ACT FOUR, grief
CHAPTER ONE, the chosen one
A sliver of sunlight made its way past the curtains and into the otherwise completely dark room. Pages of parchment were strewn over the wooden floors of the bedroom, a number of spellbooks were piled high like a mountain a top of the old handmade desk. Seated in the center of the room was Iris Black. Her eyes darted rapidly across the pages of the bound book that floated in midair in front of her.
The pages turned on their own when her eyes reached the bottom of the page, and she continued to read the book that she wasn't even nearly finished with.
A knock at the door was enough to remind her that she had been at this for hours. Her back ached from sitting in an upright position all throughout the night and her neck was stiff. The book dropped from the air and landed in her hands before she quickly slid it underneath her bed; out of sight and out of mind.
She stepped over the pile of books seated on the floor and opened the door. Her mum, Calypso Krane, stood on the other side with a small smile on her face. It had been three weeks since the death of her husband and sister, two since their funerals, and a week since she found his will and decided to busy herself with tasks and hobbies around Krane Manor. So far she had taken to cooking with Minnie; yesterday it was gardening; two days before that it was crocheting; and three days prior she had an obsession with making bread: pumpkin bread, banana bread, sourdough. She had made enough bread to feed several small families and then some.
"Are you coming down for breakfast?" Calypso asked. "Minnie and I made a really big breakfast."
Calypso glanced over Iris's shoulder at the made bed and the completely dark room. Her eyebrows pulled together at Iris's appearance. Her hair was messy and ruffled and she was wearing the same clothes she had been wearing when Calypso went to say goodnight to her the previous night. The circles under her eyes seemed to grow darker and darker with each day.
"Iris . . . how are you sleeping?" Calypso asked, her tone one of motherly concern. Iris shifted uncomfortably.
"I'll be down for breakfast." She said before closing the door.
Calypso let out a sigh and turned to look at Oliver as he leaned against the wall adjacent to Iris's bedroom door.
"She'll come to you when she's ready." Oliver reassured Calypso. She nodded hesitantly before walking downstairs.
Iris pulled the curtains of her room back and winced when the light hit her eyes.
She took a deep breath and said, "Amato Animo Animato Animagus."
Iris went downstairs and saw Calypso sitting down at the table with Minnie and Oliver. The house was notably brighter than it had ever been before. Calypso had added splashes of color to the place and brought over furniture that had been in her and Sirius's old place in Diagon Alley.
Calypso forced a bright smile onto her face when Iris appeared, looking a bit worse for wear. She sat down opposite Oliver and looked down at the plate of food with a grimace. The mandrake leaf in her mouth meant all food and drink tasted disgusting to her. She forced a smile when she noticed everyone watching her before stuffing a forkful of eggs into her mouth.
"Here," Oliver said, handing her a copy of the Daily Prophet. "Figured you'd want to read this."
The last issue of the Daily Prophet that Iris had read had been about her and her mum. It announced to the wizarding world that Calypso Black and her long lost daughter had resurface and that Iris Rosier was, in reality, Amara Iris Black. The article made Iris get a long string of letters from people that she ended up ignoring.
Iris took the paper and looked at it.
HARRY POTTER: THE CHOSEN ONE?
Rumors continue to fly about the mysterious recent disturbance at the Ministry of Magic, during which He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named was sighted once more.
"We're not allowed to talk about it, don't ask me anything," said one agitated Obliviator, who refused to give his name as he left the Ministry last night.'
Nevertheless, highly placed sources within the Ministry have confirmed that the disturbance centered on the fabled Hall of Prophecy.
Though Ministry spokeswizards have hitherto refused even to confirm the existence of such a place, a growing number of the Wizarding community believe that the Death Eaters now serving sentences in Azkaban for trespass and attempted theft were attempting to steal a prophecy. The nature of that prophecy is unknown, although speculation is rife that it concerns Harry Potter, the only person ever known to have survived the Killing Curse, and who is also known to have been at the Ministry on the night in question. Some are going so far as to call Potter "the Chosen One," believing that the prophecy names him as the only one who will be able to rid us of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.
The current whereabouts of the prophecy, if it exists, are unknown, although (ctd. page 2, column 5)
Iris hummed and handed Oliver the paper back.
"Too bad it took them this long to admit the truth." Iris said as she did so. Calypso nodded her head in agreement and Oliver glanced at Iris from the corner of her eye.
"Did you read the purple leaflet?" Calypso asked Iris, motioning to the leaflet that sat on the table. Iris shook her head. "The Ministry's instructing people on what to do now that the Death Eaters are running around. They're using Inferi now. You should really read that you know . . ."
"I will." Iris said half-heartedly. She had a bit of a personal bone to pick with the Ministry at the moment and any time anyone mentioned them she found herself tensing up and wanting to retreat, but then again, she found herself wanting to do that in most situations now anyway.
"Are you going to eat that?" Oliver motioned to her plate. Iris didn't even realize he had cleared his. She slid hers over to him and he happily continued eating while Iris downed a cup of coffee.
"Don't forget that we're going to the Burrow tonight. Are you packed?" Calypso asked. Iris inhaled the hot coffee and nearly choked on it and her leaf.
