[Spitfire : Chapter Thirty-Four]

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6 June, 1994

Wendy Collins was home alone basking in the momentary silence she was occasionally allowed to enjoy when Sirius would leave her home to risk imprisonment and peril to catch a glimpse at his young godson. After a while, she had stopped urging him not to do it/it never worked, anyway. He always managed to sneak out in his dog form. Thankfully, the Ministry didn't know Sirius Black was an animagus.

It was around eight in the afternoon, the evening news was on and she laid on her recliner. A glass of wine was in her hand and her eyes were closed as the house elf she had recently bought rubbed her overworked feet. His name one Armon, he was a grouchy fella who despised rubbing her feet. But it was one of the only chores she gave him, so he did it. Armon knew of Sirius, it made Wendy nervous at first. But Sirius taught her that house elves were sworn to secrecy with every new owner they had. The only way Armon would share his secrets were if a truth-telling spell were placed on him by the Ministry. If that happened, it would be Wendy and Sirius' fault for being caught and not being careful enough.

"Does Ms. Wendy want Armon to fetch more wine?" Asked the un-soothing voice of her elf. Wendy peeked an eye at him, shaking her head. The elf glared. "Does Ms. Wendy wish Armon to stop rubbing her callused toes?"

     "Ms. Wendy wishes that Armon would stop talking, and continue to rub Ms. Wendy's callused toes." Wendy said, shifting her foot and in-un-tentionally hitting him in the face. Armon growled but continued, reminding her of the Nutcracker who would growl and wreak havoc; never listening to a word she said.

     Time seemed to pass in slow motion, the grandfather clock ticking by like a dying heartbeat and the clouds covering the sun outside making it go from sunny to the looks of a brewing storm. It was always said that when there was a sudden weather change, like a pop-up thunderstorm or a surprise hurricane forming in the oceans, something dark was happening in the world. Muggles could predict the weather but they couldn't predict the actions of a dark wizard.

    Wendy stiffened a bit as there was a large boom sounding from outside. Armon growled and pulled her foot away, with his stubby fingers he aggressively pulled it back in place. This time, she didn't kick him for his rudeness. She instead peeked through the blinds beside her, a crease forming between her brows when she saw nothing out of the usual. Still, she pulled her wand out of her drawer and placed it on her leg in case the apparent peaceful environment was a scam.

Armon sat back with a griddled cough. "Does Ms. Wendy want Armon to soothe her annoying paranoia and walk around the house to look for unwanted visitors?"

Wendy glared at him, nodding her head 'yes' while she did so. Armon rolled his eyes as if saying he'd rather host a puppet show instead of being the house elf to a wussy ex-Auror, but reluctantly placed down a towel and shuffled toward the door. Upon opening, there was a crash, Armon was shoved to the ground and Wendy was on her callused toes with her wand raised at the intruder. A dog, a dog who was morphing into a human. Sirius Black was home.

     "Bloody hell Sirius, calm down, you're going to knock something over!" Wendy yelled, watching as Sirius' morphing form nearly left a photo of her deceased grandmother shattered on the floor.

    "I found him, Collins, I found him."Sirius ominously told, pacing around the living room. He either hadn't noticed rushing into the house elf, or didn't care whatsoever, Armon still took the time to kick Sirius in the shin before grouchily sitting down on a sofa. Wendy didn't yell at him for kicking Sirius, meaning it was an okay-ed gesture.

"Found who, Black, found who?" Wendy asked, her head following him back and fourth.

Sirius stopped, his gaze bizarre and hair wildly matted. "Who do you think, Collins? I've found Pettigrew! I found him, I know where he is. I didn't for a bit, he'd gone missing on me, but I found him for good this time."

"Then where is he?" Wendy slowly asked, her back straightened and knuckles white from grasping her wand.

"He's at Hogwarts," Sirius said. "relishing in the spoils of that red-haired git who never leaves him alone."

"You mean his owner?" Wendy asked, half-amused and half-ready to take down sixty dementors and rip the head off of Peter Pettibitch.

"Yes, yes, his bloody owner. The child he lives with and sleeps with, knowing he's a thirty-three year old man . . . murderer." Sirius said, beginning his rapid pacing again as he drew his dirt-splotched fingers through his matted hair. Wendy could see how much his state bothered him. But at the moment, he was too crazed to do anything. Wendy only wondered why he was there at that moment.

"Why aren't you over there, then?" Wendy said, her voice daring. "Why aren't you ripping out each one of his intestines and wrapping them around him like a straight jacket?"

