Chapter 6
Genevieve was on her way to class with Evelyn, Sebastian, Anne, Phin and Ominis when they were nearly bowled over by a hurrying first year in Gryffindor robes. His books went flying and he looked slightly embarrassed as he stood up.
“Oh! So sorry!” exclaimed the boy.
“No harm done,” said Anne with a smile waving her wand and causing the books to float back up into the boy’s arms.
“You’re Albus right?” said Evelyn. “Garrick’s friend?”
“Yes, that’s right,” said the boy blue eyes sparkling. “Albus Dumbledore. Don’t suppose you could point me to Transfiguration. I’m still getting my bearings.”
“Don’t overstretch yourself Veevee,” teased Sebastian before Ominis chipped in.
“Two lefts down the staircase past the portrait of the warlocks with the skeleton and you’ll find a floo flame. Just say Transfiguration courtyard and it’s the classroom on the far end.”
“Thank you!” exclaimed Albus cheerfully before heading off.
“Merlin they’re tiny,” said Phin. “Were we that small?”
“Well not you. You were always a beanpole,” snorted Anne playfully.
“Oh, so that’s why you didn’t speak to me for almost six years?”
“Nah that was your prat of a father and brother’s fault,” snorted Sebastian.
“Nice job with the directions Ominis,” said Genevieve.
“It’s better than he’d have gotten from you,” said Ominis casually and Genevieve gasped dramatically.
“We’re courting, aren’t you supposed to be nice to me?”
“Usually. But taunting you is equally delightful,” replied Ominis with a playful smile.
“It is a bit sad a blind man has a better sense of direction than you Gen,” said Evelyn.
“Oh, sod off. I’ll have you know the teachers have apparently put me down along with Natsai and Phin as options for our foreign guests to speak with if they need help.”
“Help getting lost?” asked Anne.
“Hey, I am perfectly adequate with directions,” said Phin.
“Maybe you are. Little Miss Ancient Magic,” joked Sebastian. “Not so much.”
“You all are impossible,” she said exasperatedly though she felt no real annoyance. It was wonderful to be bantering with her friends. A voice rang out speaking in French.
“These classes are nothing like what we had at Beauxbatons,” Genevieve turned a slanted gaze towards a girl with auburn hair speaking to one of her friends.”
“I know I could have learned twice as much back home.” Genevieve, Phin, and Ominis appeared to be the only ones to have clocked the insult. She also noted that the students had just come from a Magical Theory class. Her hackles were raised but Ominis beat her to it saying in perfect French.
“Then perhaps you ought to go back rather than inflicting your asinine opinions upon the rest of us.” The girl flushed at having been caught and a nearby Beauxbatons boy laughed.
“Really Eloise, you didn’t think that ANYONE ‘ere spoke French?”
“Benefits of a pureblood education,” snickered Phin.
“Or a Religious orphanage,” said Genevieve. “And insulting one of the world’s foremost Magical Theory scholars hardly makes you look intelligent.”
“Oh, you’re the Fig girl,” snorted Eloise.
“Yes, the one who got an Order of Merlin for stopping a goblin rebellion,” chimed in the Beauxbatons boy. “Back down Ellie.”
“Soyez silencieux Mathieu!” snapped Eloise causing Genevieve to roll her eyes. Telling someone to be quiet because they were making sense. Typical.
“Is someone suggesting a duel?” came another voice and they turned to see a boy from Durmstrang approaching he had a slightly nasty face that Genevieve wasn’t sure she liked. The boy was swiftly joined by a dark-haired girl from his school.
“Mikhail! You know what the headmaster said!! Avoid duels if possible!”
“We do have a place if anyone’s interested. But you’d be better talking to Lucan Brattleby under the clock tower,” said Sebastian with a grin. Before anything else could be said an all too familiar voice spoke up.
“And what exactly is going on here?” they all looked to see Professor Weasley looking at the gathering group sternly.
“Nothing Professor!” exclaimed Anne swiftly. Weasley raised an eyebrow.
“I should hope not. Now why don’t all of you get to class?” Not even the foreign students were willing to argue with Weasley seeming to acknowledge her power as they scattered off. Genevieve’s group also swiftly made an exit under the watchful gaze of the red-haired teacher. When they were out of earshot Genevieve said.
