The Nine

Chapter 9: The Spyder Webb

Nakuru rounded the corner, nearly knocking over a large stack of books. "What the? Why is there a pile of books in the middle of the hallway?" she demanded out loud as she scrambled to stack them up again.

"Because I put them there," replied a hovering poltergeist.

"And you are?" Nakuru asked, puzzled.

"Peeves! I'm Hogwarts' resident poltergeist. I'm here to get you into trouble. That is, unless, you're getting into trouble of your own?"

Nakuru shook her head. "I'm just trying to find somebody."

"A boy?" Peeves demanded. "Going to sneak out? Have a secret meeting? Or are you attending a secret club somewhere? An illegal club?"

"No, I'm not Peeves," Nakuru replied, becoming irritated at his persistence. She began to walk away, only to realize that she was being followed. "Will you go away?"

"Only for a galleon!" he taunted, sticking out his tongue.

Dug into her pocket, and growled. "Here's two!" she yelled as she tossed the coins at him.

"Thanks, ma'am. If you need anything, gimme a shout!" the poltergeist exclaimed as he disappeared with a 'poof'.

Nakuru shook her head and continued down the hallway, where she ran into Hermione. "How was Hogsmeade?" she asked curiously.

Nakuru shrugged. "It was alright."

"I see." Hermione raised an eyebrow. "Where're you going?"

"Maybe you can help me with that," Nakuru suggested quirkily. "I'm trying to get to...The Webb."

"The Spyder Webb?" Hermione asked, taken aback. "Why do you want to go there? I mean, the only person ever up there is Shiru, a seventh year Slytherin. And he was expelled, so...it's completely empty up there. All there is, is a bunch of cobwebs, and some notes on the wall- kids love to go up there and write their names and messages in chalk to prove that they're not scared."

Nakuru shrugged. "I just want to check it out for myself."

Hermione sighed and handed her a piece of chalk. "Well, if you're going... Put both of our names up there," she added with a wink. "Just go up to the third floor. Follow the purple torches, and go up the staircase at the end of the hall. Just keep going up, and you'll be there."

"Thanks, 'Mione," Nakuru said as she tucked the chalk into her robes. "I'll see you all at supper, I guess?"

Hermione nodded. "Alright!"

Nakuru embarked up the flight of stairs- the extremely large flight of stairs. As she finally stepped up the last stair to the third floor corridor, she got a weird feeling in the pit of her stomach. Afraid? Me? I don't think so, she thought to herself. She stepped slowly into the doorway of the corridor, and looked down the three halls. One hall with blue torches, another with normal torches, and the third with purple torches.

Nakuru began to follow her path, and continued down the long hall. As she walked further, the corridor seemed to become colder- and darker. The light from the purple flames barely lit the hall. As Nakuru looked around, she noticed cobwebs covering parts of the ceiling, and torch-holders. The faint sound of footsteps could be heard from above her as Nakuru neared the staircase. It was a spiral stairway- they always made Nakuru dizzy. She stepped lightly onto the cold stone stairs as to not make a lot of noise. She clambered up, finally reaching the top after three minutes.

She found herself in an old, circular room with nine partially broken windows. The room was cold and dark, the light from outside having faded since her return from Hogsmeade.

A voice came from one of the dark corners of the room. "Nakuru?"

"Yes?" She stepped forward cautiously, rubbing her arms with her hands to try to keep her body heat. "Are you Shiru?"

"The one and only," he confessed as he stepped out from the shadows. The single purple torch in the doorway flickered light off his face. He was taller than her, with black hair. In the darkness, his eyes looked black- but she wasn't sure if that was quite right. "Were you followed?"

"No, why?"

"I know about your vision. I saw it, too." He admitted as he folded his arms across his chest.

Nakuru raised an eyebrow. "I heard you were expelled- weren't you? Why are you still here?"

"To see you? Why else would I stay?" He rolled his eyes. "Women. You all need to know everything. Why this, and why that. It's so annoying."

"You say you saw it, too... Who was laughing?"

Shiru cracked his knuckles. "Who do you think? Yeah, it was Voldemort. And he's coming here. He's going to try to kill three birds with one stone. You, Potter, and Dumbledore. And if that means taking out every student in this school, so be it."

