The Knight Bus

Lady Josephine left and Rowena Ravenclaw turned to the Baron. Chris looked at them curiously, still sitting on the chair beside Rowena's bed.

"Do you have — any idea where — she is now, Baron?" Rowena asked, coughing.

"No, Madam Ravenclaw," said the Baron quietly.

"Do you think you — can find her?" Rowena choked, her eyes watery. "I want to see her for a last time, before — before I — "

"Madam Ravenclaw, you need medication," said the Baron. "You will be fine. Lady Josephine is one of the best healer in our world. I'm sure she will — "

"She can heal my outside injuries — but no one can fix my broken heart — except Helena, Baron. Will you — bring her back?"

"I — I — Madam Ravenclaw, I don't think she will want to come back," said the Baron hesitantly hanging his head down.

"I know she won't," Rowena gave a bitter smile. "And that is why I am asking you to go, Baron. I know even if everyone forgot Helena, you won't."

Baron didn't look up.

"So will you bring her back?" Rowena asked again.

"Yes, I will." The Baron looked up and there was nothing but absolute determination in his voice.

"I have lost enough because of that demon. I can't lose Helena, " tears we're rolling sideways from Rowena Ravenclaw's eyes to her hair. "Promise me, Baron, promise me you will do everything to save my daughter from that demon."

"I promise you, Madam Ravenclaw, I will do anything to save her from Malgino, " The Baron said darkly.

"No, " Chris shivered.

"Chris! Chris!"

Chris opened her eyes. Hermione was standing over her bed and Ginny was sitting on her bed, beside her. Ginny's right hand was over Chris' forehead like she was checking her temperature.

"Chris! Are you okay?" Hermione said anxiously.

Chris sat up.

"Yes, I'm good. What happened?"

"You were shivering very badly just now," Ginny said. "I thought you had fever."

"No, I'm fine, just a dream." Chris rubbed her face with her hands.

"Hogwarts Founders?" Hermione asked quietly.

Chris nodded, her face still buried in her hands.

Hermione opened her mouth to say something but a knock interrupted them.

"Mom asked you three to hurry up, " Ron called from behind the door.

"Coming, " Ginny replied without moving.

"We better get ready then, " Hermione said. "And we can talk at school."

Chris nodded.

They were to return to Hogwarts on the Knight Bus, escorted once again by Tonks and Lupin. After a hurried breakfast, they pulled on jackets and scarves against the chilly gray January morning. Everyone said their goodbyes to them, Aurelia actually hugged Chris, smiling. Sirius also gave a one-arm hug and said, "Don't let that Umbridge get you all. and, " he lowered his voice, "Don't stop your group Defense practice."

"How did you —?" Ginny, who was beside Chris almost shouted.

"You want to choose your meeting places more carefully," said Sirius, grinning still more broadly. "The Hog's Head, I ask you . . ."

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Luna and Colin came near them to hear.

"Well, it was better than the Three Broomsticks!" said Ginny defensively. "That's always packed with people —"

"— which means you'd have been harder to overhear," said Sirius. "You've got a lot to learn, Ginny."

"Actually, no, " Chris shook her head. "You can't expect a bunch of teenagers talking about Voldemort go unnoticed anywhere, specially when one of them is Harry Potter."

"Who overheard us?" Harry demanded looking suddenly anxious.

"Mundungus, of course," said Sirius, and when they all looked puzzled he laughed. "He was the witch under the veil."

"That was Mundungus?" Hermione said, stunned. "What was he doing in the Hog's Head?"

"What do you think he was doing?" said Sirius impatiently. "Keeping an eye on you lot, of course."

"We are still being followed?" asked Harry angrily.

"Yeah, you are, and just as well, isn't it, if the first thing you're going to do on your weekend off is organize an illegal defense group." Sirius grinned and winked. "And that is really great."

"Does mom know?" Ron asked tentatively nervously glancing at Mrs. Weasley who was busy scolding the Twins for some reason.

"Blimley. . . Of course not, " Sirius replied. "I don't think she would have let you if she knew."

"But we're doing the right thing, right?" Hermione asked no one in particular.

" 'Course we are, " said Chris, Ginny, Luna, Colin, Ron and Harry together.

"Yes, you are, " Sirius said clapping Hermione's shoulders. "You don't know, how rare is it to see, kids like you to understand the current situation of our world."

Hearing that Hermione beamed. 

Mrs. Weasley came to them to say goodbye and they broke off from their conversation. Next moment Chris found herself being shunted out into the icy winter air, with Tonks (today heavily disguised as a tall, tweedy woman with iron-gray hair) chivvying them down the steps.

The door of number twelve slammed shut behind them. They followed Lupin down the front steps.

"Come on, the quicker we get on the bus the better," said Tonks, and Chris thought there was nervousness in the glance she threw around the square. Lupin flung out his right arm.

BANG.

A violently purple, triple-decker bus had appeared out of thin air in front of them, narrowly avoiding the nearest lamppost, which jumped backward out of its way.

A thin, pimply, jug-eared youth in a purple uniform leapt down onto the pavement and said, "Welcome to the —"

"Yes, yes, we know, thank you," said Tonks swiftly. "On, on, get on —"

And she shoved Harry forward toward the steps, past the conductor, who goggled at Harry as he passed.

"'Ere — it's 'Arry — !"

"If you shout his name I will curse you into oblivion," muttered Tonks menacingly, now shunting Chris and Ginny forward.

"I've always wanted to go on this thing," said Ron happily.

"Trust me, after the ride you won't, " muttered Colin joining them.

Luna laughed. Chris looked around and saw the inside was crammed with an assortment of mismatched chairs grouped haphazardly around windows. Some of these appeared to have fallen over when the bus stopped abruptly in Grimmauld Place; a few witches and wizards were still getting to their feet, grumbling, and somebody's shopping bag had slid the length of the bus; an unpleasant mixture of frog spawn, cockroaches, and custard creams was scattered all over the floor.

"Looks like we'll have to split up," said Tonks briskly, looking around for empty chairs. "Fred, George, Hermione and Ginny, if you just take those seats at the back . . . Remus can stay with you . . ."

She, Chris, Luna, Colin, Harry and Ron proceeded up to the very top deck, where there were four chairs at the very front of the bus and two at the back. Heads turned as Harry passed and when he sat down, he saw all the faces flick back to the front again.

Colin chuckled.

But the bus ride didn't feel that much nice as it set off again, swaying ominously. First time, Harry and Colin stopped Chris' chair from falling but at the second BANG Chris and Colin both fell down. Luna laughed again and helped them to get up. She was doing a great balancing with her chair and by the time they get to Hogsmead, every one of them had fallen a few times except Luna.

"Seriously, wizards need good transportation system," Chris muttered getting off the bus.

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To be continued. . .