It was Friday? Already?
Her mum had told her a week ago that they would be going to the Weasley's place of residence where they could meet Harry when Dumbledore dropped him off. Nerves erupted in Iris's chest and her heartbeat sped up, though she contributed that to the coffee she just drank. It'd only been two weeks since Iris had last seen Harry but she found herself becoming nervous at the thought of facing him after the funeral.
The funeral.
She thought she had been low after she had actually watched her dad die right before her eyes but something had changed within her when she stood between Calypso and Remus and watched her dad's empty coffin lower into the ground in the plot beside his brother. A sadness had spread within her like a wildfire. It was inescapable. She didn't cry much and poured all of her time and energy into reading through The Black Book and becoming an animagus.
Iris realized her mum was looking at her expectantly. "Yeah."
"Be ready at six o'clock."
Iris retreated back to her room, locking and closing the door before going right back to her spot. Her eyelids were heavy, begging her to sleep, but she couldn't. Everytime she slept she would have nightmares where she would watch Bellatrix kill her dad over and over again and the anger she felt about the entire situation would come back to her all over again before she was overwhelmed with sadness. Whenever she had those dreams, she would jolt awake and be unable to go back to sleep.
The Black Book was her biggest disraction. The spells inside the book weren't like anything Iris had ever heard of before in school. These were the darkest spells compiled together in one, tightly bound, floating black book.
At first, the book wouldn't open for her. It reminded her of the textbook Hagrid had given them third year. She tried everything but the spell didn't work. Then, the night of the funeral, she had grabbed it and it opened for her. Ever since then it had no problem revealing itself and its contents to her.
Iris glanced over at the unopened envelope sitting on the edge of her nightstand. It was addressed to her, her full name written in Sirius's handwriting. A letter for her. The letter he left for her in case he died.
Iris knew he had left Calypso one too, and she knew that she hadn't opened hers either. Iris asked her about it once when her mum was tending to the garden and she said that she would soon, though Iris wasn't too sure if she believed that. She knew she wouldn't open hers for a while, at least. Not until she was ready and she didn't think she would be in the forseeable future. For now, the only thing that reminded her of her dad that she seemed to be able to look at was the locket Remus had given her for Christmas. She looked at the two pictures every day, morning, noon, and night.
Her dad had split his assets between his wife, Iris, and Harry. Number Twelve Grimmauld Place and Kreacher had been left to her, not that she really wanted either of them. She had wanted to never see Kreacher again since he played a role in her dad's death but Dumbledore, who visited two nights ago, asked her if she really wanted to send Kreacher to his next owner, Bellatrix Lestrange, after he had lived in the Order's headquarters for the past year. Now, to his dismay but to Iris's delight, he was at Hogwarts with the other house-elves.
Buckbeak was returned to Hagrid, and the motorcycle that Calypso had gifted him was with Hagrid too because Calypso couldn't bear looking at it if Sirius wasn't riding it. Iris would get it eventually, but she decided she didn't want it until she graduated from Hogwarts and that gave her something to look forward to.
The last thing, her favorite thing, that her dad had left her was a leather jacket that he wore when he was younger, before Azkaban and before she was born. He bought if after they graduated from Hogwarts and she had seen him wear it a few times.
That was what she wore when Calypso called her downstairs to Apparate to the Burrow.
Minnie gave Iris a hug before she left.
"Goodbye, miss Iris." Minnie said. Iris smiled softly at the house elf.
"Bye, Minnie." Iris said.
Calypso turned to her from where she stood in the foyer, Oliver by her side. Iris's trunk was fully packed and she was already preparing herself to have to deal with all of the people at the Burrow. She made sure her mandrake leaf was hidden before stepping up to her mother's side.
"Ready?" Calypso asked them.
"Ready." Iris and Oliver said in unison, holding her arm.
Everything went black. She was being pressed very hard from all directions and she couldn't breathe; her eyeballs were being pushed into the back of her head; her eardrums were being pushed deeper into her skull until —
Oliver toppled over, rubbing his ears while Calypso and Iris waited until he collected himself.
"Merlin's beard, that was terrible." Oliver said.
Iris looked up at the Burrow. The front door was surrounded by old Wellington boots and rusty cauldrons. Iris could hear the soft clucking of chickens from a distant shed. They walked up to the house and Calypso knocked three times.
The door swung open and the trio were greeted by Molly Weasley. Immediately, she launched herself at Calypso and gave her a great big hug that nearly knocked her off her feet.
"Oh," Calypso wheezed out. "hello, Molly."
"I'm so glad you all could make it. Come in, come in." Molly ushered them inside. "Kids! Iris and Oliver are here!"
A cacophony of footsteps sounded as the Ron, Ginny, and Hermione ran downstairs. Molly ushered Calypso into the kitchen where Nymphadora Tonks was seated with an odd look on her face. Her house was mousy brown and she looked less colorful than Iris had ever seen her.
"Wotcher, Iris." Tonks greeted her. Iris waved before she was knocked off balance by Ginny Weasley plummeting into her.
"I'm so glad you're here!" Ginny exclaimed. Iris chuckled, patting Ginny on the back, and she turned to Oliver. "You're in Ron's room, but you get to room with Hermione and I again, Iris."