"How do you know that?" Nakuru demanded nervously.

"Because I saw it! God, you people are so diluted." Shiru shook his head, and pointed at Nakuru's robes, half-smiling. "You brought chalk- you're funny."

Nakuru smirked. "I thought I may as well- since I'm up here."

"Go ahead," Shiru insisted. "I wasn't the first to do it. But since everyone else was too scared to come up here with me, I was the first Slytherin in my class. The only signatures on that wall are from the real 'brave' kids at this school."

"Oh yeah? Anyone I know?" Nakuru asked playfully.

"Yeah, a couple. Your dad, for one," Shiru replied uninterestedly.

Nakuru turned swiftly, looking hopefully directly into Shiru's eyes. "My dad was here? Where?"

Shiru pointed to the furthest corner in the room. "He wasn't a wuss that just signed by the door. He went all the way to the back, along with Potter, Black, and Lupin. He wasn't one of their close friends, but he did master The Webb with them when their other pal was a wuss."

Nakuru looked over the wall, scanning through the few signatures. Below Sirius Black's was a signature belonging to Allan Summers:

"I took over The Spyder Webb and left my tie!

PS. Serverus Snape is a sissy!

--Allan Summers"

Nakuru smiled. "I take it Snape wasn't so much of a sissy if he came up and stroked it off?"

Shiru shook his head. "No, he was scared. He only came after he was hired here as a teacher. He heard students were using this room to start a revolt against the teachers... And I would've left my pants."

Nakuru smirked and grabbed her piece of chalk. Underneath her father's signature, she wrote:

"I claimed this brick for the Meridian Wrecking Crew- Go Canada!

And Hermione Granger...she wished she were here.

PS. Snape is still a sissy!

--Nakuru Summers"

Shiru shook his head again. "Anyway, I wanted to tell you to heed your visions- you'll probably have more soon."

Nakuru nodded. "Well, thanks. At least I know I'm not alone."

As she turned to leave, Shiru grabbed her arm. "Be careful, alright? Something isn't right."

Nakuru looked confusedly at him, unsure of what to think. "I'll keep that in mind."

"You're not scared of me, are you?" he asked calmly.

Nakuru shrugged. "No, why should I be?"

"Because I'm a demon," he replied, unsure of her reaction. "Most people don't come up here because they're either scared of the dark...or of me."

Nakuru smiled. "I see no reason to be afraid of you."

Shiru smirked. "I guess not. I won't be here after tonight- me staying is too risky. I know that I'm being looked for. By the school- and by someone else... Stop by later, alright?"

Nakuru nodded. "Alright," she replied as she stuffed the piece of chalk back into her pocket.

***

Chapter 10: An Unexpected Visitor

Nakuru walked into the unusually cold Gryffindor Common Room with a large, but evil grin on her face. Salinas was there sitting on a couch, making blue flames fly around her arms; her jet-black hair glistening in the blue light, and her blue eyes shimmering with concentration and fixation. It looked quite hilarious to Nakuru, who had almost forgotten that Salinas was 'inflammable'. Nakuru snuck up behind Salinas and made her own golden flames pop up on top of Salinas' head. Salinas shrieked, "What the f--"

Nakuru curled up on the floor in laughter. She laughed so suddenly and loudly, Salinas screamed again. "What the-- Oh, well that explains it!" Salinas looked over at Nakuru who was laughing so hard, she couldn't breathe.

"That was so funny," said Nakuru, gasping for air. She cracked up again on the floor. "You should have seen your face!"

Salinas wasn't laughing. Instead, she let out a big 'hmph' and plunked down on the couch with a thud. "It wasn't that funny."

Nakuru straightened up and took a few deep breaths. She sat down on the other couch facing Salinas. "It was only a joke, Salinas." She smiled broadly.

"Yeah, sure." Salinas pulled out her wand. "Do it 'gain, an' I'll--"

"Please, Salinas," Nakuru said sarcastically. "I won't do it again. It was just a joke. Do you always have to be so serious?" Nakuru pulled out her wand and looked at Salinas. "Duel?"