    Sirius stopped, his face pained and indecisive as he looked at Wendy. "T-That's the problem, Wendy. I-I can do that, 'arry and his crew have been outside since the AM's, the rat-bitch included. I could actually kill him, Wendy."

    "That's—" Wendy didn't know how to respond. "I should've stayed in public school after I got my letter."

    Sirius choked out a laugh before he began pacing again. "Killing him is the right choice, innit? He killed so many people, he killed Lily and J-James! Why am I re-thinking this? All I've thought about since being shackled in that cell is tearing that piece of Hippogriff shite limb from limb and setting it on fire." He paused, his head lifting up as if a lightbulb had gone off in his head. "I-I need you to tell me to do this, Collins. Get me to do this, please."

    lI don't know, Sirius." Wendy said, crossing her arms. "If you had to come all the way back here because you need to be motivated to get revenge, to get justice for our best friends, for your godson, I don't think you should do it." She watched as his shoulders began to slump. "Peter took the strings of our loyalty and tied them into knots, he fooled us and made us worry for nothing whatsoever as he told our biggest enemy all of our secrets. We trusted him and he betrayed everything, killing some of us in the process and if even you can't kill that piece of varmint then maybe you shouldn't even try."

    There were a few moments of silence. "You're fantastic at this reverse psychology-thing, Collins." Sirius said, pointing at her thoughtfully after tapping his own temple.

    Wendy smirked. "I can't go there myself, if the dementors don't take me out then the Ministry will. You go Sirius, get revenge for the both of us, make the sorry excuse of a human being suffer like how he made you suffer in Azkaban like how he made all of us suffer when he betrayed the Order." Sirius cracked his knuckles readily, taking in all that she said. As he began to hunch over, to begin his transformation back into his animagus of a large shaggy dog, Wendy told him one more thing. "Bring me back a finger of his while you're at it, I'll keep it as a knick knack by my grandmothers photograph."

ツ

    "You don't have to come with me, you know." Cassie said, rubbing her arm after Fred's brushed by it. "George didn't seem like he wanted you to leave."

    "George can manage by himself," Fred said. "dungbombs aren't that hard to manipulate."

    "Still," Cassie said. "it's only eight o'clock on a friday, you really don't have to . . . what did you say you were doing again? Escorting me?"

    "Aye," Fred smirked, his head bowing a bit at he watched the steps while he walked, making sure he could stop Cassie incase a step vanished before her. "Peeves been awfully rowdy recently, broke our truce and covered Georgie and I in eggshells during last nights shenanigans. Didn't want him messing with you or . . . who we picking up again? Deehan?"

    "Zahel." Cassie corrected, traces of amusement spread on her lips.

    "Who?"

     "Kennedy."

    "Ah, yes, the Hufflepuff," Fred nodded. "how come you guys are going to the Astronomy Tower?"

    "You'll find out tomorrow." Cassie smirked, pushing the trinkets in her pocket down farther as if Fred were going to search her.

    "Tomorrow?" He pouted. "Does that mean I can't stay?"

    Cassie stopped abruptly causing Fred to stop beside her. She cupped his cheek and then patted it, causing him to jump a bit after the somewhat-comforting gesture. "Not tonight, darling," She began walking. "still want to be my escort?"

    "Peeves is still out there," Fred said, grinning at her switch of emotions as he paced to catch up. "I quite like playing the knight in shining armor to quite a magnificent dame, Kennedy, too, I guess."

    "Magnificent dame?" Cassie chuckled. "Lovely."

    Fred grinned at her and they continued walking. When they made it to the beginning of the Hufflepuff corridor (they didn't go farther, not wanting to insult anyone) they waited by the corner until Kennedy arrived. Which she eventually did, an ice tray in hand and bottle of firewhiskey.

    "You two getting drunk?" Fred asked, amusement in his voice. They were climbing the stairwell that would lead to the three other stairwells, all leading to one destination; the Astronomy Tower.

    "It's empty." Kennedy said, waving it around and thumping the glass bottle against his elbow. She laughed at his pained reaction. "Oh quit being a baby, doesn't hurt that bad."

    "You're not the one getting hit by a glass bottle!"

    "Alright children," Cassie said jokingly. "why don't we calm down now, eh? Remember Fred, Peeves is out to get us."

     Fred blushed, both at Cassie openly stating his 'mission' and the confused expression on Kennedy's face. "I said he's out to get people, anyone, not just us."