Iris was glad Ginny didn't waste time asking her how she was feeling or if she wanted to talk. Ginny seemed to have taken to the task of distracting Iris and keeping her mind off things and Iris would play along. Ginny and Hermione had become good friends to her ever since they spent last summer together and, despite everything else that had changed, she was glad they could spent another summer together again.
"Finally, I'm no longer surrounded by all girls." Ron groaned.
"Tell me about it." Oliver said before he and Ron disappeared upstairs.
Ginny grabbed Iris and Hermione's hands and pulled them upstairs to her bedroom. Iris nearly tripped over her feet but managed to catch herself. Ginny sat Iris down on the mattress that Mrs. Weasley had set out for her and the pair sat across from her, giggling.
"So . . ." Hermione said.
Iris frowned.
"What?" Iris asked, glancing nervously between the two of them.
"So, we've been dying to know if there's something going on between you and Harry. We all noticed those stolen glances and Hermione told me that Harry's had a crush on you since third year." Ginny said.
Iris almost choked on her mandrake leaf again.
"What?" She asked looking between the two of them with a frown. That was not something she knew nor was it something Harry had told her in the letters they had exchanged with one another. "What do you mean Harry's liked me since third year?"
"Ginny," Hermioine said. Ginny winced.
"Sorry. To be fair, she said she thinks that. It's not for certain." Ginny corrected. Hermione groaned and Iris blinked a few times. "You still didn't answer my question."
"Oh, um . . . well, we kind of kissed." Iris confessed. Hermione and Ginny squealed excitedly.
"Are you two dating now?"
"When did you realize you liked him?"
"Yeah, and how come you didn't tell us that you liked Harry?"
"Yeah! I am one of his best friends after all."
Iris's eyes widened as Ginny and Hermione peppered her with questions. Her mind was reeling but she smiled lightly. It was nice to have someone other than Oliver — who didn't particularly care about her love life unless she was going to him for advice or unless he was teasing her — to talk to about Harry.
"We're not dating . . . at least, I don't think so. We only kissed the once." Iris said, deciding to answering the first question Ginny asked her.
"Who kissed who?" Ginny inquired. Hermione nudged her.
"Have you met Harry? She kissed him." Hermione looked at Iris, silently asking her if she was right. Iris nodded her head to confirm the assumption. "See?"
"Well, he'll be here soon. Then you guys can make out all you want." Ginny said teasingly before she started making kissing noises. Iris's jaw dropped in disbelief and she threw a pillow at Ginny's head.
"You're worse than Oliver!" Iris said and the girls laughed. "How's Dean, Ginny."
Ginny shrugged. "He's really nice. He treats me good."
Iris sent Ginny a confused expression. She didn't seem too excited about Dean, but she hadn't been that excited about dating Corner either.
"Also, there's someone you need to watch out for." Hermione said leaning forward conspiratorally. "Fleur Delacour is here."
"Beauxbaton's Fleur Delacour?" Iris asked. The two girls nodded their heads. Ginny let out a huff of air.
"She's the worst. She treats me like a child! She'll probably do the same to you."
Sure enough, when Iris went downstairs to eat some of the onion soup Mrs. Weasley had made, Fleur was downstairs. Iris had been making small talk with Molly and her mum who was talking to Tonks while Fleur spoke to her like she was five years old. Iris was glad she couldn't eat much because of the leaf so she dashed back upstairs as quickly as she could.
Molly told them to go to bed at a reasonable hour but Iris couldn't sleep so she was wide awake. Ginny and Hermione didn't want to sleep either and Oliver and Ron had come into the room to play chess. At a little past one in the morning when everyone passed out, Iris had gone out to use the bathroom and when she walked by Fred and George's bedroom, she noticed the door was closed.
Harry.
Iris knocked on the door and it creaked open. Harry sat on the bed. His naturally messy hair stuck up like it normally did and he didn't bother to pat it down, not that Iris minded. She liked his hair best when it was messy. He had been in the middle of taking his glasses off but he put them back on when she opened the door.
"Can I come in?" She asked, peaking her head around into the room.
"Iris!" Harry said, surprised that she was here. "O-of course you can come in."
Iris opened the door wide and walked into the room before sitting down at the foot of his bed.
"What time did you get in?" She asked.
"Only a bit ago. You?"
"A few hours ago." Iris said. "Where did Dumbledore take you? I thought you said you were leaving at seven."
"We did. We went to meet a teacher named Professor Slughorn and Dumbledore had me convince him to come back and teach at Hogwarts." Harry said.
"What's he like?"
"Odd, I think . . . he talked about my mum and said she was one of his best students. He talked about your mum too and said he loved having her in the class." Harry left out how Slughorn had made a comment about Sirius because he didn't really want to talk about Sirius and he suspected Iris didn't want to either, not yet at least. "He was head of Slytherin."
"Hopefully he'll take over from Snape." Iris said making a crooked smile form on Harry's face. "So . . . guess what Hermione and Ginny told me?"
Harry wasn't too sure how he felt about the cheeky grin on her face or the amused look on her eye like she was about to tell him something that would embarass him but that she found amusing.