“Thank you for defending my father, Ominis,” Ominis smiled.
“Certainly. It was well earned.”
“What an absolute hag!” exclaimed Evelyn. “Thinking she can insult Uncle El like that!”
“And this is supposed to last for the entire year?” snorted Phin.
“Fat chance,” snorted Sebastian. “I give it till Christmas at the latest before something boils over.”
“At least that Beauxbaton’s boy and Durmstrang girl seemed decent,” suggested Genevieve.
“Maybe but it’ll take more than one or two good eggs to increase international magical cooperation,” said Ominis.
“I still think we should be working on interspecies relations at home,” said Evelyn. “You know they’ve still barely done anything to change the goblin situation?”
“I know I spoke with Arn about it and there really has been very little progress,” sighed Genevieve. “You’d think a bloody rebellion would be a wakeup call.”
“You mean like the last 47 were?” snorted Sebastian.
“Right, I’m expecting competence from the government,” said Genevieve.
“Well maybe I’ll be able to do something one day,” said Phin.
“What do you mean?” asked Genevieve.
“I’m intending to try and enter wizarding politics when I graduate.”
“Why in Merlin’s name would you want to do that?” asked Anne wrinkling her nose.
“Because much as we complain nothing’s going to happen if nobody even tries.”
“Mr. Osric tried and nobody listened,” said Genevieve sadly.
“True, but we can’t just leave it to people like Ominis’s father. Even if it’s an exercise in futility in the end at least I can try to do some small measure of good and maybe in the process make up for the bad my family has done over the years.”
“That’s very honorable Phin,” said Anne looking at Phin in a way that had Genevieve wondering if Evelyn and Sebastian was the only match she should think about.
“And politician will make your father please…till he finds out your politics,” said Sebastian.
“At the very least it won’t anger the family as much as my eventual one will,” joked Ominis.
“Yes NOBODY on the Gaunt side but Noctua is going to support your muggle studies desires,” said Genevieve.
“Which is perfectly fine by me,” snorted Ominis.
“Yes, who needs that family when you’ve got us for family here?” said Anne with a grin giving Ominis a side hug.
“I wouldn’t trade you for them for all the gold in Gringotts Annie,” said Ominis firmly and Genevieve smiled to see her Slytherin beau so happy and relaxed.
HL
Genevieve noticed that Poppy seemed slightly out of sorts as they wandered one of the vivariums.
“What’s wrong Poppy? You barely cracked a smile over the latest batch of kittens,” said Genevieve in confusion.
“Oh it’s nothing,” said Poppy in an unconvincing tone.
“Doesn’t sound like nothing to me,” Genevieve gently probed.
“Well, it isn’t nothing.” Genevieve waited when nothing came she sighed.
“If you don’t want to discuss it that’s fine. How would you feel about joining me and Natty this weekend in some investigative work?”
“That’ sounds dangerously intriguing,” said Poppy. “Harlow?”
“Right in one. Apparently, he’s still trying to take over where Rookwood left off and the authorities are doing squat.”
“I’ll come,” agreed Poppy and Genevieve smiled.
HL
Genevieve and Poppy met up with Natty and began to make their way to the Bickle house.
“So what’s the situation?” asked Poppy.
“It’s Mister Bickle. He supposedly has evidence against Harlow. We were hoping to speak with him,” explained Natty.
“Brave man,” said Genevieve. It took guts to speak out with the local thugs terrorizing the valley and the local constabulary about effective as flubborworms.
They approached where the cottage supposedly was only to hear wails. All three drew their wands and found a woman they presumed to be Mrs. Bickle collapsed on the ground in tears. Kneeling next to her was the Durmstrang girl who’d been with the boy that had asked about dueling and the Beauxbatons boy Mathieu who had called out the girl from his school that had insulted Genevieve’s father.
“What happened?!” exclaimed Genevieve in surprise.
“We were passing and ‘eard someone shouting,” said Mathieu.
“My husband! He’s dead! He killed him!” exclaimed the woman before breaking into more sobs.
“She mentioned zomeone called Harlow?” said the Durmstrang girl.
“The leader of the local thugs,” Poppy explained to the strangers. Mathieu rummaged around in his bag before pulling out a small phial.