    "Right," Cassie nodded, her bright blue hair caving around her face. It was the sixth of June, they'd just finished their O.W.L exams and people were either a nervous wreck or in a stress-free bliss. Cassie was in a stress-free bliss, her mind blocking out everything that year that caused her the slightest bit of discomfort. It was like she was on cocaine, just without the cocaine. Rather, she was in an unhealthy mental state that would probably end soon enough with the drop of a cereal spoon or with the fact she was returning to her mum in the upcoming week.

    "I have an inkling you're just bored and want to distract yourself with your favorite metamorphmagus friend and leave your brother to working." Cassie said, opening the door to the empty Astronomy Tower. Kennedy snickered and softly elbowed Fred as she walked in. "Sorry, Weasley, your hang-out-with-Cassie pass has expired. Thanks for walking us, see you tomorrow?"

    "Ah, sure." Fred said, he wanted to say many things but the conversation had gone way too fast. Even for him. Cassie smiled and awkwardly hugged his right shoulder before closing the door in his face, opening it again, apologizing, and closing it less aggressively. He stood there for a moment, hoping he could hear something but was left in the suffocating silence of the tower. He shook his head and turned, returning to George who was most likely going to punish him for leaving him to work alone by leaving a dungbomb by the door to blow up when he walked in.

     "What was that all about?" Kennedy asked, placing the firewhiskey down, as well as the empty ice tray and a thin needle from her trouser pocket.

     "Wanted to be my escort." Cassie shrugged, pulling out an assortment of earrings, nose rings, and other fun trinkets she managed to find in the muggle depraved Hogsmeade village. "Apparently Peeves is on a rampage, torturing students, Fred thought I'd be a target because of my impeccable beauty."

    "He said that?" Kennedy asked with doubtfulness, tilting her head up to look at her. "Word for word?"

    "Well, not word for word." Cassie shrugged, changing the subject quickly. "Okay, so you pierce me first and show me the roots and then I'll do you."

    "No way, I'll do the both of us and maybe if I'm feeling generous I'll let you re-pierce my fourteen year old ear holes." Kennedy said, she then pointed her wand at the empty ice tray. "Gelu!" Like a filling sink, cold water began to flow from the bottom of each cube groove and frosted until they were complete ice cubes.

    "You could be a ice-worker, Zahel." Cassie told Kennedy as she cracked the ice tray in half like a chiropractor. "The way you freeze cubes is just breathtaking."

    "That'd sure get me through life." Kennedy snorted, taking the cork from the fire whiskey bottle with a 'pop.' "Kennedy Zahel, ice maker. Iced tea warm? Page her and she'll get back to you in two to three business months because she is at a secret witch school in Scotland and it might be hard to leave the premises."

    "Don't worry, I'll take your pages after my mum has a psychotic break and decides to send me to public school after this summer." Cassie joked. Kennedy snorted, her brow raised unsurely. Cassie shook her head. "Alright, let's get started."

    "Are you sure?" Kennedy asked. "I don't think Hogwarts allows piercings, haven't seen them anywhere."

    "It's more of a muggle thing," Cassie shrugged. "it's allowed, though, I've checked. Besides, my fa—someone I've seen in a photo before, back in the eighties I think, had a few."

    "Alright, I wasn't gonna talk you out of it or anything." Kennedy said, the corner of her lips quirking. Cassie sat down on the ledge, the cool freeze of the evening air causing her shirt to flap. Kennedy put the cork in Cassie's hands and she held it by her nose. As Kennedy was about to poke the needle through, she paused. "Aha! I knew we were forgetting something!" She held up an ice cube.

    "Merlin, after everything we've just talked about we still almost forgot." Cassie snorted, behind her, somewhere in the distance (most likely by Hagrid's hut) there were voices heard. She didn't care enough to look back, didn't sound urgent.

     "It happens." Kennedy said, grabbing a piece of ice and hissing at the wet coldness. She rubbed it on both sides of Cassie's nose, Cassie nearly snorting up the melting water, and then Cassie held it onto the nostril for a moment to let it numb. Kennedy looked around Cassie at the growing loudness by Hagrids Hut and her eyes went wide.

    Cassie turned. "What is it?"

    "They're executing Buckbeak," Kennedy said mournfully. "that little scab Malfoy, Iforgot they're we're going through with it. Can't believe Dumbledore is allowing this, they could've at least tried smuggling Buckbeak out of here. There was like a three week notice."

    "They've probably been watching Dumbledore like a hawk." Cassie said, saying his name felt like she was committing a crime. Dumbledore knew her true identity and kept it secret. She figured that after realizing that having Christmas with the Hogwarts headmaster wasn't common among students. In a way, it was like saying Voldemort's name. Except when she was saying Dumbledore it wasn't tainted due to his terrible crimes against humanity, it was because of the horrible crimes he committed against her. "Any attempt of smuggling Buckbeak could've gotten him arrested."