"Er — what?" Harry asked nervously.
"They told me that you've liked me since third year." Iris said.
Harry's face burned brighter than it ever had before and he looked mortified. He opened his mouth to speak but he kept stumbling over his words. Iris chuckled.
"I mean . . . I have, I think . . ." Harry said. Iris's smile stretched wide.
Now that she was sitting near him, Harry could see how exhausted she looked as though she hadn't slept in days. Harry wondered whether or not she'd been sleeping. He knew that if she wasn't she probably wouldn't tell anybody. An idea popped into his head.
"You know," Harry said, clearing his throat. "I've been having a bit of, um, trouble sleeping lately . . ."
He scratched the back of his neck. Was he lying? Yes, but he thought back to how Iris had sat with him on Christmas when he was too afraid to sleep alone. He knew that if he approached the subject of her not sleeping that she'd avoid the topic altogether so he was improvising.
His plan seemed to be working because Iris's face softened despite herself.
"I can stay with you if you want, until you fall asleep." Iris said. Harry nodded his head and offered her one of the many blankets Mrs. Weasley had left him. She grabbed a chair and sat down in it, bringing her knees up.
Harry pretended to fall asleep but he stayed wide awake until he heard Iris's breathing relax. He turned around and saw that she had drifted off to sleep a lot faster than he thought she would. He figured she must've been really tired. Smiling to himself, he rolled over and was instantly asleep.
Iris was startled awake by the sound of the door swinging open. She jolted upright.
"What is going on here?" Ron asked looking between the two of them. His face was alight with amusement as he ripped open Harry's curtains and Harry woke up when the light hit his face.
"Ginny and I were wondering where you went." Hermione said to Iris.
Harry groped around hopelessly for his glasses.
"Wuzzgoinon?" He asked lazily.
"We didn't know you were here already!" said Ron, loud and excited voice, and he delivered a sharp blow to the top of Harry's head before turnng to Iris and adding, "Someone didn't wake us."
"Sorry." Iris said. Ron narrowed his eyes at her because she didn't sound too apologetic about it. She smiled at him in response.
"Ron, don't hit him!" said Hermione reproachfully.
Harry shoved his glasses on and his eyes adjusted to the light.
"All right?"
"Never been better," said Harry, rubbing the top of his head and slumping back onto his pillows. "You?"
"Not bad," said Ron, pulling over a cardboard box and sitting on it. "When did you get here? Mum's only just told us!"
"About one o'clock this morning."
"Were the Muggles all right? Did they treat you okay?"
"Same as usual," said Harry, as Hermione perched herself on the edge of his bed, "they didn't talk to me much, but I like it better that way. How're you, Hermione?"
"Oh, I'm fine," said Hermione, who was scrutinizing Harry as though he was sickening for something.
"What's the time? Have we missed breakfast?"
"Don't worry about that, Mum's bringing you both up trays; she reckons you look underfed," said Ron to Harry, rolling his eyes. "So, what's been going on?"
"Nothing much, I've just been stuck at my aunt and uncle's, haven't I?"
"Come off it!" said Ron. "You've been off with Dumbledore!"
"It wasn't that exciting. He just wanted me to help him persuade this old teacher to come out of retirement. His name's Horace Slughorn."
"Oh," said Ron, looking disappointed. "We thought —"
Hermione flashed a warning look at Ron, and Ron changed tack at top speed.
"— we thought it'd be something like that."
"You did?" said Harry, exchanging an amused glance with Iris.
"Yeah . . . yeah, now Umbridge has left, obviously we need a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, don't we? So, er, what's he like?"
"He looks a bit like a walrus, and he used to be Head of Slytherin," said Harry. "Something wrong, Hermione?"
She was watching him as though expecting strange symptoms to manifest themselves at any moment. She rearranged her features hastily in an unconvincing smile.
"No, of course not! So, um, did Slughorn seem like he'll be agood teacher?"
"Dunno," said Harry. "He can't be worse than Umbridge, can he?"
"I know someone who's worse than Umbridge," said a voice from the doorway. Ginny slouched into the room with Oliver by her side. Ginny was looking irritable while Oliver had an amused smirk on his face before he sat down beside Iris. "Hi, Harry."
"What's up with you?" Ron asked.
"It's hilarious." Oliver said.
"It's her," said Ginny, plonking herself down on Harry's bed. "She's driving me mad."
"What's she done now?" asked Hermione sympathetically.
"It's the way she talks to me — you'd think I was about three!"
"I know," said Hermione, dropping her voice. "She's so full of herself."
Iris chuckled at the astonished expression on Harry's face. She suspected he thought they were talking about Mrs. Weasley.
Ron angrily said, "Can't you two lay off her for five seconds?"
"Iris, back us up here!" Hermione turned to the girl. Everyone turned to Iris.
"Well . . . she did act like I was incompetent." Iris said.
"See!" Ginny exclaimed. "If Iris noticed then it must be true."
"She's not that bad." Ron said defensively.
"Oh, that's right, defend her," snapped Ginny. "We all know youcan't get enough of her."
Harry looked confused. "Who are you — ?"
