414 Homecoming

Harry took the entire thing with Chris getting her powers from Fergus far better than Chris. He calmly listened as Chris explained what had happened in the Blood Temple of Titian and the memory of Fergus. The only thing she omitted was the part where she has to unlock something in Hogwarts and nobody knows what will happen to her after that.

"So now Fergus can help you control the power and advise you on how to use them?" Was Harry's first question after listening to Chris, which made her smile.

"He already is," Chris replied and almost felt the rose brooch in her pocket flaring with magic. "And he knows that. In fact, he was the one who helped me find you at Godric's Hollow."

Chris and Harry spent the rest of the night in the Black family library telling each other the stuff they were doing and how they were feeling these last several months. 

As Remus suggested Dean woke up the next evening and though he looked battered, he was very happy to see all of them.

"Harry! Ginny! You are all alive! You wouldn't believe the things I heard on the run," Dean said excitedly with a big smile despite his injuries. "Everyone believed you all are dead and there is no way out of this dire situation."

"We are glad you are alive too, Dean," Harry replied looking genuinely happy to see his friend.

However, the following morning when Harry told Sirius what they were planning, Sirius didn't take it well.

"What do you mean, you have to sneak into Hogwarts?" Sirius looked between Harry and Chris, then turned to Aurelia. "Auri, please say they are joking."

"I don't think so, Sirius," Aurelia sighed, joining them on the kitchen table. "They don't sound like they are joking."

"Yeah, we are not, Sirius," Chris said softly.

"We need to go and I wanted you three to know if anything goes wrong," Harry supplied and Sirius's frown deepened.

"IF anything goes wrong? If? Hogwarts is swarming with Death Eaters and Malgino's people, not to mention Snape is in charge there. Harry, you can not be serious about this. It will be walking into their clutches."

"We will be careful, Sirius, I promise," Harry assured. "But we have to go. We are leaving tonight."

"What?" Sirius yelled and Aurelia almost spit out the tea she was drinking.

After many pursuing and answering many questions, Harry and Chris finally convinced Sirius that it was the right course of action. But Chris found herself in another situation.

"I can't take Sol with me to Hogwarts, it will be extremely dangerous," Chris told Oziyat quietly and turned to Sol. "It will be better if you two stay here until I am back."

Oziyat looked worried and Sol looked at Chris pouting.

"What do you mean? Where are you going?" Sol asked.

"I am sorry, Sol, but it's important. I have to go," Chris crouched down to Sol's level. "But we will see each other soon."

"Promise?" Sol held up her hand.

Chris hesitated for a moment before grasping Sol's little hand.

"Promise."

"Sol and I will be fine, Christina, however . . ." Oziyat paused, staring at Chris.

A few seconds passed and Oziyat kept staring, but just as Chris was about to ask what was going on, Oziyat pulled out a small round-shaped vial and a needle from his robes.

"Oziyat, what —" Chris began but Oziyat was already putting the needle on his wrist. 

Chris felt as if time slowed down and she watched Oziyat transfixed. Oziyat's blood spilled out of his wrist as he held out his hand, closing his eyes. The blood formed a thin line in the air and slipped into the vial, glowing just for a second before turning to normal. Oziyat closed the vial with a lock and long chain before stepping towards Chris.

"Even if I have to stay behind with Sol, I will feel better if you have some sort of protection," Oziyat held up the necklace holding the blood vial. "Being a descendant of the most ancient vampire family in the universe has many benefits. One of them is my blood can be used as a protection and signaling device."

Oziyat moved his hands towards Chris's neck and even though she was surprised, she moved her hair out of the way and allowed him to clasp the necklace behind her neck. Chris let out a small gasp as the cold vial settled in the middle of her collarbones. She didn't expect it to be that cold but then she remembered how cold Oziyat was. 

"If anything goes wrong, my blood will create a strong protective shield around you and alert me that you are in danger," Oziyat explained. "Just please don't take it off"

"Thanks, Oziyat," Chris was extremely grateful to Oziyat for this. She knew Oziyat cared for her a lot but this was something else. She sighed softly touching a blood vial. "But Oziyat, your blood is very important, are you sure — I mean, I don't want to alarm you or anything. Even if I am in danger, I can handle myself."

"I know you can handle yourself, Christina," Oziyat gave a soft smile. "But I would feel better if I have some way of knowing in case you are in danger. So wear it for my peace of mind?" Chris still hesitated, so Oziyat added, "Sol has one too."

Chris looked at Sol, who nodded vigorously and Chris smiled with a nod.

"Ok, fine. Just be ok you two."

"You too, Christina."

Oziyat looked like he had a lot more to say but he decided not to, he just smiled and let Chris get ready for the trip ahead.

***

Chris's feet touched the road and she saw the achingly familiar Hogsmeade High Street: dark shop fronts, the mist line of black mountains beyond the village, and the curve in the road ahead that led off toward Hogwarts, and light spilling from the windows of the Three Broomsticks, and with a lurch of the hearing, she remembered with piercing accuracy, how she and Harry had landed here nearly a year before, supporting a desperately weak Dumbledore. 

Chris turned to look at all of her friends. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Luna, Colin, and Hermione had changed their appearances with Chris and Ginny's help so that they didn't have to use the Polyjuice potion. All of them were dressed in dark clothes and robes which helped them stay in the shadows and move easily and quickly. 

"That way," Ginny pointed towards the dark alley leading to the Hog's Head Inn.

Chris nodded and they all moved to follow Ginny and Chris.

"So Gin, do you think it will be a good time to tell Ron . . . about who really this friend of yours is? I mean I think he will like to know who helped us once we are in Hogwarts," Chris whispered in Ginny's ears avoiding any chances of others listening to them.

"Chris, don't, this is not — " Ginny hissed and that was when it happened.

The air was rent by a scream that sounded like Voldemort's angry scream. It tore at every nerve in Chris's body, and almost everyone clutched their head in pain. The door of the Three Broomsticks burst open and a dozen cloaked and hooded Death Eaters dashed into the streets, their wands aloft. Without much discussion, all of them blended into the shadows of the dark alley. 

"Draco didn't say anything about alarms," Ginny said through her talisman catching Chris's eyes.

"Spread now. Someone just broke the curfew," yelled a Death Eater to his fellows. 

As they started to look around, six of the Death Eaters ran toward them.

"Maybe Draco didn't know," Chris suggested. "But we don't have time to think about that. Grab Harry, Hermione, and Ron and go to the Hog's Head Inn. I will distract them."

"What? No. Chris, not again —" Ginny's protest stopped abruptly as another Death Eater's voice sounded too close to them.

"If it's another wild goose chase, Master will have our head. Let's just let the Dementors loose and be done with it."

"Yeah, it's better than looking around all night," Another supplied.

"Oh, hell no," Chris muttered under her breath. "Ginny, do as I said. I will handle this."

Let's see how much I have mastered my magic.

Chris raised her wand and focused on the horizon. Within seconds, bright red lights burst through the other side of the Hogsmeade village.

"There! They are doing something!" A Death Eater shouted and all of them took off.

"Quick! We need to stop whatever that is fast!"

As the last of them disappear the other way, Chris whirled around and caught up with Ginny, Luna, Colin, Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"How did you do that?" Ron asked surprised and impressed.

Chris didn't answer him, instead mumbled under her breath,

"So much for quiet homecoming."

[To be continued . . .]