The Ones with Us

"Hey, you guys didn't tell me how you found me? I know I wasn't easy to track," Chris said sheepishly looking at Colin over her hot cup of tea.

The next evening, Luna wanted to look around the castle a little but Ginny refused to come out of her room and talk to Chris, so Luna took Sarah with her. She told Chris to not worry as Ginny needed time to calm down on her own. Colin decided to keep Chris company and after walking a bit they ended up on a small shaded balcony of the guest wing, watching the raindrops creating a white haze to the scenery in front of them.

"Well, you left your talisman and we found the book 'Tracking Traces'," Colin replied shifting in his armchair and taking out Chris's talisman from his pocket.

"You guys tracked my magical trace to here?" Chris looked at her talisman, shocked. "That's a long way for a simple tracking spell to work."

"I know," Colin chuckled as he handed Chris the talisman. "We had to do the full ritual with potions and runes symbols and stuff."

Chris knew which ritual Colin was talking about. She knew the risks of that type of ritual.

"You what?" Chris gaped at him. "Colin, that was extremely dangerous. It could have gone wrong and harm the one performing the ritual — wait, who did the ritual?"

"Luna," Colin smiled wryly. "And she knew the dangers. We all knew. But she wanted to do that for you. And to be perfectly honest with you, this last few months Luna was the one doing stuff. I mean, at first glance it may look like Ginny was in charge but in reality, she was too emotional after you left. She snapped every other minute. I am not happy to say but I was getting tired of it. I knew she was upset because of you but so were Luna and I. Then the entire thing with You-know-who and Malgino taking over the ministry. I wanted her to understand that she was not alone going through all of this. But when she didn't, we kind of fought a couple of times."

Colin sighed and Chris mumbled another "Sorry".

"Don't apologize anymore, Chris. We all knew what we were getting into when we promised to stay with you," Colin said seriously. "You did what you thought you had to do. How Ginny and I reacted after that, is not on you. Though, Luna stayed rational. She talked to me and Ginny, made plans to reach you, made sure all of us were safe."

"Were you attacked while you were on the run?" Chris asked quietly.

"Yeah, one time. We had to take care of them before they could inform people that we are alive."

Judging by Colin's dark expression Chris guessed what he meant by "taking care of them". She didn't ask him to elaborate.

"Hey, why did Ryan thought you were dead? How did he not find you guys afterward?" Chris changed the topic.

"That was my idea," Colin looked embarrassed a little. "You know, since the Dementors started working for You-Know-Who, they are roaming all around, multiplying themselves. I had seen them with my eyes, floating around the muggle world. They were sucking the happiness out of everyone, kids, adults, old people, everyone. So before leaving the Burrow, George, Fred, Hermione, and I created some protective charms. They look like dream catchers but have runes attached to them. The Dream catcher was Fred's idea and Hermione perfected the runes to catch the Patronus energy. George tried but couldn't make them permanent, so I made them temporary but the magic could be renewed in it, and the protection charm's power will depend on how powerful the caster's Patronus is."

"Wow!" Chris smiled looking stunned. "You guys made protection charm from Dementors . . . wow! That's so advanced and unbelievably difficult."

"Yeah, well, you know, disasters make warriors. It took us a while but we did it," Colin tried to hide the redness on his cheeks because of the praise. "We hung it around wherever we camped, so Dementors couldn't track us. Which may have affected Ryan and others. Sorry, I didn't know who was good and who was bad. They all look the same."

"No, you did the right thing." Chris smiled then a thought occurred to her. "Hey, does that mean Hermione, Harry, and Ron know you are alive?"

"Yeah, they do. They were the only people who knew what we were planning," Colin nodded. "Ginny was against telling Ron but Luna and I convinced her. Chris, have you talked to them? They were worried about you too. Especially Harry."

"I didn't talk to them but . . ." Chris turned to look at the falling raindrops. "Harry had sent me a message through his Patronus, a few days ago. How was he when you last saw him?"

"Honestly? A mess. When we told them about our plans, he really looked like he would like nothing more than to come with us and look for you. But he knew he had work to do, missions to finish, so he tried to remain calm but we all could see how miserable he was."

"I . . ." Chris's chest gave an involuntary lurch.

"Chris, I don't know if it's my place to say, because I don't know about your feelings that much, but Chris, he cares about you. He really does. For the sake of that and your friendship, at least inform him that you are okay. He needs to know this."

"I . . . will," Chris swallowed the lump rising in her throat. She was missing Harry more than she liked to admit but she was ignoring her feelings far too long. However, after Harry's message, he was the only thing constant on her mind. Colin was right, he had the right to know and she needed to tell him.