But his question was answered before he could finish it. The bedroom door flew open again, and Harry yanked the bedcovers up to his chin so hard that Hermione and Ginny slid offthe bed onto the floor. Iris and Oliver chuckled.
A young woman was standing in the doorway, a woman of breathtaking beauty. She was tall and willowy with long blonde hair and appeared to emanate a faint, silvery glow. She was carrying a heavily ladden tray in her hand and Calypso appeared over her shoulder, carrying the other.
" 'Arry," Fleur said in a throaty voice. "Eet 'as been too long!"
As she swept over the threshold toward him, Mrs. Weasley was revealed, bobbing along in her wake, looking rather cross. Calypso was smiling to herself as she brought Iris her tray.
"There was no need to bring up the tray, I was just about to do it myself!" Mrs. Weasley said.
"Eet was no trouble," said Fleur, setting the tray acrossHarry's knees and then swooping to kiss him on each cheek. Harry glanced over at Iris nervously and saw that her eyes had narrowed only slightly. "I 'ave been longing to see 'im. You remember my seester, Gabrielle? She never stops talking about 'Arry Potter. She will be delighted to see you again."
"Oh . . . is she here too?" Harry croaked.
"No, no, silly boy," said Fleur with a tinkling laugh, "I mean next summer, when we — but do you not know?"
Her great blue eyes widened and she looked reproachfully at Mrs. Weasley, who said, "We hadn't got around to telling him yet."
Fleur turned back to Harry, swinging her silvery sheet of hair so that it whipped Mrs. Weasley across the face.
"Bill and I are going to be married!"
"Oh," said Harry blankly. Iris could not help noticing how Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, and Ginny were all determinedly avoiding one another's gaze. "Wow. Er — congratulations!"
She swooped down upon him and kissed him again.
"Bill is very busy at ze moment, working very 'ard, and I only work part-time at Gringotts for my Eenglish, so he brought me 'ere for a few days to get to know 'is family properly. I was so pleased to 'ear you would be coming — zere isn't much to do 'ere, unless you like cooking and chickens! Well — enjoy your breakfast, 'Arry!"
With these words she turned gracefully and seemed to float out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.
Mrs. Weasley made a noise that sounded like "tchah!"
"Mum hates her," said Ginny quietly.
"I do not hate her!" said Mrs. Weasley in a cross whisper. "I just think they've hurried into this engagement, that's all!"
"They've known each other a year," said Ron, who looked oddly groggy and was staring at the closed door.
"Well, that's not very long! I know why it's happened, of course. It's all this uncertainty with You-Know-Who coming back, people think they might be dead tomorrow, so they're rushing all sorts of decisions they'd normally take time over. It was the same last time he was powerful, people eloping left, right, and center —"
"Including you and Arthur," said Calypso slyly.
"Yes, well, Arthur and I were made for each other, what was the point in waiting?" said Mrs. Weasley. "Whereas Bill and Fleur. . . well . . . what have they really got in common? He's a hardworking, down-to-earth sort of person, whereas she's —"
"A cow," said Ginny, nodding. "But Bill's not that down-to-earth. He's a Curse-Breaker, isn't he, he likes a bit of adventure, a bit of glamour. . . . I expect that's why he's gone for Phlegm."
"Stop calling her that, Ginny," said Mrs. Weasley sharply, as Oliver, Harry, and Hermione laughed. "Well, we'd better get on, Cal . . . . Eat your eggs while they're warm, children."
Looking careworn, she left the room followed by Calypso. Ron still seemed slightly punch-drunk; he was shaking his head experimentally like a dog trying to rid its ears of water.
"Don't you get used to her if she's staying in the same house?"Harry asked.
"Well, you do," said Ron, "but if she jumps out at you unexpectedly, like then . . ."
"It's pathetic," said Hermione furiously, striding away from Ronas far as she could go and turning to face him with her arms folded once she had reached the wall. Iris raised a brow at Hermione's reaction.
"You don't really want her around forever?" Ginny asked Ron incredulously. When he merely shrugged, she said, "Well, Mum's going to put a stop to it if she can, I bet you anything."
"How's she going to manage that?" asked Harry.
"She keeps trying to get Tonks round for dinner. I think she's hoping Bill will fall for Tonks instead. I hope he does, I'd much rather have her in the family."
"Yeah, that'll work," said Ron sarcastically. "Listen, no bloke in his right mind's going to fancy Tonks when Fleur's around. I mean, Tonks is okay-looking when she isn't doing stupid things to her hair and her nose, but —"
"She's a damn sight nicer than Phlegm,'' said Ginny.
"And she's more intelligent, she's an Auror!" said Hermione from the corner.
"Fleur's not stupid, she was good enough to enter the Triwizard Tournament," said Harry.
"Not you as well!" said Hermione bitterly.
"I suppose you like the way Phlegm says ' 'Arry,' do you?" asked Ginny scornfully.
"No!" said Harry quickly, wishing he hadn't spoken. He sent another nervous glance in Iris's direction but she was watching the whole thing with an amused look on her face, "I was just saying, Phlegm — I mean, Fleur —"
"I'd much rather have Tonks in the family," said Ginny. "At least she's a laugh."