Salinas gladly obliged and got her wand ready. They were now both in a duelling position. Nakuru smiled. Salinas looked serious. But, of course, Nakuru was never serious. At least, when it came to Salinas or duels. To her, they were fun. "Ready Sal?" asked Nakuru tauntingly, blowing a stray, golden hair out of her face.

"When you are...Nak," replied Salinas glaring evilly at Nakuru. Nakuru just smiled. "On three?"

"Sure thing." Nakuru was relaxed. Salinas had a stern look about her, and her eyes were fixed intensely on Nakuru, who was standing quite tranquilly a few feet away. "One..."

"Two...." Salinas continued.

"Three!" The two yelled at the exact same time.

"Expelliarmus!" Salinas yelled and pointed her wand at where Nakuru once was. Moments before she could disarm her, Nakuru had cast her incantation 'Alek Morem', an invisibility spell. Salinas looked around, but saw no one. "C'mon, Nak! This isn't duelling!" she yelled at the invisible Nakuru.

"Yes it is! Everything's fair in a duel! Just because you can't see me, doesn't mean it's not fair!" Nakuru protested in a calm voice so that it would be difficult for Salinas to trace her. "Try this on for size!" she yelled. "Flammus!" At once, a thick chain of gold and flames sprung from the fire. It whirled around Salinas, and then tightened so that she could not escape. Nakuru reappeared immediately. She walked towards Salinas. " I don't think you'll be needing that," she pointed at Salinas' wand. "Accio wand!" The wand flew from Salinas' hand, and into Nakuru's.

"Okay!" Salinas yelled. "You won! Now lemme out of this...this...thing!" She wriggled and squirmed, but could not get free. "Well c'mon! Set me loose, Nak," she asked calmly.

"No, I don't think I will, Sal," Nakuru replied in an evil voice. "I'd prefer to watch you like this. And I'll make sure that nobody can enter the Common Room, either. They might spoil my fun..." Nakuru laughed maliciously at Salinas' predicament. All Salinas could do was squirm like an insect on the floor by the fire. She was literally in a bind.

Nakuru turned her wand on Salinas. "One false move and I'll Avada Kadavra you." Nakuru sat on the opposing couch and stared at Salinas coldly. Nakuru twitched and then let out a gasp. "I forgot. My time's almost up." At this, Nakuru began to transform into, not the usual golden fox, but a girl...a girl Salinas had never seen before.

"Hello Salinas. You probably don't recognize me. You wouldn't know me, would you?" interrogated the strange girl. She stood tall, with perfect posture. Her jet-black hair strayed into her face the odd time, and she blew it away with a small 'puff'. Her golden-yellow eyes pierced Salinas', and never blinked once. She gave a weak smile. "I'm Jade Stone," she added. "And I believe your friend Nakuru is right over there," she said pointing to a corner behind one of the couches.

How could I have missed her there, thought Salinas to herself as she looked at Nakuru, who was bound similarly in silver and fire-like chains. Nakuru was neither moving, nor struggling, which sent Salinas in a panic. "Is she okay? What did yeh do to her?" she yelled at Jade, who was standing beside Nakuru and keeping her wand ready, with Salinas' still in her hand.

Jade stepped away from Nakuru. "Oh, she's alright," she said calmly. "It's just a temporary spell that will wear off soon." Jade plunked down onto the couch. Her hair toppled over her shoulders and into her face. She brushed the hair away and looked at Salinas. "I think I'll shut you up now, Sal. Did anyone ever tell you just how annoying your voice is? That Newfie accent..." She pointed her wand at Salinas and instantaneously, Salinas' mouth was gagged. Salinas struggled to talk, but to no avail. Jade chuckled. The semi-permanent barrier on the Fat Lady's portrait would keep out any unexpected visitors to the Common Room. Jade had two very worthy hostages, which she could hand over to Voldemort if she were to prove her loyalty to him, and show her support for the Dark Arts. But she had other plans in mind. "So, which ransom note first?" she chuckled to herself.