"What else did Ryan told you?" Colin asked after a moment. This time he changed the topic.

"I heard when Riddle took over the ministry and drafted wanted posters of us, all muggle-borns, and the Order members. They were trying to catch anyone, who could be a threat. But I don't think they found many, did they?"

"The ministry always has been lousy, no matter who is governing. They couldn't even figure out that we are alive and where half of the muggle-borns are hiding, which I hope they never find." Colin added the last bit as a pained expression crossed his face.

"Colin? How is Dennis? Your family?" Chris whispered.

"I think they are fine," Colin let out a sigh and tried to smile but it came more like a grimace. "Cedric helped me sent them a safe place and . . . wiping out their memories of me."

"Colin, you . . ." Chris couldn't believe anymore. How much her friends have gone through without her?

Chris reached out and hugged Colin tightly, murmuring a lot of sorry and reassuring words. Colin returned the hug.

"I really don't blame you, Chris, I swear. We had to do some things and we did. I don't regret anything and you shouldn't either."

⁂

Unlike Chris, who was literally forced to rest, the others in the Vampire Castle were not getting enough rest. Ginny, Luna, and Colin were having a hard time adjusting to the nocturnal timetable of the vampires, and because now there were a total of five wizards and witches in the castle, the guards had to keep an eye on things 24/7. Not to mention the servants had to work extra because of the new situation. 

But it wasn't just the servants and guards. The Queen was still sick, and by tradition, the First Princess was in charge of everything. Even before Chris's friends arrived, the First Princess Rosaline was drowning in responsibilities, but now she barely got any sleep. 

So it was no surprise that Rosaline looked very tired when she stepped out of the castle to the royal garden in the middle of the night. As she guessed, her brother was here. He stood near the fountain staring at the water as if the water held all answers to his troubling questions.

"Oziyat." Rosaline took a couple of steps and reached her brother.

"Sister," Oziyat said without looking up from the water. His voice sounded as usual calm and collected but Rosaline knew her brother too well.

"What is it?" She asked looking at the rippling reflection of herself in the fountain.

"Nothing important enough to bother you," Oziyat spoke casually.

"If it wasn't important, you wouldn't be here rather than helping me with the duties," Rosaline said seriously.

"Maybe, I am trying to slack off," Oziyat joked but there was no smile on his face.

"Slacking off and my brother?" Rosaline gave a small smile. "You may be a lot of things, brother, but I know how much you care about our people and the crown. You would never shy away from your crown duties."

"Doesn't seem like our mother is seriously considering giving me the crown." 

"Oziyat?" Surprised Rosaline turned and finally made her brother look at her. "What happened? You also haven't met Mother in a while. It's something about her, isn't it?"

"She is keeping secrets. I don't know how many but after everything that's going on, shouldn't she reveal some secrets about that Mal—"

"Don't. Don't say his name," Rosaline hissed softly and Oziyat fell silent. After a moment, Rosaline knit her eyebrows and said, "Is it something Lady Christina said? Something she found out and thought Mother knew all along?"

Oziyat cast a glance around to see if anyone was there apart from them.

"There is no one. I can sense," Rosaline replied to his concern.

Oziyat sighed.

"She has dreams about the founders of Hogwarts and she saw something — a rather big thing — related to us. She thinks Mother knows about it or some of it."

"And my guess is, these dreams of Lady Christina are not just dreams?" Rosaline looked back at the water thinking. 

"No, they are visions." Oziyat lowered his voice despite the lack of audience. "Queen Wilma and Godric Gryffindor had a son. A powerful half-blood."

Rosaline's eyes snapped to meet her brother's. Her calm face broke into utter shock.

"A half-blood? But mother said there was not anyone before . . . my Sol. Do you believe that she lied to me?" Rosaline's voice was on the verge of shaking. "Mother wouldn't lie about that, Oziyat. I don't — Lady Christina could be mistaken."

Seeing Rosaline's pain-filled face Oziyat regretted telling her. He held his sister by the shoulders. He had only seen her always calm and powerful sister Rosaline this shocked and hurt a few years ago when the man she loved left. Not only left but betrayed her.

"Rosa, sister," Oziyat looked at her trying to comfort her. "I don't for sure, we would talk to Mother first, okay? Maybe you are right, she would not lie to her daughter."

"I . . . Oziyat," Rosaline's voice trembled. She closed her eyes. "After everything, if Mother betrayed me too. Oziyat, after Ethan, I can't . . ."

"I am sorry, Rosa, but it will be fine. I will be with you." Oziyat hugged his sister.

⟦To be continued⟧