"She hasn't been much of a laugh lately," said Ron. "Every time I've seen her she's looked more like Moaning Myrtle."
"That's not fair," snapped Hermione. "She still hasn't got over what happened . . . you know . . . I mean, he was her cousin!"
Iris's amusement left immediately. She ignored Oliver's gaze at the side of her head and stuffed eggs into her mouth, grimacing when she tried to eat it with the leaf in her mouth. She couldn't wait until she could take the thing out.
"Tonks and Sirius barely knew each other!" said Ron. "Sirius was in Azkaban half her life and before that they'd hardly met —"
"That's not the point," said Hermione. "She thinks it was her fault he died!"
Iris placed her fork lightly down and Oliver kept sneaking food off her plate.
"How does she work that one out?" asked Harry, in spite of himself.
"Well, she was fighting Bellatrix Lestrange, wasn't she? I think she feels that if only she had finished her off, Bellatrix couldn't have killed Sirius."
"That's stupid," said Ron.
"It's survivor's guilt," said Hermione. "I know Lupin and Calypso's tried to talk her round, but she's still really down. She's actually having trouble with her Metamorphosing!"
"With her — ?"
"She can't change her appearance like she used to," explained Hermione. "I think her powers must have been affected by shock, or something."
"I didn't know that could happen," said Harry.
"Nor did I," said Hermione, "but I suppose if you're really depressed . . ."
The door opened again and Mrs. Weasley popped her head in. "Ginny," she whispered, "come downstairs and help Calypso and I with the lunch."
"I'm talking to this lot!" said Ginny, outraged.
"Now!" said Mrs. Weasley, and withdrew.
"She only wants me there so she doesn't have to be alone with Phlegm!" said Ginny crossly.
She swung her long red hair around in a very good imitation of Fleur and pranced across the room with her arms held aloft like a ballerina.
"You lot had better come down quickly too," she said as she left. She poked her head back in. "Oliver, come with me. I don't want to suffer alone."
"But —" Ginny fixed Oliver with a stern look that resembled her mother's. Iris laughed when Oliver stood up and trudged out of the room behind Ginny.
Hermione was peering into Fred and George's boxes, though every now and then she cast sideways looks at Harry. Ron,who was now helping himself to Iris's toast, was still gazing dreamily at the door.
"What's this?" Hermione asked eventually, holding up what looked like a small telescope.
"Dunno," said Ron, "but if Fred and George've left it here, it's probably not ready for the joke shop yet, so be careful."
"Your mum said the shop's going well," said Harry. "Said Fred and George have got a real flair for business."
"That's an understatement," said Iris. "Tracey told me they're raking in galleons."
Ron nodded in agreement. "I can't wait to see the place, we haven't been to Diagon Alley yet, because Mum says Dad's got to be there for extra security and he's been really busy at work, but it sounds excellent."
"And what about Percy?" asked Harry; the third-eldest Weasley brother had fallen out with the rest of the family. "Is he talking to your mum and dad again?"
"Nope," said Ron.
"But he knows your dad was right all along now about Voldemort being back —"
"Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right," said Hermione. "I heard him telling your mum, Ron."
"Sounds like the sort of mental thing Dumbledore would say," said Ron.
"He's going to be giving me private lessons this year," said Harry conversationally. Iris's eyebrows raised at the revelation.
Ron choked on his bit of toast, and Hermione gasped.
"You kept that quiet!" said Ron.
"I only just remembered," said Harry honestly. "He told me last night in your broom shed."
"Blimey . . . private lessons with Dumbledore!" said Ron, looking impressed. "I wonder why he's . . . ?"
His voice tailed away. He and Hermione exchanged a glance with one another and Iris watched as Harry's gaze dropped to his fork. He seemed to be debating whether or not he should say something.
"Why's he giving you lessons?" Iris asked. Harry kept his gaze down.
"I don't know exactly why he's going to be giving me lessons, but I think it must be because of the prophecy."
Ron and Hermione froze. Iris leaned back in her seat.
He continued, still speaking to his fork, "You know, the one they were trying to steal at the Ministry."
"Nobody knows what it said, though," said Hermione quickly. "It got smashed."
"Although the Prophet says —" began Ron, but Hermione said, "Shh!"
"The Prophet's got it right," said Harry, looking up at the three of them with great effort: Hermione seemed frightened and Ron amazed. Iris looked as calm as she always did but Harry could see the faint crease between her brows. "That glass ball that smashed wasn't the only record of the prophecy. I heard the whole thing in Dumbledore's office, he was the one the prophecy was made to, so he could tell me. From what it said," Harry took a deep breath, "it looks like I'm the one who's got to finish off Voldemort. . . . At least, it said neither of us could live while the other survives."
The four of them gazed at each other in silence. Harry wouldn't meet Iris's eye as she stared at him. She wasn't mad that he hadn't told her or anything because she was dealing with stuff that she hadn't told him about either, but she was processing this new information.
Obviously, they would have to find a way to defeat Voldemort so Harry could survive. This would be no easy task, Iris knew that, but she'd be damned if she let Harry die.