Salinas seemed to be laughing from behind her gag. When she toppled over onto the floor, Jade knew this was laughter. "And what's so funny Sal?" she demanded, and unfastened the gag on Salinas' mouth.

"A..." Salinas laughed again, "a ransom note? Are you kidding? You can't be serious!" Salinas fell over again and continued laughing.

"Would you prefer a letter to your grandfather informing him of your death?" Jade was angry now, and her eyes glowed golden-yellow. "And perhaps one to your friend here, Nakuru's..." Jade paused. She looked down on Salinas who was trying to straighten up a little. "Her guardian is...?"

"She doesn't have one," said Salinas silently. She looked over at Nakuru who was now stirring. "They're dead. So there's no point in--" But Salinas was cut off. Jade had ignored her for the last few moments. Her attention now fully turned to Nakuru, whose eyes now flickered with their usual blue light as they opened with a squint.

"Ah, welcome back Nakuru," said Jade sinisterly as she scowled at Nakuru. "Salinas here has been entertaining me. But she's had quite enough for now." Jade snapped her finger, and the magical gag reappeared around Salinas' mouth. Nakuru looked over at Salinas, and threw herself a few feet from where she was sitting, trying to get closer to Salinas. Jade laughed maliciously at Nakuru who seemed to be wriggling like a fish out of water. Nakuru glared at Jade. At this, she decided to toy with Nakuru a little. "So, Nakuru," she started, "I hear that your father was killed by Voldemort... What a pity. Perhaps if your parents weren't such weaklings, you wouldn't have inherited such gullible and talentless genes."

Nakuru became furious and tried to get at Jade. "And you know," she continued, "it's all your fault that they're dead. That's right... It's your fault, Nakuru. Why do you think your father went to Dumbledore? He wanted him to take you away because he didn't want to die... Your mother didn't want to die, either. She pleaded with Voldemort to spare her. Your parents were relieved when he cursed you and not them. They never wanted you. And because of you, they're dead. Dead, Nakuru... And there's nothing you can do to change that."

The gag over her mouth disappeared; Nakuru's eyes filled with tears as she glared at Jade. "I was wanted!"

Jade shook her head amusedly. "That's the story they told you? That you were the perfect planned child? Kind of like how everyone told you the 'truth' about your mother's death... She was alone when Voldemort found her- alone with nobody there to stop the inevitable. The killing curse was her undoing, and everyone that you thought you could trust lied to you to cover it all up. You should be thanking me for the truth. Who else can you trust?"

Nakuru shook her head. "I can trust Dumbledore. They didn't die because of me. They died because Voldemort is a murderer."

Jade shook her head. "Believe what you want. Like I said, she died for you. Your dad died for you. No matter what you want to believe, it's because of you that they're dead."

Jade just smiled broadly as she pointed her wand at Nakuru. She could no longer contain herself. "I never killed my parents!" she yelled as she fought to free herself from the chains of silver fire. "It was not my fault!" Nakuru felt as though the chains were loosening, but did not give up her struggle. Jade looked at her menacingly, and then at Salinas. Nakuru continued, "What do you want from us? Of what worth are we to you? Especially me! I have no family that you can get any ransom from, because they're dead. All I have is--" Nakuru stopped herself then began again. "I have nothing, and nobody. It won't matter to anyone that I'm gone- except my friends. But even still, there's nothing to be gained from me. So what do you want?" Nakuru was really worked up, and Jade was getting agitated.

"What do I want?" she echoed. "I want you all to pay!" Jade raised her voice and continued. "I had no one, either. Never at all in my life did anyone care about me. That's why I want revenge on this god-forsaken school, and every witch, muggle, mudblood, and squib that has ever wronged me!" Jade looked as though tears were forming in her eyes. Her voiced lowered, and spoke with sadness, "All I ever wanted was to fit in- be normal. But no one cared. I wasn't even good enough for my parents. It was everyone else's fault- they made me an outcast. Can't you see? I killed those people. The people who never understood me, who purposely left me out and left me alone... And I wish I hadn't had to. But they brought it upon themselves, you know. They did..."