    Kennedy nodded thoughtfully, dropping the ice Cassie had onto the ground and putting the cork back by her nostril. She pulled the needle from her teeth. "Still, he's one of the strongest wizards out there. Probably smartest, too. He could've, hold still, I thought of something." She poked the needle through the wall of her nose and Cassie cringed, letting out a small hiss of pain.

    Kennedy giggled when blood squirted out like a water gun.

    "I'm glad you're enjoying this," Cassie said. "now put the ring in, I don't want it closing."

    "It can't close that fast, physically impossible—" Kennedy went wide eyed when it closed. "what the—bloody hell! You're a metamorphmagus!"

    "Yup," Cassie said, rubbing the rest of the blood off her newly-closed nostril. "can't control it if it closes. Get stabbed? I'll die. Get a harmless piercing? Can't have that, freaky genes gotta close up that breach."

    "Does that mean you can open it just like how you closed it?" Kennedy asked, sitting beside her tiredly. Cassie's eyes went wide with wonder, she attempted it. Kennedy watched and eventually, her eyes went wide. She grinned. "You did it! And you're not even bleeding."

    Cassie smiled and felt it, a tiny hole was in her nose, just the size for a ring. Kennedy grabbed the small metal trinket and hooked it through. Cassie felt giddy when her fingers touched the cool metal. Kendra never allowed her piercings, or tattoos (the kind that stuck with water), or even to control her own ability. Apparently she was pretty enough without turning her hair to drastic colors. Cassie didn't agree. She wanted pretty hair and cool piercings.

    As Kennedy was now putting earrings into the helix of Cassie's ears, the sound of screaming alerted them both. There was a small tug as Kennedy jumped, Cassie winced but they both silently whipped their heads around toward the field. Cassie expected to see blood and bird feathers covering the bright green landscape but instead she found the poofy-haired Gryffindor Hermione Granger with her shorter companion the Boy-Who-Lived fighting a tree, the Whomping Willow, as bright haired mini Weasley-boy was being mauled by a shaggy black dog.

    Both Kennedy and Cassie looked at each other before they went running. Kennedy lagging behind a bit due to her shorter legs. Cassie felt like she pulled a muscle in her hip as she jumped half way down a staircase. But eventually, after running for what felt like six miles down the Astronomy Tower stairs, the two fifteen year olds barged outside to find both Harry and Hermione gone, Ron as well.

    "They were definitely here," Kennedy said, looking warily at the unmoving tree. "this is the Whomping Willow, right? It's not moving or anything."

   "It is," Cassie said, observing it quietly. Where could they have gone? "you should go get a Professor, I'll look for them. I-I think that was the dog I petted at Hogsmeade a few weeks ago. Remember, the one I named Bigness?"

    "Right, that stupid name." Kennedy mumbled, she began running back towards the school. "I'll be right back!"

     On queue, there was a scream from inside the unmoving tree. Cassie's heart jumpstarted and she walked closer, forgetting the fact that the tree could actually bat her out of existence, and looked for where the screams were coming from. Not surprising her as much as it should have, she found a pathway protruding from the bottom of the tree. She bit her lip, looking back toward the castle, Kennedy wasn't in sight yet. Inside the tree she most definitely heard yelling. Normally, if there was this type of scenario in a movie, Cassie would be yelling at them to wait. But she didn't follow her own views and hypocritically pulled out her wand, crawling inside.

    It was dark for a moment but after following a musty tunnel full of dungbeetles and spiders, she found light and entered a room. A room in a tree. She ran directly into Hermione, Harry pointed his wand at Cassie. Cassie pointed her wand at Harry. The man across the room unarmed both Hermione and Harry, just missing Cassie with the spell. Cassie went wide eyed and pointed her wand at the man on the other side of the room with three wands and a bloody Ron Weasley by his feet. "Bloody he—Stupefy!"

   Sirius Black fell to the ground, not unconscious but spasming as if he was fighting off the stunner like it was a small electrocution. The wands of the unarmed teenagers fell and they quickly scrambled for them. When Harry and Hermione went for Ron, Sirius was on his feet again.

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Authors Note:

Heh, I'm sowwy. School and ~depression~ have been kicking my nonexistent ass. But here you go, a tim tam god damn (BoB reference) cliffhanger. I honestly do not know when the part 2 of this will be put, but let's hope soon—yeah? Vote and comment if you liked this chapter, or if you just want to be nice, it'd be appreciated. (:

November 7, 2019
3,540 words