Then there was a loud bang and Hermione vanished behind a puff of black smoke.
"Hermione!" shouted Iris, Harry, and Ron; the breakfast tray slid to the floor with a crash.
Hermione emerged, coughing, out of the smoke, clutching the telescope and sporting a brilliantly purple black eye.
"I squeezed it and it — it punched me!" she gasped.
And sure enough, they now saw a tiny fist on a long spring protruding from the end of the telescope.
"Don't worry," said Ron, who was plainly trying not to laugh, "Mum'll fix that, she's good at healing minor injuries —"
"Oh well, never mind that now!" said Hermione hastily. "Harry, oh, Harry . . ."
She sat down on the edge of his bed again.
"We wondered, after we got back from the Ministry . . . Obviously, we didn't want to say anything to you, but from what Lucius Malfoy said about the prophecy, how it was about you and Voldemort, well, we thought it might be something like this. . . . Oh, Harry . . ." She stared at him, then whispered, "Are you scared?"
"Not as much as I was," said Harry. "When I first heard it, I was. . . but now, it seems as though I always knew I'd have to face himin the end. . . ."
"When we heard Dumbledore was collecting you in person, we thought he might be telling you something or showing you something to do with the prophecy," said Ron eagerly. "And we were kind of right, weren't we? He wouldn't be giving you lessons if he thought you were a goner, wouldn't waste his time — he must think you've got a chance!"
"He does have a chance." Iris said. Harry looked at her and wondered how she could have more confidence in him and his abilities than he had for himself.
"That's true," said Hermione. "I wonder what he'll teach you, Harry? Really advanced defensive magic, probably . . . powerful countercurses . . . anti-jinxes . . ."
Iris was partially listening to Hermione and mainly thinking about what this could mean for Harry. She was shocked by the revelation, and she could tell Ron and Hermione were too, but she didn't voice this. She'd be as supportive as she could be.
She had faith Harry could and would defeat Voldemort. She knew that he was capable of greatness, even if he didn't believe it or doubted himself.
". . . and evasive enchantments generally," concluded Hermione. "Well, at least you know one lesson you'll be having this year, that's one more than us. I wonder when our O.W.L. results will come?"
"Can't be long now, it's been a month," said Iris.
"Hang on," said Harry, as another part of last night's conversation came back to him. "I think Dumbledore said our O.W.L. results would be arriving today!"
"Today?" shrieked Hermione. "Today? But why didn't you — oh my God — you should have said —" She leapt to her feet. "I'm going to see whether any owls have come. . . ."
But when Iris arrived downstairs ten minutes later, fully dressed and carrying her empty breakfast tray, it was to find Hermione sitting at the kitchen table in great agitation, while Mrs. Weasley and her mum tried to lessen her resemblance to half a panda.
"It just won't budge," Mrs. Weasley was saying anxiously, standing over Hermione with her wand in her hand and a copy of The Healer's Helpmate open at "Bruises, Cuts, and Abrasions." "This has always worked before, I just can't understand it."
"It'll be Fred and George's idea of a funny joke, making sure it can't come off," said Ginny.
"But it's got to come off!" squeaked Hermione. "I can't go around looking like this forever!"
"You won't. We'll find an antidote, don't worry," said Calypso soothingly.
"Bill told me 'ow Fred and George are very amusing!" said Fleur, smiling serenely.
"Yes, I can hardly breathe for laughing," snapped Hermione. She jumped up and started walking round and round the kitchen, twisting her fingers together. "Mrs. Weasley, you're quite, quite sure no owls have arrived this morning?"
"Yes, dear, I'd have noticed," said Mrs. Weasley patiently. "But it's barely nine, there's still plenty of time. . . ."
"I know I messed up Ancient Runes," muttered Hermione feverishly, "I definitely made at least one serious mistranslation. And the Defense Against the Dark Arts practical was no good at all. I thought Transfiguration went all right at the time, but looking back —"
"Hermione, will you shut up, you're not the only one who's nervous!" barked Ron. "And when you've got your eleven 'Outstanding' O.W.L.s . . ."
"Don't, don't, don't!" said Hermione, flapping her hands hysterically. "I know I've failed everything!"
"What happens if we fail?" Harry asked the room at large, but it was again Hermione who answered.
"We discuss our options with our Head of House, I asked Professor McGonagall at the end of last term."
"At Beauxbatons," said Fleur complacently, "we 'ad a different way of doing things. I think eet was better. We sat our examinations after six years of study, not five, and then —"
Fleur's words were drowned in a scream. Hermione was pointing through the kitchen window. Four black specks were clearly visible in the sky, growing larger all the time.
"They're definitely owls," said Ron hoarsely, jumping up to join Hermione at the window.
"And there are four of them," said Harry, hastening to her other side.
"One for each of us," said Hermione in a terrified whisper. "Oh no . . . oh no . . . oh no . . ."
She gripped both Harry and Iris tightly around the elbows. The owls were flying directly at the Burrow, four handsome tawnies, each of which, it became clear as they flew lower over thepath leading up to the house, was carrying a large square envelope.
"Oh no!" squealed Hermione. Mrs. Weasley squeezed past them and opened the kitchen window. One, two, three, four, the owls soared through it and landed on the table in a neat line. All four of them lifted their right legs.
