time to catch up on the happenings of the world. Harry was being informed about one Order of The Phoenix meeting when Arthur, Bill, Charlie, Percy, and a familiar girl showed up through the back door. Bill seemed very pleased about the whole thing, not letting the female stranger leave his side. It wasn’t until closer, did it click.
It was Aurora!! She was okay. Now all Harry had to do was figure exactly who she was.
When Bill brought Aurora around to Harry and Ron, Aurora gave him a critical eye and the kissed him on the cheek. Harry was officially befuddled. Dinner was quite normal. Everyone laughed and talked and ate too much. Instead of sending everyone to bed, Mrs. Weasley encouraged everyone to stay up and talk. Fred and George came after dinner and looked rather relieved to see Aurora. No one had said where she had been and what had happened to her. Harry was just about to ask something, but Aurora asked a question instead.
“Harry, did anyone tell you about me yet,” she asked, abruptly as they had been talking about the success of Fred and George’s successful joke shop. Harry looked at her, quite shocked to be directly addressed by her, as he was under the impression that she was very powerful.
“Not really,” he said; then asked as an afterthought, “why?”
Aurora turned to Bill, giving him a stern look. He shrank under her glare and mumbled something about not having time. “Very well,” she said, her face returning to a pleasant one. “I will tell you myself,” she said and then explained further by saying, “that way there are no misconceptions as I am not allowed to lie.”
Harry found this shocking and slightly amusing. If he were not allowed to lie, he would have been in much more trouble by now.
“Let me show you what I can do,” she said, “it’s something you’ll enjoy, I’m sure.” She kneeled in front of the fireplace in the kitchen and beckoned Cornelius Fudge forward. He arrived minutes later, looking fluster and irritated.
“Now see here, you can’t just summon me in the middle of the . . .Aurora?” Cornelius looked fearful. “My dear, you’ve been found. Who came for you?”
“Never you mind that,” she said, aggressively. “I’d love to hear what you have done to find me for the past three months. First, however, I want to know why you have spent the last year tormenting two people that are very dear to me?”
“Who?” Cornelius asked, thoroughly bewildered.
“Albus Dumbledore and Harry Potter,” Aurora said, stepping forward as Cornelius felt the need to take a step back. “They have done nothing but tell the truth and you make sure the both of them are ridiculed for it. You make it seem as if they are both unhinged. I would think you held the company I keep in higher regards then that.”
“What was I to do? Lucious Malfoy would never let me live it down.”
“Well, Mr. Malfoy is a known Death Eater. I really don’t think you should be having any contact with him at all. So he gives money to everything. I could do that.” Aurora walked around him, making him more nervous. “I want an apology Cornelius. I want a public apology for the whole bloody affair and the captured Death Eaters to be dealed with accordingly or I will have to summon the Council. I don’t reckon Alia Roman would find your company interesting.”
Cornelius paled and then retreated back through the fireplace without another word. Aurora sat down again, Bill taking her hand in his. As Mrs. Weasley was about to shoo everyone into bed, Fawkes the Phoenix came flying through the back door.
“Not safe for even eight hours and he summons me,” Aurora said, leaning her head against Bill’s shoulder. “I should go.” Aurora stood and gathered herself, looking more exhausted then ever.
“Albus will understand if you wait until morning,” Bill said, still having a hold of her hand.
“I have to summon the Council in the morning.”
“You just told Fudge that you would, not that you were. You know, this is just the reason you were so easy to catch last time,” Bill said, suddenly getting angry. “Off again because someone needs you. Can’t you just rest? You need strength, too. There are other people in the world that can help. You don’t have to do everything. There are other people on that Council of yours. You don’t have to do anything. You are going to go to sleep. I will send Albus a letter or go see him myself. We are going upstairs . . .now.”
Aurora looked at Bill in horror for two seconds before turning on her heels and running up the stairs.
~*~
An hour later, everyone was making his or her way to bed. Fred and George had left. Ron and Harry were about to go to Ron’s room when they passed the room Bill and Aurora were staying in.
“Bill, I’m sorry for making you angry.”
Ron and Harry settled themselves outside the door to listen. There was no need for Extendable Ears.
“It’s okay,” Bill said. “I was so upset when everyone was told you were missing. I cried a lot, didn’t eat for days, and couldn’t work. I wanted to drop everything and go looking for you. Albus showed up right before I was about to leave. He told me to stay put so it wouldn’t look odd. I did as I was told, but there wasn’t a moment that passed I didn’t think about looking for you.”
“Bill, I’m sorry for making you so upset. I do what I do because I can and very few can follow in my footsteps. Tell me about Hermoine Granger. I’m training her to take my place so I can enjoy life. So I can enjoy the marriage we’re about to partake in.” Aurora smiled. Bill went into stories about Hermoine.
Ron and Harry stared at each other. Aurora must be an Enchantress because that’s what Hermoine was going to start her training in. Why was she captured though? Why hadn’t anyone mentioned her before? Why did Harry have the vision that must have saved her? Oh, yeah, who is she?
~*~
Hope the Holidays treated you well. A huge thank you to everyone that read. (Tell your friends!) Thank you to those who reviewed as well, comments are greatly appreciated. However, I will write, reviews or not.
For those of you wondering about the "Second Edition" part, let me explain. The first edition was "turned down" by MuggleNet.com fanfiction. I have made some revisions and hope it is satisfactory. In doing so, however, the course of the story completely changed. I will be launching a site soon that will have this version and the original. Anyone wishing to post their fanfiction (or any fiction) there as well, send me an email and we'll "discuss" it.
~Kairos Devan~
P.S. - I've gotten a few emails about my name, so I would like to take this time to clearify. This is not my real name. It is a name that I have compiled from two different first names. Obviously, "Kairos" and "Devan." They are both Greek/Gaelic. "Kairos" means "last born goddess." "Devan" means "writing or poety."
Just in case you were wondering.
P.S.S. - Okay, the question about Sirius that had been at the end of this chapter had been from the original version. She was going to bring him back with the story from Behind the Veil. I've taken another route. Sorry!
Let the Powers that Be guide you,
Kairos Devan~