The room fell silent, and Jade began again. "My parents never wanted me, so I was left at an orphanage. As it turns out, your parents, Allan and Melody Summers took me in for one year, before deciding to have their own child, and I was sent back to the orphanage. And even when I went through school, I was shunned. I was always the outcast- always the rebel. And the people who ruined my life have payed for it with theirs."

Nakuru looked almost horrified. She killed people, she thought as she felt a link in the chain bend and snap. She was free, and with Jade's back turned, she and Salinas could escape. She stood up silently, and motioned Salinas to not move. Nakuru raised her wand and shouted at Jade who didn't realize what was happening in time. "Flammus!" shouted Nakuru as another chain of flames encircled Jade. They tightened within a second, and Nakuru did not hesitate to act. She ran over to Salinas and snapped a weakened link on the golden chain, and proceeded to ungag her.

"Thank you! Now let's be done wit that li'l...that li'l..." Salinas looked over at Jade who was now struggling to get up from the floor and shook her fist.

"Wait Salinas," Nakuru said calmly, stepping between the two. "We should bring her to your granddad, and explain this to him first... Shouldn't we?" She waited for her reply, knowing full well that Salinas would like nothing more than to do Jade in.

"Right...I'se s'pose so. But she ain't gettin' off easy! She's gonna pay! Yeh hears me, Jade? Y'ain't gonna see the light o' day for a long time!" Salinas scowled at Jade who just stared miserably at the floor. "Yeah, that's what I'se thought," she added, to make her statement final.

Nakuru looked back to Jade. "If I weren't Canadian... I'd spit on you. And I'm gonna be nice and not kick your sorry arse all the way up to Professor Dumbledore's office, either! What I will do is this. I'm going to bind you up, gag you, and then drag you all the way up to the office. And on top of that, I'm going to make sure we run into Peeves on the way there, so he can pelt you with timbits, and then make fun of the failure that you are. And I won't stop there either!"

Salinas looked at Nakuru in amazement. Nakuru continued. "I'm also going make it a point to hit your head on every step on our way there. And if I really want to be mean, I'll snap that wand of yours and then set it on fire! And then, I'll take a detour to Hagrid's house and I'll ask if we can scare the living hell out of you by letting us take you to see Aragog! And I won't stop there either! I'll--"

Salinas stopped Nakuru, who was, as she always tended to do, ranting. "I think that'll be sufficient, Nak," she said calmly, laying her hand on Nakuru's shoulder. Nakuru just looked at Salinas with a dull smile. The two decided it was time for their friend to have a little visit with Dumbledore now, seeing as she was getting restless, and rather noisy. They made their way silently to the portrait hole, and climbed through. Nakuru dragged Jade along, making sure to hit her head on the way out. Jade groaned in pain, and squirmed frantically as she saw the nearing staircase. Nakuru chuckled and quickened her step, Salinas only a few paces behind.

One step at a time, Jade shrieked as she got a bang on the head. Nakuru just laughed silently to herself. The she stopped mid-way up the staircase. "You're not going to go all the way back down, then up again, are you Nak?" asked Salinas hopefully.

"Naw," replied Nakuru. "I just remembered something. I've got to head up to The Webb to see-- Never mind." She continued up the stairs a few feet, but realized Salinas had stopped. "What?" she asked intently.

"The Webb? But that's where that-- Shiru. I knew it. You two're together 'er something, aren't you? Your little secret relationship is out now." Salinas wasn't exactly smiling. "It may seem like I'm upset right now. Really, it may."

"What?" Nakuru looked down the stairs at her in a way that made Jade nervous- as if there was going to be trouble.

"Did yeh forget the details, Nak? He's a Slytherin, for one!" Salinas exclaimed. "Secondly, he was expelled- so him bein' in this school is strictly prohibited. And lastly, an' I hope you didn't forget this part... He's a demon!"

Nakuru looked long and hard at Salinas, who looked like she was about to explode. "So?" She replied as she banged Jade's head on another step. "I have to go- seeing as I take it we'll all be busy later. Take her up to your granddad, okay?" Nakuru dropped Jade and bounded up the remaining stairs as she headed toward the third floor.

Salinas just stood flabbergasted and grabbed Jade's robes. She quickened her step and marched up the stairs, banging Jade's head all the way, twice as hard as Nak had been doing.