“Ere take this. The calming draught ought to help.” Genevieve wondered why a student would have a calming draught on hand but far be it from her to question what another person carried around. Merlin knows she’d used plenty of the potion the previous year. They helped the woman drink the potion and she calmed down enough to let them help her inside.
One she was sitting at her kitchen table she said tearfully.
“They’ve been threatening him for weeks because he was going to give away information on them. Oh, WHY did he have to get involved! And then there’s Archie, my son! I don’t know where he is.”
“Could he have left on his own?” offered Poppy. Mrs. Bickle sighed.
“He’s prone to wandering but in this case, I know they took him since I saw it with my own eyes. I arrived home just in time to see them disapparate away with him and my husband’s body. They left before they saw that I’d seen them. Oh poor Archie. He likely saw his father die in front of him and now he must be scared.
“Don’t worry Mrs. Bickle we’ll find your son!” said Natty and Genevieve and Poppy nodded in agreement though Genevieve added.
“Well, we speak for ourselves I don’t wish to volunteer our visitors for any danger they don’t wish to partake in.” She wasn’t about to shove the newcomers into anything they weren’t comfortable with.
“Of course we’ll help,” said the Durmstrang girl and Mathieu nodded.
“Harlow has a camp nearby in the Forbidden Forest. The portion that’s on the edge of Hogsmeade,” said Poppy.
“Right, hope nobody is afraid of spiders,” said Genevieve standing up. “We’ll be back soon with news,” she promised confidently. This had to be a 7 on the Ranrok scale? They filed out of the house and she turned to the foreigners.
“Right, so first, are you sure about this? We’ve all got experience with Harlow and his ilk and if we can’t get in and out quietly, they WILL most definitely try and kill us all.”
“I certainly wouldn’t ‘ave committed if I didn’t intend to follow through,” said Mathieu.
“Nor would I,” said the Durmstrang girl. Genevieve nodded. They’d been warned.
“In that case I think introductions are in order. I’m Genevieve Fig, this is Natty Onai and Poppy Sweeting. You are?”
“Mathieu Martin,” said the French boy with a bow.
“Aleksandra Nikolova,” the foreign girl replied.
“Apologies about Eloise the other day, she wouldn’t know manners if they jinxed her,” Mathieu added.
“Apology accepted,” said Genevieve. “Not that you needed to.”
“So what is the situation with zis Harlow?” asked Aleksandra.
“Oh, he’s the local ringleader of the Ashwinders. A gang that tends to terrorize the valley via intimidation and poaching,” said Genevieve. “I killed their last leader Rookwood, in self-defense mind you but Harlow seems to be trying to take up the mantel.”
“Which mean we have to stop him before he can get the operation fully moving again!” exclaimed Poppy.
“I was told Mr. Bickle had been doing what we had with providing information to Officer Singer,” said Natty.
“It does not zeem to have done much good,” pointed out Mathieu and Genevieve sighed.
“I’m afraid that’s a common trend here. Though I find it suspicious he was working with Singer then suddenly got OUTED.”
“You don’t think Singer told Harlow?!” gasped Natty.
“I’m not sure,” said Genevieve. “We’ll have to see. It’s a shame Hippogriff’s can’t speak. Highwing could provide all the evidence anyone needs.”
“Highwing?” asked Aleksandra.
“A hippogriff we rescued from Harlow and his cronies,” explained Poppy.
“You do get busy ‘ere. Beyond just stopping goblin rebellions,” said Mathieu.
“Look the goblin rebellion thing was entirely accidental. Really I just sort of fell into being on Ranrok’s hit list and at that point it just made sense to deal with him.”
“And the rest of it?” asked Aleksandra.
“General trouble that seems to land in my lap or that the parties who SHOULD be responsible for refuse to deal with.”
“You make it sound so normal,” said Mathieu and Genevieve shrugged. Perhaps it was HER normal.
“I hope you all don’t mind spiders,” Poppy told their guests, “The Forest is unfortunately rather full of them.” Both foreign students shook their heads. Genevieve nodded.
“Good. These men won’t think twice about killing a child,” they entered the forest and began to sneak through, Genevieve casting revelio every few minutes in an attempt to avoid the nastier creatures of the forest. It was bad enough they’d have to deal with the Ashwinders without having to get sidetracked by creatures.