Hermione turned to Iris as she detached the envelope with her name on it from the owl's leg. She was surprised, and pleased, to see that the name said 'Amara Iris Black' and not 'Iris Rhea Rosier'.
"How can you remain so calm?" Hermione asked frantically.
"She's always like this, haven't you notice? The day she freaks out is the day you should start worrying." Ron said. Oliver nodded his head in agreement and Iris smiled to herself.
The moment right before Iris opened her envelope, she felt nerves pool at the bottom of her stomach, but they went away as soon as she opened her envelope.
Amara Iris Black has achieved:
Astronomy - O
Arithmancy - O
Care of Magical Creatures - O
Charms - O
Defense Against the Dark Arts - O
Divination - E
Herbology - O
History of Magic - O
Potions - O
Transfiguration - O
Iris smiled to herself at her results. She had gotten O's in nearly everything except for Divination. Oliver plucked her results out of her hand and looked at them as everyone started passing theirs around.
"Nice!" Oliver high fived her.
"What'd you get?" Harry asked Iris. They swapped each others.
Harry had only failed Divination and History of Magic, and neither of those classes mattered since he didn't need to take those N.E.W.T. classes anyway. They high-fived each other.
"Your girlfriend is proper smart, Harry." Ron said. Iris and Harry's faces turned bright red and Calypso's head snapped up at the mention of the word 'girlfriend'. Ron glanced up and saw them looking at him. "I was joking, jeez."
"What'd you get, Iris?" Calypso asked. Iris handed the paper to her mum and she could see the look of pride on Calypso's face. "This is so good! I'm so proud of you!"
Calypso hugged Iris and her face turned another shade of pink. When Calypso pulled away, she opened her mouth to say something and stopped, though Iris had a good idea of what she was about to say.
Your father would be so proud of you.
That dampened her mood only slightly but Iris covered it up and her mum moved on to congratulate Harry.
"Hermione?" said Ginny tentatively, for Hermione still hadn't turned around. "How did you do?"
"I — not bad," said Hermione in a small voice.
"Oh, come off it," said Ron, striding over to her and whipping her results out of her hand. "Yep — nine 'Outstandings' and one 'Exceeds Expectations', just like Iris, except your 'E' is in Defense Against the Dark Arts. " He looked down at her, half-amused, half-exasperated. "You're actually disappointed, aren't you?"
Hermione shook her head, but Harry laughed.
"Well, we're N.E.W.T. students now!" grinned Ron. "Mum, are there any more sausages?"
Iris glanced over and saw Harry looking at his paper with a bit of disappointment on his face. She suspected it was because he hadn't gotten into Snape's Potions class because he scored an 'E' instead of an 'O'. She felt a twinge of sympathy for him. He would make a great Auror and she hoped that, some way it'd still be possible for him to achieve his dream.
"What're you doing?" asked Harry when he caught Iris sneaking out through the front door late one night. There was a lightning storm outside and he couldn't imagine why she'd be trying to go out in that.
It had been two weeks since they received their O.W.L.s and a month since Iris put the mandrake leaf in her mouth. Hiding it from everyone, especially her mum, had proven to be a challenge. When the month was up, she snuck outside during a full moon and had to throw a phial mixed with her hair, a teaspoon of dew that hadn't been touched by sunlight or human feet for seven days, and a chrysalis of a Death's-head Hawk Moth within range of the moon's rays. She placed the mixture into a quiet, dark place, where it wasn't disturbed (underneath her mattress) and had to wait until there was a lightning storm. While she waited, she chanted the incantation (Amato Animo Animato Animagus) with the tip of her wand placed over her heart.
She had no idea how her parents were able to do it all these years ago, becoming an Animagus took a lot of work.
"Uh . . ." Iris laughed nervously. She glanced around, making sure no one was lurking around downstairs before rushing up to Harry, "Promise not to tell anyone?"
"Promise." Harry said. Iris smiled secretively before taking his hand and pulling him outside. "Er —"
Harry flinched at the sound of the lightning striking.
"Where are we going?" He asked, yelling over the storm.
"After my dad . . ." Iris said, speaking louder than she normally would. "I decided that I wanted to become an Animagus and, hopefully, I'll finally become one tonight."
"Hopefully?" Harry repeated when they made it to a large clearing.
"Well, it could backfire or something could go wrong. In that case, you should probably run back to the house and wake my mum up, but be discreet." Iris warned. Harry's eyes nearly buldged out of his head.
"Are you sure that this is a good idea?" Harry asked worriedly.
"Nope." Iris said.
She winked at him before reciting the incantation one last time and downing the contents of the phial. Harry watched with wide eyes as Iris began to wince in pain.
There was a tingling sensation coursing through her body. It started with at her head and ran all the way down to the tip of her toes. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head before she doubled over in pain.
"Iris?" Harry asked frantically. She didn't respond as she groaned in pain, falling to the ground. Without another word, Harry raced back inside. His heart was racing faster than it ever had before as he went to wake Calypso up and get her help.
Iris let out a sharp gasp as her body twisted and contorted before everything went black.