Nakuru turned back and called to Salinas. "And we're not together, Sal! I don't even know him. He just asked me to see him."

Salinas just kept on up the stairs without acknowledging Nakuru. She didn't believe her. She marched up the remaining steps until she came to the stone gargoyle in front of Professor Dumbledore's office. She looked at it for a moment then moved closer to it, as to whisper in its ear. "Marble Mud Cakes." At once, the stone gargoyle jumped aside, revealing the staircase up to Dumbledore's office. Salinas made it a point to hit Jade's head especially hard on the last few steps toward the door. Salinas then stopped and knocked on the door silently.

From the inside, Salinas heard a quiet "Come in", and made her way into the slightly cool office. Fawkes rustled his feathers and squawked happily at Salinas. Dumbledore almost jumped from behind his desk when he noticed the girl that Salinas had dragged in. "My goodness, Salinas!" he exclaimed. "Did you have to go and beat up another one?"

Salinas grinned a bit. "No granddad." She set Jade down. "This li'l worm is Jade Stone. She tried to kill me n' Nak up in the Gryffindor tower." Jade squirmed as if to make an objection. Dumbledore magicked away the gag around her mouth and told her to speak.

"I wasn't going to kill them, sir," she protested. "I was simply going to hold them for ransom and torture them!" Jade chuckled evilly to herself. Dumbledore shifted in his seat. He looked at Jade, then to Salinas. Immediately, the gag was back in its rightful place, around Jade's mouth. Jade sat silently on the floor, not resisting at all. Salinas looked at Albus and smirked. She noticed he wasn't smiling.

"What?" she asked suddenly. "What were we s'pose 'ta do? She said she'd kill us then an' there!" Salinas walked over to the window and stared outside. Dumbledore stood up and walked over to her. He laid his hand on her shoulder.

"I believe you Salinas," he said with a smile. "Now, as for Ms. Stone here... What are we to do with her? What do you think?" Salinas turned and faced him.

"Hand her over to the ministry? Azkaban would do 'er real nicely." Salinas looked down at Jade who was looking out the window with a strange, almost sad expression on her face. "Granddad? What?" He was looking from Jade to Salinas.

"Perhaps," he started, "it would be better if we didn't. Instead, try to help her..." He looked at Salinas and then to Jade, who looked up at Dumbledore with a look of anticipation on her face. Jade shifted and sat comfortably on the hard floor at the base of Fawke's perch. She looked down at her old shoes, and up at Salinas.

Salinas looked back at her grandfather with a look of confusion and rage. "Help her? That bloody heathen just tried to kill Nakuru and me! I usually trust yer judgement, but have you gone mad? She should be locked up in Azkaban!"

Albus looked calmly at Salinas. He gave a slight smile. "You know, m'dear, you really should learn not to dwell on the past."

Salinas glared again. "Past? It was five bloody minutes ago! By the lard tundren, granddad! She should be committed to an asylum! Just as long as she's gone an' far away, I'll be happy." Albus looked at Jade and sighed. Jade bowed her head and sighed, as well. Salinas looked at Professor Dumbledore. "Fine! Give her a chance! See if I care! But any screw-ups whatsoever, an' she's mine! Y'hear?"

Jade glanced up in a frenzy, and her gag was removed. She was smiling broadly from ear to ear. "Thank you," she said as she stepped up to Dumbledore's desk. Dumbledore was sorting through some papers, trying to find a blank registration form. Jade seemed happy, considering the large bruise that was forming on her head. She filled out the form, and turned toward Salinas. "When do I get sorted Sal?"

Salinas shuddered. "It's Salinas to you. And the sorting will probably be tonight. I'll see you then." With that, Salinas turned and marched out the door. She stomped down the steps, and could be heard until the gargoyle had sprung back into its original position. Jade looked back at Dumbledore who was sitting exhaustedly in his armchair.

"You can wander the school until dinner-time, which is when I expect you to come to my office. If you don't show up, I shall assume that you have decided against attending Hogwarts. Understood Ms. Stone?"

Jade nodded, and exited the Headmaster's office.