“I really hope he didn’t actually see his father’s death,” said Genevieve quietly. “Watching a parent die is…traumatic.” Sure she’d brought her father back from the brink of death but it had been close and there had been a period before she passed out when she thought she might have lost him. Even him surviving hadn’t taken all the horror away.
She didn’t want Archie to be haunted by those same sleepless nights.
“No, he could never overcome it. At least not in any way I can imagine,” murmured Natty in a manner that sounded strangely personal. Another revelio revealed multiple sets of footprints.
“Looks like archie broke away when they disapparated and tried to run for it,” said Poppy.
“But Harlow caught up,” Mathieu deduced. They passed a couple thestrals and Genevieve smiled slightly.
“Beautiful creatures,” said Natty.
“You can see them?” Poppy asked seeming to forget they had company and Natty cleared her throat.
“Yes…I did. I witnessed a death when I was quite young. I found comfort in them actually. I still do. I think those of us who have witnessed death deserve some comfort.” Genevieve nodded thinking back to poor Mr. Osric, her first death.
“Can you see them?” she asked their companions. Aleksandra nodded.
“I vas with my grandmother when she passed,” explained the girl.
“My Uncle,” said Mathieu.
“Sometimes it can seem like an age others just yesterday,” said Natty.
“Death has an odd effect like zat,” agreed Aleksandra. “Though personally I find the stories about ze thestrals being bad omens utter nonsense.”
“People take ze unusual and reject it,” agreed Mathieu.
“Oh so that’s why Natty, Poppy, and I all end up together,” said Genevieve slightly jokingly in an attempt to lighten the mood and get some of the attention off Natty who seemed to be a bit uncomfortable about the topic.
“I’m afraid you’ve fallen in with the less popular of the crowd at Hogwarts,” Poppy told their guests and Aleksandra chuckled.
“Popularity was never a contest I vas going to win at Durmstrang. Mikhail had that well and truly won.”
“Nor vas I,” said Mathieu cheekily.
“So like really does attract like even across countries,” japed Natty. Any response was ended as they found themselves nearing the camp and disillusionment charms were swiftly put in place. Perhaps it was a sign of their growing experience that Poppy, Natty, and Genevieve did so without hesitation. Mathieu and Aleksandra followed their example.
The camp had a few boxes and crates lying around, some containing animals and in the center was a tent not unlike the one used for Horntail Hall.
Genevieve dropped her disillusionment charm for a moment so her friends could see her signal crouched down she gestured for Mathieu and Aleksandra to take the patrols on the right and natty and Poppy the ones on the left while she handled the leader.
Fortunately, her friends complied taking off. She waited a moment gathering herself before jumping into the fray firing off a confringo maxima that set the man alight. He yelled in shock and pain for she’d aimed towards his collar setting fire to both cloth and burning his face. Using the distraction she followed it up with a descendo that lifted him of the ground before slamming him down where he didn’t move.
Genevieve heard crackling and whipped around to see an executioner waving his wand the ground below her beginning to glow.
“Arresto Momentum!” she cried enhancing it with ancient magic. The effect was disastrous for the man his spell rebounded upon himself and he fell to his kneels weakened by the blast of lightening. She finished him by blasting the weakened man back into a tree trunk.
Looking around she saw the rest of the scouts had been duly taken care of. She turned just in time to see Aleksandra dodge a poacher’s spell before kicking his knees out from under him, hitting him with a stupefy, and binding him with thick cords.
“Well that was quick,” said Genevieve as they freed the animals from their cages.
“It helps when you actually bother to bring back up,” said Poppy pointedly and Genevieve rolled her eyes.
“Forgive me for not wanting my friends in danger!”
“Forgive us for not letting you run headfirst into it without help,” replied Natty.
“I get ze feeling you Hogwarts students ‘ave A LOT more adventures than ve do,” said Aleksandra.
“Or our authorities are just less competent,” snorted Genevieve as they moved into the tent. Like the Horntail Hall one it was bigger on the inside. Glancing over the balcony a quick revelio revealed the shapes of multiple Ashwinders in several locations.
“Got a plan?” asked Mathieu and Genevieve briefly wondered when she had become the leader of the group.
“Try and take out as many silently as possible the less we have to fight the better,” she replied. This was frankly mostly for simplicities sake. She was reasonably certain they could handle a good number of the Ashwinders BUT the less one had to face the easier and less dangerous the task was.
They snuck down disillusioned to the next level and found two Ashwinder’s patrolling.
“Do you think he saw?” asked one.
“Of course he did why do you think they took him?” said the other.
“I don’t know he’s just a kid. Maybe we should let him go.” These words raised Genevieve’s eyebrows. A sympathetic Ashwinder. Well, she supposed each had their own line. Body bind curses, incarcerous and silencio, as well as removing their wands quickly took out the two when their backs were turned, and the group moved forward.
The next room was more crowded and there was no way they were taking them all out without a fight. However, on the bright side a cage at the end of the room contained a little boy.
They launched into an attack. Genevieve came out hitting heavily with a blast of ancient magic that turned the first Ashwinder she faced into a chicken. She just barely blocked the curse that came from the next and engaged in a duel with a witch in a top had firing back spell after spell till at last she disarmed the woman collapsing a heavy pile of trunks on top of her.
She missed deflecting the levioso that had her hanging in midair which meant she took a few hits to the stomach before she escaped via finite. Before she could destroy the man however Mathieu had transfigured the man’s clothes into flowers as the man was taken off guard Mathieu sent him flying up into the wall and bound him with thick chains.
Soon the number of Ashwinders dwindled and it was only as she finished off a female ashwinder with a blast of lightening that left the woman too weakened to move that Genevieve saw Poppy freeze. She was facing two Ashwinders a man and a woman.
“Such a disappointment little Poppy. Still following your grandmother’s week ways.”
“Stopp…Stopp it!” cried Poppy trying and failing to send a spell at them.
“You’ve been causing us trouble child. And we’ll make you pay…You should have listened to the letter,” warned the woman and the pair disapparated missing Genevieve’s blast of ancient magic by inches and resulting in a nearby crate turning to ash. Genevieve made a mental note to ask Poppy what was going on there but figured they had other priorities at the moment.
The rest of the Ashwinders were either dead or subdued.
“Please! Help me!” cried the tiny voice of Archie. Natty hurried over and free the boy while Mathieu, Genevieve, and Aleksandra bound the remaining Ashwinders. Ensuring that none had their wands. With any luck they could warn the authorities and the aurors would come apprehend this lot before they escaped.
“Are you alright?” Genevieve asked Poppy softly walking over. The Hufflepuff nodded and whispered.
“Later.” Natty was now speaking with Archie.
“A man called Harlow! He killed my father!” Genevieve’s heart sank. So the boy had witnessed it.
“We’re sorry Archie. We won’t let him get away with it. But first let’s get you back to your mother.”
“Thank you, for saving me,” said Archie.
“We wouldn’t ‘ave ‘ad it any other way,” said Aleksandra. They all hurried back to the Bickle’s. It was a tearful reunion and Mrs. Bickle couldn’t stop thanking them. Finally, Archie managed to pipe up.
“Father’s friends are in danger. I heard the people that took me talking about them.”
“Which friends?” asked Mrs. Bickle.
“Mr. and Mrs. Rabe, Mr. Philbert, and I think they said Otto’s name too.”
“I shall speak with them. You run inside,” said Mrs. Bickle. Then she turned back to the students.
“Can we help any further?” asked Poppy.
“You’ve done enough. My husband was a powerful wizard and he couldn’t defeat Harlow,” said Mrs. Bickle sadly.
“With the greatest respect to your husband…I was responsible for taking down Rookwood. I wouldn’t underestimate Harlow but I wouldn’t exactly call him out of my range,” said Genevieve.
“You took down Rookwood?” said Bickle in surprise.
“And Ranrok,” piped up Natty.
“I can’t say I like the idea of sending school children to do adults work however competent. It SHOULDN’T be your responsibility.” Genevieve certainly appreciated that the woman while acknowledging their ability showed some caution for school age witches and wizards. But considering that unlike in the case of Singer, they were actually offering to do the leg work, and technically it wasn’t Mrs. Bickle’s job either to deal with this sort of thing, she didn’t have an issue stepping in to help sort it out.
Genevieve didn’t mean to be arrogant but with the way things were going, especially if it turned out that Singer was a turn cloak she might very well end up having to handle Harlow. Mrs. Bickle heaved a sigh.
“Very well, it seems the people Archie mentioned are going to be in similar danger to my husband. Frankly I’m not sure there’s much you can do. I will go and tell them to be on their guard. And I should probably report all this to Officer Singer.”
“Wait!” said Genevieve. “Do you think you could maybe…not report it to Singer?”
“The authorities should know Miss Fig,” said Mrs. Bickle in confusion.
“I agree but I’m just concerned about the fact that Officer Singer knew about your husband helping her and then suddenly he gets attacked. Perhaps we could get our Potions professor to get one of his Ministry colleagues in the auror office to speak with you. They might be able to do more than Singer herself anyway.” Mrs. Bickle looked conflicted but nodded.
“Alright I’ll wait for your professor to send someone. In the meantime, you all be careful and don’t go looking for trouble if you can help it. I would hate for any of you to fall prey to the same fate as my husband.”
“We will,” promised Genevieve and they left the group beginning to head back to the castle.
“Vell, zat was certainly eventful,” said Aleksandra.
“PLEASE for the love of Merlin do not mention this to your friends or teachers,” said Natty. “My mother may possibly kill me.”
“I think I’m just going to get a great big I told you so but yes, I agree we might want to keep this on the quieter side for the sake of international magical cooperation. Black would no doubt claim that I purposefully endangered the both of you.” Scoffed Genevieve.
“Black would really do zat to you?” said Mathieu in surprise.
“Black HATES Gen. And most students in general actually,” said Poppy.
“Then vhy would he be a headmaster of a school?” asked Mathieu.
“The status,” replied Genevieve. “It’s really Professor Weasely who runs things and everyone knows it.”
“You needn’t vorry about us, telling. At least I presume I can speak for Mathieu here,” said Aleksandra and the Beauxbatons boy nodded.
“Silent as the grave.”
“Marvelous. I suppose your little visit to Hogsmeade got sidetracked today then,” said Genevieve. Mathieu shrugged.
“Zis was far more entertaining though I’d be quite interested to see what ze village has to offer.”
“Perhaps we can show you around another time,” said Natty politely as they entered the Hogwarts grounds having used the floo flames to return.
“I would enjoy zat,” said Aleksandra.
“As would I,” Mathieu added. They said their goodbyes as Mathieu headed for the blue carriage and Aleksandra the boat.
“Well they were nice,” said Genevieve as she and her friends headed back to the Room of Requirement to drop off any excess potions that hadn’t been used in the battle and Poppy wished to visit the creatures.
“Yes, they were quite friendly,” agreed Natty. “Perhaps they’ll be of help in our search to stop Harlow.” Genevieve nodded.
“Maybe, though I might try getting to know them a little better before bringing them full time onto our little mission.” Natty nodded in agreement.
Genevieve strolled over to the grassland vivarium and found Poppy petting Highwing and looking troubled.
“Are you alright?” she asked quietly. “I invited you along to get your mind off things but it seems to have made it worse.”
Poppy bit her lip before finally saying.
“Those were my parents.”
“Your parents!” gasped Natty.
“Yes, I got a letter from them recently demanding I stop my anti poacher activity. Apparently, it’s been causing them to lose standing in poacher circles. Now it seems they’ve teamed up with Harlow.
“Wish I’d seen them sooner. I’d have blasted them to bits,” said Genevieve. Poppy gave a weak smile.
“I don’t doubt it. I just wish I could have been stronger.”
“You were strong. Nobody can blame you for freezing up when faced with horrors from your past,” Natty assured her while Genevieve nodded along.
“Maybe,” sighed Poppy.
“Not maybe. Absolutely. And now we have one more reason to take down Harlow. Maybe we can bring down your parents in the process,” said Genevieve fiercely.
“You really think so?” asked Poppy.
“Why not?” asked Genevieve.
“I guess it’s worth a shot. That way I can finally prove I’m not like them,” said Poppy. Genevieve shook her head.
“I’ve said it before, you don’t need to prove that. Nobody could mistake you for being anything close to like them.” Poppy leaned forward and hugged her tightly.
“Thank you, sometimes I need the reminder. I guess seeing them again…it got in my head. Made me doubt myself.”
“Well, if that happens you can always count on us to remind you who you really are my friend,” said Natty joining the hug and Poppy giggled.